NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's an animal tranquilizer now being found in illicit drugs.
"Xylazine is a veterinary sedative or a veterinary tranquilizer," Dr. Josh Schrecker, senior director of clinical affairs at Aegis Sciences Corporation.
Known as 'tranq', the drug is being detected in opioid supplies like fentanyl across the country. According to a White House press release, xylazine-positive overdose deaths increased by 1,127% in the South, 750% in the west, more than 500% in the Midwest, and more than 100% in the northeast between 2020 and 2021.
"So if you get a certain amount of a prescription opioid or an illicit opioid, adding an adulterant to that drug may allow you to expand your supply while also retaining some of the effects that an end user may be wanting when they're buying that drug," said Schrecker.
But unlike opioids, Xylazine can't be reversed by Naloxone.
"It acts on a totally different receptor site than a prescription or an illicit opioid," said Schrecker.
Aegis began expanding testing for drugs like xylazine about a year ago. Since then, positivity rates have increased — so has demand for testing.
"So providers are utilizing our test results to understand what sort of exposure or use has occurred in that individual to better make decisions going forward as to how to appropriately treat that person," Schrecker said.
As one of the only labs that offers this kind of testing, Aegis tests about 4,000 samples a month that are shipped throughout the country.
But as with most trends, Schrecker said the drug supply may change.
"So in six months, eight months, 12 months we're likely going to be dealing with a different drug that has different effects. We need to be prepared for that."
Despite modest numbers in Nashville, deadly overdoses connected to 'tranq' are on the rise. In 2019, xylazine was detected in six fatal overdoses. By 2022, the drug was detected in 40 deadly overdoses.
