Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Levomethorphan
Introduction
Levomethorphan is the l-stereoisomer of methorphan. The effects of the two isomers are quite different. Dextromethorphan is an antitussive on low doses and a dissociative on much higher doses, whereas levomethorphan is an opioid analgesic. Levomethorphan has effects similar to levorphanol but is less potent as it must be demethylated to the active form by liver enzymes before becoming active.
Appearance in Fiction
In the Kay Scarpetta crime novel Body of Evidence, levomethorphan is used by a terminal cancer patient for relief of chronic pain. Eventually, she takes a fatal overdose (while Dr Scarpetta, coincidentally, is a guest in her house). Scarpetta, who is unfamiliar with this rarely-used drug, consults the decedent’s doctors at the Johns Hopkins University oncology clinic and learns that it is regularly used for a few long-term, trusted patients.