Last updated on December 19th, 2022
What’s Levamisole?
Levamisole was first synthesized in 1966. It was intended to be use as an anthelminthic (anti-parasitic drugs) and as an immunomodulatory agent for inflammatory conditions. However, in 2000, it was withdrawn from the US market due to side effects and is currently used only for veterinary purposes.
Over the last decade, levamisole has been increasingly encountered as an additive in both powder and crack cocaine.
What’s Levamisole role in Cocaine?
Levamisole has become an “excellent” cut for cocaine, as its cheaper for producers and it resembles to cocaine physically and chemically.
Levisamole once consumed is metabolized to aminorex, a compound with amphetamine-like psychostimulatory properties and a long half-life. These characteristics permits levamisole to enhance the effects of cocaine.
Still, a much higher dose of levamisole is required to affect monoamine reuptake in a way similar to cocaine. Users of drugs containing a high levamisole-to-cocaine ratio are likely to consume significant amounts in order to achieve the desired effects, putting them at higher risks of severe side effects from the adulterant.
Effects of Levamisole:
As use of cocaine cut with levamisole becomes more prevalent, complications directly attributable to the chemical are increasingly being recognized.
Levamisole use can present with a number of adverse effects:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Myalgia
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Rash
Serious complications include:
- Agranulocytosis
- Leukopenia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Vasculopathy and vasculitis
- Dermal necrosis
- Leukoencephalopathy
- Psychosis
- Pulmonary hypertension and hemorrhage
- Glomerulonephritis
- Emboli
- Arthritis
- CAD
- Collapse
Product Placement: Levamisole and other cuts can be detected with our Cocaine Cuts Test Kit.
