Pentylone

Pentylone is a stimulant in the substituted cathinone class. Reports have varied about its effects, with some indicating it offers no notable euphoria and others claiming it has some entactogen activity at certain doses.

The drug has seen fairly low use since ~2010.

Pentylone = 698963-77-8; Bk-MBDP; Beta-Keto-methylbenzodioxolylpentanamine; bk-methyl-k

PubChem: 60208608

Molecular formula: C13H17NO3

Molecular weight: 235.283 g/mol

IUPAC: 1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-(methylamino)pentan-1-one

Dose

Oral (tentative)

Light: 10 – 20 mg

Common: 20 – 40 mg

Strong: 40+ mg

There are reports of pentylone being more recreational at doses above 50-60 mg. Though it’s worth being cautious and examining low/common doses before more is used. We don’t know how safe the drug is, especially at strong+ doses.

Intranasal (tentative)

Range: 5 – 15 mg

Timeline

Oral (tentative)

Total: 3 – 4 hours (strong+ doses may lead to 6+ hours)

Onset: 00:20 – 00:40

Intranasal (tentative)

Total: 3 – 4 hours (there are reports of it lasting longer)

Onset: Under 10 minutes

Experience Reports

Erowid

Effects

Positive

• Mood lift
• Stimulation
• Euphoria

Negative

• Anxiety
• Tachycardia
• Hypertension
• Insomnia
• Tremor
• Sweating
• Muscle tension

It tends to be described as a fairly mild and not particularly recreational stimulant, but there are outlier reports of euphoria and even entactogen-like effects. Reports claim it can provide stimulation and prevent sleep when used close to bedtime.

Based on some reports, it might be the case that 40-50+ mg (oral) leads to more euphoria and some potential entactogen-like effects.

Pentylone has sometimes led to pronounced cardiovascular effects, with notable tachycardia and chest pain.

Usually people don’t report a strong urge to redose and the comedown/after effects are minimal.

Psychiatric concerns might exist with large doses and in vulnerable individuals. There are some reports of paranoia.

Case reports

Case 1 (2012, France)

• 48-year-old male
• Had been using NRG-3 for about a year, always intranasally.
  • Reported an onset of ~1 minute and duration of ~10 hours with no “harsh crash.”
  • History of psychotic episodes when using 500 mg.
  • Usually took 200 mg after becoming tolerant to 100 mg.
• An analysis of NRG-3 found it contained MDPV and pentylone.
• Brought to psychiatric ED
  • Following 3 days of behavioral changes, delirious thoughts, and restlessness.
• At arrival
  • Anxious, agitated, and suspicious.
  • Acute delirious episode with persecutory and megalomaniacal themes.
  • Tachycardia was the only physical symptom.
• Forced admission to psychiatric unit
  • Agitation declined after loxapine and diazepam.
• Following day
  • Delirious thoughts entirely gone.

Animal tests

Stimulation of locomotor activity in mice with an ED50 of 11.54 mg/kg (IP).

The increase in locomotor activity began within 10 minutes and lasted 120-170 minutes.

It also fully substituted for methamphetamine and cocaine in rats in a discriminative stimulus test. 10 mg/kg (IP) was adequate for full substitution.

Chemistry & Pharmacology

Chemistry

It’s a substituted cathinone.

Pentylone is similar to MDMA, but it differs with a beta-keto moiety and alpha-pentyl moiety.

It’s also the 3,4-methoxylated analog of pentedrone.

Pharmacology

The drug primarily functions as an SNDRI, inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Some serotonin release is also present and is of unclear relevance.

IC50s

• NET – 0.99 uM
• DAT – 1.34 uM
• SERT – 8.37 uM

Serotonin release was present in a test using 100 uM of pentylone.

History

1960s

Pentylone was synthesized in the 1960s and described in a UK patent in 1969.

2010s

Use wasn’t reported until around 2010.

Pentylone was detected in a product in Germany in 2011. It was present in 140 mg of powder inside a capsule that was intended for a head shop.

It appeared on the market by itself in addition to being a component of products like NRG-1 and NRG-3, which have had variable compositions.

The substance has occasionally been passed off as MDMA, but it’s not a major adulterant in that market.

As of 2017, pentylone is still being sold, but it has yet to develop a large user base.

Legal Status

United States (as of February 2017)

Schedule 1

Controlled (list may not be complete)

Canada, Germany, Sweden, UK

Safety

We don’t have enough information to know how safe the drug is, especially with long-term use. It’s wise to use the lowest possible dose as infrequently as possible and without combinations.

Animal tests

Lethality observed in 1/8 mice within 30-40 minutes of 100 mg/kg IP.

Clonic convulsions observed in 3/7 mice at 8 hours after 100 mg/kg IP.

100 mg/kg has a potential human equivalent dose of 8.1 mg/kg.

Test Videos

References

(2015) Discriminative and locomotor effects of five synthetic cathinones in rats and mice

(2014) Monoamine transporter and receptor interaction profiles of a new series of designer cathinones.

(2013) Case Report of Cathinone-Like Designer Drug Intoxication Psychosis and Addiction With Serum Identification

(2012) Mass, NMR and IR spectroscopic characterization of pentedrone and pentylone and identification of their isocathinone by-products.

(2011) Analysis of NRG ‘legal highs’ in the UK: identification and formation of novel cathinones.

(2011) Cathinone derivatives: a review of their chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology.