This is an alert from DoctorX & his Chemical Brothers and Sisters.

Our International Drug Checking Service has detected a dangerous adulteration in a serie of eight samples submitted as “alprazolam” for drug testing during the last month.

Our analyses have revealed no presence of this drug, but a mixture of promethazine, cyproheptadine and amantadine, with 2-6 additional unidentified substances in the following samples:

1) This pill was received in our headquarters on 3/Dic/2018, delivered from United States.

It is a rectangular white tablet, divisible in 4 parts,

weight:223 mg,

long: 15,99 mm,

thickness: 3,41 mm.

It mimics Xanax ® 2mg (commercial Pfizer brand for alprazolam) pharmaceutical grade pills, with a “XANAX”/”2” imprints

Another identical sample like this one was received in our National Drug Checking Service from Valencia (Spain) on 14/Jan/19

According to data available in ecstasydata.org, this same adulteration has been detected by the Swiss NGO Saferparty in two identical pills in Nov 2018 and Jan 2019

2) This sample was received in our headquarters on 15/Jan/19, delivered from United States.

It is a rectangular green tablet, divisible in 3 parts

weight: 274 mm

It mimics Alprazolam 2mg generical pharmaceutical grade pills, with a “S/90/3” imprint in one side

3) Four additional samples from three different users have been received from 13/Nov/18 to 15/Jan/19 ( 3 from US, 1 from Hong Kong). These samples were submitted as alprazolam in powder and drug checking revealed the mentioned results with additional 3-6 unidentified molecules.

4) Test result of another powder sample submitted as alprazolam and received from Portugal on 28/Jan/18 reveals the presence of this combination (promethazine. cyproheptadine and amantadine + 2 unidentified substances) with the addition of chlorpheniramine.

Promethazine, cyproheptadine and chlorpheniramine are first-generation antihistamine prescription drugs, used to treat allergies, trouble sleeping, and nausea. They have been replaced by new antihistamine drugs with fewer adverse effects, less drug interactions and lower toxicity.

Amantadine was used as antiviral drug in the 1970s, and it is currently used only in some cases as a treatment for Parkinson disease.

Our analytical techniques do not allow us to quantify these substances. Therapeutic dosages of promethazine (5-25 mg), cyproheptadine (2-10 mg) and chlorpheniramine (4 mg) are low. Amantadine interacts with antihistaminics, causing an increase in somnolence, drowziness and other side effects.

So it is likely that the combination of these three substances in a same pill is intended to mimic sedative alprazolam effects. But risks of severe adverse effects and interaction with other therapeutic or recreational drugs seems important. At least in theory, this combination could trigger severe cardiac arrhytmias, especially in combination or after using stimulants ( methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine…).

We are still studying the meaning of presence of a variable number of unidentified substances (between 2 and 6) in samples tested. We think that presence of toxic drugs or uncommon psychoactive substances is unlikely, as our techniques allows us to detect more than 200.000 different compounds. It is likely that are by-products of these molecules but we will update in case we have additional findings.

According to reports provided by users, 2 of 6 samples were purchased through cryptomarkets.This has been confirmed by further contacts. The analysis of the global data available suggest that it is highly likely that these adulterated samples are (or at least were) available through some vendors in the largest active cryptomarket.