Alpha-PVP

Alpha-PVP is a stimulant drug which has been used recreationally since around 2013. It’s an NDRI (norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor) and a member of the cathinone and pyrovalerone classes.

Its strong stimulant effects encourage physical activity and are accompanied by a euphoric body high and mental state.

While it may be more capable of causing temporary psychosis (like what’s seen with other stimulants), that risk primarily exists with very high strong+ doses. It’s a risk that needs to be taken into account and it’s a good reason to make sure you’re using a reasonable dose.

Deaths have been reported, though there aren’t many on record. The ones that have occurred are generally connected to high doses, combinations (e.g. with pentedrone), or the application of a physical stressor (e.g. restraint).

Alpha-PVP = a-PVP; a-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone; Alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone; Flakka; Gravel

Dose

Oral

Light: 5 – 10 mg

Common: 10 – 15 mg

Strong: 15 – 25 mg

Intranasal

Light: 1 – 5 mg

Common: 5 – 10 mg

Strong: 10 – 15 mg

Timeline

Oral

Total: 2 – 5 hours

Intranasal

Total: 2 – 5 hours

Onset: 00:15 – 00:45

Strongest: 01:00 – 02:00

Experience Reports

Erowid

References

(2016) Twenty-One Cases Involving Alpha-Pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP)

(2016) Temporal trends in drug use in Adelaide, South Australia by wastewater analysis

(2016) Detection of “bath salts” and other novel psychoactive substances in hair samples of ecstasy/MDMA/“Molly” users

(2016) Cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects of alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, methcathinone and their 3,4-methylenedioxy or 4-methyl analogs in rhesus monkeys.

(2016) Elimination half-life of alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone in an acute non-fatal intoxication

(2015) In vivo potency and efficacy of the novel cathinone α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone: self-administration and locomotor stimulation in male rats

(2015) Discriminative-stimulus effects of second generation synthetic cathinones in methamphetamine-trained rats

(2015) A Fatal Case of Pentedrone and α-Pyrrolidinovalerophenone Poisoning.

(2014) A case of severe psychosis induced by novel recreational drugs

(2014) Sudden death after sustained restraint following self-administration of the designer drug α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone.

(2014) New recreational drug 1-phenyl-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-pentanone (alpha-PVP) activates central nervous system via dopaminergic neuron.

(2013) Analysis of Synthetic Cathinones Commonly Found in Bath Salts in Human Performance and Postmortem Toxicology: Method Development, Drug Distribution and Interpretation of Results

(2012) Analysis of First and Second Generation Legal Highs for Synthetic Cannabinoids and Synthetic Stimulants by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

Test Results