Dextrorphan
Internal
Analytical
Analytical Standards
Internal Standards
Information
Dextrorphan is a major, psychoactive metabolite of dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines and is abused for its hallucinogenic effects, similar in nature to ketamine and phencyclidine (PCP). While dextrorphan is not a recognized metabolite of any other drug, it is an enantiomer (or optical isomer) of levorphanol. Enantiomers are chemicals that share a formula and molecular mass but exist as structural mirror images of one another (left- or right-handed). Because of their similarities, LC-MS/MS confirmation may identify dextrorphan as levorphanol or vice versa, and so the presence of dextrorphan should be evaluated carefully alongside the patient’s history of dextromethorphan use