New toxic ingredient leaving users in severe cognitive distress, and causing wounds and necrotic skin lesions
A new and toxic ingredient in unregulated opioids in Sudbury is wreaking havoc within the vulnerable population, causing wounds and leaving users in an almost catatonic state.
Her suspicions are based on how people in recent months physically react to the drugs they are injecting, reactions she has never seen before in drug-users that have her concerned, said Ward. “We've seen community members who are seasoned drug users with very high tolerances who become very confused,” Ward said. “They’re not sure where they are, or what they are doing.”
Like opioids, these adulterants will lower blood pressure, heart rate and breathing, and mixing the two drugs can put additional strain on the central nervous system, further suppressing breathing and heart function. Unlike opioids, however, xylazine and similar medications are unresponsive to Naloxone, an overdose-response medication used for opioids.
Of the fentanyl samples she sent, 13 per cent were associated with an overdose. All of these samples contained fentanyl in combination with benzodiazepine-related drugs or xylazine and over half contained a high-potency nitazene opioid, which do respond to Naloxone and Narcan, but not as well as true opioids.
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