Acute toxicity associated with the recreational use of the ketamine derivative methoxetamine.
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology May 1, 2012 David M Wood, Susannah Davies, Malgorzata Puchnarewicz et al.
Methoxetamine, a ketamine derivative marketed as bladder-safe, can cause acute toxicity with dissociative and sympathomimetic symptoms. Three patients aged 28 to 42 presented to an emergency department after using methoxetamine, showing a dissociative or catatonic state similar to ketamine, along with tachycardia and hypertension. All were treated with low-dose benzodiazepines and discharged after symptoms resolved. Serum concentrations ranged from 0.09 to 0.2 mg/L; one patient also had detectable levels of 6-APB/5-APB. These cases demonstrate that methoxetamine use carries acute risks, and further research is needed to assess its bladder safety.