1,3-Dimethylamylamine: What’s the Big Deal?

Posted on Sep 23, 2011 in Stimulants, Supplements

The legality of 1,3-Dimethylamylamine has been questioned, with many companies now removing it from their formulas and the banning of this substance in WADA drug tested sports. What’s all the fuss about? Is 1,3-dimethylamylamine too powerful for the supplement market, or is it not in accordance with the definition of what can be sold as a dietary supplement?

At one point 1,3-Dimethylamylamine was patented as a drug by the drug company Eli Lilly with the trademark name Forthane. I suppose that this could lead it to be viewed as more of a drug than a supplement, although it was patented for use as a nasal decongestant rather than a stimulant. Something else to consider is that most of the 1,3-dimethylamylamine currently on the supplement market was not actually extracted from geranium, but rather synthesized in a lab so this 1,3-dimethylamylamine becomes no longer a natural extract of a plant. In 2010 1,3-dimethylamylamine was added to the list of WADA banned substances. This supposedly had something to do with its similarity to a substance which was already banned by the WADA and the difficulty in deciphering between the two when analyzing the results of a drug test. Shortly after the ban, several athletes failed the drug test for 1,3-dimethylamylamine. The whole situation was certainly not helped by the fact that 1,3-dimethylamylamine started showing up in “party pills” as a substitute for illegal recreational drugs.

So getting down to the facts, are there any reasons why 1,3-dimethylamylamine should not be available for purchase over the counter? Some would argue that 1,3-dimethylamylamine HCl is not naturally occurring and therefore should not be sold as a plant extract, but others would argue that because there is no covalent bond formed with the HCl it is still essentially the same as plant derived 1,3-dimethylamylamine. One other reason could be that because it is a powerful stimulant there is potential for abuse. This doesn’t seem to be the case though, as it appears to be dropping off in popularity as many users find certain side effects such as “crashing” to be intolerable.

With all of the issues surrounding 1,3-dimethylamylamine one can certainly see what all the talk is about. Should it be legal for over the counter purchase? This particular author thinks so. It’s potential for abuse is low, and I don’t see it as any less safe or less naturally occurring than other stimulants currently available like methylsynephrine. With 1,3-dimethylamylamine losing popularity, I see it slowly fading into the background safe and sound rather than being banned for one of the issues currently at hand.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cassie is a chemistry major and national level bodybuilder. Questions or comments? Talk to Cassie on the FORUM or on FACEBOOK.

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