MDPV
MDPV (3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone) is a potent pyrrolidine synthetic cathinone and dopamine/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor. It was a principal component of early 'bath salts' products linked to severe agitation, psychosis and excited-delirium cases. Human knowledge is from emergency toxicology and animal studies rather than trials; it is among the most compulsive cathinones.
01 Overview
MDPV combines the methylenedioxy ring with a pyrrolidine cathinone backbone, producing potent, long-lasting catecholamine reuptake inhibition with little serotonergic effect. It was heavily implicated in the early 2010s 'bath salts' phenomenon and associated emergency presentations. It is used orally and by insufflation.
Data are limited to case series, poison-centre reports and preclinical work, which show very high abuse liability in self-administration models. Documented harms include severe cardiovascular strain, marked agitation and psychosis, severe comedown and dependence, and unconfirmed long-term neurotoxicity. As a pyrrolidine cathinone it is flagged as especially compulsive.
02 Mechanism
Potent and selective dopamine and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (DAT/NET) with little serotonergic activity; higher potency than cocaine at DAT in preclinical studies, giving strong reinforcement.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 3–8 mg | Insufflated | Rapid, intense onset; strong compulsion to redose. |
| Light | 5–10 mg | Oral | Very potent; active in single-milligram amounts. High overdose risk. |
| Common | 10–20 mg | Oral | Narrow margin; compulsive redosing common. |
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intense stimulationPowerful wakefulness, focus and drive with little warmth. | Anecdotal | ||
| EuphoriaReported but readily overtaken by compulsion, anxiety and paranoia on redosing. | Anecdotal | ||
| Compulsive redosingVery high reinforcement drives extreme binge patterns, prominent in case reports and animal models. | Observational |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term neurotoxicity (unknown)Long-term neurological effects are unestablished in humans. | Moderate | Unknown | Unconfirmed | |
| Agitation, psychosis and excited deliriumSevere agitation, paranoia, hallucinations and excited-delirium presentations widely reported. | Severe | Common | Observational | |
| Severe comedown and dependenceIntense craving, low mood and exhaustion after binges; dependence documented. | Severe | Very common | Observational | |
| Severe cardiovascular strainMarked tachycardia, hypertension, hyperthermia and cardiovascular collapse in emergency presentations. | Life-threatening | Common | Observational |