Whatcom County warns of fentanyl additive that Narcan can’t reverse

Whatcom County has found evidence of a new substance, medetomidine, that has sometimes been mixed with fentanyl in Washington, leading to overdoses or serious withdrawals.

Officials don’t know if the new drug is in Whatcom County yet, but they do believe it has the potential to enter the local illegal drug supply soon, Whatcom County announced.

“Even if medetomidine is not here right now, the illegal drug supply remains extremely dangerous,” said Dr. Meg Lelonek, Whatcom County Co-Health Officer. “Illegal drugs lack any form of quality control and frequently have harmful ingredients added as filler.”

Samples have already tested positive for the drug in Washington. It has no distinctive smell, color, or taste and can only be detected by test strips or lab analysis.

Narcan can’t be used to dispel the effects of the drug, but it is still recommended by officials to be used if someone has stopped breathing.

Medetomidine has been approved for use by veterinarians for animals, but is not prescribed for humans.

What is medetomidine, why is it dangerous?

Medetomidine is informally known as “rhino tranq,” “mede,” or “dex.” The drug can cause extreme sleepiness, slow heart rate, and low blood pressure. People can’t see, smell, or taste the drug.

Medetomidine is primarily found as an additive to fentanyl, and will make the drug a much stronger sedative than fentanyl alone.

Narcan should still be used if an individual stops breathing due to medetomidine in case there are any opioids in their system. If a drug has a mixture of fentanyl and medetomidine, the Narcan will work on the fentanyl part, but not the medetomidine part. Officials noted Narcan may help them start breathing, but they might not wake up right away.

How to stay safe if medetomidine enters local supply

If an individual is using illegal drugs, Whatcom County advises against doing them alone. If anything goes wrong, you need someone there to help or to call 911.

Officials strongly recommend carrying Narcan, even if you aren’t sure what is in a drug; it is the “best tool” to help a person start breathing again if they used an opioid like fentanyl.

Lab testing reveals medetomidine likely produced illegally

Medetomidine is a strong animal sedative, similar to Xylazine. The drug is 200x to 300x stronger than Xylazine.

Testing has shown that medetomidine in the illegal drug supply is likely produced illegally, rather than being sourced from hospitals or veterinary clinics.

“Because these drugs are made in illegal labs, there is no ‘quality control.’ One batch might be different from the next,” Whatcom County stated.

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