Zombie Drug Tranq Can Lead to Necrosis, Amputations and Death

Through the WithYou service he found he had Hepatitis C and was successfully treated. “But you never know that they’re real tablets unless they’re pharmaceutical – especially when they’re off the street.” She also said pathologists and coroners should request toxicology testing for xylazine in relevant cases to understand its true prevalence. Xylazine, a depressant, was discovered as an antihypertensive agent in 1962 by Farbenfabriken Bayer in Germany. The drug was used to sedate animals in the late 1960s and is still used in horse and cattle surgeries.

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Those who ingest tranq as part of a fentanyl dose often lapse into hourslong blackouts; by the time they rouse themselves, the effects of the high have worn off, and the desperation for a new dose begins. The CDC still recommends the use of narcan in suspected intoxications involving xylazine, because it’s so often combined with opioids like fentanyl and heroin. More alarmingly, my colleagues in the addiction field are reporting significant increases in overdose deaths involving fentanyl/xylazine, prompting the Office of National Drug Control Policy to declare xylazine an emerging threat. According to a May 2024 public alert, alpha2 adrenergic agents like medetomidine have also entered the recreational opioid drug supply as fentanyl or heroin adulterants. But the combination of xylazine with the opioid is even more potent than fentanyl alone.

Xylazine itself is a central nervous system sedative that causes drowsiness, amnesia, slow breathing, decreased heart rate, and decreased blood pressure. It is thought that when used in combination with opioids like fentanyl, it can elongate the effects of the high. Xylazine, also known as “tranq”, “tranq dope”, or the “zombie drug”, has seen increasing usage across major U.S. cities, notably San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. According to one study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology in June 2022, xylazine has been detected in drug supply across 36 states and the District of Columbia. Treatment of xylazine overdose primarily involves treating symptoms and maintaining respiratory function and blood pressure.

Zombie Drug Tranq Can Lead to Necrosis, Amputations and Death

Dr Copeland urged the government to famous fetal alcohol syndrome introduce “simple” measures to prevent an epidemic of xylazine, including testing strips and making healthcare providers aware of the signs of xylazine use. “Xylazine was designated an ’emerging threat’ to the United States and this public health threat is a growing concern for the UK.” “This is cause for alarm as a much wider population of people who use drugs beyond heroin users will be exposed to its harms. Xylazine has already been labelled an “emerging threat” in America – and now experts say the public health danger has spread to Britain.

In the hands of vets, xylazine is a commonly used tranquilliser, often mixed with ketamine to sedate animals, including horses, cattle, and cats. Sometimes naloxone or nalmefene isn’t given is mary jane a drug to fentanyl/xylazine patients because their symptoms are confusing or patients deny using opioids. Also, routine toxicological screening is not performed for xylazine, making intoxication with it difficult to detect and manage.

1. She also said pathologists and coroners should request toxicology testing for xylazine in relevant cases to understand its true prevalence.
2. In March, US Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public health alert noting that the drug had been detected in about 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pill seizures, CNN reported.
3. By 2021, more than a third of all overdose deaths in the city had xylazine detected in their toxicology tests, according to Jennifer Shinefield a field epidemiologist with the city.
4. Flakka is an addictive drug that people use to obtain a cheap, quick, and euphoric high.
5. “After repeated use fentanyl and xylazine people can experience withdrawal, which can be difficult to treat requiring close observation and slow tapering of supportive medications,” O’Neil and Kovach said.

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The doctors liquid marijuana alcohol drink treated the man’s wounds and by a six-month follow-up, they had healed well, according to the NEJM article. They also initiated buprenorphine therapy to treat the patient’s opioid-use disorder. Fentanyl is already a powerful drug with a high potential for overdose—which can be life-threatening.

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“But not only was it a fentanyl overdose, her skin was starting to rot — the muscles on her leg and her arm. So that’s a sure sign of xylazine.” Researchers highlighted how use of the drug has become a major concern in the US and this “public health threat has now expanded to the United Kingdom”. John, who had a stroke and spent time in intensive care after taking the tablets, said there was no way of knowing what was actually in street drugs. Gareth Balmer, project manager at the support service WithYou in Fife, told BBC Scotland News he was seeing increasing levels of adulteration in drugs, including heroin and street benzodiazepines. In May, its Radar report said xylazine had been detected in five deaths at the end of last year.

The fear now, given the ever-growing supply of xylazine-adulterated fentanyl, is that it will infiltrate other sectors of society. The Biden administration has also announced plans to disrupt the supply of both fentanyl and xylazine into the country. The precursor products come from China and are mostly converted to tablet or powder form by cartels in Mexico as Sky News exposed earlier this year. “We need more help with prevention, harm reduction, rehab and recovery houses – these should be the absolute solution now!” she said. When the wounds caused by the xylazine get to a certain stage, the user may either admit themselves to the hospital or be taken to hospital. But their urge for another ‘hit’ will often be greater than the recognition that the wounds need to be treated.

Now researchers, counselors, and public health officials are pushing for broad-based approaches to deal with the fallout and prevent tranq’s further spread. “We think that xylazine causes injury to blood vessels in the skin leading to the death of skin tissue and the development of slow-healing or non-healing wounds,” the authors said. The study, published in the journal Addiction, warned about side effects including airway compromise and skin ulcers – or “tissue necrosis” – which can lead to limb amputation. New drugs including tranq and synthetic opioids called nitazines have added to concerns. “We also know that most people who buy heroin will not intend to buy xylazine and this combination increases the risk of overdose.