Phenmetrazine is an amphetamine-like drug. It was previously sold under the tradename Preludin as an anorectic. Preludin has since been removed from the market. It was initially replaced by the weaker analogue Phendimetrazine (Bontril), but this is now only rarely prescribed, due to problems with abuse.

Other names that has been used for Phenmetrazine include: Defenmetrazin, Fenmetrazin, Oxazimedrine, Phenmetraline.

After an oral dose, about 70% of the drug is excreted from the body within 24 hours. About 19% of that is excreted as the unmetabolised drug and the rest as various metabolites.

It is by some considered to have a greater potential for addiction than the amphetamines, and has been abused in many countries, for example Sweden. When stimulant abuse first became prevalent in Sweden in the 1950s, phenmetrazine was preferred to methamphetamine by addicts, as it was considered the superior drug. Methamphetamine eventually became the dominant stimulant of abuse because of its easier availability once phenmetrazine had become illegal.

References

---

Clarke's Analysis of Drugs and Poisons, Anthony C Moffat, M David Osselton and Brian Widdop, (ISBN 0853694737)

Fenmetrazin