Scopolamine

6,7-Epoxytropine tropate

Hyoscine, Devil's Breath, Burundanga

Psychoactive Class

Deliriant Sedative Hallucinogen Depressant

Chemical Class

Scopolamine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid found in plants of the Solanaceae family, including Datura species, where it serves as the primary psychoactive compound. Structurally related to atropine and hyoscyamine, it acts as a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist. While medically approved for the prevention of motion sickness and postoperative nausea¹, recreational doses produce intense deliriant hallucinations. Medium to high doses carry significant adverse effects, and extreme caution is strongly advised.

Dosage & Duration

Dosage

Bioavailability

13-40%

Absorption observations included 0.5 mg administrations, but dose-tier ranges were not available.

Subjective Effects

Effects vary widely by individual, dose, and context.

Physical

The physical effects of datura are usually described as extremely uncomfortable. They can be broken down into several components all of which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. These are described below and generally include:

Muscle cramps Nausea Dizziness Restless leg syndrome Abnormal heartbeat Increased heart rate

Cognitive

The cognitive effects of datura are described by many as generally negative and dysphoric throughout the trip, primarily consisting of extreme paranoia and feelings of impending doom. It is largely confusing and disorienting often leading to a complete inability to communicate or understand normal language. It contains unique cognitive effects found almost exclusively in the deliriant class. The most prominent of these effects include:

Depression Anxiety Paranoia Thought deceleration Emotion suppression Information processing suppression Amnesia Language suppression Time distortion Dream potentiation Delineation of thought

Visual

Distortions

As for visual distortions and alterations, effects experienced are detailed below:

Visual haze After images

Hallucinatory States

The effects of Datura are extremely efficient at inducing delirious hallucinations which can be broken into the two categories described below:

Shadow people Unspeakable horrors

Suppressions

Datura does not enhance visual stimuli in the way that psychedelics do; instead they tend to degrade and decrease visual aptitude both increasing hallucination and degrading vision. These components are detailed below:

Pattern recognition suppression Vibrating vision

Auditory

The auditory effects of Datura are common in their occurrence and exhibit a range of effects which commonly includes:

Suppression Hallucinations

Forked from Subjective Effect Documentation work

by Josie KinsApril 2015.

Reagent Testing

Loading reagent data

Expected colorimetric results are being prepared.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Scopolamine acts as a non-selective competitive antagonist at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors² (M1 through M5), with relatively weaker inhibition at the M5 subtype. Through this broad antimuscarinic activity, it disrupts parasympathetic signaling in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.² The hallucinogenic and deliriant properties associated with higher doses are specifically linked to antagonism of postsynaptic M1 receptors; no other muscarinic subtypes have been implicated in these effects.³ Scopolamine has also been reported to interact with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits (alpha-4 and beta-2), though these interactions remain poorly characterized.

Pharmacokinetics

Scopolamine is primarily metabolized in the liver, though its metabolic pathway in humans remains incompletely characterized. CYP3A4 is implicated in oxidative demethylation, as supported by in vitro studies and altered pharmacokinetics observed with grapefruit juice coadministration. The primary metabolites are various glucuronide and sulfide conjugates. Oral bioavailability is low due to substantial first-pass metabolism², with estimates ranging from roughly 13% to 20-40%, while intranasal administration achieves considerably higher bioavailability at approximately 83%. Reported elimination half-life values for oral administration vary between roughly 1 hour and an average of 5 hours (range 2-10 hours); intravenous and intramuscular routes show half-lives of approximately 69 minutes. About 2.6% of an oral dose is recovered unchanged in urine.²

Interactions

Caution

Use caution

These combinations are not usually physically harmful, but may produce undesirable effects, such as physical discomfort or overstimulation. Extreme use may cause physical health issues. Synergistic effects may be unpredictable. Care should be taken when choosing to use this combination.

1,2-BenzodiazepineAbametapirAcetazolamideAcetophenazineAclidinium

TripSit

Tolerance

Cross Tolerance

Other anticholinergic/antimuscarinic agents

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

Extremely Low

Psychological addiction potential is minimal due to the typically unpleasant nature of the experience. Recreational use is rare as effects are often described as mentally and physically distressing rather than rewarding.

Physical

Moderate

Physical dependence can develop with chronic therapeutic use. Withdrawal symptoms include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, gastrointestinal disturbances, sweating, headaches, bradycardia, hypotension, and various neuropsychiatric manifestations.¹ Severe symptoms may require medical attention.

Toxicity

Central Nervous System

CNS depression ranging from drowsiness to coma can occur with overdose;¹ cognitive impairment and impaired ability to operate machinery are documented effects at therapeutic and higher doses.

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular effects including tachycardia and supraventricular arrhythmias can occur at higher doses;¹ bradycardia may follow initial tachycardia or appear during withdrawal.¹

Ophthalmologic

Scopolamine can increase intraocular pressure and is contraindicated in angle-closure glaucoma;¹ blurred vision and mydriasis occur with use.⁴

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal effects including decreased bowel sounds and constipation can occur;¹ these effects are typically associated with the anticholinergic mechanism rather than direct toxicity.

Urinary

Urinary retention can occur as an anticholinergic effect, particularly at higher doses or in susceptible individuals.¹

Psychosis Risk

Scopolamine is formally classified as a deliriant and can exacerbate psychosis and cause psychiatric reactions including hallucinations, confusion, agitation, and restlessness.¹ Mass hospitalizations for psychosis have occurred following ingestion of scopolamine-containing substances; more than 20 people were hospitalized with psychosis in Norway in 2008 after ingesting counterfeit tablets containing scopolamine.⁵

Seizure Risk

Seizures and seizure-like activity are documented neuropsychiatric effects but are rare, occurring in less than 0.1% of patients at therapeutic doses.⁴ Convulsions have been reported in overdose cases.¹

History & Culture

Traditional and Spiritual Use

Plants naturally containing scopolamine, including Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade), Brugmansia (angel's trumpet), Datura (jimsonweed), Hyoscyamus niger, Mandragora officinarum, Scopolia carniolica, Latua, and Duboisia myoporoides, have been recognized and utilized for various purposes in both…

Legality

By Country

United StatesFDA-approved prescription medication

Approved by the FDA on December 31, 1979 for prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness and surgical procedures.¹ Available as prescription tablets, injections, and transdermal patches. Some transdermal formulations are marketed as over-the-counter products.

SingaporeOver-the-counter availability

Transdermal therapeutic system available as an over-the-counter product without prescription requirement.

CanadaPrescription medication

Available as a prescription pharmaceutical product. Injectable formulations marketed for intramuscular, intravenous, and subcutaneous administration.¹⁴

References

Source Pages

Citations

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