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MCPP Facts

Stimulant; Piperazine; Serotonin 2C receptor agonist

Description

mCPP (meta-chlorophenylpiperazine) is a synthetic compound of the piperazine class.[1] It amplifies serotonin activity in the brain, producing its characteristic anxiety and tension.[2]

Subjective effects include anxiety, dysphoria, depersonalization, agitation, stimulation, and appetite suppression.[3] The experience is predominantly aversive — mounting tension and unease with almost no euphoria, making it qualitatively opposite to MDMA despite both acting through serotonin.

mCPP has low dependence potential and is not neurotoxic,[2] but one fatality is documented in a person with asthma who died after a single exposure.[4] The primary risk is unpredictability — identical doses produce blood levels up to eight times higher in some people than others due to genetic differences in how the liver processes the drug.[5]

Dose and durationby route · individual sensitivity varies

Oral(mg)
Threshold< 15 mgLight20 – 50 mgCommon50 – 120 mgStrong120 – 150 mgHeavy150+ mg

Starts in 20 – 60 minLasts 6 – 12 hours

Body and dependence

Acute toxicity
Moderate
Chronic toxicity
Low
Physical dependence
None
Psychological dependence
Negligible
Withdrawal
None recorded
Compulsive redosing
Negligible

Tolerance

Builds
Moderate
Fully resets after
21 days
Carries over to
MDMA; other 5-HT2C agonists

Effectslikely at a common dose

Body
Headache; +16 possible, including Nausea, Temperature dysregulation, Abnormal heartbeat
Thinking
none likely · 5 possible, including Cognitive dysphoria, Thought loops, Cognitive impairment
Feeling
Dysphoria; Anxiety; +4 possible, including Depression, Paranoia, Emotional lability
Self
none likely · 1 possible

Who shouldn't take it

Absolute
Asthma / reactive airways disease; Concurrent MAOI use
Relative
Pre-existing cardiovascular conditions; Anxiety disorders; Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Borderline personality disorder; Psychotic spectrum disorders; Concurrent SSRI/SNRI use; Concurrent tramadol use; Concurrent triptan use; Concurrent trazodone/nefazodone use; CYP2D6 poor metabolizer status

Combinations62 recorded

Lethal (2)
Cocaine; Tramadol
Dangerous (35)
Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates; Clonidine, Guanfacine; GHB, GBL; MAOIs; NRIs; Opioids; SNRIs; Stimulants; 5-HTP, Tryptophan; Amphetamines; Anticholinergics; Antihistamines; Antipsychotics; Atypical antipsychotics; Buspirone; Caffeine; Dopamine agonists; DXM; Ephedrine, Pseudoephedrine; Gabapentin, Pregabalin; GHB, Baclofen; Ibogaine; Ketamine, DXM, PCP; Lithium; and 11 more, see full page
Caution (22)
See full page: psychedex.org/substances/mcpp
Not graded (3)
Not listed never means safe.

Seek help immediately if

  • Chest pain; racing, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
  • Very high body temperature; heavy sweating; hot, flushed skin
  • Severe agitation, paranoia, panic, or confusion
  • Severe headache; muscle rigidity or twitching
  • Seizures
  • Signs of stroke — face drooping, one-sided weakness, slurred speech
  • Difficulty breathing; collapse or unconsciousness

What to do

  1. Call emergency services for chest pain, overheating, seizure, or unresponsiveness
  2. Move them to a cool, quiet place and reduce stimulation
  3. Cool the body — remove excess clothing, apply cool damp cloths, fan them
  4. Keep them calm; reassure — panic worsens the cardiovascular strain
  5. If seizing, protect from injury (don't restrain); recovery position afterward
  6. Monitor breathing and be ready to give rescue breaths / CPR

Most stimulant overdoses settle with cooling, a calm environment, and time. The medical danger is hyperthermia, cardiac events (arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke), and seizures — get help immediately if any appear.

988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineFireside Project: 62-FIRESIDE

Version r1 · Not medical advice

References

  1. [1]
    ^Costa Alegre MD, Barbosa DJ, Dinis-Oliveira RJ (2025) Metabolism of m-CPP, trazodone, nefazodone, and etoperidone: clinical and forensic aspects — Drug metabolism reviews doi:10.1080/03602532.2025.2465482
  2. [2]
    ^abBaumann MH, Bulling S, Benaderet TS, Saha K, Ayestas MA, Partilla JS, Ali SF, Stockner T, Rothman RB, Sandtner W, Sitte HH (2014) Evidence for a role of transporter-mediated currents in the depletion of brain serotonin induced by serotonin transporter substrates — Neuropsychopharmacology doi:10.1038/npp.2013.331
  3. [3]
    ^Lecompte Y, Evrard I, Arditti J (2006) Metachlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP): a new designer drug — Therapie PMID:17348609
  4. [4]
    ^Gaillard YP, Cuquel AC, Boucher A, Romeuf L, Bevalot F, Prevosto JM, Menard JM (2013) A fatality following ingestion of the designer drug meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) in an asthmatic--HPLC-MS/MS detection in biofluids and hair — Journal of forensic sciences doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02254.x
  5. [5]
    ^Feuchtl A, Bagli M, Stephan R, Frahnert C, Kölsch H, Kühn KU, Rao ML (2004) Pharmacokinetics of m-chlorophenylpiperazine after intravenous and oral administration in healthy male volunteers: implication for the pharmacodynamic profile — Pharmacopsychiatry PMID:15467976
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