Hair Analysis of Methoxphenidine in a Forensic Chemsex Case.
Journal of analytical toxicology – March 21, 2022
Source: PubMed
Summary
A 55-year-old man's death after a chemsex party revealed dangerously high levels of the dissociative drug Methoxphenidine (MXP). Postmortem analysis showed MXP concentrations of 606 µg/L in femoral blood and 254 µg/L in cardiac blood. Notably, 13 ng/mg of MXP was also found in hair, marking the first reported instance of this drug in hair samples. Traces of 3-methylmethcathinone were also present. This case underscores the severe risks of MXP poisoning during chemsex and the critical need to screen for new psychoactive substances in toxicology examinations.
Abstract
Methoxphenidine (MXP, 2-MeO-diphenidine) is a dissociative anesthetic drug of the diarylethylamine type, recently introduced for recreational purposes through the online-based sale of new psychoactive substances (NPSs). The concentration of MXP in hair has never been reported, either in cases of chemsex use or in fatal cases. A 55-year-old man was found dead at his home the morning after a chemsex party. Toxicological analyses indicated high concentrations of MXP in femoral blood (606 µg/L), cardiac blood (254 µg/L) and hair (13 ng/mg). We also identified 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) in femoral blood (traces) and urine (238 µg/L). The concentrations of all other drugs were consistent with living subjects. This case highlights the risk of MXP poisoning in the context of chemsex and emphasizes the importance of including NPS in postmortem toxicology examinations.