9-Me-BC

With zero human studies, user reports are the only human data that exists. They're messy, and they split hard. Everything in this section is anecdote.

Stimulant tolerance reset (the main reason people buy it). This is the #1 use by a wide margin.

• "9-me-bc basically reset my amphetamine tolerance (vyvanse) to lower than baseline, now I only have to take 10mg." (30-day 20 mg cycle, with memantine) r52
• "before 9-me-bc quitting adderall left me completely and utterly drained, unable to function, and super depressed for around 30-60 days. After 9-me-bc quitting adderall was simply uncomfortable… I have definitely gotten permanent improvement from 9-me-bc." r50
• One user taking 15 mg with Vyvanse every morning said it was making the Vyvanse last a few hours longer after about two weeks, and called it "becoming life-changing" r34.
• Another said 2 days off Adderall while on 9-Me-BC reduced their tolerance "a surprising amount" r51, though the same user elsewhere said they were "a lil underwhelmed" r54.

Motivation and drive. The most common positive, and people specifically describe it as self-generated rather than forced.

• "the motivation this substance gives is unbelievable. Especially because it's a very intrinsic type of motivation, not the forced adderall/meth dopamine motivation" (day 4, after months of daily meth) r18b
• "Around 2pm I get the sudden urge to teach myself to do a handstand… Feeling fucking awesome." (day 1, 15 mg oral) r17
• "it feels like its working on re inflating that ball of confidence" (15 mg sublingual) r23
• "the effects actually get better the longer you take it - like a reverse tolerance." r6

Mood, emotional range and anhedonia.

• A five-day log on 25 mg plus 300 mg bupropion (Wellbutrin, an antidepressant): music felt good on day 1, "I cried for the first time in ages over something small, like a normal person would" on day 4, and more emotions with less aggression on day 5 r16.
• "I was getting tiny pleasure shivers down my back… this pleasure feels very natural. It isn't like speed or stimulants or pain meds" r3
• "massive energy and feelings came back. I went from ADD to ADHD" (15 mg) r5
• The milder version: "rather mild and gentle… It wasn't life-altering but it was pleasant." r33

Nothing at all. A real chunk of people feel nothing.

• 3 months straight, 15 mg working up to 45 mg: "however, nothing…." r21
• "it did nothing, even at 60mg." r22
• 10 mg oral on day 1 (felt sleepy), then 15 mg on days 2 and 3: "It's as if I'm not taking it at all." r42
• "didn't do much for me unless I took a large dose" r53
• "nothing amazing," just a slight antidepressant effect r2

The skeptic camp. Several experienced users think the MAO-A hit is all it does. The harshest version: an 80 mg two-month cycle "provided no benefit besides initial MAO-A hit" r20, and a separate 40–80 mg cycle "only worked as stimulant MAO-A in the first 2 weeks. Then 0 effect and 0 long term befits [sic]" r20b. Another user argues the marketing is "birthed out of nothing but anecdotal hype posts and misconstruing what the literature actually says about it" r36.

When it kicks in, and how long it lasts

There are two separate things being reported, and they're worth keeping apart.

The acute lift (day 1–3): mood, energy, motivation, showing up fast r17r18br5. Many experienced users put this down to the MAO-A inhibition rather than anything structural r20.

The delayed, lasting effect (1–2+ weeks in, outlasting the cycle): effects lasting 2–3 weeks after stopping r4c, "permanent improvement" in quitting Adderall r50, and one user who dosed 12 mg every 3 weeks for about a year claims to have "maintained about 80% of the benefit 5 years later" r7b. Not everyone gets this: one early user said "I don't think the improvement has lasted, but then I took it for like two weeks" r1b.

9-Me-BC (9-methyl-β-carboline) is a small molecule from the β-carboline family 23. If you drink coffee, you've already had some of that family: the simplest β-carbolines, norharman and harman, are in coffee and cigarette smoke 1516. 9-Me-BC is norharman with one extra methyl group stuck on, and it's made in a lab rather than found in food 18.

9-Me-BC is an MAO inhibitor that, in cell and rat studies, also turns more cells into working dopamine neurons.

It does two very different things on two very different timelines. The first is probably what you feel on day one. The second is the reason anyone cares about it. Almost everything here comes from cells in a dish and two rat studies. Nobody has measured any of it in a person.

1. The cleanup crew (day one). MAO is the enzyme that breaks down dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine after they've done their job. 9-Me-BC blocks both versions, but it's an MAO-A drug first: in one lab's assay it was about fifteen times stronger on MAO-A than on MAO-B 5. That's probably where the fast mood lift and energy come from.

2. Building dopamine neurons (the reason anyone cares). In cultures of fetal mouse midbrain cells, 9-Me-BC turned up the master-switch genes that make a cell a dopamine neuron, so half-built cells got TH, the dopamine-making enzyme, and started making dopamine 12. Existing dopamine neurons grew more branches 2, support cells ramped up growth factors like BDNF 5, and the brain's immune cells calmed down 12.

3. The hippocampus and the delay. In rats, it raised dopamine in the hippocampus and grew longer, more complex dendrites with more spines 4. That's why the effect takes time: you're building branches, not releasing a chemical. In rats it showed up at 10 days and not at 5.

So basically: more cells able to make dopamine, each one better connected and better fed. It's the opposite of Adderall, which doesn't build anything. Adderall forces out the dopamine that's already there and leaves you with less. 9-Me-BC's pitch is changing the hardware instead of spending the inventory. Whether it does that in a human brain, nobody has tested.

Technical version

Target by target

Target	What it does	Evidence
MAO-A (breaks down serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine)	Blocked. Half-blocked at about 1 µM 5	Cell (enzyme assay)
MAO-B (breaks down dopamine, phenylethylamine)	Blocked, about 15× more weakly (15.5 µM). Confirmed by a second lab 510	Cell (enzyme assay, human mitochondria)
Dopamine-neuron development genes, TH (the dopamine-making enzyme)	Turned up; more working dopamine neurons (up 33 ± 8% at 90 µM) 125	Cell (fetal mouse midbrain)
Astrocytes (support cells)	BDNF doubled 5	Cell
Microglia (the brain's immune cells)	Calmed: less multiplying, fewer inflammatory signals 12	Cell
Hippocampus (dentate gyrus)	More dopamine; longer, more branched dendrites with more spines 4	Animal (rat)

Part 1: The cleanup crew (what you feel on day one)

After dopamine (drive), serotonin (mood) and norepinephrine (alertness) get released and do their job, they have to be cleared out. An enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO) acts as the cleanup crew, breaking them down.

There are two versions. MAO-A handles serotonin and norepinephrine (and dopamine too). MAO-B handles dopamine and a related chemical called phenylethylamine.

So obviously, the less MAO you have working, the longer those signals stick around.

9-Me-BC blocks both, but it's an MAO-A drug first. In one lab's assay it was about fifteen times stronger on MAO-A than on MAO-B 5.

That's probably where the fast effects come from: the mood lift and energy people describe on day one or two, long before anything could have grown. It's also the opposite of the story you'll usually read online. 9-Me-BC leans toward the serotonin and norepinephrine side, and that matters a lot for what you can safely combine it with (see Safety).

Additionally, MAO's cleanup throws off damaging byproducts, basically chemical exhaust. Less MAO working should mean less of that exhaust sitting around your dopamine neurons, and the authors suggest that might make the block partly protective too, though they didn't test it 5.

What nobody knows: whether the block is reversible, how long it lasts, or whether a 15 mg dose gets anywhere near the brain levels it takes. Its cousins from coffee and cigarette smoke, norharman and harman, are reversible 15, so 9-Me-BC might be too.

Part 2: Building dopamine neurons (the reason anyone cares)

Your brain has an assembly line for dopamine. The first enzyme on it, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), turns tyrosine into L-DOPA. The second, dopa decarboxylase, finishes it into dopamine.

TH is the bottleneck. A neuron with lots of TH is a working dopamine neuron. A neuron with no TH isn't making dopamine, no matter what else it has.

And there are cells sitting around with the second enzyme but no TH. Half an assembly line. They aren't making any dopamine.

Whether a cell gets TH is decided during development, by a set of master-switch genes 1. Basically, those switches are what tell a young cell "you're going to be a dopamine neuron."

In cultures of fetal mouse midbrain cells, 9-Me-BC turned those switches up 1. So obviously, the half-built cells get their TH and start making dopamine. The extra dopamine neurons appear to come from those cells, not from brand new ones 2. Whether it does the same in an adult brain hasn't been tested.

On top of that, the dopamine neurons that already existed grew more branches, called dendrites, reaching out to make more connections 2.

It doesn't do all of this alone. Astrocytes, the support cells around neurons, get in on it too. Treated astrocytes ramp up growth factors like BDNF, the stuff that feeds and protects dopamine neurons 5.

There's one more piece, and it matters for the "after the damage" crowd. Microglia are the brain's immune cells. When they sense damage, they multiply and pump out inflammatory signals, and in a damaged dopamine system that inflammation keeps the damage going. 9-Me-BC calmed them down: less multiplying, fewer inflammatory signals, and fewer neurons self-destructing 12. In a dish of neurons damaged over a long stretch by the pesticide rotenone, 9-Me-BC given afterward brought dopamine neurons back 2. That's the claim people with a burned-out system hang their hopes on.

Part 3: The hippocampus and the delay

The hippocampus is where new memories get laid down, and dopamine arriving there is part of what tags an experience as worth keeping.

A memory is physically a connection, and connections sit on those dendrite branches, on little knobs called spines. More branches, more spines, more connection.

In rats, 9-Me-BC raised dopamine in the hippocampus and grew longer, more complex dendrites with more spines 4. That's why the effect takes time: you're building branches, not releasing a chemical.

Caffeine works in forty minutes and is gone by evening. This looks like the other kind of drug, where the effect is a structural change that builds over time. In rats it showed up at 10 days and not at 5.

So the day-one lift is probably the MAO-A. The slower stuff, motivation that feels like your own, mood coming back, stimulants working like they used to, is what the neuron-building story is supposed to explain. Whether it actually does that in a human brain, nobody has tested.

There are no human studies. No clinical trial, no pharmacokinetics, no toxicology, not even a case report. Nearly all of the brain research comes from one overlapping group of German authors (Gille, Reichmann, Rommelspacher, Polanski and colleagues), published between 2008 and 2020. The whole literature is 14 entries in PubMed. About 10 of those are actual research, and only 2 involved a living animal. Every human data point that exists is a Reddit or Longecity post.

The catch is big. The concentrations used in the dish studies are, according to an independent review, "unlikely to be reached during systemic administration" 14.

Spatial learning and hippocampal growth (Gruss et al. 2012) · Animal

This is the closest thing to a nootropic study 9-Me-BC has 4. The rats were tested on a radial-arm maze: several arms branch off a center, and the rat has to remember which arms it already visited.

Study design:

• Rats given 9-Me-BC for 5 days or for 10 days
• Route and dose: reportedly an injection into the belly, not a pill. Secondary sources disagree on the dose by tenfold (2 vs 0.2 µmol per 100 g per day), and the paper couldn't be checked, so treat it as unverified.
• Group sizes: not available (only the abstract could be checked)
• Measured afterward: dopamine levels in the hippocampus, plus the length and complexity of dendrites and the number of spines on neurons in the dentate gyrus

Results:

• 5 days: no improvement in learning
• 10 days: improved spatial learning
• Hippocampal dopamine: elevated
• Dendrites: longer and more complex, with more spines

The abstract doesn't give effect sizes, so there's no percentage to put on it.

Honest limit: these are rats, the dose is unconfirmed, and the authors themselves only say the learning improvement "may be associated with" the dopamine and dendrite changes.

Rat Parkinson's model (Wernicke et al. 2010) · Animal

Researchers infused MPP+, a toxin that kills dopamine neurons, directly into rats' brains for 28 days, at a dose that dropped dopamine about 50%. Then they infused 9-Me-BC into the same spot in the brain for 14 days 3. They compared these to toxin rats given plain saltwater instead, and rats that got the surgery but no toxin at all.

Results:

• Dopamine loss in the striatum: reversed
• Dopamine neuron counts in the substantia nigra: the authors say they "reached normal values"
• Complex I, a key step in the mitochondria: about 80% more active than in either the toxin-only or the healthy comparison rats, so above normal, not just restored
• Growth factors (including BDNF): switched on

Honest limit: two of them. First, the drug was pumped straight into the brain, which tells you nothing about whether a capsule gets the same thing there. Second, an independent 2019 review says the neuron rescue was arguable, because no statistically significant difference between the 9-Me-BC rats and the saltwater rats was reported, and the toxin never caused Parkinson's-type movement problems in the first place, so there were no symptoms to fix 14. The authors say the counts went back to normal. The review says no significant difference was reported.

Cell studies (mechanism support only) · Cell

These are cells in a dish, mostly from fetal mouse midbrain. Keep in mind the same independent review says concentrations like these are "unlikely to be reached during systemic administration" 14.

• Hamann et al. 2008 1: The first time anyone found a β-carboline (a family that includes some known neuron-killers) that helps neurons instead. More fully developed dopamine neurons, less cell death, and a long list of dopamine-development genes turned up.
• Polanski et al. 2010 2: Raised TH in neurons that were already there, protected cultures against two toxins (including 2,9-dime-BC+), calmed the brain's immune cells, and, applied after long-term damage from the pesticide rotenone, produced "pronounced regeneration" of dopamine neurons. The "regenerates after damage" claim the whole community repeats traces back to this one dish experiment.
• Keller et al. 2020 5: Dopamine neurons up 33 ± 8% at 90 µM (27 ± 7% at 70 µM). Blocking dopamine's own receptors (D2/D3) didn't change it, so it isn't just dopamine signaling to itself. Astrocytes doubled their BDNF. In a test-tube enzyme assay, it took about 15 times less 9-Me-BC to half-block MAO-A than MAO-B (1 µM vs 15.5 µM).
• Keller et al. 2020, the bad part 5: In cultures with the astrocytes removed, 150 µM cut dopamine neurons by 50%. In normal cultures the same concentration caused only a slight drop. The dose-response is a hill, not a ramp.
• Herraiz & Guillén 2011 10: A second, unrelated lab confirmed 9-Me-BC blocks MAO-B in human mitochondria.

Bottom line

There is zero human data. In dishes and rats, 9-Me-BC does something unusual for a nootropic: it increases the number of working dopamine neurons and their branches instead of just squeezing out the dopamine you already have. Whether that happens at the doses people actually take is a complete unknown. What's solid is narrower: in the lab it blocks MAO-A about fifteen times more strongly than MAO-B, and in a test tube it's a proven UV photosensitizer. How much of either happens at a 15 mg dose, nobody has measured.

1. "It's an MAO-B drug."

   Where it comes from The usual community story

   What's true In the one lab assay that measured both, it blocked MAO-A about fifteen times more strongly than MAO-B. That matters for what you can combine it with. 5

2. "It regenerates dopamine neurons after damage."

   Where it comes from Traces back to one dish experiment: Polanski 2010, rotenone-damaged cultures.

   What's true That happened in a dish. It has never been tested in an adult brain or in a person. 2

3. "It upregulates D2/D3 receptors."

   Where it comes from Reddit

   What's true No paper shows this. The one receptor experiment that exists showed the effect is independent of D2/D3. r645

4. "One dose gives two weeks of motivation."

   Where it comes from Reddit

   What's true Not in any paper. r37

5. "Sun sensitivity only starts above 5 mg, lasts 72 hours, or needs eye drops."

   Where it comes from Reddit

   What's true No source. Nobody knows the threshold. r37r15

6. "Combining it with an antidepressant will give you brain damage."

   Where it comes from Reddit

   What's true Overstated. The real risk is serotonin syndrome or high blood pressure, and even that is inferred, not documented. r37

7. "It's not neurotoxic according to studies."

   Where it comes from Common claim

   What's true There are no human or long-term animal toxicity studies to say that from.

8. "It's a peptide."

   Where it comes from Reddit

   What's true It isn't. It's a small alkaloid. r47

• Established

  No human safety data at all (liver, kidney, heart, skin, nothing) r2c

  Absence of any trial, PK or toxicology study

• Established

  UVA photosensitizer (DNA damage under UVA light) 89

  Test tube only. Whether a real dose reaches your skin is not established; user reports split

• Inferred

  MAO-A block → serotonin syndrome or blood-pressure spikes when combined with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, stimulants or high-tyramine food 510

  The MAO-A block is established in a cell assay; the interaction risk follows from it. No interaction study exists

• Established

  More is worse (150 µM cut dopamine neurons by 50% without astrocytes) 5

  Cells. Can't be converted to milligrams

• Inferred

  Could the body turn it into 2,9-dime-BC+, a dopamine neurotoxin? 2111213

  Never shown and never ruled out. In a dish, 9-Me-BC protected against it

• Inferred

  Long-term toxicity and cancer risk unknown 1417

  No chronic or cancer study in any species; β-carbolines as a class raise genotoxicity questions

• User reports

  Less sleep, irritability, feeling "toxic" or "dirty" r9r16r19r35r56

  User reports

• User reports

  Mouth burning and taste loss (under the tongue) r8r23r25r47

  User reports

• Established

  Purity: no standard, no oversight 19r21r22r62

  Flagged by a 2025 surveillance study of 12 medicines-control labs; users report vendors that didn't deliver

Full safety notes

Sun sensitivity and UV damage

Established: 9-Me-BC itself, not just a related compound, is a UVA photosensitizer. Mixed with DNA and hit with UVA, it caused several kinds of DNA damage, including outright strand breaks and the same kind of damage sunlight itself causes (pyrimidine dimers) 8. Other photochemistry work shows related 9-methyl-β-carbolines behave the same way under light 9.

Not established: whether an oral dose gets into your skin at enough concentration to matter, or at what dose. That was a test tube. No animal was dosed and no skin was exposed.

User reports split down the middle:

• "i got burned just sitting near a window for an afternoon. not even direct sun." r14
• Pretty bad sunburn from "very brief and transitory sun exposure around 8am" r13
• Red, irritated skin from a tanning bed r12
• Lips burning without sunscreen "even in the winter" r8
• On the other side: a mailman who did cycles mid-summer with no sunburn r11, someone who tanned half the days on 30 mg with no change r57, and 3–4 months including summer outdoor time with no UV sensitivity r4d.
• The fairest summary from the community: "Seems like the photosensitivity is user dependent, some get it, some don't." r11b

Because of this, a lot of people only run it in winter r31r40r58, wear sunscreen r33, or have dropped it over the sun concerns r40r39r2. Nobody knows the dose threshold.

Braden decides your photosensitivity script argues this risk is overstated (the exposure math). Add it here once it's fact-checked?

MAO-A inhibition and interactions

Established: in a test-tube assay, 9-Me-BC blocks MAO-A about fifteen times more strongly than MAO-B 5, and a second lab confirmed the MAO-B block 10.

MAO-A also breaks down tyramine, a chemical in aged cheese, cured meat and tap beer that raises blood pressure. Block MAO-A and tyramine piles up. That's the "cheese effect," and it can mean a dangerous blood pressure spike. Stack an MAO-A blocker with drugs that raise serotonin and serotonin can pile up too. That's serotonin syndrome: shaking, fever, a racing heart.

Not established: whether the block is reversible, how long it lasts, and whether a 15 mg oral dose produces brain levels anywhere near what it takes to block MAO-A.

Inferred: the interaction risk with SSRIs and SNRIs, other MAOIs and stimulants follows from the MAO-A number. There is no interaction study.

What users report:

• The one acute adverse event found: a user combined 9-Me-BC with a cat's claw product and, 3–4 hours later, was shaking uncontrollably, having muscle spasms and eye shaking, and felt "my blood pressure was so high." They called it mild serotonin syndrome. Big confound: they themselves suspect the cat's claw product was adulterated r27.
• Another user reported high blood pressure and irritability during a two-week run r35.
• The community can't agree on how strong the MAOI effect is: "a strong MAOI" r59, no issues with no diet and stimulants r29, and the middle view, "a mild-moderate MAOI so definitely be cautious if you're taking any SSRI, SNRI, NaSSAs, or high doses of stimulants" r30.
• Bupropion combos have been reported both ways r60r16. Neither report makes it safe.

More is worse

Established, in cells: at 150 µM in cultures without astrocytes, 9-Me-BC cut dopamine neurons by 50%, and in normal cultures the same concentration caused a slight drop instead of a gain 5. You can't translate dish concentrations into milligrams, so this doesn't tell you where the top of the hill is for a person. Two of the harshest user reports came at 67–80 mg a day r20r19, though the single worst one came after one dose r28 and at least one 60–80 mg user reported no problems r38.

The 2,9-dimethyl-β-carbolinium question (inferred)

9-Me-BC has a methyl group on one of its two nitrogens. Add a second methyl on the other nitrogen and you get 2,9-dimethyl-β-carbolinium (2,9-dime-BC+). That second methyl is what turns a β-carboline into a strong complex I blocker 12.

2,9-dime-BC+ is genuinely nasty. In cells it preferentially kills dopamine neurons 11 and produces more cell-damaging oxidation than MPP+, the classic Parkinson's research toxin 12. Injected into rat brains, it caused a Parkinson's-like syndrome 13. It has been found in human brain 12, it's elevated in the spinal fluid of Parkinson's patients 5, and an enzyme that can add methyl groups to β-carbolines is elevated in Parkinson's brains 22.

But: no study has ever shown 9-Me-BC being converted into 2,9-dime-BC+ in a living animal or person. In every study, the two compounds were given separately. And in the dish, 9-Me-BC protected neurons against 2,9-dime-BC+ 2. A real chemical worry with the key experiment missing in the middle. Not shown, not ruled out.

Long-term unknowns (inferred)

There's no chronic toxicity study in any species, and no cancer study. β-carbolines as a class can slip into DNA and inhibit enzymes involved in cell division, which is why they're studied as anti-cancer drugs and also why genotoxicity is a concern 17. An independent review specifically says in-vivo toxicity data on β-carbolines "including 9-methyl-β-carboline and its possible metabolites" should be taken into account 14.

Feeling toxic, sleep and irritability (user reports)

• "I tried it for like two weeks, I stopped cause it slowly started feeling toxic," and later, "Unlike most other things, I will never use it again, even though I still have a bunch" r9
• "it felt like it helped a couple times and the other times felt really off and dirty." r56
• One dose, then sleeping 16 hours a day for two weeks with balance and movement problems r28
• 80 mg for 2 months "permamently worsened my emotions and music pleasure" r20, from a user with pre-existing PSSD who blamed "excess serotonin"
• Less sleep is common: about an hour less a night, sometimes under 3 hours r19; down from about 9 hours to about 6 r16; insomnia by day 4 r18b
• Irritability: "never had a real issue with it as long as I dont exceed 10-15mg" r55; "peak irritability, high blood pressure, and about a week of severe sex addiction" r35
• Headache after about 3 hours on a computer r26

Purity and sourcing

There's no official purity standard and no regulatory oversight. A 2025 market surveillance study by 12 official medicines-control labs in Europe and Australia picked it up as an illicit nootropic with "unknown" regulatory status 19, and a 2025 sports-science review lists it as having "unclear" anti-doping status 20. Some users report feeling nothing even at 45–60 mg and suspect the vendor r21r22. One user emailed a testing lab because they suspected a certificate of analysis was fabricated r62. Another blames blurred vision and neck pain on one vendor's capsules r63. No published analysis has ever checked for leftover β-carboline contaminants r4c.

Practical safety recommendations

1. Don't combine it with SSRIs, SNRIs, other MAOIs, or high doses of stimulants, and go easy on high-tyramine foods (aged cheese, cured or fermented meats, tap beer, lots of soy sauce). Nobody knows how strong the effect is at real doses, which is a reason for more caution, not less. Don't be a dumbass.
2. Take the sun seriously. Run it in winter if you can, wear sunscreen, and skip tanning beds.
3. More is not better. Stay at or under 50 mg a day; most people don't need more than 10–20 mg.
4. Oral capsules over sublingual. There's no evidence sublingual works better, and it's reported to wreck your mouth and taste.
5. If it feels toxic, stop. Feeling "off" or "dirty," balance or movement problems, severe insomnia, or a bad mood drop are reasons to quit the cycle, not push through it.
6. Cycle it, don't run it indefinitely. There's no long-term safety data in any species.
7. Know your source. It's an unregulated research chemical.

• 9-Me-BC vs Bromantane planned biomogging.com ranks
• After stimulants stack
• Best nootropics for motivation, ranked by science goal
• Best nootropics for learning, ranked by science goal

Pairs well with

Alternatives

Papers and documents (20)

1. 1Hamann, J., Wernicke, C., Lehmann, J., Reichmann, H., Rommelspacher, H., Gille, G. (2008). 9-Methyl-beta-carboline up-regulates the appearance of differentiated dopaminergic neurones in primary mesencephalic culture. Neurochemistry International, 52(4–5), 688–700 doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2007.08.018Cell / test tube
2. 2Polanski, W., Enzensperger, C., Reichmann, H., Gille, G. (2010). The exceptional properties of 9-methyl-beta-carboline: stimulation, protection and regeneration of dopaminergic neurons coupled with anti-inflammatory effects. Journal of Neurochemistry, 113(6), 1659–1675 doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06725.xCell / test tube
3. 3Wernicke, C., Hellmann, J., Zięba, B., Kuter, K., Ossowska, K., Frenzel, M., Dencher, N.A., Rommelspacher, H. (2010). 9-Methyl-beta-carboline has restorative effects in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. Pharmacological Reports, 62(1), 35–53 doi.org/10.1016/S1734-1140(10)70241-3Animal
4. 4Gruss, M., Appenroth, D., Flubacher, A., Enzensperger, C., Bock, J., Fleck, C., Gille, G., Braun, K. (2012). 9-Methyl-β-carboline-induced cognitive enhancement is associated with elevated hippocampal dopamine levels and dendritic and synaptic proliferation. Journal of Neurochemistry, 121(6), 924–931 doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07713.xAnimal
5. 5Keller, S., Polanski, W.H., Enzensperger, C., Reichmann, H., Hermann, A., Gille, G. (2020). 9-Methyl-β-carboline inhibits monoamine oxidase activity and stimulates the expression of neurotrophic factors by astrocytes. Journal of Neural Transmission, 127(7), 999–1012 doi.org/10.1007/s00702-020-02189-9Cell / test tube
6. 8Vignoni, M., Rasse-Suriani, F.A., Butzbach, K., Erra-Balsells, R., Epe, B., Cabrerizo, F.M. (2013). Mechanisms of DNA damage by photoexcited 9-methyl-β-carbolines. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 11(32), 5300–5309 doi.org/10.1039/c3ob40344kCell / test tube
7. 9Rasse-Suriani, F.A.O., García-Einschlag, F.S., Rafti, M., Schmidt De León, T., David Gara, P.M., Erra-Balsells, R., Cabrerizo, F.M. (2018). Photophysical and photochemical properties of naturally occurring normelinonine F and melinonine F alkaloids and structurally related N(2)- and/or N(9)-methyl-β-carboline derivatives. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 94(1), 36–51 doi.org/10.1111/php.12811Cell / test tube · related compound
8. 10Herraiz, T., Guillén, H. (2011). Inhibition of the bioactivation of the neurotoxin MPTP by antioxidants, redox agents and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 49(8), 1773–1781 doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2011.04.026Cell / test tube
9. 11Hamann, J., Rommelspacher, H., Storch, A., Reichmann, H., Gille, G. (2006). Neurotoxic mechanisms of 2,9-dimethyl-beta-carbolinium ion in primary dopaminergic culture. Journal of Neurochemistry, 98(4), 1185–1199 doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03940.xCell / test tube · related compound
10. 12Pavlovic, S., Schulze, G., Wernicke, C., Bonnet, R., Gille, G., Badiali, L., Kaminska, A., Lorenc-Koci, E., Ossowska, K., Rommelspacher, H. (2006). 2,9-Dimethyl-beta-carbolinium, a neurotoxin occurring in human brain, is a potent inducer of apoptosis as 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium. Neuroscience, 139(4), 1525–1537 doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.01.018Cell / test tube · related compound
11. 13Lorenc-Koci, E., Rommelspacher, H., Schulze, G., Wernicke, C., Kuter, K., Śmiałowska, M., Wierońska, J., Zięba, B., Ossowska, K. (2006). Parkinson's disease-like syndrome in rats induced by 2,9-dimethyl-beta-carbolinium ion, a beta-carboline occurring in the human brain. Behavioural Pharmacology, 17(5–6), 463–473 doi.org/10.1097/00008877-200609000-00012Animal · related compound
12. 14Sidorova, Y.A., Volcho, K.P., Salakhutdinov, N.F. (2019). Neuroregeneration in Parkinson's disease: from proteins to small molecules. Current Neuropharmacology, 17(3), 268–287 doi.org/10.2174/1570159X16666180905094123Review
13. 15Herraiz, T., Chaparro, C. (2005). Human monoamine oxidase is inhibited by tobacco smoke: beta-carboline alkaloids act as potent and reversible inhibitors. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 326(2), 378–386 doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.11.033Cell / test tube · related compound
14. 16Herraiz, T., Chaparro, C. (2006). Human monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibition by coffee and beta-carbolines norharman and harman isolated from coffee. Life Sciences, 78(8), 795–802 doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2005.05.074Cell / test tube · related compound
15. 17Cao, R., Peng, W., Wang, Z., Xu, A. (2007). β-Carboline alkaloids: biochemical and pharmacological functions. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 14(4), 479–500 doi.org/10.2174/092986707779940998Review
16. 18Zawirska-Wojtasiak, R., Fedoruk-Wyszomirska, A., Piechowska, P., Mildner-Szkudlarz, S., Bajerska, J., Wojtowicz, E., Przygoński, K., Gurda, D., Kubicka, W., Wyszko, E. (2020). β-Carbolines in experiments on laboratory animals. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(15), 5245 doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155245Review
17. 19Vanhee, C., Deconinck, E., George, M., et al. (2025). The occurrence of illicit smart drugs or nootropics in Europe and Australia and their associated dangers: results from a market surveillance study by 12 official medicines control laboratories. Journal of Xenobiotics, 15(3), 88 doi.org/10.3390/jox15030088Survey
18. 20Pokrywka, A., Surala, O., Grabowska, K., Przybyla, M., Granda, D., Malecki, A. (2025). "Brain doping" substances: prohibited or not in sports? Biology of Sport, 42(4), 189–201 doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.150047Review
19. 22Parsons, R.B., Smith, S.W., Waring, R.H., Williams, A.C., Ramsden, D.B. (2003). High expression of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Neuroscience Letters, 342(1–2), 13–16 doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(03)00218-0Human tissue · related compound
20. 23PubChem CID 164979, 9-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole. C12H10N2, MW 182.22 pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/164979Database

User reports (74)

Forum posts, quoted as anecdote. For some compounds they're the only human data there is.

1. r1bu/jameswlf. (2015, January 8). "No, I don't think the improvement has lasted, but then I took it for like two weeks…" [Comment on the online forum post The 9MeBC thread (9MBC, 9-methyl-beta-carboline)]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/2oictr/comment/cnhu344/User report
2. r2u/DocDimethyl. (2014, December 7). "9mebc has a subtle effect on me with just slight antidepressant active…" [Comment on the online forum post The 9MeBC thread]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/2oictr/comment/cmnfldi/User report
3. r2cu/shrillthrill. Comment on the absence of non-brain toxicity data [Comment on the online forum post The 9MeBC thread]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/2oictr/comment/cmnhxut/User report
4. r3u/Volcanyx. (2019, July 20). 9 Methyl Beta Carboline research [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/cfozyy/9_methyl_beta_caUser report
5. r3bu/Volcanyx. (2019, December 4). "I have taken up to 50mg in a single dose as many as 5 days in a row…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/cfozyy/comment/f9n1006/User report
6. r4aStrangelove. (2016, May 22 & 24). Comment in Great for boosting my motivation, but any possible risks with 9-me-bc? [Online forum post]. Longecity www.longecity.org/forum/topic/87238-great-for-boosting-my-moUser report
7. r4bBasicBiO. (2016, May 22). Comment in the same Longecity thread www.longecity.org/forum/topic/87238-great-for-boosting-my-moUser report
8. r4cgizmobrain. (2016, August 17). Comment in the same Longecity thread www.longecity.org/forum/topic/87238-great-for-boosting-my-moUser report
9. r4dJunipersun. (2018, September 26). Comment in the same Longecity thread www.longecity.org/forum/topic/87238-great-for-boosting-my-moUser report
10. r5u/lassemann9. (2020, August 13). This has got to be the cure for anhedonia [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/anhedonia/comments/i93uf0/this_has_got_to_bUser report
11. r6u/__The__Anomaly__. (2023, October 17). 9-methyl-beta-carboline is one of the most underrated substances out there [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Drugs/comments/17a5wtv/9methylbetacarbolineUser report
12. r7u/Yeetusdeletus781. (2025, February 3). Unconventional dosing of 9MEBC [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/1igi3e6/unconventional_User report
13. r7bu/Yeetusdeletus781. (2026, July 1). "I took a gamble with 9MEBC and dosed it at 12mg every 3 weeks for about a year straight…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1ukactc/comment/ouw079a/User report
14. r7cu/Yeetusdeletus781. Comment on sublingual bioavailability [Comment on Unconventional dosing of 9MEBC]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1igi3e6/comment/mb1othl/User report
15. r7du/MrFoeTwenty420. Reply on no sublingual advantage [Comment on Unconventional dosing of 9MEBC]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1igi3e6/comment/mk1qp96/User report
16. r8u/CryptoEscape. (2024, December 1). "I've done two cycles of 9-me-bc. 30 mg sublingual for 10 minutes for 30 days…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1h3uo8v/comment/lzvowuz/User report
17. r9u/PsychedStrawberry. (2024, December 23 & 24). "I tried 9-me-bc too and it feels straight up toxic…" [Comments]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1hkkb2x/comment/m3gd6qp/User report
18. r10u/Mindless_Base6767. (2025, March 30). 9-me-bc side effects [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/NootropicsHelp/comments/1jnbu9v/9mebc_side_User report
19. r11u/MrFoeTwenty420. (2025, March 27). "I work outdoors for the majority of my workday, I'm a mailman…" [Comment]. Reddit. and "Oral 9mebc definitely works for me, 15-20mg in a capsule." www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mk1oat0/User report
20. r11bu/MrFoeTwenty420. (2025, March 27). "Seems like the photosensitivity is user dependent, some get it, some don't." [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mk21vx9/User report
21. r12u/laktes. (2025, March 27; 2026, July 11). "I got photosensitive while taking it…" [Comments]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mk1yagk/User report
22. r13u/Cool22228888. (2025, July 31). "I suffered some pretty bad sunburn from very brief and transitory sun exposure around 8am while taking." [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/n65ww8u/User report
23. r14u/Express-Turnover2672. (2026, July 29). "9-me-bc makes you photosensitive like crazy…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1v9x5xq/comment/p0h0esw/User report
24. r15u/Cyvki. (2026, September 3). "Try starting out on ~2.5mg every morning for a month…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1w0xe77/comment/p7nfwd0/User report
25. r16u/l0lfl0w3r. (2026, July 22). 9mebc and wellbutrin combo [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/anhedonia/comments/1v3vu57/9mebc_and_wellbuUser report
26. r17u/blodreina_kumWonkru. (2026, July 14). Day 1 9-me-bc [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Biohackers/comments/1uwiayn/day_1_9mebc/User report
27. r18u/Own_Second_98. (2026, August 23). 9-me-bc first day after months of daily meth and Tianeptine [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Biohackers/comments/1vw8q7p/9mebc_first_dayUser report
28. r18bu/Own_Second_98. (2026, August 26). Day 4 update [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1vw8q7p/comment/p61njs7/User report
29. r19u/LobsterD. (2026, September 20). "I took 2g orally over the course of 30 days back in June…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1wi4jdh/comment/payrwju/User report
30. r20u/OutrageousBit2164. (2026, July 21). "9-ME-BC 80mg 2 month cycle permamently worsened my emotions and music pleasure…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1v2b69j/comment/oytvvw1/User report
31. r20bu/OutrageousBit2164. (2026, June 8). "I already did 4 week 40-80mg 9-ME-BC cycle in 2025…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1tv2t91/comment/oqesnif/User report
32. r21u/kamikaze995. (2026, May 12). "I took 9-me-bc for 3 months straight…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1t9ox0g/comment/olgj8gc/User report
33. r22u/OneFlow2976. (2026, October 3). "Ive ordered 9-me-bc from the .uk site 1 year ago and it did nothing, even at 60mg." [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1wwlskv/comment/pdm5ggz/User report
34. r23u/jewtaco. (2026, July 21). Anyone cycle 9 Me Bc for a few years? [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/1v2655j/anyone_cycle_9_User report
35. r24u/JomoKomo. (2026, May 26). How to deal with the saliva build up from sublingual 9 me bc use? [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/1to6l8j/how_to_deal_witUser report
36. r25u/ZipperZigger. (2026, April 29). "I am worried more about your poor gums and lingual veins…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1sywluj/comment/oixhker/User report
37. r26u/Randonauticliner. (2026, July 8). "I did take 9-me-bc for a couple days… had to stop due to a headache…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1upwjj0/comment/owdsl8v/User report
38. r27u/gorgelad. (2026, September 13). Mixed 9-Me-BC and cats claw tablets and gave myself mild serotonin syndrome [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Drugs/comments/1wfcubc/mixed_9mebc_and_catsUser report
39. r28u/covidtransmutation. (2026, August 14). "I tried one dose of 9-me-bc and felt instant toxic effect…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1vo19m7/comment/p3md0z2/User report
40. r29u/LSDMDMA2CBDMT. (2026, April 2). "I use to dose 10-25mg sublingually for ~2 weeks at a time then stop for 2 weeks…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1saqxh4/comment/ody8srg/User report
41. r30u/QuinnMiller123. (2026, March 31). "It is a mild-moderate MAOI so definitely be cautious…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1s89du7/comment/odf9wfd/User report
42. r31u/donniedenier. (2026, April 11). "9-me-bc works best when you take it for at least a month straight with no adderall…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1sisjqf/comment/ofmsukw/User report
43. r32u/Complete_Still7584. (2026, May 20). "15-30mg of 9-me-BC taken sublingually for 15-30 minutes for 12-20 days MAX…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1tiqquy/comment/omxbs7n/User report
44. r33u/Eugregoria. (2026, April 12). "My experience with 9-me-bc was rather mild and gentle…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1sbk3gn/comment/ofo7pui/User report
45. r34u/300hp2point4literNA. (2025, March 17). "I'm taking 15mg with my vyvanse every morning…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1jd5afq/comment/mi9uioa/User report
46. r35u/Mountain-Monk-525. (2025, August 18). "I just did my first two-week run and I'm blown away…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/n9astz1/User report
47. r36u/sirsadalot. (2025, March 1). Comment on 9-Me-BC marketing and the literature [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mfdaeiq/User report
48. r37u/Helookfine. (2026, April 6). "It gives powerful motivation & energy levels that last up to 2 weeks on 1 dose…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1sdmjh2/comment/oejpobv/User report
49. r38u/Immediate_Cucumber74. (2026, August 9 & 16). "I did it for 3 months straight 60-80mg each day…" [Comments]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1vjb88l/comment/p2l27oe/User report
50. r39u/RMCPhoto. (2026, October 6). "I have tried a few short cycles, but kept shying away because of the sun exposure concerns…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1wy3kpq/comment/pe7za51/User report
51. r40u/reptilesoma. (2026, August 21). "Due to the UV-induced phototoxicity risk, I've completely dropped 9-Me-BC from my active protocol…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1vj63cp/comment/p51akge/User report
52. r41u/Signalseeker1776. (2025, January 9). "This is a recipe given to me years ago…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1hvs3sy/comment/m657p8x/User report
53. r42u/Due_Appointment_5658. (2025, February 27). "On the first day, after taking 10 mg orally, I felt sleepy…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1h3uo8v/comment/mf3od4q/User report
54. r43u/discohornet. (2016, January 25). 9 Methyl Beta Carboline Vape Solution: Beta Testers Wanted! [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/42jeye/9_methyl_beta_caUser report
55. r44[deleted]. (2019, July 20). "I microdose it at less than 2mg and it gives me energy all damn day…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/cfozyy/comment/euc2k6p/User report
56. r45u/BadBiO. (2019, July 21). "I dose at 2-5mg along with the Mr Happy Stack…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/cfozyy/comment/eue9mmw/User report
57. r46u/Select_Chemist_4923. (2026, March 31). 9mebc your experience and what about taking pre workouts during use? [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/1s8zx6w/9mebc_your_expeUser report
58. r47u/Aromatic-Minimum657. (2026, April 13). "it's a new research Peptide…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1shhseh/comment/ofy6pba/User report
59. r48u/liviseoul. (2026, September 22). "I dissolved some 9 me bc at 100 mg / mL in DMSO…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1vur6p3/comment/pbbsbvj/User report
60. r49u/AdAcceptable6389. (2026, March 20). Is this the optimal way to use 9-me-bc? [Online forum post]. Reddit www.reddit.com/r/NooTopics/comments/1ryrjt2/is_this_the_optiUser report
61. r50u/NewIntension. (2025, May 22). "before 9-me-bc quitting adderall left me completely and utterly drained…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mtpxdcr/User report
62. r51u/Minimum-Inspector160. (2025, March 12). "9 me-bc was super noticeable in terms of reducing stim tolerance…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j99344/comment/mhbo4st/User report
63. r52u/lowkey_add1ct. (2025, February 3). "I ran a 30 day 20mg cycle of 9-me-bc and took memantine the whole time…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1hn2dpu/comment/maqjb99/User report
64. r53u/BryDnull. (2026, July 29). "I've taken 9mebc and semax…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1qzlcxb/comment/p0km731/User report
65. r54u/Minimum-Inspector160. "i didn't get this at all from it. if anything i was a lil underwhelmed" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mfb55rz/User report
66. r55u/Friedrich_Ux. (2025, March 1). "Its main side effects are irritability…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mfhmbz4/User report
67. r56u/Abel_091. (2025, January 8). "I only tried the 9-me-bc 4 times…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1huyo78/comment/m5ys5dq/User report
68. r57u/No_Plankton_3640. (2026, July 11). "I don't understand this side effect…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/owtvkap/User report
69. r58u/voyager256. (2019, July 27). "It's likely a photosensitizer, that's why I took it during winter…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/cfozyy/comment/ev7l980/User report
70. r59u/Ratatoskr_Paracletus. (2025, February 2). "9-Me-BC is a strong MAOI…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1ig18rc/comment/mamh33t/User report
71. r60u/Eugregoria. (2026, April 19). "I used bupropion, went off it for 9-me-bc…" [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1sptqwf/comment/oh33l5e/User report
72. r62u/OneFlow2976. (2026, October 3). On emailing a testing lab to verify a suspected fabricated certificate of analysis [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1wwlskv/comment/pdm4tt2/User report
73. r63u/Particular_Feed9659. (2025, March 8). On lasting side effects attributed to one vendor's capsules [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1j0frzd/comment/mgnqlxd/User report
74. r64u/Nice_Relation1133. (2026, May 31). "9-ME-BC Only compound that hits TH + AADC + D2/D3 upregulation simultaneously." [Comment]. Reddit www.reddit.com/comments/1tr0ljj/comment/oouswhp/User report