Estimates on how many fatalities are down to xylazine are not available because this data is not routinely collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the DEA has said that in 2022, approximately 23 percent of all fentanyl powder and seven percent of fentanyl pills contained the tranquilizer. ‘Individuals using Xylazine may black out or experience a loss of memory, placing them at a greater risk of sexual assault or robbery,’ Ms Aussem said.
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“It’s turned your average users into desperate, violent people who will do anything to get our next fix,” he says. Trevor Pearson has been addicted to opiates for 10 years, first heroin and now fentanyl. “Your chest seizes up. You literally have paralysis and what drug makes you bend over that’s obviously really dangerous, because if someone needs CPR, you can’t do it,” Hynes says.
Why Do Drug Users Seem to Lean But Never Fall? Discover the “Fentanyl Fold”
During that initial appearance of tranq on the streets in 2006, health authorities recorded only a handful of overdose deaths in which the drug was present. By 2021, more than a third of all overdose deaths in the city had xylazine detected in their toxicology tests, according to Jennifer Shinefield a field epidemiologist with the city. On its most basic level, tranq is the latest development in the evolution of street drug composition, in part because it’s so easy to get and it’s relatively inexpensive. People who use drugs sometimes don’t know it’s part of what they’re taking even after they have become addicted to it.
Routine toxicology screens do not detect the drug, and a CDC spokeswoman says there is no commercially available version of a less expensive test strip for it. Severe anxiety is another symptom experienced by people addicted to xylazine. It’s hard to treat this addiction because of the lack of a recognised treatment option, something that does exist for people embarking on the hard battle to escape heroin or fentanyl addiction.
- Align Recovery Centers offer comprehensive residential programs designed to support individuals through the early stages of recovery.
- Toxins leftover from the cooking process end up in the body and affect it negatively.
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- The sight of drug users hunched over in a lifeless state, seemingly unaware of what’s happening around them, has become increasingly common in recent years.
- If wounds are left untreated, it can lead to infection and further problems down the line.
As long as it is safe to do so contact emergency services or if you have “Narcan” or other opiate overdose preventatives be ready to administer if the person loses consciousness or stops breathing. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, meaning it is entirely laboratory-made, unlike plant-derived opioids such as morphine or heroin. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and approximately 50 times more potent than heroin 1. Developed initially for medical use, fentanyl is prescribed to manage severe pain, such as in cancer patients or post-surgical recovery, due to its ability to provide rapid and powerful analgesia 4. However, its extreme potency makes it highly effective even in minuscule doses—often measured in micrograms—compared to milligrams for other opioids. As tranq’s inclusion in street drugs spreads, states may spring into action on their own, especially in the absence of federal direction.
Understanding Fentanyl and Its Impact
Additionally, fentanyl can induce a condition known as “wooden chest syndrome,” a form of muscle rigidity that affects the chest and abdominal muscles 5. This rigidity, combined with severe sedation, makes it difficult for users to maintain an upright posture. As the body succumbs to the drug’s effects, users may slump forward or appear frozen in a trance-like state. This posture often signals dangerously slowed breathing and reduced consciousness, indicating a high risk of overdose. If you notice any wounds or skin changes, don’t wait to get them checked out.
This binding action creates a sense of euphoria and profound relaxation, but it also significantly depresses the central nervous system. According to the Texas Health and Human Services, just 2 milligrams can be enough to cause an overdose in some individuals. Moreover, fentanyl’s severe impact on respiratory function contributes to this behavior. The drug can cause significant respiratory depression, leading to dizziness and lightheadedness.
Opioid overdoses drug addiction treatment have claimed 38,514 lives in Canada in the past seven years, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Many others survive, like Lampkin, but are left with injuries or chronic health issues that then hinder their rehabilitation. The opioid crisis has claimed more than 13,000 lives in his province since 2016. That’s 10 per cent less than died in Sept. 2022, but still 5.8 drug deaths per day, with most deaths reported in Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria. While nodding off can mean simple drowsiness in casual conversation, the specific cycling pattern described here strongly suggests opioids. Medical conditions like narcolepsy can cause similar symptoms, but the rhythm of opioid nodding typically looks different.
“We use it basically to prevent the veterinarian from getting kicked in the head when they’re down there working on the cows … if we don’t have sedation, it’s going to be dangerous. An officer with the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association, Croushore says the companies made it known it’s not worth it for them to distribute xylazine in states that have unusual regulations. It comes amid a growing national push to clamp down on xylazine, which still isn’t a federally-controlled substance.
When a person nods off, they might lean forward, bend over, or slump as they lose the ability to maintain a proper posture. This is the story of many fentanyl users who become dependent on and develop a tolerance to opioids without realizing it until they are unable to get them. As they continue to seek a https://yesukrupa.org/list-directory-minnesota-association-of-sober/ solution for their pain, fentanyl often fills the gap as a cheaper, easier-to-obtain alternative, leading to a cycle of addiction that supersedes most everything else in their life. Researchers still don’t know if fentanyl causes long-term effects on the spine, however there are signs that it causes major systemic and circulation issues. As ABC 7 learned from researchers, the thinking is that the acidic nature of the drug leads to the collapsing of veins.
Fentanyl abuse isn’t the only opioid that can cause the awkward body reaction, Ciccarone said. Fortunately, carrying something like Narcan, which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, offers a way for average citizens to help save lives. Discover the shocking truth behind the ‘fentanyl fold’ and its implications on drug use. The research community has yet to determine if fentanyl impacts the person’s spine at all. But the effects of the opioid continue to linger on as the person continues with their daily life, in most cases awake but not able to stand up straight.
