[Unexpected Complications in the Withdrawal Treatment of the Research Chemical AH-7921]

Abstract

We describe the case of a young male patient who had consumed the morphine-like substance AH-7921 which is available via the internet. He was initially admitted to hospital because of obstipation and presented within a day of inpatient treatment for the first time with a generalized tonic-clonic epileptic seizure with subsequent urinary retention. Within a few hours, the patient then also developed bradycardia, while at the same time describing symptoms of physical opioid withdrawal which gradually deteriorated within the following hours. We initiated a treatment with buprenorphine which resulted in a considerable reduction of withdrawal symptoms, so the patient could be discharged from hospital.