Xylazine

A medicine used to sedate animals is now being sold illegally as a thrill for humans. The effects can be deadly.

What is xylazine?

Xylazine is a medicine given to animals to sedate them for surgery or relieve pain. Xylazine, sometimes known as tranq, is not approved for human use. However, xylazine is now being used as a recreational drug.

Xylazine is often mixed with heroin, fentanyl and other opioids that are taken illegally. Mixing these drugs with xylazine can increase the effects some people feel when taking them.

Xylazine can be smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected. Most of the time, people aren't aware of its presence in other drugs. Xylazine test strips may detect xylazine in liquid or powder form. However, these test strips are often only available to medical professionals.

It also can be hard to tell when xylazine has been taken. Xylazine use may be suspected if the medicine naloxone doesn't relieve symptoms of opioid overdose. Testing by a laboratory may be needed to know for sure if xylazine has been taken.

Side effects of xylazine use

Xylazine is dangerous when taken by humans. It affects the central nervous system and can have side effects similar to side effects from opioid use. These side effects may include:

  • Drowsiness.
  • Low blood pressure.
  • Memory problems.
  • Open wounds on the skin that may become severe.
  • Slow breathing.
  • Slow heart rate.

Symptoms of xylazine withdrawal

Xylazine use by people is very recent, so there is little research into how to diagnose withdrawal. However, withdrawal from xylazine may be similar to withdrawal from opioids.

People who are withdrawing from xylazine may experience many symptoms, including:

  • Anxiety.
  • Body aches.
  • Cravings.
  • Fast heart rate.
  • Feeling sad.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Irritability.

If xylazine has been taken with opioids, it can make an opioid withdrawal worse after stopping use. Medicines may help treat the symptoms of withdrawal.

Xylazine overdose

When xylazine is mixed with opioids or alcohol, the risk of overdose is even higher. Overdose can slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and stop breathing. In severe cases, xylazine overdose can cause a coma or death.

Treating xylazine use

If you suspect someone has overdosed on xylazine, call emergency medical services right away. While there is no treatment for xylazine itself, other treatments may be used. Because xylazine is often combined with an opioid, a medicine used to treat opioid overdose, called naloxone, may be used. Medicines used to treat low blood pressure and low heart rate also may be used to treat the symptoms of xylazine use and withdrawal.

Feb. 14, 2024 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Medication-free hypertension control
  2. Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
  3. Alpha blockers
  4. Ambien: Is dependence a concern?
  5. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  6. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  7. Antidepressant withdrawal: Is there such a thing?
  8. Antidepressants and alcohol: What's the concern?
  9. Antidepressants and weight gain: What causes it?
  10. Antidepressants: Can they stop working?
  11. Antidepressants: Side effects
  12. Antidepressants: Selecting one that's right for you
  13. Antidepressants: Which cause the fewest sexual side effects?
  14. Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
  15. Atypical antidepressants
  16. Beta blockers
  17. Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?
  18. Beta blockers: How do they affect exercise?
  19. Blood pressure: Can it be higher in one arm?
  20. Blood pressure chart
  21. Blood pressure cuff: Does size matter?
  22. Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
  23. Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
  24. Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
  25. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
  26. Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
  27. Blood pressure tip: Get more potassium
  28. Caffeine and hypertension
  29. Calcium channel blockers
  30. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
  31. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  32. Central-acting agents
  33. Choosing blood pressure medicines
  34. Clinical depression: What does that mean?
  35. Cognitive behavioral therapy
  36. Coma
  37. Depression and anxiety: Can I have both?
  38. Depression, anxiety and exercise
  39. What is depression? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
  40. Depression in women: Understanding the gender gap
  41. Depression (major depressive disorder)
  42. Depression: Supporting a family member or friend
  43. Diuretics
  44. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
  45. Dizziness
  46. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
  47. High blood pressure and exercise
  48. Family therapy
  49. Free blood pressure machines: Are they accurate?
  50. Home blood pressure monitoring
  51. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  52. High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
  53. High blood pressure and sex
  54. High blood pressure dangers
  55. High-risk pregnancy
  56. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
  57. Hypertension FAQs
  58. Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
  59. Insomnia
  60. Insomnia: How do I stay asleep?
  61. Insomnia treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy instead of sleeping pills
  62. Intervention: Help a loved one overcome addiction
  63. Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
  64. Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick?
  65. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
  66. Low blood pressure (hypotension)
  67. Male depression: Understanding the issues
  68. MAOIs and diet: Is it necessary to restrict tyramine?
  69. Marijuana and depression
  70. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
  71. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  72. Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness
  73. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
  74. Nasal congestion
  75. Natural remedies for depression: Are they effective?
  76. Nervous breakdown: What does it mean?
  77. Opioid stewardship: What is it?
  78. Pain and depression: Is there a link?
  79. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  80. Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous?
  81. Prescription sleeping pills: What's right for you?
  82. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
  83. Red eye
  84. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
  85. Seizures
  86. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
  87. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
  88. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
  89. Stress and high blood pressure
  90. Tachycardia
  91. Teen drug abuse
  92. Treatment-resistant depression
  93. Tricyclic antidepressants
  94. Unexplained weight loss
  95. Valerian: A safe and effective herbal sleep aid?
  96. Vasodilators
  97. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  98. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  99. What is blood pressure?
  100. Vitamin B-12 and depression
  101. Can a lack of vitamin D cause high blood pressure?
  102. White coat hypertension
  103. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?