As with all drugs, the route, form, and/or dose of a substance administered or applied
can play a defining role in its overall pharmacology and use as a therapeutic. This
review will focus on these factors as they relate to the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine
(DMT). It will examine the positive and negative aspects of different formulations
and routes of administration of DMT and the observed effects from such administrations
in the form of ayahuasca teas; oral "pharmahuasca"; injections by intravenous (IV)
and intramuscular (IM) routes; inhalation, insufflation; and other routes; and high-dose,
low-dose, and "micro-dose" effects. The review will consider possible oral route of
administration alternatives that would not require concomitant use of a monoamine
oxidase inhibitor. The review will then address the current research findings for
DMT from in vivo and in vitro studies as well as the possibility that these findings
may be revealing the role of endogenous DMT in normal brain function.
