The Dangers of Tranq: Xylazine Wounds and Skin Infections

Is Tranq Dangerous?

The side effects of tranq should make you think twice about ever using this drug. Those exposed to Xylazine include people who inject drugs, making it all the more dangerous. Alongside Xylazine-induced skin wounds, Xylazine side effects include the following:

• Profound drowsiness
• Slowed or reduced breathing, which can be life-threatening.
• Low blood pressure, leading to dizziness or fainting.
• Slow heart rate, which can cause weakness, fatigue, or dizziness.
• Elevated blood sugar levels.
• Loss of muscle coordination
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dry mouth
• Difficulty urinating due to relaxation of the bladder muscles
• Xylazine wounds: Abscesses and ulcers that form at injection sites, especially with repeated use or poor injection practices.
• Withdrawal symptoms: Upon cessation after prolonged use, similar to opioids, though not as well studied in humans.

Xylazine-induced skin ulcers are a particularly distressing side effect. Also referred to as xylazine sores or xylazine ulcers, these are severe skin and soft tissue infections that can occur at the site of injection.

These sores are particularly associated with the subcutaneous or intramuscular injection of xylazine, especially when mixed with other substances like opioids. The development of xylazine wounds is a significant health concern for individuals using drugs contaminated with xylazine.

Perhaps the worst part of xylazine, however, is not the xylazine wounds, but the fact that people are often unaware they are taking it. Not only can that unexpectedly lead to xylazine sores, but it’s possible it makes fentanyl users more likely to increase their dosages. Researchers theorize this could be because xylazine competes for the same opioid receptors as the opioids themselves, incentivizing users to increase their dosages and thus making overdoses more likely. Not many drug users have test strips to ensure their drugs are not laced with other powerful opioids like fentanyl. Mixing fentanyl and xylazine is very dangerous and carries a high potential for drug overdose. Administering naloxone, also called Narcan, can help stop an overdose of opioids.

And because it’s often mixed with opioids, the tranq can not only remain undetected but be resistant to traditional medications used to treat opioid overdoses, like naloxone.

What Are Xylazine Wounds?

When someone is experiencing the emergence of xylazine sores, wound care becomes very important. Here are some key points regarding xylazine sores:

• Xylazine wounds can start as small areas of redness and swelling of soft tissue at the injection site and may progress to large ulcers or open wounds. The progression can be rapid, leading to extensive tissue damage.
• Xylazine wounds are highly susceptible to infection, including bacterial and fungal infections. In severe cases, the infections can spread to deeper tissues or become systemic, posing a serious health risk.
• Xylazine ulcers are notoriously difficult to heal. The drug’s effects on blood circulation and the immune response can impair the body’s ability to heal these wounds. This difficulty is compounded by the often-compromised health status of individuals using drugs intravenously.
• Treatment of xylazine sores involves comprehensive wound care, which may include cleaning, debridement (removal of dead or infected tissue), and antibiotics to address infection. With severe xylazine wounds, hospitalization, and surgical intervention may be necessary. Addressing the underlying substance use is also a critical component of treatment.
• The emergence of xylazine skin ulcers among individuals using illicit drugs has raised significant public health concerns. It indicates the spread of xylazine in the drug supply and highlights the complex health challenges faced by this population, including the risk of severe infections and the need for targeted healthcare services.
• Efforts to prevent the spread of xylazine wounds include public health initiatives aimed at increasing awareness among drug users about the risks of using drugs contaminated with xylazine, promoting harm reduction strategies, and improving access to healthcare and substance use treatment services.

The presence of xylazine in the illicit drug market and its association with severe health outcomes like xylazine wounds underline the importance of ongoing monitoring, research, and intervention efforts to address the health impacts of this and similar substances.