Actually, you might be thinking of Tryptophan. Dimethyltryptamine is derived from Tryptophan, but is not necessarily used in making Methamphetamine.
Dimethyltryptamine is in and of itself, a 'drug' and not one. Matter of fact, it's nothing but a chemical that almost all living things on this planet create. We've been doing research into it for years and we are no closer to actually understanding what it actually DOES for the human body, but a lot of people speculate it is used to make dreams, hence the nicknames (The Spirit Molecule or The Dream Drug.) Dimethyltryptamine (or DMT for short) is quickly metabolized by the body, so it's effects are... Difficult to grasp completely, but it can be ingested, smoked or injected. People who have used this substance say it is the most powerful hallucinogenic known to man, and the only reason we have made it illegal (despite numerous studies done on it and its effects that show no negative side effects, reactions, or chance of addiction) is because a lot of people don't really understand it.
It's clean, made and easily absorbed by the body, and unlike other psychadelics or hallucinogens, DMT doesn't make you do anything- when you partake of it, your body literally gets knocked out while, as one user had put it, your mind goes on a journey to the furthest reaches of the universe, to worlds and times unknown to man.
But the truth is that DMT has been used by countless peoples and cultures worldwide, especially in South America, where they brew the leaves of the Psychotria plant along with the body of the Ayahuasca plant, which acts as an MAOI (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor), and drink a tea made from it in rituals and spiritual journeys. The Ayahuasca is what allows the effects of the DMT in the body to actually have a prolonged and noticeable effect, taking it from being painfully harsh and lasting only a minute or two (smoked) to being mellow, lasting for up to 20, sometimes 30 minutes.
Again, this is all with no negative effects or addiction, since the body actually PRODUCES this chemical naturally. Men and women of science have done tests on this stuff, not just Jermaine from down the street or that shady guy in the corner of every night club this stuff is the real deal, it's 100% natural and safe, and yet... For some reason, it's one of the most illegal substances you can have (at least the crystalized, smokable form) in the US.
I am neither advocating nor endorsing DMT usage, but off the record I will say that in order to legally imbibe of brewed ayahuasca, you should either go to the Amazon Jungle and find a tribe that partakes of it, or look up information on the Santo Daime church here in the US- last I heard, they won a legal battle to use Ayahuasca and Psychotria in their religious practices. In and of itself, Santo Daime is supposed to be a worldwide religion by now, but if that isn't the case, head to Brazil and see it for yourself.
Also, yes. I love Breaking Bad. Brian Cranston is a total badass.