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Research compound — not a dietary supplement
DMHA (Octodrine) is a research compound, not a regulated dietary supplement. It is sold for research or off-label use. The evidence below is largely preclinical (animal and in-vitro) or early-stage, so no evidence score is assigned. This page is provided for transparency and education — it is not a recommendation to use. Consult a qualified healthcare provider, and be aware that purity, dosing, and legal status vary by jurisdiction.
What the evidence says
Most DMHA (Octodrine) studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from mixed-quality studies published 1967–2021.
Based on 5 studies
Confidence
LowBy outcome
DMHA (Octodrine) has an evidence score of 3/10 — emerging evidence based on 5 indexed studies. A sympathomimetic stimulant marketed as a 'DMAA replacement' in pre-workout and fat-burner supplements. It is an old 1950s nasal-decongestant/vasopressor drug (octodrine) revived as a grey-market supplement ingredient — but there is essentially NO modern human safety or efficacy data in this context, its 'natural' Aconitum/Kigelia origin is false (analyses show it is synthetic), and as a DMAA-class amine it carries a presumed cardiovascular risk. The FDA treats it as an unapproved, unsafe ingredient that does not qualify as a dietary supplement. This is a harm-reduction entry, not an endorsement. Representative study: PMID 29115866.
The commonly studied dose of DMHA (Octodrine) is No legitimate or recommended dose — DMHA is an unapproved, unsafe ingredient that does not qualify as a dietary supplement, and it is banned in sport. We do NOT provide a dosing protocol. For reference only: octodrine was historically sold in Europe within multi-ingredient medications at 8–33 mg, but supplement products have contained 72 mg or more per serving — over twice that historical maximum, and stacked with other untested stimulants. That is not a recommendation.. Individual needs vary — start at the lower end of the range and adjust based on how you respond.
Yohimbine
Mostly mechanism / observationalThe purified alkaloid (not crude yohimbe bark) — an alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist with modest evidence for erectile dysfunction and fasted fat loss, but real anxiety and cardiovascular risks and notoriously mislabeled supplement potency.
Ephedrine
Mostly mechanism / observationalLast reviewed June 2026 · evidence from 5 studies · how we score
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
DMHA (2-aminoisoheptane / octodrine / 1,5-dimethylhexylamine) — sympathomimetic stimulant
A sympathomimetic stimulant marketed as a 'DMAA replacement' in pre-workout and fat-burner supplements. It is an old 1950s nasal-decongestant/vasopressor drug (octodrine) revived as a grey-market supplement ingredient — but there is essentially NO modern human safety or efficacy data in this context, its 'natural' Aconitum/Kigelia origin is false (analyses show it is synthetic), and as a DMAA-class amine it carries a presumed cardiovascular risk. The FDA treats it as an unapproved, unsafe ingredient that does not qualify as a dietary supplement. This is a harm-reduction entry, not an endorsement.
DMHA (octodrine) is a DMAA-successor sympathomimetic stimulant with essentially no modern human safety or efficacy data in the supplement context. Its 'natural' Aconitum/Kigelia origin is false — analyses show it is a synthetic chemical, often dosed at more than twice the historical pharmaceutical maximum and stacked with other untested stimulants. It carries a presumed cardiovascular risk like its DMAA parent and is treated by the FDA as an unapproved, unsafe ingredient, so it scores low.
DMHA — sold under the label names '2-aminoisoheptane,' '1,5-dimethylhexylamine (1,5-DMHA),' '2-amino-6-methylheptane,' or by the old pharmaceutical name 'octodrine' — is a simple aliphatic sympathomimetic amine, structurally an analog of the banned stimulant 1,3-DMAA (DMAA).
It is the canonical 'DMAA replacement': after the FDA forced 1,3-DMAA out of supplements over reports of high blood pressure, hemorrhagic stroke, and sudden death, manufacturers introduced near-identical amines — DMHA among them — into pre-workout, energy, 'thermogenic,' and weight-loss products.
Octodrine itself is not new: it was developed in the 1950s and sold in Europe as a pharmaceutical (a nasal decongestant, bronchodilator, and pressor agent) in multi-ingredient medications at doses of roughly 8–33 mg.
The honest summary is that this is an old pressor/CNS-stimulant drug, NOT a dietary ingredient, with no modern controlled human safety or efficacy studies behind its supplement use. The published literature on DMHA-in-supplements is almost entirely analytical chemistry and regulatory toxicology, not clinical trials.
Cohen and colleagues (2018) confirmed octodrine in US supplements at ~72 mg per serving — more than twice the largest historical pharmaceutical dose — flagging it explicitly as a 1,3-DMAA analog with unknown safety.
A separate analytical study (Wang 2018) tested the marketing claim that DMHA is a 'natural constituent' of Aconitum or Kigelia plants: across fifteen plant samples it found NONE, while the supplement material was racemic and carried synthesis byproducts, i.e. it is a synthetic chemical mislabeled as botanical.
The first pharmacology-focused review in seven decades (Catalani 2018) characterized octodrine as a CNS stimulant that increases dopamine and noradrenaline uptake, found that almost no modern data exist, and catalogued the reported harms — hypertension, dyspnoea, and hyperthermia — drawn largely from bodybuilding fora rather than trials.
A 2021 multi-laboratory survey (Cohen 2021) again found octodrine (18–73 mg/serving) stacked with up to four experimental stimulants per product and concluded these untested cocktails have 'never been tested in humans and their safety is unknown.' The only controlled human exposure in the modern literature is incidental: a single-dose pharmacokinetic observation embedded in a 2025 anti-doping/hair-testing case (Alvarez 2025), confirming octodrine is rapidly metabolized to heptaminol and that both are on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list.
Historical animal pharmacology (Oelkers 1967) confirms the pressor/sympathomimetic profile.
The verdict, and the reason this scores LOW: DMHA is a DMAA-successor sympathomimetic with a presumed cardiovascular-risk profile, no modern efficacy or safety evidence in the supplement context, false 'natural' labeling, and FDA classification as an unapproved/unsafe ingredient that is not a lawful dietary supplement.
It is sold only as an unregulated, frequently mislabeled product. We do not recommend it.
DMHA (octodrine) is an aliphatic amine sympathomimetic that increases central uptake of dopamine and noradrenaline and acts as a pressor agent. This is the basis for its old use as a decongestant/bronchodilator and for the energy, focus, and appetite-suppressant effects claimed in pre-workout and fat-burner products.
DMHA is structurally an analog of the banned stimulant 1,3-DMAA (DMAA), introduced as a replacement after DMAA was forced out of supplements. The structural similarity is why it is presumed to share DMAA's cardiovascular-risk profile — but unlike a studied drug, the supplement use has no controlled human characterization.
When ingested, octodrine is rapidly metabolized to heptaminol, itself a stimulant. Both octodrine and heptaminol are on the WADA prohibited list; the metabolite is the main species detected in blood and underlies anti-doping detection.
How DMHA (Octodrine) works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
Tap node to isolate • Pinch to zoom • Tap edge for research
No legitimate or recommended dose — DMHA is an unapproved, unsafe ingredient that does not qualify as a dietary supplement, and it is banned in sport. We do NOT provide a dosing protocol. For reference only: octodrine was historically sold in Europe within multi-ingredient medications at 8–33 mg, but supplement products have contained 72 mg or more per serving — over twice that historical maximum, and stacked with other untested stimulants. That is not a recommendation.
Can be taken without food
| Form | Type |
|---|---|
| 💊None — unapproved, unsafe stimulant ingredient; not a lawful dietary supplement | Recommended |
There is no legitimate supplement form. DMHA is an old sympathomimetic drug (octodrine) revived as a grey-market stimulant; it is banned in sport and flagged by the FDA as not a dietary ingredient.
Minimum: 1 weeks
Optimal: 1 weeks
Cycling: Not required
Note: No approved or validated timing — there is no modern human safety or efficacy data and it is treated as an unapproved, unsafe ingredient. This library does not endorse or schedule its use.
Dose-response data unavailable. The current published research for DMHA (Octodrine) does not provide sufficient dose-specific outcome data to generate reliable dose-response curves.
Refer to the Dosage & Timing section above for recommended dose ranges based on available evidence.
There are no controlled human trials showing DMHA improves performance, energy, focus, or fat loss, and none establishing its safety as a supplement ingredient. The supplement literature is analytical and regulatory, not clinical.
As a sympathomimetic it raises CNS dopamine/noradrenaline tone and acts as a pressor — the source of its 'energy' and appetite-suppressant marketing. The same mechanism drives the cardiovascular concern.
As a DMAA analog and pressor, DMHA is presumed to share DMAA's cardiovascular risk. Reported adverse effects include hypertension, dyspnoea, and hyperthermia; the DMAA parent was linked to high blood pressure, hemorrhagic stroke, and sudden death.
Products marketed DMHA as a 'natural' Aconitum/Kigelia extract, but analyses found it is synthetic; servings often contained more than twice the historical pharmaceutical dose, frequently stacked with other untested stimulants.
Octodrine and its metabolite heptaminol are on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list (specified stimulants); even contaminated supplements have produced adverse analytical findings and athlete sanctions.
Avoid — DMHA is a pressor DMAA analog with presumed cardiovascular risk and no human safety data.
Avoid absolutely — octodrine and heptaminol are WADA-prohibited; even contaminated supplements have produced adverse analytical findings and bans.
Avoid entirely — unstudied in humans and an unapproved stimulant.
Additive sympathomimetic load raises blood pressure, heart rate, and the risk of cardiovascular events. Surveyed products already combine DMHA with up to four experimental stimulants; the cocktails are untested in humans.
Combining a sympathomimetic amine with an MAO inhibitor risks a hypertensive crisis. There are no human data, but the pharmacology makes this a serious theoretical hazard.
Tip: There is no established mitigation — as a pressor DMAA analog, DMHA is presumed to carry cardiovascular risk (its DMAA parent was linked to high blood pressure, hemorrhagic stroke, and sudden death). Human frequency is unquantified because supplement use has never been studied; treat as a serious unknown, not a measured rate.
Tip: Reported in the pharmacology review largely from user fora rather than trials; discontinue and seek care if breathing difficulty or overheating occurs. Risk rises with exertion and stacked stimulants.
Tip: Products have been found mislabeled as 'natural' botanical extracts while containing synthetic DMHA above the historical pharmaceutical dose and stacked with other stimulants; identity, purity, and dose are not guaranteed.
Timing is flexible for DMHA (Octodrine) — consistent daily use matters more than the time of day. There is no validated or endorsed human dosing schedule for DMHA as a supplement.
DMHA (Octodrine) should be used with caution — talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. The most commonly reported side effects are hypertension / cardiovascular events (presumed, DMAA-class), dyspnoea / hyperthermia, harm from an unregulated, mislabeled product. Use caution if any of these apply to you: Anyone with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or arrhythmia — DMHA is a pressor sympathomimetic and a DMAA analog with presumed cardiovascular risk; Not an approved medicine and not a lawful dietary supplement — FDA treats it as an unapproved, unsafe ingredient; do not self-source; Competitive athletes — octodrine and its metabolite heptaminol are WADA-prohibited and have triggered anti-doping violations, including from contaminated products.
A sympathomimetic stimulant — the 'E' in the ECA (ephedrine/caffeine/aspirin) fat-loss stack. Ephedrine plus caffeine genuinely produces MODEST fat loss in 6-month RCTs (~0.9 kg/month more than placebo, ~3 kg over a controlled diet trial). But that is the whole upside: ephedra alkaloids were BANNED from US dietary supplements in 2004 after the FDA tied them to cardiovascular and psychiatric harms and deaths (the JAMA meta-analysis found a 2.2–3.6× increase in psychiatric/autonomic/GI symptoms and palpitations). Pharmaceutical ephedrine survives only as a restricted behind-the-counter decongestant/vasopressor. NOT a dietary supplement, NOT a longevity drug — a gated harm-reduction entry.
As a pressor, DMHA can raise blood pressure and may oppose antihypertensive therapy; interactions are uncharacterised because supplement use has never been studied.