para
-Fluorophenylpiperazine (pFPP, 4-FPP; Fluoperazine, Flipiperazine) is a piperazinePiperazine is an organic compound that consists of a six-membered ring containing two opposing nitrogen atoms. Piperazine exists as small alkaline deliquescent crystals with a saline taste....
derivative with mildly psychedelicA psychedelic substance is a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter the cognition and perception of the mind. Psychedelics are part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens, which also includes related substances such as dissociatives and deliriants...
and euphoriantA euphoriant is a kind of psychoactive drug which induces feelings of physical and/or mental euphoria, the effects of which may include relaxation, anxiolysis, stress relief, mood lift, pleasure, and a rush. Many euphoriants are notorious for their problems with abuse, addiction, and dependence...
effects. It has been sold as an ingredient in legal recreational drugs known as "Party pillsParty pills, also known as "herbal highs", "pep pills" "dance pills" and "natural power", is a colloquialism for a type of recreational drug whose main ingredient was originally benzylpiperazine , but has now expanded to a wide range of compounds with a variety of effects...
", initially in New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
and subsequently in other countries around the world.
pFPP has been found in vitroA procedure performed in vitro is performed not in a living organism but in a controlled environment, such as in a test tube or Petri dish...
to act mainly as a 5-HT
1A receptor
agonistAn agonist is a drug that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by the cell. An agonist often mimics the action of a naturally occurring substance.An agonist produces an action...
, with some additionaly affinity for the 5-HT
2A and 5-HT
2C receptors.
para
-Fluorophenylpiperazine (pFPP, 4-FPP; Fluoperazine, Flipiperazine) is a piperazinePiperazine is an organic compound that consists of a six-membered ring containing two opposing nitrogen atoms. Piperazine exists as small alkaline deliquescent crystals with a saline taste....
derivative with mildly psychedelicA psychedelic substance is a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter the cognition and perception of the mind. Psychedelics are part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens, which also includes related substances such as dissociatives and deliriants...
and euphoriantA euphoriant is a kind of psychoactive drug which induces feelings of physical and/or mental euphoria, the effects of which may include relaxation, anxiolysis, stress relief, mood lift, pleasure, and a rush. Many euphoriants are notorious for their problems with abuse, addiction, and dependence...
effects. It has been sold as an ingredient in legal recreational drugs known as "Party pillsParty pills, also known as "herbal highs", "pep pills" "dance pills" and "natural power", is a colloquialism for a type of recreational drug whose main ingredient was originally benzylpiperazine , but has now expanded to a wide range of compounds with a variety of effects...
", initially in New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
and subsequently in other countries around the world.
pFPP has been found in vitroA procedure performed in vitro is performed not in a living organism but in a controlled environment, such as in a test tube or Petri dish...
to act mainly as a 5-HT
1A receptor
agonistAn agonist is a drug that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by the cell. An agonist often mimics the action of a naturally occurring substance.An agonist produces an action...
, with some additionaly affinity for the 5-HT
2A and 5-HT
2C receptors. It has also been shown to
inhibitA reuptake inhibitor , also known as a transporter blocker, is a drug which inhibits the plasmalemmal transporter-mediated reuptake of a neurotransmitter from the synapse into the pre-synaptic neuron, leading to an increase in the extracellular concentrations of the neurotransmitter and therefore...
the
reuptakeReuptake, or re-uptake, is the reabsorption of a neurotransmitter by a neurotransmitter transporter of a pre-synaptic neuron after it has performed its function of transmitting a neural impulse....
of
serotoninSerotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter. It is found extensively in the gastrointestinal tract of animals, and about 80 to 90 percent of the human body's total serotonin is located in the enterochromaffin cells in the gut, where it is used to regulate intestinal movements...
and
norepinephrineNoradrenaline or norepinephrine is a catecholamine with dual roles as a hormone and a neurotransmitter....
, and to possibly induce their
releaseA releasing agent , or simply releaser, is a drug which induces the release of a neurotransmitter from the pre-synaptic neuron into the synapse, leading to an increase in the extracellular concentrations of the neurotransmitter...
.
pFPP was originally discovered as a
metaboliteMetabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually restricted to small molecules. A primary metabolite is directly involved in normal growth, development, and reproduction. A secondary metabolite is not directly involved in those processes, but usually has...
of the hypnotic antihistamine
niaprazineNiaprazine is a piperazine derivative drug which acts as a sedating antihistamine. It was invented in the 1970s , and is used in France, Italy and other European countries....
in 1982, but was rediscovered in 2003 as a potential recreational drug, and sold as an ingredient in "Party pills" in New Zealand, under brand names such as "The Big Grin", "Mashed", and "Extreme Beans". Subsequently it has continued to be used as an ingredient in black market "ecstasy" pills around the world.
pFPP has little stimulant effects, with its subjective effects derived mainly from its action as a 5-HT
1A receptor agonist. pFPP is active at doses between 20–150 mg, but higher doses cause a range of side effects such as
migraineMigraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily perceptions, severe headaches, and nausea. Physiologically, the migraine headache is a neurological condition more common to women than to men. The word migraine was borrowed from Old French migraigne...
headacheIn medicine a headache or cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies.There are a number of different classification systems for headaches...
s, muscle aches,
anxietyAnxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, fear, or worry....
,
nauseaNausea is the sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit.-Causes:...
, and
vomitingVomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Undesired vomiting may result from many causes, ranging from gastritis or poisoning to brain tumors, or elevated intracranial pressure...
.
Based on the recommendation of the EACD, the New Zealand government has passed legislation which placed BZP, along with a number of other piperazine derivatives into Class C of the New Zealand Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. A ban was intended to come into effect in New Zealand on December 18 2007, but the law change did not go through until the following year, and the sale of BZP and the other listed piperazines became illegal in New Zealand as of 1st of April 2008. An amnesty for possession and usage of these drugs remained until October 2008, at which point they became completely illegal.
See also
- 1-Benzylpiperazine (BZP)
- 1-Methyl-4-benzylpiperazine
MBZP is a stimulant drug which is a derivative of benzylpiperazine. MBZP has been sold as an ingredient in legal recreational drugs known as "Party pills", initially in New Zealand and subsequently in other countries around the world.The effects of MBZP are very similar to those of BZP, but the...
(MBZP)
- 1,4-Dibenzylpiperazine (DBZP)
- 3-Chlorophenylpiperazine
meta-Chlorophenylpiperazine is a psychoactive drug of the piperazine chemical class. It acts as a nonselective serotonin receptor agonist...
(mCPP)
- 3-Trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP)
- 3,4-Methylenedioxy-1-benzylpiperazine (MDBZP)
- 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-1-benzylpiperazine (2C-B-BZP)
- 4-Methoxyphenylpiperazine
para-Methoxyphenylpiperazine is a piperazine derivative with stimulant effects which has been sold as an ingredient in "Party pills", initially in New Zealand and subsequently in other countries around the world.MeOPP has been found in vitro to inhibit the reuptake and induce the release of the...
(MeOPP)