title: Domestic abuse of the European rave drug prolintane.
abstract: Prolintane is a sympathomimetic amine with pharmacologic properties similar to d-amphetamine. Side effects include insomnia, nervousness, and irritability. Overdoses of prolintane may cause hallucinations, psychosis, and death. The drug is commonly prescribed in Africa, Australia, and Europe but is not available in the United States. This manuscript reports the first medically documented cases of prolintane abuse in the United States. In the first, a 34-year-old male presented to the emergency department confused, agitated, and unable to follow commands. Initial drug and alcohol screens were negative, but analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated the presence of amitriptyline, nortriptyline, nicotine, and prolintane. The second patient, a healthy 26-year-old female, presented to the emergency department after intrauterine fetal death and spontaneous delivery. GC-MS revealed the presence of multiple drugs, including cannabinoids, cocaine, nicotine, hydrocodone, and prolintane. The medical and scientific communities should be aware of the potential for prolintane abuse because it may cause symptoms similar to those of the amphetamines but is not likely to be detected by a routine urine drug screen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216, USA. pkyle@pathology.umsmed.edu
authors.forename: Patrick B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Kyle
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Daley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000506:poisoning; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000506:poisoning; D011998:Recreation; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D011759:Pyrrolidines; C005598:prolintane