What You Need to Know
Aegis is pleased to offer industry-leading testing options to allow providers the opportunity to more completely understand an individual’s drug use pattern, and facilitate more informed care and harm reduction measures. New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are compounds designed to mimic common illicit or prescription drugs while evading regulation and routine testing methods. They are also known as “novel psychoactive substances,” “designer drugs,” or “research chemicals.”
- Xylazine is a tranquilizer frequently found as an adulterant in the illicit drug supply, which has CNS-depressant activity and is increasingly identified in overdose death cases.
- Medetomidine is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist that, similar to xylazine, is a potent sedative and analgesic primarily used in veterinary medicine, and it also possesses CNS-depressant activity.
Xylazine and Medetomidine Detections by Quarter
Xylazine and/or Medetomidine Detection by State
About Xylazine & Medetomidine
Xylazine
- Xylazine is a tranquilizer used in veterinary medicine as a sedative and muscle relaxant, but it is not approved for human use. Along with its central nervous system depressant activity, it can also cause hypotension. It is often identified as an adulterant in illicit fentanyl preparations. Because it is not an opioid, naloxone is not expected to reverse its effects. In fact, one study found naloxone present in 33.3% of overdose deaths where xylazine was detected.1
- Aside from overdose concerns, observational studies have described skin lesions which appear as diffuse abscesses or ulcerations in individuals who chronically use substances containing xylazine. While xylazine has not been definitively linked as the cause of these lesions, it does frequently occur and is a visible signal which can inform harm reduction measures.2
Medetomidine
- Also a veterinary tranquilizer, medetomidine is increasingly found as an adulterant in illicit opioids. Its potent sedative effects can exacerbate respiratory depression, bradycardia, and hypotension, complicating overdose management.3
- Medetomidine may produce longer-lasting sedation as it has approximately 200-fold higher potency than xylazine.3,4
- Reported adverse effects include sedation, hallucinations, muscle relaxation, hypotension, and bradycardia. Unlike opioids, medetomidine’s effects are not reversed by naloxone.5
