O-PCE

2-(ethylamino)-2-phenylcyclohexan-1-one

Overview

O-PCE belongs to Dissociatives / Arylcyclohexylamines.

Key safety note: O-PCE is a potent, long-lasting research-chemical dissociative with no human safety data.[3][2]
Effects
Subjective effects vary. What a substance feels like depends on dose, individual physiology, mindset, and setting. The points below describe commonly reported effects, not guaranteed, uniform, or desirable outcomes.
  • Dissociation and depersonalisation/derealisation, analgesia and a dreamy detachment, often with an initial stimulating, euphoric, 'clear-headed' phase before deeper dissociation.
  • Perceptual changes: visual distortions and, at higher doses, immersive dissociative states, ego-loss ('holes') and marked amnesia.
  • Physical/after: motor incoordination and unsteadiness, raised heart rate, nausea, and, with heavy or repeated use, insomnia, craving, low mood and long after-effects.
Dosing & duration
Harm-reduction note: These are commonly cited reference ranges, not a recommendation or a “safe” dose. Potency, purity, body chemistry, tolerance, and drug combinations vary widely. Start low, go slow, wait for full effects before redosing, and never assume an unknown product matches these figures. Missing data is not evidence of safety.

Oral or insufflated. O-PCE is a potent research chemical active in the low-milligram range. These are commonly cited community figures, NOT a safe or recommended dose.. Not a recommendation. O-PCE has never been studied in humans. The ranges below are anecdotal community figures. It is potent (active from ~1 mg), so it must be measured on an accurate milligram scale or as a volumetric solution and never eyeballed: the gap between a recreational and a heavily anaesthetic dose is small. It is stimulating, long-lasting and strongly habit-forming, so redosing, high doses, consecutive-day use and combining it with stimulants sharply raise the risk of mania, psychosis and cardiovascular strain. Combining with other depressants adds sedation/airway risk. Insufflation is more potent and faster than oral.

Dose ranges

Threshold

≈1 mg (oral)

Light

≈3–5 mg (oral)

Common

≈5–15 mg (oral)

Strong

≈15–25 mg (oral)

Heavy

≈25 mg + (oral)

Duration

onset

20–40 min (oral)

total

3–6 h (oral)

after effects

4–48 h

Chemical & Physical Properties
FormulaC14H19NO
Molar mass217.31 g/mol
StateSolid (usually the hydrochloride salt)
Melting pointNot reported
Boiling pointNot reported
DensityNot reported
Vapor pressureNot reported
pKaNot reported
LogP2.3 (predicted, XLogP3)
SolubilityNot reported
Refractive indexNot reported
Identifiers & Synonyms
CAS6740-82-5
CAS (enantiomer)
PubChem CID132989542
InChIKeyIDLSBAANXISGEI-UHFFFAOYSA-N
InChIInChI=1S/C14H19NO/c1-2-15-14(11-7-6-10-13(14)16)12-8-4-3-5-9-12/h3-5,8-9,15H,2,6-7,10-11H2,1H3
SMILESCCNC1(CCCCC1=O)C2=CC=CC=C2

Synonyms

  • 2'-Oxo-PCE
  • 2-Oxo-PCE
  • Eticyclidone
  • N-Ethyldeschloroketamine
Pharmacodynamics & Biochemistry

O-PCE (2'-oxo-PCE, eticyclidone, also called N-ethyldeschloroketamine) is an arylcyclohexylamine dissociative of the PCP/ketamine family. Structurally it is the N-ethyl analogue of deschloroketamine (and the ketone/2-oxo analogue of eticyclidine, PCE): in effect ketamine with the ethylamino group in place of methylamino and no ring chlorine. Like the rest of the class it is understood to act as an uncompetitive (channel-blocking) antagonist at the NMDA glutamate receptor, binding the PCP/MK-801 site inside the open channel to produce dissociative anaesthesia, analgesia and depersonalisation. Users report it as significantly more potent than ketamine (active in the low-milligram range) and longer-lasting, with a notably stimulating character early on that gives way to deeper dissociation. Its receptor pharmacology has not been directly quantified, there are no controlled human studies and no published binding constants specific to O-PCE, so the NMDA-antagonist mechanism is inferred from its close structural analogues rather than measured, and no receptor-binding table is given here.

Biological targets

  • NMDA
Pharmacokinetics
BioavailabilityNot reported
TmaxNot reported
Half-lifeNot established in humans (oral effects ≈3–6 h, after-effects up to ≈48 h)
VdNot reported
Protein bindingNot reported
MetabolismPresumed hepatic (not characterised)
ExcretionNot reported
Toxicology & Safety
Harm-reduction note: Toxicity and risk depend on dose, route, purity, combinations, setting, and individual health factors. Missing harms should never be interpreted as evidence of safety.

Not reported

O-PCE is a potent, long-lasting research-chemical dissociative with no human safety data. Its foremost practical hazard is potency: it is active in the single-milligram range, so it must be measured on an accurate milligram scale or as a volumetric solution: 'eyeballing' powder easily causes accidental overdose and a 'hole'/anaesthetised, vulnerable state (with vomiting and aspiration risk). It is strongly habit-forming and encourages compulsive redosing and multi-day bingeing, which brings insomnia, and, because it is stimulating, a raised risk of tachycardia, hypertension, anxiety, mania and psychosis, especially at high doses, on consecutive days, or combined with stimulants. Like ketamine, repeated heavy use is expected to damage the bladder and urinary tract. Physical safety while dissociated is a real risk (falls, injury, dangerous situations). Combining it with alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids adds sedation and airway risk. It should not be used alone.[3][2]

Legal Status
Legal note: Legal status can change over time and may vary by country, region, formulation, analogue status, prescription context, and enforcement practice. Always confirm with current official sources before relying on this section.
Interactions & Contraindications

Drug interactions

Stimulants (amphetamines, cocaine) Additive cardiovascular strain and a markedly higher risk of mania and psychosis.[3]
Alcohol, Benzodiazepines, Opioids Additive sedation and airway or aspiration risk while dissociated.[3]
Other dissociatives (NMDA antagonists) Additive, unpredictable dissociation and amnesia.[3]
Other serotonergic drugs Stimulating serotonergic drugs carry a theoretical additive risk given its stimulating character.[3]

Contraindications

Cardiovascular disease, hypertension or arrhythmia[3]
Personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder history of psychosis, mania or severe anxiety.[3]
Pre-existing bladder or urinary-tract disease, or drug-induced cystitis[3]
Pregnancy or breastfeeding[3]
Combining with alcohol or other CNS depressants concurrent stimulants or other depressants.[3]
Usage & Context
  • A recreational dissociative sold online as a 'research chemical'/designer drug since the mid-2010s, used for ketamine- or MXE-like dissociation, euphoria and psychonautic effects: taken orally or insufflated.
  • It has no accepted medical use and has not been studied in humans.
  • It is one of a wave of arylcyclohexylamine ketamine analogues (with 3-MeO-PCE, MXE, deschloroketamine and others) that appeared as legal-status ketamine substitutes and prompted generic controls.
Sources & Evidence

Further Information