Synonyms: d-methorphan
dextromethorphan is an approved drug (FDA (no history prior to 1982))
Compound class:
Synthetic organic
Comment: Dextromethorphan is a morphinan class sedative. It is available over-the-counter (OTC) for use as an antitussive. At doses much higher than medically recommended, dextromethorphan is used recreationally for its dissociative anesthetic and euphoria producing effects.
![]() Ligand Activity Visualisation ChartsThese are box plot that provide a unique visualisation, summarising all the activity data for a ligand taken from ChEMBL and GtoPdb across multiple targets and species. Click on a plot to see the median, interquartile range, low and high data points. A value of zero indicates that no data are available. A separate chart is created for each target, and where possible the algorithm tries to merge ChEMBL and GtoPdb targets by matching them on name and UniProt accession, for each available species. However, please note that inconsistency in naming of targets may lead to data for the same target being reported across multiple charts. ✖![]() View more information in the IUPHAR Pharmacology Education Project: dextromethorphan |
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No information available. |
Summary of Clinical Use ![]() |
Used as an antitussive medication. |
Mechanism Of Action and Pharmacodynamic Effects ![]() |
The exact role of σ–receptors is difficult to establish as many σ–agonists also bind to other targets such as the κ-opioid receptor and the NMDA glutamate receptors. Despite being one of the most widely used antitussive agents dextromethorphan's precise mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. Dextromethorphan displays antagonist activity at the cationic NMDA receptor channel1 and agonist activity at σ receptors. Evidence from animal models suggests that the σ receptor is likely involved in the anttussive activity of this drug [3]. |