Acute cerebellar syndrome? Think methoxetamine

[23536]

This case series describes 3 patients who presented after snorting methoxetamine. Signs and symptoms on presentation included incoordination, ataxia, dysarthria, impaired consciousness, nystagmus, and severe cerebellar ataxia. In one case, the signs of acute cerebellar toxicity did not fully resolve until 4 days after admission. Toxicologic analysis of serum samples demonstrated the presence of methoxetamine in all three patients.

The authors suggest that methoxetamine exposure be suspected in any patient who presents with an acute cerebellar toxidrome.

Methoxetamine has been associated with two deaths in Great Britain. In April, the import and sale of methoxetamine in the U.K. was banned for 12 months.

http://www.thepoisonreview.com/2012/06/07/acute-cerebellar-syndrome-think-methoxetamine/

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing, 23536.

 

[edgarshade]

So are they saying that MXE causes some kind of permanent damage to the cerebellum or that when you are on it you just act a bit unsteady like your pissed?

Edit:

Here's a quote from Wikipedia...

Exogenous substances

Exogenous substances that cause ataxia mainly do so because they have a depressant effect on central nervous system function. The most common example is ethanol, which is capable of causing reversible cerebellar and vestibular ataxia. Other examples include various prescription drugs (e.g. most antiepileptic drugs have cerebellar ataxia as a possible adverse effect), Lithium level over 1.5mEq/L, cannabis ingestion[8] and various other recreational drugs (e.g. ketamine, PCP or dextromethorphan, all of which are NMDA receptor antagonists that produce a dissociative state at high doses). Exposure to high levels of methylmercury, through consumption of fish with high mercury concentrations, is also a known cause of ataxia and other neurological disorders.[9]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataxia

So are they just saying that it's just like alcohol, ketamine and anything else that makes you a unsteady?

 

[7zark7]

So are they just saying that it's just like alcohol, ketamine and anything else that makes you a unsteady?

Seems that way…but for four days?

 

[Venrak]

All they are saying is that three subjects had taken MXE and they observed in-coordination, ataxia, dysarthria, impaired consciousness, and nystagmus. They're just sensationalists.

The one case where it persisted for four days, they don't say at what intensity. it could be conceived that as long as there are minute measurable differences in his condition to that respect they could claim it to be a problem until it subsides, while in reality the subject could be barely perceiving the impairment.