The Complete DMHA Guide [2019]

(Estimated reading time: 13 minutes, 6 seconds.)

While we wait for updates with the DMAA case, DMHA has swooped in and taken its place. In fact, almost every product containing DMAA now features DMHA. But what is this “new” ingredient and what can we expect from it? We’re covering these questions!

Have a specific question? Jump to your answer!

• What is DMHA: The Basics
• Is It Legal in 2019?
• What Can You Expect?
• Ingredients That Compare?
• What Products Have It?

Have an uncovered question? Comment Below! Or send us an email HERE!

What Is DMHA?

As we’ve said time and time again…

DMHA is a DMAA-like stimulant. (1) Originally, or at least medically, it’s used as a decongestant. In supplements, it’s used to improve performance and increase weight loss. But, you’re not likely to see “DMHA” on the label of your favorite pre workout or fat burner. It has a TON of different names but here’s a short list of the common ones:

• 2-Amino-6-methylheptane
• 2-Amino-5-methylheptane
• 2-Aminoisoheptane
• Octodrine
• 1,5-Dimethylhexylamine
• 1,5-DMHA

Background

This ingredient can come from nature or be made synthetically. Generally, companies are more likely to make it synthetically due to this being the cheaper method. But, it comes from the Juglans Regia tree. In products like (spoiler) Hydroxyelite, this is labeled as Walnut Bark Extract. We’ll talk more about this product and more below but feel free to jump to it!

Is DMHA Legal?

Short answer: As of today, Yes!

Detailed answered: Yes, but it’s complicated. In April of 2019, the US FDA did send out warning letters to manufacturers to remove DMHA from their products. This was due to companies not submitting a New Dietary Ingredient Notification (NDIN). Which is required for all new dietary ingredients. Or if DMHA was an unsafe food additive. (2)

But here’s the thing-

DMHA isn’t new. It’s a constituent of walnuts, which has been around for long before any FDA Law. So this isn’t a strong enough case to ban the ingredient. But what about it being “unsafe”?  Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, along with other companies, have been selling products with DMHA for at least 2 years now. With no serious issues from consumers, when taken properly.

And let’s not forget it’s medical use as a decongestant, which was in the 1950s. (3) So can’t really ban it for this reason either. And don’t worry if you’ve grown to love DMHA as much as we have, Hi-Tech has fought the FDA for it. And continues to fight for DMAA.

What About Sports?

Being legal in the US is great and all, but what are the chances of a false positive on a drug test?

It’s possible. We can’t guarantee it will or won’t. Generally, if this is a concern for you, we would advise you to stray away from risky products. Not just DMHA ones.

But, for this matter, we have a statement from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency:

“Categorized as a stimulant under the World Anti-Doping Prohibited List, octodrine is prohibited in-competition. Because clearances times depend on many individual factors, USADA cannot advise athletes on when they should discontinue using a substance to ensure that it has completely “washed out” from their body. Octodrine is not included in FDA-approved medications for any medical condition, so USADA would not grant a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for a product containing the substance.” (4)

If you’re an athlete or if your profession limits what kind of supplements you can take;

Send us an email or talk to one of our Live-chat agents before you buy a product. We can help guide you to products that have been okayed before.

How Does DMHA Work?

As we’ve mentioned, DMHA is a stimulant. It’s structurally similar to 2 familiar compounds (maybe more):

• 1,3 Dimethylamylamine AKA DMAA
• Amphetamine

Based on that alone, there’s an expectation that it will act like both these compounds. Just not as potently.

Diving in deeper:

There, unfortunately, isn’t many human studies on DMHA to back up its effects. But, due to the methyl group on the alpha carbon, it should have a half-life similar to DMAA and Amphetamine (9-11 hours). And it should act as a monoamine releasing agent (MRA) of catecholamines like DMAA. This includes dopamine and norepinephrine.

Then DMHA binds to the trace amine associated receptor 1. This will temporarily prevent the re-uptake of dopamine and norepinephrine into the presynaptic nerve. By doing this, these catecholamines remain active in your body for longer. This attributes to the euphoric and wakeful feelings we get from ingredients like this. (3)

What To Expect From DMHA?

Alright, so we’ve gone through what happens in the inside. But, what effects can you expect?

Again there are not enough human studies to back up these effects. The following information is based on customer feedback and anecdotally experiences. Everyone will have a different experience and because DMHA is rarely taken on its own, we can’t guarantee any effect is directly because of it.

What’s the feedback?

With that little disclaimer out:

Customers state the effects last several hours. And that they felt a heightened sense of euphoria during that period of time. This is what we can predict based on the structure and similarities to DMAA. As far as any crash goes, it was reported as a much smoother come-down.

But, adversely the come-up is also gradual. So if you’re looking for a spike of energy, DMHA isn’t for you. Customers also explained that they felt some appetite suppression with the DMHA. This is generally going to be tied to stimulants.

Are There Side Effects?

Any stimulant will have its fair share of risks. Some of the reported side effects include; (3)

• Nausea
• Energy crash
• High blood pressure
• Heart palpitations
• Labored breathing
• Hyperthermia

Reading that list might scare you away from the products below. And if these side effects are a concern for you, you should in the very least consult a doctor. But it wouldn’t be fair to paint DMHA as the bad guy. Not without comparing the side effects to more common stimulants, such as caffeine: (5)

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Digestive Issues
• Muscle Breakdown (in large amounts)
• Addiction
• High Blood Pressure
• Heart palpitations
• Fatigue
• Frequent Urination

Comparisons

Congrats! We’re almost at the end of the post. Now we’ve reached the good stuff (and probably why you’re here).

DMAA VS DMHA

We’ve already tapped into this a little in the “What To Expect” section, but here we’re getting as deep as research lets us. And your feedback of course. To start off, let do a review comparison of our top selling fat burner Hydroxyelite.

Way back when it had DMAA our reviews looked like this:

The Structure:

DMAA contains two methyl groups located directly next to the NH2 group on either side. This makes it very effective at blocking MOA and increasing potency.

Compare the structure of DMAA  to the structure of DMHA and you’ll understand why DMHA is said to have about 70-80% the strength of DMAA.

The overall opinion on DMHA to DMAA is that it has a lot of the focus elements, but comes a little short in the energy department. The good news though is that the crash from DMHA is reported as much smoother. Allowing consumers to continue to have a good day long after the stimulant has worn off.

DMHA vs Ephedrine

So the thing with ephedrine is that it hasn’t been available for use in dietary supplements in the US for a long time. It’s not illegal though! Much like DMHA, ephedrine has its use in medicine. In fact, it’s also a nasal decongestant. It’s one of four active components from the plant Ephedra. Now supplements use just ephedra and remove the ephedrine alkaloids. But back in the day ephedrine was very popular for ECA stacks (ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin). (6) And it’s really common for fat burners today to mimic this stack with ephedra.

But besides their medicinal use, what do these compounds have in common?

It’s actually structurally similar to not only DMHA and DMAA but also Amphetamine.

But what do people think?

It’s varied, to say the least. Some people feel DMHA is more like ephedrine than DMAA and some say the opposite. The clear thing is that they are related, which is why even in medicine they share a purpose.

What Products Have DMHA

A lot. It’s actually very popular in fat burners and pre workouts. So we’ll try to include as many popular products as possible but keep in mind this isn’t the full list.

Fat burners

*In no particular order*

 

So Far , So Good ! Review by Kevin

I bought this product a week ago and it has been great so far . In 7 – 8 days using the product I have lost almost 5lbs. I have noticed that my hunger & cravings have been greatly reduced. I usually take one Pill in the morning & one pill at night. It might still be too early to tell whether this product if effective for an extended period of time but so far it has worked as advertised . Definitely a great alternative to the discontinued OXYElite Pro. Give this product a try ! 

Energy! Review by Nicole

I definitely felt an increase in energy and it also controlled my appetite. Like with many others like it, after awhile the strength wears off so I would recommend a break of at least 2 weeks before starting a 2nd bottle 

LOVE IT Review by Felicia

I tried Lipodrene back in November and loved it. At first, I heard my fit friends talking about how much energy and focus it have them. At the time, I was not eating clean and honestly could not relate. However, as soon as I cleaned up my diet, I began to feel the same energy and focus, and the pounds started falling off. I took a break for a few months and just started again. It works. I love this product! 

Synedrene Review by James

Great energy and curbs appetite. But even though this is the “copy of synedrex original” you do not get a euphoric feeling from it. Synedrex original was 900 mg this is 800 mg their formulas are slightly different. It can also make you feel sick or nervous. Very strong! I’ve tried it all… be careful with this one if you’re in bad health.

Just what I was looking for Review by Karin

Clean energy laser focus after all of these years looking for anything close to Eca stack that felt good …finally keep it up hi tech 

Fastin Review by Candice

I have used Fastin intermittently over the last 10 years. So obviously I LIKE it. Gives me energy to repave the driveway, wakes my brain up and improves each and everyday!

Favorite Product Review by Lex

This is one of the strongest fat burners I have tried and I’ve tried many. Fastin XR is really good in terms of helping with weight loss and it suppresses my appetite. I have taken it it for about 4 weeks so far, I am down 15lbs ! 

Great Product Review by Rachelle

I have been taking these for 4 days and I have noticed a significant reduction of my appetite. I’ll definitely be ordering more soon! 

Effective! Review by Laurie

This product is advertised truthfully. It does what it says it will. 

Excellent Product Review by Connie

Premium Product. Already lost 5 lbs this week and gives me lots of Energy! I will be ordering again! 

FANTASTIC Review by Ben

It is everything I hoped it would be. It provides energy and appetite suppression. But don’t take it too late in the day you may not be able to sleep. I found that out the hard way! 

truly a good experience Review by Matthew

So I’m only 2 weeks into taking Hell fire, so I won’t boast about a huge weight loss of anything like that. Yes I’m dropping, Yes my abs are already ALOT MORE defined, but the biggest take away from this product so far is the RAZOR sharp focus. It feels like I’m on adderal but more importantly I’m just getting more done in training and outside training. A real product that works. 

Simply the best!! Review by Mary

One of the few products I will happily purchase again and again. Extremely effective, but without any jitters. Slight nausea at first, but goes away after a week or so. 1 in the morning and 1 mid-afternoon get me through the day! 

Mindblown Review by Kev

I recommend starting at 1 pill/day like the bottle says. They will made me feel nervous and jittery the first few times. But this fat burner will make you sweat so. Usually 1 pill lasts all day for me. They also suppress appetite A LOT. 

New Version ??? Review by Ally

Im a fan of the old version but they seemed to have got this right without changing very much.
I barely notice the difference between 1,3 and dmha. I don’t get that spike of energy like with the 1,3 but it feel more smooth. Not the strongest appetite suppressant tbh but still great.

So far, so good! Review by Jennifer

Definitely gives you a nice positive energy with no jitters. Sweating seems amped up too when exercising. Have only been taking less than a week so will have to see with weight loss. 

Wow!! Review by Thomas

Great product. Purchased last week. Good energy and great appetite suppressant. Highly recommend to others and friends 
I dont eat that much at all and have good consistent energy allll day

Pre Workouts

*In no particular order*

Best pre Review by Tom

This is an extremely potent pre workout. Take half of the serving for several days and depending on your body tolerance increase the dose. Awesome product! I’ve been using it for several months now.

Wicked preworkout Review by Chris

2 scoops of this stuff will get you where you need to be… the DMHA will give you focus and energy for hours! 

Best pre workout ever Review by Dustin

The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was flavor. Very very bad aftertaste but the best pre workout I’ve ever taken. Clean energy, no crash, unreal pump. Definitely going to be my go to from now on 

My Go-To Review by Vic

This is my favorite Pre-Workout ever. I have had the best workouts since I started taking it. I recommended this to my co-worker and he loves it too. Try it!

Love it Review by Joe

Love the bit of protein in with the mix. I had one of my best shoulder days the first day I took Ultimate Orange. Think I’m a lifelong consumer now. 

Love this Review by Eric

This is one of the only pre workouts I can go to again and again. The DMHA and caffeine content is strong and effective! The spiked punch is my favorite flavor. (Posted on 6/21/2019)

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