Is Adrenochrome an Hallucinogen?
We have reviewed the evidence that adrenochrome is an hallucinogen.54,23 This has been established by open clinical studies and by double-blind controlled studies; especially noteworthy are studies by Grof, Vojtechovsky and Horackova ,55 Vojtechovsky, Grof and Vitek,56 and Grof, Vojtechovsky, Vitek and Prankova.57 It is also active in altering animal behavior. We saw this in 1952 when we measured the toxicity of adrenochrome in rats. Weckowicz did his PhD thesis on the effect of adrenochrome on learning in albino rats.58 It has altered behavior in other animals as well, including spiders, cats, monkeys and pigeons. Taborsky found adrenochrome and adrenolutin reduced the work rate of rats.59 Anything that blocked the 3 hydroxyl group, such as 5, 6, dihydroxy N methyl indole, removed toxicity.
Adrenochrome produced psychotomimetic reactions that mimicked schizophrenia more closely than does LSD. The usual perceptual changes were illusions but with heavier doses hallucinations were present. Thought disorder was common with loss of insight and paranoid delusions. Depression was very common. When I last took adrenochrome, I was depressed for 2 weeks. I have never been depressed before or since. We concluded adrenochrome was a dangerous hallucinogen. It did not produce any psychedelic reactions and will never be the darling of the streets as was LSD.
These is evidence LSD will not produce its typical effect in the absence of enough adrenochrome. We had given LSD as a treatment to several thousand alcoholics. Our standard initial dose was 200 to 300 micrograms. Yet many alcoholics needed a lot more. In a small series of cases, we gave alcoholics this amount of LSD, and when the only response after two hours was increased anxiety, we gave them intravenous adrenochrome. Within 10 minutes, they had the psychedelic reaction we wanted them to have. There were no other changes in the test situation. The most recent reviews are by Heacock and Hoffer.60
It is known that up to 25% of patients with Parkinsonism given l-dopa in larger quantities become psychotic, i.e. develop perceptual symptoms and though disorder. With lower doses a smaller proportion become psychotic. Graham,34,61 and Graham, Tiffany, Bell, and Gutknecht35 are convinced a proportion of catecholamines were oxidized to quinines to aminochromes to neuromelanin. This is so slow that little is found in brain until age 6. 6 hydroxy dopamine is toxic because it is converted to trihydroxyphenylalanine (TOPA), which is converted to aminochrome. Thus, while it benefits the patient by moderating the symptoms, it accelerates the destruction of dopamine receptors. Yaryura-Tobias and Diamond found that niacin protected Parkinsonism cases against the l-dopa psychosis;62 I have also found this, but it did not help their neurological symptoms. L-dopa decreases the conversion of tryptophan to NAD. Bender, Eall, and Lees found that patients of l-dopa were as low in vitamin B-3 and in its metabolites as were pellagrins.63
Adrenochrome increases the arrhythmia normally found in epileptics when measured by the surface EEG, and this is reversed by niacin (Szatmari, Hoffer and Schneider, 1955). It also changes the normal patterns of the depth electroencephalogram, as do mescaline and LSD (Schwarz, Sem-Jacobsen and Peterson, 1956).
