Sedative ‘dex’ is replacing ‘tranq’ in illegal drug supply and causing excruciating withdrawal
Medetomidine, or dex, is emerging as a dangerous xylazine replacement in illicit fentanyl, complicating overdose response and posing severe withdrawal risks.
The era of “tranq” may be ending.
But tranq, as the powerful veterinary tranquilizer xylazine is known in the illicit drug supply, is being replaced at least in part by a dangerous new sedative: medetomidine. In the past year, the anesthetic has become an increasingly common element in the drug supply, with cities and states including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and San Francisco reporting cases of medetomidine-involved overdoses.
