Desomorphine

Dihydrodesoxymorphine

Krokodil, Krok, Crocodile, Croc, Permonid

Psychoactive Class

Chemical Class

Desomorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid of the morphinan class, first synthesized in the early 1930s and marketed by Roche under the trade name Permonid.¹² Characterized by a fast onset, short duration, and analgesic potency roughly ten times that of morphine,³ its significant dependence potential led to withdrawal from clinical use.¹ It is the psychoactive component of the crude street preparation known as krokodil,⁴⁵ notorious for causing severe tissue necrosis at injection sites due to toxic impurities.⁵

Dosage & Duration

Dosage

Threshold10 mg

Light10-15 mg

Moderate15-20 mg

Strong20-30 mg

Heavy30+ mg

Duration

Onset15-90 minutes

Total3-4 hours

Subjective Effects

The experience is broadly comparable to that of heroin or oxycodone, dominated by euphoria, sedation, and powerful pain relief. Owing to its structural differences from morphine, the onset is notably rapid and the duration of action considerably shorter, producing a fast-arriving but relatively brief opioid state. At equianalgesic doses, respiratory depression is more severe than that of morphine.

Physical

The body experience combines heavy sedation and analgesia with characteristic opioid side effects, including constipation, nausea and vomiting, itching, urinary retention, and suppression of the drive to breathe. Pupil constriction, skin flushing, and pins-and-needles sensations (paresthesia) commonly accompany the experience, and drops in blood pressure have been noted.

Skin flushing

Sedation

Uncomfortable

ConstipationItchiness

Cognitive

The headspace centers on opioid euphoria alongside a sedated, pain-free mental state. Decreased libido is also reported.

Decreased libido

Reagent Testing

Loading reagent data

Expected colorimetric results are being prepared.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Desomorphine acts as a potent agonist at the μ-opioid receptor, functionally mimicking the activity of endogenous endorphins. It is approximately 8 to 10 times more potent than morphine on a milligram-per-milligram basis via intravenous or intramuscular administration.³ The detailed pharmacological characterization of desomorphine remains incomplete.

Pharmacokinetics

Detailed pharmacokinetic data for desomorphine is limited.⁶ No specific information regarding metabolic enzymes, metabolic pathways, or bioavailability has been characterized in the available literature. Desomorphine has a pKa of 9.69 and exists in four isoforms (A, B, C, and D), with the C and D forms appearing to be the more commonly studied.

Metabolitesnone documented yet

Interactions

Dangerous

Highest risk

These combinations are considered extremely harmful and should always be avoided. Reactions to these drugs taken in combination are highly unpredictable and have a potential to cause death.

AlcoholBenzodiazepinesCocaineDXMGHB/GBLKetamineMXEPregabalinTramadol

Unsafe

Avoid

There is considerable risk of physical harm when taking these combinations, they should be avoided where possible.

Diphenhydramine

Caution

Use caution

These combinations are not usually physically harmful, but may produce undesirable effects, such as physical discomfort or overstimulation. Extreme use may cause physical health issues. Synergistic effects may be unpredictable. Care should be taken when choosing to use this combination.

AmphetaminesMAOIsMephedroneNitrous oxidePCP

TripSit

Tolerance

Full Tolerance

Prolonged repeated desomorphine use can produce tolerance to many effects. Tolerance does not rise at the same pace for every effect; euphoric effects tend to show the fastest tolerance, while other therapeutic effects may become tolerant more gradually.

Cross Tolerance

All other opioids

Baseline Reset

No specific timeline for tolerance returning to baseline is documented, though tolerance is known to diminish during periods of cessation; after a break, previously tolerated doses become significantly more dangerous, and it is safer to take only a fraction of one's usual dosage if relapsing.

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

Extremely High

Demonstrates significantly higher abuse potential than morphine in human use, with compulsive redosing patterns similar to heroin.⁷ The rapid onset produces an intense euphoric rush that reinforces addictive behavior. Animal studies showed limited addiction liability, but real-world use patterns indicate extremely high psychological addiction potential.

Physical

High

Physical dependence develops with repeated administration, requiring increasing doses to achieve desired effects. Withdrawal syndrome occurs upon cessation.² Animal studies in monkeys showed less severe tolerance and withdrawal compared to morphine, though human patterns indicate significant physical dependence typical of potent opioids.

Toxicity

Respiratory

Pure desomorphine produces more severe respiratory depression than morphine at equianalgesic doses, making this the primary mechanism of fatal overdose.²

Cardiovascular

Pure desomorphine can cause hypotension as a clinical side effect. Illicitly manufactured krokodil is associated with destruction of blood vessels, phlebitis, thrombosis, and endocarditis from injection of contaminated material.⁵⁴

Skin and Soft Tissue

Injecting contaminated krokodil can rapidly injure and destroy tissue in the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and bones, sometimes requiring limb amputation in long-term users; pure desomorphine does not cause these effects.⁵⁸

Musculoskeletal

Illicit krokodil use is associated with bone infection (osteomyelitis), cartilage damage, and muscle destruction; these effects stem from toxic synthesis contaminants rather than desomorphine itself.⁸

Hepatic

Liver damage has been reported in users of illicitly manufactured krokodil, attributed to toxic synthesis contaminants rather than desomorphine itself.⁸

Renal

Kidney damage has been reported in users of illicitly manufactured krokodil, attributed to toxic contaminants rather than desomorphine itself.⁸

Thyroid

Iodine used in illicit synthesis can cause thyroid damage in users of contaminated krokodil.⁸

Central Nervous System

Brain damage has been reported among users of illicitly manufactured krokodil, attributed to toxic contaminants; pure desomorphine causes sedation but no documented long-term neurotoxicity.⁸

Urinary

Urinary retention is a recognized side effect at clinical doses and was considered a significant adverse effect limiting therapeutic use.

Seizure Risk

Seizures are listed among serious medical complications but are not a primary concern or commonly reported adverse effect with desomorphine use.

History & Culture

Discovery and Early Development

Desomorphine was first discovered and patented in Germany in 1920 by researchers working for the pharmaceutical company Knoll, though this early work did not gain widespread recognition. The compound was independently synthesized in the United States in 1932 by chemist Lyndon Frederick Small, who…

Legality

International

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961

By Country

United StatesSchedule I

Controlled under the Controlled Substances Act (USC Title 21).¹⁴ Manufacturing, buying, possessing, or distributing desomorphine without a DEA license is prohibited. Classified as a depressant with high abuse potential and no accepted medical use.

RussiaSchedule I

Controlled as a Schedule I substance under Russian drug legislation.¹² Possession, production, and distribution are prohibited.

GermanyAnlage I BtMG

Listed in Anlage I of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (Narcotics Act).¹¹ Manufacturing, importing, possessing, selling, or transferring the substance without a license is illegal.

SwitzerlandVerzeichnis A

Specifically named as a controlled substance under Verzeichnis A of Swiss narcotics regulations.¹³ Unlike many other jurisdictions, medicinal use is permitted under appropriate authorization.

References

Source Pages

Citations

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Desomorphine

Dihydrodesoxymorphine

Krokodil, Krok, Crocodile, Croc, Permonid

Psychoactive Class

Opioid Sedative Depressant

Chemical Class

Morphinan