Flesh-eating-zombie Drug Xylazine can Break Down Your Skin

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Highlights:

• Xylazine is a non-opioid veterinary sedative that has not been licensed for human usage
• It has been connected to an increase in overdose deaths across the country due to the expanding drug addiction and overdose problems
• Xylazine, popularly known as the "zombie drug," can cause the patient's skin to deteriorate

The devastation caused by xylazine, also known as "tranq," is wreaking havoc in major US cities. The "zombie drug" can actually induce skin deterioration in the user.

Physicians are baffled by this new street drug being marketed in Philadelphia, the epicentre of America's opioid crisis. Public health professionals are concerned about its spread and horrified by the horrible effects it causes on the bodies of its users.

What is Xylazine?

Xylazine (Tranq) is a pharmacological medication used in animals such as horses, cattle, and other non-human mammals for sedation, anesthesia, muscle relaxation, and analgesia. Xylazine is also used as an emetic by veterinarians, particularly in cats. It is a clonidine analogue as well as an agonist at two types of adrenergic receptors.

‘Xylazine, also known as the "zombie drug," can cause the user's skin to deteriorate’

Tranq is a combination of Fentanyl, an opiate that has destroyed America's youth, and xylazine. On the street, it can be acquired for a few dollars per bag. The use of fentanyl lengthens the "hit," as dealers are well aware.

Xylazine's Effect on Human Body

Central nervous system and respiratory depression, hypotension, bradycardia, hypothermia, miosis, and elevated blood glucose levels are all signs and symptoms of acute xylazine toxicity.

Its toxidrome may resemble that of opioids, making it difficult to distinguish between opioid toxicity and xylazine toxicity. It should be noted that naloxone is not known to be useful in reversing xylazine overdoses because xylazine is not an opioid (1^✔).

Frequent exposure might lead to dependence and withdrawal. When regular doses of the substance are reduced or terminated, withdrawal symptoms such as agitation or extreme anxiety may develop, and such symptoms may impede patients' efforts to receive adequate treatment for concurrent OUD (Opioid use disorder) and perpetuate an individual's dependence on illicit drugs.

Repeated injections of xylazine have been linked to serious, long-term side effects.

necrotic skin ulcers that differ from other soft-tissue infections (e.g., cellulitis, abscesses) and are frequently associated with injection drug use. These ulcerations may appear in places other than the injection site.

Why is the FDA Talking about Xylazine?

The FDA has issued a warning concerning the dangers of xylazine exposure in humans. It is because:

• Naloxone is not yet known to reverse xylazine.
• Routine toxicological screenings do not identify xylazine. As a result, xylazine should be regarded as a possible adulterant in opioid overdoses, especially when additional indications or symptoms of xylazine exposure are present.
• Frequent xylazine exposure might result in severe, necrotic skin ulcers.
• People who are repeatedly exposed to xylazine may become dependent on it.
• Severe withdrawal symptoms may occur.
• The chemical not only puts users in a semi-conscious state, but it also causes skin degradation. If left untreated, eschar, a scaly coating of dead tissue generated by open wounds, may need amputation.
• Sedative xylazine is generally used on cows and horses. When exposed repeatedly, it can cause sedative-like effects such as extreme sleepiness and respiratory depression, as well as open sores that can quickly become severe. If neglected, crusty ulcerations that develop into dead skin called eschar may necessitate amputation.

What does having the Side Effects feel like?

"Tranq essentially zombifies people's bodies. I had no wounds until nine months ago. "There are now holes in my legs and feet," said Sam, a 28-year-old male.

Because it acts as a tranquilizer, xylazine fully knocks people out at higher doses. In contrast to the semi-awake euphoria of opioids, fentanyl mixed with xylazine may lead users to pass out and reawaken many hours later. Someone who uses drugs in this manner is far more likely to suffer harm, such as sexual assault or being hit by a car.

Because "tranq" is not classified as a prohibited substance for either humans or animals, hospitals rarely test for it using standard toxicological tests, leaving it in a baffling and scary gray area.

The euphoric effects of substances are magnified when combined with xylazine, boosting the enjoyment of drug use. Pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors prefer synthetic medications. They enable increased market reach and revenues through innovative formulations and lower-cost methods of producing high-potency goods.

How can Healthcare Professionals Help?

When individuals who report an overdose do not respond to naloxone, health care providers should examine the possibility of xylazine exposure. In such cases, health care providers should give supportive treatment and consider screening for xylazine with appropriate assays.

Furthermore, physicians who treat patients with severe, necrotic skin ulcers should consider repeated xylazine exposure as part of the differential diagnosis. Finally, health care providers who care for individuals with OUD should keep an eye out for withdrawal symptoms that aren't alleviated by typical OUD therapies, as this could suggest xylazine withdrawal.

Reference:

1. Xylazine poisoning: a systematic review - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35442125/)

Source: Medindia

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