Veterinary tranquilizer medetomidine leaves patients severely sedated and harder to treat for withdrawal
A research report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine highlights the dangers of medetomidine, a veterinary sedative found in the illicit fentanyl supply. Patients exposed to the drug experience extreme sedation and unique withdrawal symptoms that standard opioid treatments fail to address.
Why it matters
The contamination of the illicit drug supply with veterinary tranquilizers poses a growing public health crisis that requires new clinical protocols.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A brief research report explored patient experiences with the clinical effects of medetomidine, a veterinary sedative that has increasingly contaminated the illicit fentanyl supply, and its impact on treatment outcomes. Interviews with people exposed to the drug suggest that medetomidine can create medical complications and withdrawal symptoms that differ from those associated with opioids, raising new concerns for clinicians and public health officials.
The report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
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