Powerful animal sedative likely causes overdose spike in Chicago

A powerful animal tranquilizer is likely to blame for an increase in drug overdoses in Chicago this month, health officials warned Monday.

The overdoses occurred between May 11 and 14 and drug samples from these cases tested positive for high levels of medetomidine. This powerful veterinary tranquilizer is not approved for human use.

Chicago health officials said medetomidine has never been detected in Chicago.

Sedatives for animals combined with other drugs

The drugs tested in Chicago also contained other opioid and non-opioid sedatives, including fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, alprazolam and surfers, officials said.

Medetomidine can cause respiratory depression, which may be worse when taken with other sedatives.

Because medetomidine is not an opioid, naloxone will not reverse its effects. Health experts said naloxone should always be used because fentanyl typically combines with other substances.

The drug first appeared in the U.S. illegal drug supply in Philadelphia in April and in Pittsburgh earlier this month, according to the Center for Forensic Science, Research & Education. The drug surfaced in Toronto in December 2023.

Overdose Symptoms

People who overdosed experienced symptoms such as low heart rate and low blood pressure, in addition to symptoms of an opioid overdose such as weak breathing and small pupils,” the city said in a statement. health bulletin published Monday.

In March 2023, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a warning nationally for xylazine, another animal sedative found in recent samples. Like medetomidine, xylazine is not approved for humans and has no known antidote.

CBS 2 Investigators learned it has been present in Cook County autopsies for years.

CBS 2 looked at data from the Cook County medical examiner’s office that showed an increase in xylazine-related deaths.

In 2022, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office recorded 158 opioid-related deaths, with xylazine listed as the leading cause of death. This is an increase from 110 cases in 2021 and 30 cases in 2020.

For users who survive, it can also cause human skin to rot.