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Methylone Side Effects

Methylone is a drug patented by Peyton Jacob and Alexander Shulgin in 1996 as an antidepressant. Like other drugs like LSD and MDMA that began as experimental psychiatric drugs, its use quickly turned from clinical to recreational. It has a chemical structure and effects that are very similar to MDMA, or Ecstasy. Until there is significant clinical information about its effects, its effects are primarily based on users' first-hand experiences.

  1. The High

    • Users have reported that the methylone-induced high is similar to those from stimulants like amphetamines, MDMA and cocaine. These effects include euphoria and increased energy. A feeling of community is often experienced among people taking the drug. This is most likely because users feel more outgoing and confident on methylone.

    Initial Side Effects

    • Because methylone is a stimulant, it forces the body to work faster. Heart rate increases to the point where the user can experience palpitations or irregular heartbeat even after he has stopped taking the drug. Like alcohol, it can produce blurred vision and nausea. Like ecstasy, it can cause the user to clench his jaw and/or grind his teeth, so much so that soreness in these areas can last well after he has stopped taking it. Fingers and toes can turn bluish. The user's appetite may also be suppressed, which could lead to anorexia.

    Long-Term Effects

    • The more someone uses methylone, the more serious the effects will get. The increased energy and feeling of vitality caused by the high can progress into circulation problems, paranoia and insomnia. Hallucinations and delusions may come on, but this time, they may be unwanted. The initial muscle clenching could intensify as well. If the drug is snorted, the nasal passages and mouth can become inflamed. This can result in nosebleeds.

    Addiction

    • It is unknown whether methylone is physically addictive, although anecdotal evidence has shown it to be psychologically addictive.

    Fatality

    • Mephedrone, a drug that is chemically very similar to methylone, is thought to be a factor in the deaths of two British teens, Louis Wainwright and Nicholas Smith. However, this has not been proven.

      That certainly doesn't make methylone safe. On the contrary, it's much more dangerous not to know its capabilities. Even with the lack of clinical information on its negative effects, there have been enough reports on it that methylone is illegal in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Israel. It is not a recognized substance in the U.S.

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