The BC Centre for Disease Control issued a provincewide alert for opioids (down) as the number of overdoses in B.C. are rising and the sedative medetomidine is believed to be the cause.
“Medetomidine can cause harmful effects and make an overdose worse by: lowering the heart rate, causing, prolonged sedation (not waking up for a long time) and changing blood pressure,” noted the BCCDC alert. The sedative can also cause “serious withdrawal symptoms,” which include severe vomiting, racing heart rate, chest pain, severe headache and confusion.
The sedative is approved for use in Canada in veterinary medicine and is “200 times stronger than xylazine.”
“It’s nearly always detected in samples with fentanyl and other opioids, xylazine, or benzodiazepines.
“It’s commonly found in drugs bought or sold as fentanyl or ‘down’,” noted a Toward the Heart fact sheet about the sedative.
The warning also listed tips for safe drug use, as well as links to local harm reduction services and how to get your drugs checked.
“Naloxone doesn’t work on medetomidine, but still give naloxone for an opioid overdose – it’s safe and helps the person start breathing again,” noted the alert.
The BCCDC issued the alert on Monday (Jan. 27). It was posted online and sent via text using the Toxic Drug and Health Alerts System, which is managed by BC Centre for Disease Control.
Text notifications are sent to subscribers who want timely information about illicit substances and increases in toxic drug poisonings in their region, the health authority says. To subscribe, text JOIN to 253787 (ALERTS).