A dangerous drug that is being mixed into fentanyl is causing those who inject it to develop a rash of sores that resembles a case of flesh-eating bacteria. People experiencing homelessness around Denver can sometimes be seen with these bloody, weeping wounds. I recently mentioned this phenomenon to a fentanyl user who told me about the xylazine connection.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, “Xylazine is a tranquilizer, pain reliever, and central nervous system depressant that is FDA-approved for use in veterinary medicine,” according to its website. “Xylazine is often mixed in with illicitly manufactured opioids, most frequently fentanyl, but it is not an opioid. Xylazine is also known as “tranq” or, when combined with fentanyl or other opioids, ‘tranq dope.’”
As for the wounds that come with xylazine, they “can include skin infections, wounds below the skin (abscesses) and open, weeping wounds (skin ulcers),” according to NIDA. The organization reports that wounds can heal if a person stops using xylazine and receives appropriate medical care. “However, early data indicates that healing is slower if a person continues to use,” according to NIDA. “These wounds can be painful, and severe wounds may require pain treatment and admission to a hospital. If untreated or undertreated, these infections can lead to amputation of the infected body part.”