Levomethamphetamine

Levomethamphetamine

Systematic (IUPAC) name
(R)-N-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-2-amine
Clinical data
Pregnancy cat.	?
Legal status	OTC
Routes	Nasal Inhalation
Pharmacokinetic data
Metabolism	Hepatic
Excretion	Renal
Identifiers
CAS number	537-46-2
ATC code	?
PubChem	CID 36604
ChemSpider	33634 Y
UNII	44RAL3456C Y
KEGG	D02291 Y
Chemical data
Formula	C10H15N
Mol. mass	149.2
SMILES	eMolecules & PubChem
InChI InChI=1S/C10H15N/c1-9(11-2)8-10-6-4-3-5-7-10/h3-7,9,11H,8H2,1-2H3/t9-/m1/s1 Y Key:MYWUZJCMWCOHBA-SECBINFHSA-N Y
Y(what is this?)  (verify)

Levomethamphetamine (other names include l-methamphetamine, levodesoxyephedrine, l-desoxyephedrine, levmetamfetamine), is the levorotary (R-enantiomer) of methamphetamine. Levomethamphetamine is a sympathomimetic vasoconstrictor which is the active ingredient used in some over-the-counter nasal decongestants including Vicks Vapor Inhaler.

Chemistry

Levomethamphetamine affects the sympathetic nervous system but has little activity in the central nervous system, so it is not thought to possess an addiction potential anywhere near that of racemic methamphetamine or dextromethamphetamine. Among its few physiological effects are the vasoconstriction that makes it useful for nasal decongestion.

Side effects

When used as a nasal decongestant, levomethamphetamine has potential side effects resembling those of other sympathomimetic drugs used for the same purpose; these effects include hypertension (elevated blood pressure), tachycardia (rapid heart rate), nausea, stomach cramps, dizziness, headache, and tremors.^{[citation needed]}