An accidental fatal intoxication with methoxetamine.
M. Wikström, Gunilla Thelander, M. Dahlgren, Robert Kronstrand
Journal of Analytical Toxicology 2013 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bks086 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Living drug abusers and one deceased male |
| Key findings | A fatal case showed femoral blood methoxetamine at 8.6 µg/g, much higher than the 0.13–0.49 µg/g in living users. The authors propose that acute methoxetamine intoxication caused the death, with synthetic cannabinoids possibly contributing. |
Abstract
This paper reports an unintentional death involving the administration of methoxetamine [2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(ethylamino)-cyclohexanone] and offers some reference values from living drug abusers. Methoxetamine is a new recreational drug with a similar structure to ketamine. The deceased was a 26-year-old male with a history of drug abuse; he was found lying on the floor in his apartment. Several "red-line" plastic bags were found, one of which was labeled "2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(ethylamino)-cyclohexanone" and another labeled "Haze." In four cases from living subjects with unknown doses, concentrations of methoxetamine were found from 0.13 to 0.49 µg/g. In three of the cases, the blood samples also contained natural or synthetic cannabinoids. In the autopsy case, a considerably higher concentration of methoxetamine, 8.6 µg/g, was found in femoral blood. In addition, tetrahydrocannabinol and the three different synthetic cannabinoids AM-694, AM-2201, and JWH-018, were present in femoral blood. The circumstances and the high femoral blood concentration of methoxetamine point toward an unintentional, acute fatal intoxication with methoxetamine, although the presence of the three synthetic cannabinoids may have contributed to the death.