As if opiates, and fentanyl specifically, weren’t enough to battle, the addition of Xylazine to other street drugs is increasing the risk of using these drugs. Xylazine is a sedative used in veterinary medicine.
It currently has no approved uses for humans because of its adverse effects of necrotic skin ulcers if injected, sedation, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, slowed heart rate, and coma. Overdoses on opiates that are mixed with Xylazine may not respond to Narcan administration, which complicates resuscitation efforts in those cases.
With this latest emergence and increasing prevalence of a highly dangerous synthetic drug, it is vital that steps are taken to curtail its availability, as well as to help those who have been exposed to it already.
The recommendation for treating opioid overdose has always been Narcan. While Narcan can and does save lives, xylazine is not an opioid and does not respond to Narcan administration. For that reason, if a person overdoses on a combination of an opioid and xylazine, rescue breathing and CPR may be needed until professional help can arrive.
If you have a person in your family or a friend who uses opioids, they need to be aware that they may be getting a mixture that is potentially even more fatal and can’t be handled with Narcan alone in the case of an overdose.
It is important that family members and friends are prepared to assist with rescue breathing and/or CPR. Taking a First Aid/CPR course is a step that may save the life of a loved one or friend.
Not taking drugs is the best way to eliminate the possibility of a fatal mistake. The way to make that happen is for the person using opioids to get help with their addiction.
This is the most important step that can be taken to save a drug user’s life. If you or a loved one suffers from addiction, contact Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933.
Briana Gleason Canadian, Oklahoma
