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Levamisole - A toxic cutting agent

Levamisole - A toxic cutting agent

26 Jul 2024 New Zealand

Drug checking services across the country have been seeing levamisole in a variety of presumed drug samples. Here is what you need to know.

Originally developed in the mid-1960’s, levamisole was intended to be used as an anti-worming drug for both veterinary, and human use. However, due to a number of side effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the substance for human consumption in 1999. In the mid 2000’s, levamisole began widely circulating in the USA as a cutting agent for cocaine.

What’s the harm?

According to a variety of studies, consuming levamisole can lead to harm. Common symptoms may include fevers or chills, fatigue, and joint stiffness. Consumption can also cause inflammation and clotting of small blood vessels in the body. This can result in painful purple skin lesions and necrosis (tissue death), especially of the ears and nose. Furthermore, consumption can cause problems with your bone marrow, such as agranulocytosis, a condition that supresses your immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight off even lower-level infections.

Harmful symptoms of levamisole use can appear days after consumption, making it difficult to pinpoint the potential cause without prior knowledge. Additionally, it is unknown why some people experience more harm related to the consumption of levamisole than others. Although the severity of harmful effects can vary widely, significant effects have been reported after a single exposure.

While only a few samples of levamisole have been detected in New Zealand, drug checking providers across the country have seen levamisole within samples presumed to be methamphetamine, cocaine, and ketamine. Given the high prevalence of levamisole in drug markets overseas, it is possible we will see levamisole appearing in a wide range of substances within New Zealand, which may lead to cases of harm.

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How you can stay safer

Get your drugs checked before you take them at a free drug checking clinic. KnowYourStuffNZ, the New Zealand Drug Foundation and the New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme run regular drug checking clinics across the country – these are free, legal, and confidential. Check the calendar here for upcoming clinics.
Use reagent tests if you can’t get to a drug checking clinic (these won’t tell you if your presumed substance is mixed with levamisole, but they will tell you if none of your presumed substance is present).
If you start to experience symptoms that may be related to levamisole consumption (especially purple/black skin changes), see your doctor, or call Healthline (0800 611 116). Be honest about your drug use, it will help doctors give you the best treatment.
If you, or someone you know, have experienced unexpected effects from any substance, please let us know through our ‘’report unusual effects" page – it can be done completely anonymously.