NEW YORK — Recent findings indicate a concerning trend in the U.S. illegal drug market as the animal sedative medetomidine becomes increasingly prevalent. This substance, typically employed for pet sedation and bearing resemblance to xylazine, was first identified in illicit opioid concoctions across North America during 2022. Forensic experts have discovered that medetomidine is being mixed with other illegal drugs, prominently with fentanyl, the potent synthetic opioid linked to the majority of overdose fatalities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shed light on this issue with three reports released recently, examining instances of medetomidine occurrences in urban centers such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.
Last May, health authorities in Chicago faced confusion over a spike in drug overdoses. Affected individuals had consumed fentanyl; however, the usual intervention, naloxone, proved ineffective. A detailed probe by the city’s health department unearthed 12 confirmed overdoses involving medetomidine — marking the highest number recorded thus far — along with over 160 probable or suspected cases, including a potential death.
Meanwhile, the reports also addressed medetomidine withdrawal symptoms amongst patients in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Testing conducted at the end of last year in Philadelphia revealed the presence of medetomidine in 72% of illegal opioid samples, surpassing xylazine and complicating the ongoing battle against the opioid epidemic. A peculiar form of fentanyl withdrawal was documented, affecting more than 160 individuals, which did not respond to conventional treatments effective against fentanyl and xylazine. However, an alternative medication, dexmedetomidine, successfully alleviated the symptoms, according to health officials.
In the same timeframe, Pittsburgh documented 10 cases mirroring this unusual withdrawal phenomenon.