spec sheet10 rows
Ethylone is the beta-keto analog of MDEA and the N-ethyl homolog of methylone, sometimes designated bk-MDEA, belonging to the methylenedioxy-substituted synthetic cathinones. Unlike the more stimulant-leaning cathinones, in vitro work classifies it as a transporter substrate that is taken up preferentially by the serotonin transporter, where it evokes serotonin release, giving it an empathogenic profile more akin to MDMA than to cocaine-like reuptake blockers. In drug-discrimination studies it substitutes for MDMA in trained rats, supporting its characterization as an entactogen with generally milder and less euphoric effects. Circulating as a research chemical and as an MDMA substitute, ethylone has been detected in forensic and postmortem casework and has been associated with intoxications and occasional fatalities, typically in the context of polydrug use.
- MDMA-like warmth
- Sociability and mild euphoria
- Stimulation
- Serotonin-releasing entactogenic cathinone
- Overheating and dehydration risk
- Serotonin toxicity risk
- Redosing potential
Mechanism
Ethylone acts at the , , and transporters as a releaser and ; the larger N-ethyl group tends to lower potency relative to methylone, so effects are generally reported as weaker. Its methylenedioxy ring provides the entactogenic, empathic quality shared with the MDMA family.
receptor fingerprint
transporterReleaser
transporterReleaser
Releaser
Safetyrisks and cautions, not medical advice
Like other serotonin-releasing entactogens it can cause overheating, dehydration, jaw clenching, and serotonin toxicity, and it must not be combined with MAOIs or other serotonergic drugs. Higher doses to compensate for its mildness increase cardiovascular strain and the temptation to redose. Human safety data are limited. Not medical advice.
Subjective profileweighing the evidence above
Weaker than MDMA at the same job, and that is precisely the problem; the mildness invites redosing and larger amounts, which is where the overheating, dehydration and serotonin toxicity come from. Little reason to choose it over better-characterized entactogens, and never with MAOIs.
Resources
No suppliers are provided for compounds like this. This entry is here for reference.
Research
- 2013first citedPharmacological characterization of designer cathinones in vitro.
- 2020most recentMethylenedioxymethamphetamine-like discriminative stimulus effects of seven cathinones in rats.
- 1.Pharmacological characterization of designer cathinones in vitro.
- 2.Structure-Activity Relationships of Substituted Cathinones, with Transporter Binding, Uptake, and Release.
- 3.Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-like discriminative stimulus effects of seven cathinones in rats.
- 4.Structure-activity relationships of bath salt components: substituted cathinones and benzofurans at biogenic amine transporters.
- 5.Synthetic cathinones related fatalities: an update.
- 6.Determination of 30 Synthetic Cathinones in Postmortem Blood Using LC-MS-MS.
6 listed here; entry last updated August 2026
Reviews
My notesprivate to this device
FAQ
How does ethylone compare to methylone?
It is the N-ethyl version and is generally milder and less euphoric, since the larger group tends to reduce potency.
Is it an MDMA substitute?
It has been sold as one, but it is a distinct, weaker compound with its own risk profile.
What should it not be mixed with?
Because it releases serotonin, it should not be combined with MAOIs or other serotonergic drugs, which risks serotonin toxicity.
Limitations of the evidence
- Limited safety data
Adverse effects
- Overheating and dehydration risk
- Serotonin toxicity risk
- Redosing potential