Clinical Quick Reference Monthly / July 2024 / The 411 On Xylazine
POWERFUL VETERINARY SEDATIVE A.K.A. "TRANQ"
A recent report from Millennium Health revealed that numerous urine specimens taken and analyzed at US drug treatment facilities in the last six months tested positive for xylazine. Additionally, studies indicated that between April 2023 and April 2024, Pennsylvania had a UDT positivity rate of 40%, New York had a rate of 37%, and Ohio had a rate of 35%.
What Is Xylazine?
Xylazine (pronounced zī-lə-ˌzēn) is a veterinary sedative. It has NOT been approved for human use.
Xylazine was developed in 1962 and discovered to be a strong central alpha2 adrenergic blocking agent. The medication induces drowsiness and numbness, decreases breathing rate, slows down heart rhythm, relaxes muscles, and enhances pain management.
This non-narcotic drug was synthesized by the Bayer Company (Farbenfabriken Bayer) in Germany and studied in human trials for use as an anti-hypertensive agent.
Other potential clinical uses that were researched included pain relief, sleep aid, and numbing agents. Nevertheless, these trials were halted because of its serious hypotension and depressant effects on the central nervous system (CNS).
Veterinary Use of Xylazine
Xylazine was subsequently developed for veterinary purposes, proposed as a sedative, antiemetic, analgesic, and muscle relaxant. Xylazine was initially used in animals during the late 1960s, and it is now authorized for veterinary use as a nonopioid sedative.
How Did Horse Tranquilizer Become A Street Drug?
The presence of xylazine in street drugs was first identified in Puerto Rico in the early 2000s thanks to the work of the DEA and laboratory testing.
As recent reports indicate, use of the drug has spread through the US. In the northeast, there has been a documented uptick, with the drug showing up more frequently in sampling.
In Philadelphia, xylazine goes by the nickname "tranq;” when mixed with common illegal opioids like heroin or fentanyl, it becomes known as "tranq dope."
Xylazine Threats
Xylazine can cause users to become overly drowsy while depressing their cardiac and respiratory function.
Side effects include:
shallow breathing,
low heart rate, and
hypotension.
The primary impact of xylazine is profound sedation, therefore the individual who has taken too much will probably not respond.
If xylazine is combined with fentanyl, indications may involve blue/grayish complexion and decreased respiration and heart rate. Opiate overdose reversal medication such as narcan will not reverse these effects. 911 should be called for additional medical treatment.
The drug has also been linked to necrotic skin ulcers. It is believed that the cause of the injury is directly associated with xyalzine’s ability to constrict blood vessels, leading to reduced skin blood flow.
Help Is Available
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish ) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
The service is confidential. They will not ask for personal information.
This referral service is free.
If a caller has no insurance or is underinsured, they may be referred to their state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, they can often refer a caller to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid.
