‘Monkey Dust’/ Pyrrolidino-Cathinones

Desired Effects:

The effects depend on the dose and the pyrrolidino-cathinone used but are thought similar to other potent stimulant drugs.

• Energy
• Confidence
• Well-being, euphoria
• Arousal.

Homeless people often take drugs to cope with mental health issues, past trauma and to blot out the circumstances of their current lives. A stimulant drug like “Monkey Dust’ also allows people to remain awake and vigilant to the dangers of life on the streets.

Side Effects:

The side effects depend on the dose, method of use and the pyrrolidino-cathinone used. But are thought to be broadly similar to other potent stimulants, such as racing heartbeat, sweating, lowered appetite, clenched jaws, dilated pupils, paranoia, anxiety, mood swings.

MDPHP ‘Monkey Dust’ has been associated with unwanted side-effects including chest pain, breathing difficulties, over sensitivity to touch, anxiety, dizziness, high blood-pressure, aggression/psychosis and hallucinations and seizures (fits). Violent behaviour, sometimes requiring containment measures, was recorded in under 10% of hospital cases reported.

• ‘Monkey Dust’ may contain a number of different pyrrolidino-cathinones or other drugs and at different potencies. Before you take any new batch, ask others who may have taken the same batch about the potency and duration of effects. 
• Start with a small, test dose, amount and wait at least two hours before taking more to reduce the risk of overdose.
• Don’t use alone, as there is nobody to help if you overdose. Look after friends in the same way you would want to be looked after.
• Mixing ‘Monkey dust’ with other drugs or alcohol will increase your risk of overdose.
• If you suspect someone has overdosed, use naloxone if you have it. Naloxone does not work on stimulants like ‘Monkey Dust’ but will reverse the effects of any opioid drugs like heroin or methadone that the person may have also taken. If in doubt use naloxone: if they haven’t taken opioids, naloxone won’t harm them; if they have it may save their life.
• If someone passes out or falls asleep and you can’t wake them up, put them in the recovery position, this is to prevent them choking on their vomit. Call for an ambulance.
• If somebody has chest pains, sit them up and call for an ambulance.
• If somebody has trouble breathing, make sure their airway isn’t blocked. Call for an ambulance.
• If somebody is having a fit (seizure), don’t hold them down. If they are in the middle of a road or somewhere dangerous, move them. Call for an ambulance.
• Take a break between ‘Monkey Dust’ sessions. Get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water and feed yourself properly to give your body time to recover.
• If the use of ‘Monkey Dust’ becomes an issue, help is available from your local treatment service.

Long term risks:

The long-term risk depends on dose, method of use and the pyrrolidino-cathinone used. Although little is known about the long term risk of many of the pyrrolidino-cathinones, it is thought they are broadly similar to the risks involved in other potent stimulants, such as, depression, irritability, dependence, paranoia, and triggering psychotic episodes.

Short term risks:

The short-term risk depends on the dose and the pyrrolidino-cathinone used; but are thought broadly similar to the risks involved in other potent stimulants, such as paranoia, heart attack, heat stroke etc.

As they are generally more potent than other cathinones, doses for pyrrolidino-cathinones are typically lower compared with other cathinones such as M-Cat. If somebody unwittingly consumes a high-potency pyrrolidino-cathinone, such as MDPHP, the potential for harm is increased.

While this may suggest that lower potency synthetic cathinones would be safer, some other synthetic cathinones have a narrower window between effects and toxic effects so when more is taken to achieve desired effects, they also quickly reach harmful doses. There is very limited human evidence about the relative toxicity of pyrrolidino-cathinones compared to other synthetic cathinones.

Cathinone-related fatalities are often attributed to over-heating, high blood-pressure, heart attacks and serotonin syndrome. During 2024 there were 21 deaths involving all synthetic cathinones.

Other than M-Cat, the synthetic cathinones most commonly involved in drug-related deaths in the UK have been MDPHP, α-PHP and α-PVP, all pyrrolidino-cathinones. This might suggest pyrrolidino-cathinones have a higher risk of fatal outcome, but the numbers involved are too small to interpret, deaths almost always involve other drugs used at the same time and might be because of frequency of use, or the lifestyle (and greater risks involved) of the people who use them rather than the drugs involved.

Of 75 deaths involving a synthetic cathinone recorded between 2019 and 2023, more than half occurred in Staffordshire. Across the UK, 14 of the 15 deaths involving MDPHP, all 28 of the α-PHP deaths and 4 of the 7 α-PVP deaths were reported from Staffordshire and most are likely to be associated with use of ‘Monkey Dust’.

Central nervous system stimulant.

Pyrrolidino-cathinones include MDPHP, which in the UK is most commonly found in drugs sold with the nickname of ‘Monkey Dust’. ‘Monkey Dust’ has also been found to contain other pyrrolidino-cathinones such as alpha-PHP, αlpha-PiHP and alpha-PVP. Alpha-PVP is known in the U.S as ‘Flakka’.

Most pyrrolidino-cathinones have very high potency compared to other synthetic cathinones or other stimulants, including cocaine. ‘Monkey Dust’ is used because it is much cheaper than crack and longer lasting.

‘Flakka’ has been subject to sensationalist and inaccurate media reporting in the U.S. These myths include reports of cannibalism while high on ‘Flakka’. Like ‘Flakka’, ‘Monkey Dust’ use in the UK has also been subject to sensationalist and inaccurate media reporting.

In the UK, the use of ‘Monkey Dust’ is almost exclusive to the Staffordshire area among socially excluded and vulnerable adults, including prison leavers and those who are often living in hostels, or homeless. In other areas of the UK, this group would more commonly use ‘Spice’, crack cocaine or heroin, although many of the ‘Monkey Dust’ users in Staffordshire also use these drugs.

Cathinones are Class B, under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) reviewed the harms of pyrrolidino-cathinones in 2025 and advised against changing the legal status, although the government are under no obligation to take this advice.

‘Monkey dust’ may be taken over short (a few days) or much longer periods of time and may be used alone or with other substances. ‘Monkey dust’ is generally taken by smoking, often using a pipe, although other routes may be used, including snorting, swallowing and injecting.

None

Pyrrolidino-cathinones are synthetic drugs that are produced in labs most often in other countries. These may be countries where the drug is not covered by drug laws or in illicit labs. They are brought from local street dealers or directly via the internet/dark web.