Used in veterinary medicine, xylazine causes many side effects: slowing of breathing, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, hallucinations, necroses… It is increasingly used together with opioids in the United States.
THE opioids have caused more than 500,000 deaths in the United States in recent years. In question, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, but also other substances. These are drugs that particularly affect young people and modest backgrounds because of their ease of access and their very high addictive potential.
A new drug worries theUnited States Medicines Agency. This is xylazine, nicknamed “tranq” or “zombie drug”. Coupled with opioids or alcohol, the health effects are particularly devastating.
This medicine is used in veterinary medicine as a pro-anaesthetic or sedative for horses, cats and dogs. It is absolutely not suitable for humans, because it blocks adrenergic receptors, responsible for regulating blood pressure and heart rate.
They are not the only ones risks of this drug. It can cause significant skin lesions, going as far as necrosis and possibly requiring amputation. In addition, the cases of reported overdoses are numerous. In 2020, 26% of overdoses in Pennsylvania were caused by this substance.
Its price is low and the ease of obtaining it comes from the fact that it is not intended for men. “We recognize the public health effects of xylazine contamination of these illicit drugs and we continue to ensure that the legitimate product is for veterinary use only,” said Tracey Forfa, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine. of the Food and Drug Administration.
The substance is dangerous when taken alone, and depending on the doses, and even more so when mixed with opioids or alcohol. Moreover, it happens that certain drugs such as fentanyl are cut with this substance without the consumer being informed.
When adverse effects are felt under this drug, no drug has yet managed to cancel its effects. Only naloxone is indicated in the event of an overdose.
