Opioids like fentanyl and heroin are some of the most dangerous drugs on the street today. These are the drugs most commonly associated with the opioid crisis facing America in the 21st century. Recently, though, these already potent and highly addictive drugs have taken a more harrowing turn. Dealers across the country are now lacing opioids with tranq, a non-opioid drug normally used as an animal sedative. This poses many new health risks for users. As you consider what are the risks of tranq, it’s important to know that it is powerful and is resistant to overdose reversals, making tranq dope potentially even more lethal.
If you or a loved one is struggling with a tranq addiction, treatment programs at Evoke Wellness at Coconut Creek can be part of the solution. We help educate our clients on the dangers of these kinds of illicit drugs and help them on their path toward recovery. Contact us at 866.693.3871 today to learn more about our programs and services.
What Is Tranq?
Tranq dope—or simply, tranq—is the popular street name for fentanyl that is laced with xylazine. Xylazine is most commonly used as a tranquilizer to sedate large animals before surgery. It is also an analog of clonidine, a medication that reduces blood pressure. The drug is extremely potent, so much so that it has been banned for human use. Sadly, these bans don’t prevent nefarious people from using and distributing it to others without their knowledge.
What Are the Risks of Tranq?
Some people believe that tranq enhances and amplifies the effects of opioids, making the drugs stronger and more appealing to those looking for an intense high. The issues and complications of this are numerous, with addiction being more likely, withdrawals more severe, and then there’s the question, can tranq cause amputations? When looking at what are the risks of tranq, they go far beyond the standard side effects and dangers of street drugs like heroin and cocaine.
The Side Effects of Tranq
Taking tranq, knowing or involuntarily comes with a lot of risks. Many of the side effects of tranq include the following:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blurry vision and drowsiness
- Higher blood sugar levels
- Lack of coordination
- Slow breathing and heart rate
- Dangerously low blood pressure
- Coma
But that’s far from the worst of it. Because tranq includes a sedative, the chances of blacking out on the street or in other unsafe locations are heightened. This can lead to physical or sexual assault, theft, and other traumatic experiences for the affected individual. If you fear for a loved one who may be addicted, you may ask yourself, what are the risks of tranq? One of the biggest is that the drug is also known to cause severe wounds, lead to amputations, and make overdoses more fatal than ever before.
Can Tranq Cause Amputations?
Tranq is leading the charge to be the most harmful street drug on the market today. This is not only because of the rise in fatal overdoses, largely because the sedative blocks overdose reversal methods, but the wounds and amputations it causes. Regular users of tranq are reporting the emergence of severe wounds on their body and, in some cases, the need to amputate a limb.
Curiously, these wounds can appear anywhere, not only at the point of injection. This happens because tranq slows down blood flow in a person’s body, making it take longer to heal the wounds. Reduced blood flow can also increase a person’s chance of developing illnesses like sepsis and endocarditis. Often, a user will not seek medical attention for these tranq-induced wounds, leading them to get worse on their own or because, to avoid embarrassment, a person may try to drain their own wounds, thus compounding the problem. In some cases, tranq can cause amputations, making the rapid proliferation of tranq a hideous new reality for healthcare professionals and concerned family members alike.
Contact Evoke Wellness at Coconut Creek Today
With the risk of severe health consequences, wounds, amputations, overdose, and addiction, there is no time to waste to get the professional addiction treatment you need and deserve. Contact us today by using our secure online form or call us at 866.693.3871 to learn how Evoke Wellness at Coconut Creek can help break the cycle of tranq addiction.
