Michigan Health Department Raises Concerns About Deadly New Drug Causing Overdose Deaths

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is warning residents in the state about a dangerous new drug called medetomidine, which has been linked to overdose deaths. Medetomidine is a veterinary tranquilizer that is similar to xylazine, a powerful sedative also used in veterinary medicine, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is often mixed with fentanyl in the illicit drug trade, according to law enforcement agencies.

Officials have stated that medetomidine can cause serious adverse effects such as slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, and decreases in brain and spinal cord activity. It is not approved for use in humans. In Michigan, three overdose deaths since March have been linked to medetomidine during toxicology testing, according to data provided by the Swift Toxicology of Opioid Related Mortalities project at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. These deaths occurred in Ingham, Berrien, and Wayne counties, with fentanyl and other potent manufactured drugs also being identified in the toxicology reports.

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the chief medical executive, emphasized the danger of medetomidine, stating that it is more potent than xylazine and should be taken seriously. She urged Michigan residents to be aware of this new drug and its risks, especially when combined with opioids like fentanyl. While naloxone may not directly reverse the effects of medetomidine or xylazine, it can still be effective in preventing overdose when combined with opioid drugs.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is advising local organizations, health care providers, and individuals to take steps to combat the dangers of medetomidine and other dangerous drugs. This includes raising awareness, providing rescue breaths in cases of respiratory depression, distributing fentanyl and xylazine test strips and naloxone, and reviewing the Substance Use Vulnerability Index on the MDHHS dashboard for further information.