2C-B Addiction: Symptoms, Signs & Treatment

2C-B has been used as a legal substitute for MDMA because of its stimulating effects and psychedelic properties. Acute 2C-B use can have adverse effects, but the long-term effects have not been studied.

2C-B is a synthetic drug that has stimulating and hallucinogenic properties. It was first synthesized in 1974 and has been used as a legal alternative to MDMA (ecstasy). It belongs to the 2C class of drugs, which share a similar chemical structure involving a phenethylamine backbone.

Newer 2C variants like 2C-I and 2C-I-NBOMe are preferred these days, but case reports indicate that 2C-B use has not ended.

2C drugs are considered to have low addiction potential, but the long-term effects of psychoactive substances like 2C-B have not been well-studied.

What Is 2C-B?

2C-B is a psychedelic drug that is closely related to mescaline. It belongs to the category of designer drugs, which are drugs that have been created synthetically or chemically modified from existing illicit drugs. Such designer drugs have been synthesized to evade laws that prohibit existing illicit drugs.

What Is 2C-B Used For?

2C-B has been used as a recreational drug because of its psychoactive properties. 2C-B was first synthesized in 1974 and gained popularity around a decade later. It was then when anti-drug legislation outlawed MDMA, and 2C-B served as a replacement.

2C-B is generally taken orally but can also be snorted. The underground psychiatry community originally advocated for the drug as a facilitator or aid in psychotherapy, but these claims of its effectiveness in therapy remain unproven.

2C-B Dosages

2C-B is usually taken orally since snorting it can have very rapid and intense effects that are painful. The drug is generally ingested in the form of powder or tablets, but it is also available in liquid form. The effects of 2C-B tend to be dose-dependent, with even a small increase in dosage resulting in radically different effects.

At low doses (between 4 mg to 10 mg), 2C-B acts as a stimulant, producing euphoric, empathetic and introspective feelings. At moderate doses (between 10mg to 20 mg), it produces visual hallucinations involving intense colors and distortion of objects. It may also produce synesthesia, which causes sounds to produce the perception of color.

Higher doses can produce frightening hallucinations and cause anxiety, hypertension, tachycardia, dilated pupils and hyperthermia. 2C-B intoxication may also lead to a state of excited delirium, which involves violence, agitation, hypertension, tachycardia, and hyperthermia.

The effects of an oral dose of 2C-B are generally seen one to three hours after intake, and the average duration of effects is between four to eight hours. The residual effects of drug intake may last up to 48 hours.

2C-B Ingredients

2C-B’s chemical name is 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, and it is synthesized by bromination of 2,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde. 2C-B is often used in MDMA tablets as a contaminant, and many people are known to ingest it involuntarily.

The sale of 2C-B is unregulated, and the drug may be tainted with other substances or be a different drug altogether.

2C-B Warnings

2C-B use should be avoided in public places and before driving because it can negatively affect attention span and visual perception. 2C-B also has adverse effects on the gastrointestinal system, leading to nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. At high doses, 2C-B can cause extremely frightening hallucinations, morbid delusions, and panic attacks.

Symptoms of 2C-B intoxication may include:

• Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
• Mydriasis (dilation of the pupils)
• Hypertension
• Vomiting
• Hyperthermia
• Respiratory depression
• Seizures

Intoxication with 2C class drugs can lead to cardiac arrest and death. There are also a few reports of exposure to 2C-B leading to neurological damage. As of now, however, fatalities have been related to other 2C drugs like 2C-T but not 2C-B specifically.

Using alcohol or other illicit substances at the same time as 2C-B can increase the risks posed by 2C-B use.

In addition, 2C-B is metabolized by monoamine oxidase, an enzyme in the brain. Some antidepressant drugs work by inhibiting this enzyme, and 2C-B should be avoided by individuals who use these medications.

Is 2C-B Addictive?

Very little is known about the addictive properties of 2C-B or other, newer members of the 2C class of drugs. 2C-B is considered to have a low potential for addiction, which is common to hallucinogenic drugs. This is because hallucinogenic drugs act on brain pathways involving serotonin, a neurotransmitter.

Many drugs can cause tolerance, which is characterized by the need for increasingly higher doses to produce the same effects. Although 2C-B is generally considered not to produce tolerance, there are reports of individuals developing tolerance after regular use of 2C-B. 

Impact of 2C-B on Dopamine Levels

2C-B use also increases dopamine in the nucleus accumbens of rats. The nucleus accumbens is a brain region in the reward pathway that is involved in responses to rewarding stimuli. The increase in dopamine suggests that 2C-B may be potentially addictive.

The impact of 2C-B on dopamine levels is consistent with the symptoms of 2C-B intoxication, which include excited delirium (hypertension, hyperthermia, agitation, and euphoric state).

Drugs like cocaine that affect dopamine also produce similar symptoms. More scientific research needs to be carried out on the long-term effects of 2C-B to determine its potential for causing addiction.

Signs of 2C-B Addiction

2C-B has been considered a relatively safe recreational drug with a low potential for addiction. There is a lack of scientific research on the long-term use of 2C-B, but a few anecdotal reports suggest that regular use may be associated with fatigue, disorientation, and anxiety. 2C-B users may also exhibit various symptoms of intoxication, such as agitation, gastrointestinal symptoms, hyperthermia, and tachycardia.

Although there is very scarce information regarding 2C-B addiction, evidence shows that acute use can have lasting consequences, such as permanent neurological damage.

2C-B Addiction Statistics

Currently, there is no data available regarding 2C-B addiction or addiction to other 2C drugs. This may be due to the low addiction potential of 2C-B or the inability to detect 2C-B in urine samples. This inability may affect accurate diagnosis, and it could be responsible for the absence of clinical records of 2C-B addiction cases.

Visit the following websites to learn about The Recovery Village’s network of rehabilitation facilities. Call today for admissions. Each center is ready to help people learn how to cope with their addiction and uncover the root causes for their substance use disorder.

• Orlando Recovery Center: A premier rehabilitation facility in Orlando, Florida that helps individuals recover from addiction and substance use disorders. The center also offers the opportunity to treat co-occurring disorders.
• The Recovery Village Columbus: Located in Ohio, this facility provides inpatient, outpatient and aftercare treatment for people looking to begin detox. The center provides individualized plans to help patients through recovery while addressing their unique co-occurring disorders or any setbacks that may happen during recovery.
• The Recovery Village Palmer Lake: In Colorado, this facility offers inpatient, outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment for individuals looking to kick-start their journey to recovery.
• The Recovery Village Ridgefield: Located right in southern Washington, this facility provides patients with outpatient and aftercare programs. Just 20 minutes outside of Portland, this facility assists individuals who are ready to begin treatment.
• The Recovery Village: In Umatilla, Florida, this is a rehabilitation facility that provides resources for individuals seeking drug and alcohol treatment. There are inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization treatment programs available for those suffering from Ambien addiction.
• IAFF Center of Excellence: Specializes in assisting firefighters who struggle with behavioral health problems and addiction. Members can enter the recovery process sooner so they can return back to work as quickly as possible. Inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs are all available at this facility, where patients can address their Ambien addiction in a safe, supportive environment.
• Denver Mental Health & Counseling: Denver Mental Health and Counseling by The Recovery Village is a physician-led outpatient center specializing in evidence-based addiction and mental health treatments, offering services such as TMS, IOP, and personalized care for both ongoing and new patients, dedicated to fostering long-term recovery and overall well-being.
• The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health: The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health is a premier physician-led treatment center in South Florida, offering a comprehensive spectrum of services from medical detox to outpatient programs for alcohol, drug, and co-occurring mental health conditions, with a commitment to rejuvenating lives, families, and communities, and facilitating same-day admissions.
• The Recovery Village Atlanta: Located in Roswell just outside downtown Atlanta, is a 62-bed physician-led treatment facility offering a comprehensive range of services, from medical detox to outpatient care, specializing in alcohol, drug, and co-occurring mental health conditions, dedicated to transforming lives, families, and communities throughout Georgia.
• The Recovery Village Kansas City: The Recovery Village Kansas City, an 80-bed facility in Raytown just 10 miles from downtown, offers a comprehensive range of evidence-based treatments for addiction and mental health conditions, overseen by physician leaders, and is dedicated to revitalizing lives, families, and communities throughout the Midwest.
• The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper Health: The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper, situated just 20 minutes from Philadelphia, is a leading rehab facility in South Jersey providing comprehensive, evidence-based addiction and mental health treatments, ranging from medical detox to teletherapy, with a dedicated team committed to guiding adults on their path to lifelong recovery.

Editor – Jonathan Strum

Jonathan Strum graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a Bachelor's in Communication in 2017 and has been writing professionally ever since. Read more

Medically Reviewed By – Dr. Deep Shukla, PhD, MS

Dr. Deep Shukla graduated with a PhD in Neuroscience from Georgia State University in December 2018. Read more