Summary
4-CA is primarily a laboratory neurotoxin used to selectively destroy serotonergic neurons in research. It was briefly investigated as an appetite suppressant and antidepressant in the 1960s-1970s but medical development ceased due to severe neurotoxicity findings. Reports from Belgium (2018) confirmed sporadic adulteration of ecstasy pills with 4-CA, posing acute neurotoxicity risk to unwitting users. Clinical studies described only slight stimulant effects with the compound acting more like an antidepressant than a typical stimulant. The use of this substance is strongly discouraged.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 2-8mg | - | - | 40+mg(notrecommended)+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Peak | Offset | After Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 20-45 min | 1-2 hrs | 1-3 hrs | 4-12 hrs |
Tolerance
Build-up
develops over days to weeks of regular use
Reset
3–7 days for acute; 1–3 weeks for full reset
Effects
Positive
- Mild stimulation
- Stimulation
Negative
- Insomnia
- Muscle tension
- Headache
- Increased heart rate
- Teeth grinding
- Pupil dilation
- Sedation
- Hyperthermia
Positive
- Alertness enhancement
- Euphoria
- Wakefulness
Negative
- Anxiety
- Cognitive fatigue
- Depression
- Dysphoria
- Talkativeness
- Time distortion
- Thought acceleration
Positive
- Tactile enhancement
- Increased libido
- Increased music appreciation
- Tracers
- Color enhancement
- Pattern recognition enhancement
Negative
- Appetite suppression
- Light sensitivity
- Dehydration
- Disinhibition