The dragonfly drug with a six-hour delay and deadly potency

Science · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Bromo-DragonFLY is a powerful psychedelic that can take up to six hours to begin its effects, creating a perilous window of uncertainty for users. While it produces profound hallucinations and a sense of connection to other realities, its high toxicity and long duration make it exceptionally dangerous.

First described in 1998 by David E. Nichols, Bromo-DragonFLY (or DOB-DragonFLY) is a phenethylamine that acts as a high-affinity agonist of serotonin 5-HT2 receptors. It is particularly potent at the 5-HT2C (Ki = 0.02 nM) and 5-HT2A (Ki = 0.04 nM) receptors. It also functions as a potent monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor, a combination that significantly heightens its physiological risks. The drug's pharmacology is complex. Research involving rodents identified this as the initial phenethylamine to exceed LSD's strength regarding the 'head-twitch response', which serves as a behavioral indicator of psychedelic impact. However, in humans, it is reported to be several-fold less potent than LSD. Its effects can last between 12 and 24 hours, and in some cases, up to three days.

Because of its delayed onset, users may unknowingly ingest dangerous amounts before feeling any effects. The toxicity of Bromo-DragonFLY is notably high. In 2009, a batch mislabeled as the 20-times-less-potent 2C-B-FLY led to several lethal overdoses. Furthermore, the drug acts as a long-acting vasoconstrictor; a 2007 case in Sweden involved a man who suffered tissue necrosis and required the amputation of his feet and fingers weeks after a massive overdose. In 2011, two deaths in the U.S. occurred because users took doses appropriate for 2C-E, resulting in an intake roughly 100 times the intended amount.

The drug's name is derived from its superficial structural resemblance to a dragonfly. While it is unscheduled internationally, it has been banned in various countries, including Denmark, Sweden, and Australia, often due to its high toxicity and the risk of severe side effects like tachycardia, hypertension, and seizures.

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