4-HO-MET

4-HO-MET, also known as metocin or methylcybin, is a synthetic psychedelic of the tryptamine family, first made by Alexander Shulgin in the 1970s and described in his book TiHKAL. It is a close structural relative of psilocin (the compound psilocybin converts to in the body), and users report a broadly psilocybin-like experience. It emerged as a research-chemical / designer drug in the late 2000s and is typically sold as a powder or pellet.

4-HO-MET is a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist that acts on the 5-HT2A receptor, the target central to classic psychedelics such as psilocin and LSD. Activating 5-HT2A produces the characteristic changes in perception, thought, and mood. Because it is structurally close to psilocin, its pharmacology and subjective effects are broadly comparable, though it has been far less studied.

Reported effects resemble psilocybin: visual distortions, shifts in mood and thought, emotional openness, and altered sense of time, lasting several hours. Accounts describe experiences that can swing between euphoric and deeply unpleasant. Because it is obscure and little-studied, there is limited reliable information on its effects, and unregulated products vary in strength and identity.

Because 4-HO-MET has only a short history of human use and almost no formal safety research, its risk profile is poorly characterized — an uncertainty that is itself a hazard. As a serotonergic psychedelic it can produce intensely distressing psychological experiences, especially in an unsafe setting or for people vulnerable to psychiatric illness, and it may raise heart rate and blood pressure. Combining it with other serotonergic drugs — including certain antidepressants (SSRIs, MAOIs), other psychedelics, or stimulants like MDMA — carries a risk of serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening reaction with agitation, high fever, rigidity, and rapid heart rate. Unregulated products cannot be assumed to contain what they claim or at the potency assumed; substances sold as one tryptamine are frequently another, and dose cannot be judged by eye. Anyone experiencing a severe psychiatric crisis, very high temperature, rigidity, or seizures needs emergency care — call 911, and Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 can advise. This page has not yet been medically reviewed.