Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Xylazine.
ACS Chem Neurosci
; 15(11): 2091-2098, 2024 06 05.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38747710
ABSTRACT
Xylazine (also known as "tranq") is a potent nonopioid veterinary sedative that has recently experienced a surge in use as a drug adulterant, most often combined with illicitly manufactured fentanyl. This combination may heighten the risk of fatal overdose. Xylazine has no known antidote approved for use in humans, and age-adjusted overdose deaths involving xylazine were 35 times higher in 2021 than 2018. In April 2023, the Biden Administration declared xylazine-laced fentanyl an emerging drug threat in the United States. In 2022, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reported nearly a quarter of seized fentanyl powder contained xylazine. This dramatic increase in prevalence has solidified the status of xylazine as an emerging drug of abuse and an evolving threat to public health. The following narrative review outlines the synthesis, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and adverse effects of xylazine, as well as the role it may play in the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Xylazine
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
ACS Chem Neurosci
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Country of publication: