Medetomidine Withdrawals Add A Scary Twist To The Opioid Epidemic
Like the title character of Stephen King’s IT, the opioid epidemic maintains its fearsome nature by constantly changing shape. First there was morphine, then heroin, then prescription opioid pills like oxycodone, and then fentanyl, an opioid so strong that a tiny dose can kill. While there are other opioids in existence that are stronger than fentanyl, fentanyl remains the cause of more overdose deaths than any other; it has held this status for many years. The scariest twists and turns in the opioid epidemic in recent years have not involved opioids. The availability of naloxone, which can reverse the effects of even the strongest opioids have turned opioid overdose into a survivable event in many cases. Rather, non-opioids mixed into the drug supply have been the most recent cause for alarm, since these do not respond to naloxone. Recently, a sedative known as medetomidine has been the cause of an increased number of emergency room visits, not only because of its short-term effects, but also because of its withdrawal syndrome. If you are facing criminal charges related to medetomidine, contact a Pittsburgh drug crime lawyer.
What Is So Scary About Medetomidine?
Medetomidine is not an opioid, and it is not especially new, even though it was first synthesized more recently than some of the drugs currently causing havoc in the illegal drug supply, so why all the alarm about medetomidine recently? Medetomidine, first synthesized in 2007 and approved for veterinary use, but never for medical use in humans, is a tranquilizer commonly used to sedate domestic animals for surgery. Today, it is the most common anesthesia drug for dogs and cats, more common than xylazine, which is still the sedative drug of choice for horses and large zoo animals. The danger to humans is that medetomidine and xylazine both are frequently mixed into powders sold as opioids on the street. The problem is that they do not respond to naloxone. Therefore, if bystanders call 911 about a person apparently suffering an opioid overdose and first responders administer naloxone, the person may not revive if the cause of the respiratory depression is a combination of opioids and medetomidine or xylazine.
In the News
The medetomidine withdrawal syndrome crisis has spread to Pittsburgh, even though Philadelphia continues to experience the greatest number of cases. Affected patients are those brought to the emergency room after overdosing on a combination of opioids and medetomidine and then being revived with naloxone; officials estimate that approximately two thirds of the doses of drug powder sold on the street as fentanyl also contain medetomidine. The patients described in recent news reports regain consciousness after receiving naloxone; this indicates that the doses of medetomidine they ingested were non-lethal. They exhibit agitation and loss of control of bodily functions beyond what patients normally experience during opioid withdrawal; many of them require additional sedation.
Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases
A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to medetomidine possession or distribution. Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.
Source:
cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-new-street-drug-medetomidine-withdrawals/
