Alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone

α-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (also known as α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, α-PVP, O-2387, β-keto-prolintane, prolintanone, or desmethylpyrovalerone) is a synthetic stimulant of the cathinone class developed in the 1960s that has been sold as a designer drug. Colloquially, it is sometimes called flakka.α-PVP is chemically related to pyrovalerone and is the ketone analog of prolintane.

α-PVP, like other psychostimulants, can cause hyperstimulation, paranoia, and hallucinations. α-PVP has been reported to be the cause, or a significant contributory cause of death in suicides and overdoses caused by combinations of drugs.α-PVP has also been linked to at least one death with pulmonary edema and moderately advanced atherosclerotic coronary disease when it was combined with pentedrone.

According to Craig Crespi in the journal Case Reports in Psychiatry, 'symptoms are known to easily escalate into frightening delusions, paranoid psychosis, extreme agitation, and a multitude of other altered mental states.' Common adverse effects of α-PVP are in line with other psychostimulants, and include:

Delusions

Paranoid psychosis

Agitation

Altered mental state

In addition, agitated delirium may occur as an adverse effect of α-PVP, which carries its own set of symptoms, including anxiety, agitation, violent outbursts, confusion, myoclonus and convulsions, with clinical symptoms including tachycardia, hypertension, diaphoresis, mydriasis and hyperthermia.