The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is warning Michiganders about a new drug that has been linked to overdose deaths.
The drug is medetomidine, a veterinary tranquilizer that is similar to xylazine, also known as “tranq,” a powerful sedative used in veterinary medicine, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and is mixed with fentanyl in the illegal drug trade, according to law enforcement.
According to the agency, medetomidine “may cause side effects, including slowed heart rate, low blood pressure and reduced brain and spinal cord activity. It is not approved for use in humans.”
Toxicology tests have linked medetomidine to three overdose deaths in Michigan since March, according to data provided by the Swift Opioid-Related Mortality Toxicology Project at the Homer Stryker College of Medicine at Western Michigan University. The deaths occurred in Ingham, Berrien and Wayne counties. Fentanyl and other powerful synthetic drugs were also identified, authorities said.
“Medetomidine is considered to be more powerful than xylazine, and we want to ensure Michigan residents are aware of this new and dangerous drug that is being seen in overdose deaths,” Chief Medical Officer Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said in a statement. “While naloxone does not directly reverse the effects of medetomidine or xylazine, these tranquilizers are commonly used in combination with opioid medications such as fentanyl. can “This drug is irreversible, which is why we continue to urge individuals who use drugs and their family members to carry naloxone to prevent overdose.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said local organizations, health care providers and others are taking the following steps: raising awareness, providing rescue breathing in cases of respiratory depression, distributing fentanyl and xylazine test strips and naloxone, and reviewing the Substance Use Vulnerability Index on the MDHHS dashboard.
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