Tranq (Xylazine) Reversal Agents Could Save Lives.

Plausible candidate drugs for the newest fatal street drugs epidemic

Say what you will about fentanyl—at least naloxone (Narcan) is an effective reversal agent. Just as the FDA moves to re-classify the intranasal version as an OTC drug, another threat to the lives of those struggling with addiction is here to frustrate our efforts.

Xylaxine was developed as a veterinary anesthetic agent. However, when combined with fentanyl or other opioids, it creates profound sedation and hemodynamic instability, and death. And this cocktail isn’t reversible by Naloxone—an opioid receptor antagonist—which means not only more deaths of our fellow humans. It means more death and trauma for First Responders and to Emergency Medicine nurses, and physicians.

Overdose deaths are not just an emotional burden on the loved ones who are survivors of those who die while in the thrall of addiction. It’s a problem for helpers too.

I’m a psychiatrist by training. This means I am a physician who’s done all the same medical training as Emergency Medicine and ICU docs for the fi…