The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will restrict the flow of “Tranq” into the country after it began flooding America’s illegal drug supply.
Xylazine, primarily used by veterinarians to sedate horses and cows, is now being mixed by dealers as a cheap drug with drugs such as fentanyl, cocaine and heroin to enhance its effects.
The FDA now allows imported products containing xylasin or its key ingredients to be detained by shipping authorities if they fear they are being used for illegal purposes.
Tranq has plagued the homeless populations of Philadelphia, San Francisco and Rhode Island in recent months and is starting to emerge elsewhere in the country.
The powerful sedative effects turn users into zombies and cause them to erupt in painful wounds as the drug destroys blood vessels, necessitating amputation in extreme cases.
There is growing concern that xylazine will spread in the US. A study of 60,000 adult drug tests published in December found xylazine was found in samples from states across the country. Experts say there is concern that it is spreading in the Midwest
“The FDA remains concerned about the increasing incidence of xylasin mixed with illegal drugs, and this action is part of the agency’s broader effort to address this issue,” said Dr. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in a press release.
Under new rules, transit officials can hold back xylasin shipments to America even without an investigation.
You may also stock products that contain xylasin as an ingredient and unfinished products that also use it.
Officials will then decide if they think it is safe for the shipment to be allowed into the country.
The drug, sold under the brand names Rompun and Anased, works by relaxing a person’s muscles and releasing hormones in the brain that help relieve pain.
The drug is approved for use in animals, but the Department of Justice warns that human use is illegal.
In the supply of drugs, it is often shortened with fentanyl and other drugs, reducing the number of injections an addict needs.
READ MORE: Philly becomes the zombie land of ‘Tranq’ users
A charity warns that the drug – a muscle relaxant intended for large animals such as horses – leaves users “unable to walk” and “gassy”.
The drug is not an opioid, but is often mixed with opioids such as fentanyl when used for potentiation.
Because of this, people who take it are more difficult to treat with naloxone, the drug that reverses an opioid overdose.
In many cases, users are “kicked out” for hours on end at street corners and bus stops.
When these people wake up, they find that the heroin high has worn off and they go looking for their next hit.
“We recognize the public health implications of xyxine for these illegal drugs and continue to ensure that the legal product is restricted to veterinary use,” said Dr. Tracey Forfa, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement.
The drug also causes threatening open sores on the body – often far from the injection site.
Nurses described them to STAT News as something that “eats your flesh inside out.”
Medical specialists are still unsure what causes the lesions in those who use the drug. One theory going around is that the drug causes severe inflammation in the body, making it harder for wounds to heal.
It can also damage blood vessels and weaken the immune system, making people more susceptible to infections.
Other effects of the drug include blurred vision, disorientation, drowsiness and nervousness. It can also lead to coma, breathing problems and high blood pressure.
Many patients are disfigured by the drug. In cases where the wound becomes infected and spreads to the bone, doctors may have no choice but to amputate a limb.
Health officials are warning of a horrific flesh-eating drug that is increasingly found in heroin, cocaine and other narcotics, leading to large numbers of drug overdoses across the country. Pictured: A homeless man was seen giving himself an injection on the streets of Kensington, Philadelphia
The drug prolongs the high of heroin, but causes users to pass out for hours while the injection sites curse and lead to terrible sores that spread all over the body. Photo: Homeless on the streets of Kensington, Philadelphia
The drug can also cause the “progressive and extensive” appearance of skin ulcers full of dead tissue.
Philadelphia is currently at the epicenter of the US drug crisis. The drug entered the city’s supply as a cheap and very powerful adulterant.
It also appears in the drug inventory of other East Coast states, including New York, Massachusetts and Maine.
And there are now fears it could reach the West Coast and Midwestern states.
Earlier this month, San Francisco reported four overdose deaths in which low levels of xylazine were found in the patients’ systems.
The city’s health department said it’s the “first time” they’ve seen evidence of the drug within city limits.
Scientists say it has been present in Puerto Rico’s drug supply for years.
A study published last December found that the drug had already reached 25 states out of 35 samples tested.
This includes many on the East Coast – New York, Massachusetts and Maine, among others – West Coast – California, Oregon and Washington – and increasingly in the South – Texas, Louisiana, Alabama – and in the Midwest.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
