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Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctors sound alarm over frightening new zombie drug sweeping America that's killing hundreds
A dangerous animal tranquilizer that can kill humans has become the latest 'zombie' drug to run rampant in the US. Officials are warning that medetomidine, a powerful drug used for sedation and pain relief in dogs and cats, is being mixed with fentanyl and other opioids and sold in multiple states. The drug is not intended for human use and can cause changes to a person's mental state - making them extremely sedated or 'zombified.' It can also slow the heart rate to the point that the organ is unable to pump enough blood to the body, resulting in heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest or death. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office identified the first-ever case of medetomidine intake in the Pennsylvania drug supply in May 2024. By the end of the year, officials found 46 people who had died from fatal drug overdoses over the year had consumed medetomidine. And experts are warning it has now made its way into three-quarters of the illicit drug supply. Dr Michael Lynch, an emergency medicine doctor at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said: 'We know it's probably in about half to three-quarters of our drug supply. '[It can] depress your breathing a little bit, lowers your heart rate, and, to a lesser degree, can lower your blood pressure. And it can last for several hours where people are very, very sleepy. He told CBS: 'It is so different and so severe and progresses so rapidly and doesn't respond to the usual treatments that we use for withdrawal from different substances like alcohol or opioids or benzodiazepines.' Medetomidine was also detected in several seized drug samples across Maryland in July 2022, suggesting the drug is spreading. The recommended dose of medetomidine for dogs is 750 micrograms and less than 20 mg for cats given through an IV drip. Despite not being intended for use in humans, there is another form of medetomidine, sold under brand names Dexdor and Precedex, that is used for sedation and muscle relaxation in people. It remains unclear how much of medetomidine can be lethal to human life. Medetomidine is often cut with other drugs like fentanyl because when mixed with opioids and other substances, it greatly increases the sedative effects of each drug, which people may perceive as a better or stronger product. The sedative has most frequently been observed in samples containing fentanyl and xylazine, but the drug has also been identified together with heroin and cocaine, the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education said. In addition to dropping the heart rate dangerously low, it can cause serious effects such as hallucinations and last longer than other illicit substances it is mixed with. The drug, which is estimated to be 200 times more powerful than xylazine, also slows neurological functions in the body, resulting in confusion and lethargy, as well as symptoms of opioid overdose like shallow breathing and small pupils. Some medetomidine overdose symptoms include uncontrollable vomiting, excessive sweating, life-threatening levels of blood pressure, fluctuating mental state, tremors and a heart rate over 100 beats a minute. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has asked healthcare providers to use naloxone, usually used to treat opioids as treatment against medetomidine overdose - despite the latter drug not being an opioid. The medication works by attaching itself to medetomidine receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of it by neutralizing it. It can quickly restore normal breathing if it has slowed or stopped due to an overdose and help the body return to its a normal state. Dr Raagini Jawa, infectious disease and addiction medicine physician at UPMC told the Post Gazette: 'Naloxone is still the first-line agent for overdose reversal. 'We really need to educate people about rescue breathing and making sure we're protecting their airways and calling for help, so that if they need oxygen, emergency services can provide supplemental oxygen support for them.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users
Philadelphia's street opioid supply – or 'dope' market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have witnessed these shifts firsthand. New adulterants are frequently added to the mix. They bring additional and often uncertain risks for people who use drugs, and new challenges for the health care providers and systems who treat them. The latest adulterant to dominate the supply is medetomidine. Medetomidine, pronounced meh-deh-TOH-muh-deen, is a drug used in veterinary medicine for sedation, muscle relaxation and pain relief, often during surgery. It is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, which essentially means it works by slowing the release of adrenaline in the brain and body. In May 2024, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office began testing for medetomidine in people who died from fatal overdoses. By the end of the year, 46 of the deceased had tested positive for the substance, in addition to fentanyl and other known chemicals. In fact, medetomidine is quickly becoming more common in Philadelphia's street opioid supply than even xylazine, a non-FDA-approved sedative linked to skin ulceration, chronic wounds and amputation. Xylazine was first detected in Philadelphia street drugs in 2006 and became increasingly common starting in 2015. By early 2023, xylazine was detected in 98% of tested dope samples in the city. However, its presence is steadily dropping, according to local drug-checking program data. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health says medetomidine has emerged as a primary adulterant and is now twice as common as xylazine in drug-checked samples. Recent studies show even more unusual substances entering the street fentanyl supply, such as the industrial solvent BTMPS. At the same time, hospital and behavioral health providers are reporting more common presentations of severe withdrawal symptoms among people who use drugs in Philadelphia. While medetomidine's sedating effects are similar in mechanism to xylazine, it is upward of 10-20 times more potent. It suppresses brain signals in the central nervous system, leading to deep sedation. Since medetomidine is so powerful and does not act on opioid receptors, a person who overdoses on it often does not respond to the opioid-reversal drug naloxone, which goes by the brand name Narcan, in the manner we commonly expect from people who appear to have overdosed on opioids. When patients overdose on a combination of opioids and medetomidine, providing naloxone will help individuals start breathing again but does not reverse the sedation caused by the medetomidine. From our clinical experience, after patients start to breathe normally, providing additional doses of naloxone does not seem to help and even risks prompting opioid withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, medetomidine presents serious clinical challenges for health care workers treating patients in withdrawal. These patients often experience symptoms such as rapid heart rate, severe spikes in blood pressure, restlessness, disorientation and confusion, and severe vomiting. While many of these symptoms were similar, if less intense, for those withdrawing from opioids and xylazine, the number of patients we are seeing is unprecedented – as is the severity of their symptoms. While published data on humans' withdrawal from medetomidine is limited, clinicians are drawing comparisons to dexmedetomidine, a related drug used in humans that has shown similar features when withdrawn too quickly. Researchers and clinicians in Philadelphia's hospitals, including us at Thomas Jefferson University, are analyzing emerging clinical data. This data suggests that existing protocols that effectively controlled withdrawal symptoms in the era when xylazine was common are no longer adequate in the era of medetomidine. New protocols have been developed based on the guidance of local experts and are being tested. The rise in severe withdrawal symptoms has prompted expanded testing for adulterants such as medetomidine in Jefferson's emergency departments. Currently, drug testing involves two primary approaches. Qualitative analysis determines the presence or absence of substances. For example, fentanyl and xylazine test strips are commonly used by harm reduction groups and people who use drugs. Unfortunately, they can be unreliable and prone to user error, expiration, misinterpretation and false positives or negatives. This technology is also commonly used in urine drug-testing kits sold over the counter. Quantitative analysis, on the other hand, is a more sophisticated approach to drug testing. It uses complex technology such as liquid-phase chromatography and mass spectrometry to separate the individual components of a sample and determine their concentration. This form of testing is more expensive and requires specialized equipment and analysts to perform the tests and interpret the results. Hospitals in the city have begun selectively testing urine and blood samples from patients who present with suspected medetomidine exposure. The labs are looking for the presence of certain drugs and their related byproducts, and also trying to identify distinct concentrations that might be associated with overdose, intoxication and withdrawal. We believe Philadelphians should be aware of these recent changes in the street drug supply and how people in their communities may react to exposure to medetomidine. Naloxone is still recommended for a person showing signs of opioid overdose – such as excess sedation, shallow or absent breathing and small pupils. Narcan is freely available at pharmacies around the city. But if the patient starts breathing but does not immediately wake up, additional doses of naloxone should be avoided. As always, contact 911 for expert assistance and to get patients to an emergency department to complete their care. Patients who use large amounts of drugs may suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. Typical medications given to those in opioid withdrawal, such as buprenorphine or methadone, may not be sufficient to treat this constellation of symptoms. Even medications and regimens tailored for xylazine may not be effective. Patients with severe withdrawal symptoms need to be seen in the emergency department, given the risk of undertreating this emerging condition. Read more of our stories about Philadelphia. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Kory London, Thomas Jefferson University and Karen Alexander, Thomas Jefferson University Read more: Philly hospitals test new strategy for 'tranq dope' withdrawal – and it keeps patients from walking out before their treatment is done Philly's street fentanyl contains an industrial chemical called BTMPS that's an ingredient in plastic How opioid deaths tripled in Philly over a decade − and what may be behind a recent downturn Kory London receives funding from The Sheller Family Foundation. Karen Alexander receives funding from the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Blue city faces calls for corruption probe in teacher's 'suicide' by 20 stab wounds case
The former Pennsylvania state trooper and private investigator who spent more than a decade digging into the suspicious death of Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg wants President Donald Trump's Justice Department to launch a corruption probe into Philadelphia as he slammed Gov. Josh Shapiro over his involvement in the controversial case. The remarks come shortly after the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy finally abandoned his highly disputed finding that her death from 20 stab wounds was a suicide. Half of them came from behind, including one that experts say was likely inflicted after she was already dead. Dr. Marlon Osbourne, a former member of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office who has since moved to Florida, initially ruled her death a homicide but changed his finding to suicide days later, after a closed-door meeting with police, according to court records. Details about that meeting have never been made public, and the lawyer for Greenberg's parents said no record of who took part from the police department or what was discussed inside exists. That meeting alone is enough for a federal corruption probe, according to Tom Brennan, the family's private investigator for nearly a decade and a former Pennsylvania state trooper. Death Of Teacher With 20 Stab Wounds To Be Reexamined As Parents Settle With City Greenberg's parents have demanded a new investigation for years. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, citing a conflict of interest due to a past attorney-client relationship with the family, kicked the case up to the state attorney general's office headed by Shapiro at the time. Read On The Fox News App Nothing happened for years under Shapiro's office, according to Brennan. "I can't stand a lying politician," he told Fox News Digital. Teacher's Unlikely 'Suicide' Ruling Called Out As Web Sleuths Dig Into Surveillance Video Brennan spent 25 years with the state police, including eight as an undercover detective investigating white-collar crime in Philadelphia. "Don't tell me about corruption in Philadelphia," he said. "These people are foul. They are really foul." Watch 'Teacher Death Mystery' On Fox Nation As recently as last week, Shapiro said his office's investigation "pointed toward a suicide" in an interview with WHTM-TV. In July 2022, an independent journalist named Gavin Fish posted a YouTube video alleging that AG Shapiro had "a clear conflict of interest" in the case and that Greenberg's fiancé's family was among his campaign donors. The AG's recusal from the case was announced three days later. He denied having "an actual conflict" but acknowledging the "appearance" of one. On top of that, he had hired a former Philadelphia prosecutor who had overseen Greenberg's case in the city and assumed leadership of it in his office, Brennan said, another conflict when she was tasked with reviewing her own work. But the alleged motivation to do nothing with the case may have been as simple as winning votes, Brennan said. "Who needed the Philadelphia police and the Philadelphia vote in order to get into the governor's office? Attorney General Shapiro," Brennan said. "This guy puts politics above everything." Despite offering public sympathy to Greenberg's parents, Brennan said Shapiro has never had a conversation with them or their investigative team about the case. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X The case ultimately went to investigators from the Chester County District Attorney's Office, who spent two years reexamining it under Democratic DA Deb Ryan. They ultimately said they did not have enough evidence to bring criminal charges against anyone. Much of the physical evidence was destroyed by a crime scene cleanup crew before police arrived at the apartment with a search warrant. Digital evidence may have been tainted after it was removed from the crime scene by prominent Pennsylvania Judge James Schwartzman, the uncle of Greenberg's fiancé. "This guy's a judge and an attorney. He disciplines attorneys for doing things wrong," Brennan said. "What the hell was he thinking of?" Neither Goldberg nor Schwartzman have been accused of any wrongdoing, but multiple judges have slammed the handling of the crime scene and the forensic investigation as part of the parents' two lawsuits. Judge Tied To Ellen Greenberg's Fiancé Took Items From Her 'Suicide' Scene Before Police Search Greenberg died Jan. 26, 2011, after Goldberg called 911 and said he found her dead in the kitchen of their Philadelphia apartment during a snowstorm. There was a half-prepared fruit salad on the countertop above her, she had just sent out save-the-date notices for their expected wedding and friends and family said she had not seemed suicidal. Goldberg said he found her after returning from the gym in their building. However, according to Brennan, the first responders who arrived found him wearing different clothes than the athletic wear he had on in surveillance video downstairs. WATCH: Sam Goldberg, fiancé of Ellen Greenberg at the time, seen in 2011 surveillance footage Judge Dumbfounded By Error At Site Of 'Suicide' Where Teacher Was Found Stabbed 20 Times The 27-year-old teacher was covered in bruises at various stages of healing, and half of her 20 stab wounds had been inflicted from behind. There was evidence that at least one wound was inflicted after her death, the scene had been staged and that her body had been moved, according to Brennan. He said dried blood would not have dripped sideways across her face if she'd died in the position she was found. And an outside autopsy found signs of manual strangulation on top of the other injuries. "Reviewing the file and the crime scene photographs and the medical examiner's photographs, I don't know how you come to that conclusion [of suicide]," Guy D'Andrea, a former homicide prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, told Fox News Digital previously. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter Police have been heavily criticized for their handling of the crime scene, which was left unsecured and cleaned up by a crew called in by building management before they returned with a search warrant. After more than a decade of trauma for the parents and a pair of lawsuits, Dr. Osbourne finally walked back the controversial suicide finding in a letter to a Pennsylvania court last month. "It is my professional opinion Ellen's manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide," he wrote. "Since issuing the amended death certificate, I have become aware of additional information I did not have at the time of issuing the amended death certificate which may have impacted my opinion." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Days later, the City of Philadelphia settled a lawsuit with Greenberg's parents, Dr. Josh and Sandee Greenberg, that accused local officials and the medical examiner's office, including Osbourne, of participating in a "concealed conspiracy for the purpose of disguising Ellen's homicide as a suicide," according to legal documents. Brennan is calling for a federal probe into the investigation and city officials by President Donald Trump's new Justice Department. "You have people who are actually trying to hide a homicide," he told Fox News Digital. "Don't you think the federal government would be interested in the corruption? "I hope, and I pray that Trump appoints a Republican U.S. attorney in Philadelphia." Shapiro's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fox News' Mollie Markowitz contributed to this article source: Blue city faces calls for corruption probe in teacher's 'suicide' by 20 stab wounds case
Fox News
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Blue city faces calls for corruption probe in teacher's 'suicide' by 20 stab wounds case
The former Pennsylvania state trooper and private investigator who spent more than a decade digging into the suspicious death of Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg wants President Donald Trump's Justice Department to launch a corruption probe into Philadelphia as he slammed Gov. Josh Shapiro over his involvement in the controversial case. The remarks come shortly after the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy finally abandoned his highly disputed finding that her death from 20 stab wounds was a suicide. Half of them came from behind, including one that experts say was likely inflicted after she was already dead. Dr. Marlon Osbourne, a former member of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office who has since moved to Florida, initially ruled her death a homicide but changed his finding to suicide days later, after a closed-door meeting with police, according to court records. Details about that meeting have never been made public, and the lawyer for Greenberg's parents said no record of who took part from the police department or what was discussed inside exists. That meeting alone is enough for a federal corruption probe, according to Tom Brennan, the family's private investigator for nearly a decade and a former Pennsylvania state trooper. Greenberg's parents have demanded a new investigation for years. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, citing a conflict of interest due to a past attorney-client relationship with the family, kicked the case up to the state attorney general's office headed by Shapiro at the time. Nothing happened for years under Shapiro's office, according to Brennan. "I can't stand a lying politician," he told Fox News Digital. Brennan spent 25 years with the state police, including eight as an undercover detective investigating white-collar crime in Philadelphia. "Don't tell me about corruption in Philadelphia," he said. "These people are foul. They are really foul." As recently as last week, Shapiro said his office's investigation "pointed toward a suicide" in an interview with WHTM-TV. In July 2022, an independent journalist named Gavin Fish posted a YouTube video alleging that AG Shapiro had "a clear conflict of interest" in the case and that Greenberg's fiancé's family was among his campaign donors. The AG's recusal from the case was announced three days later. He denied having "an actual conflict" but acknowledging the "appearance" of one. On top of that, he had hired a former Philadelphia prosecutor who had overseen Greenberg's case in the city and assumed leadership of it in his office, Brennan said, another conflict when she was tasked with reviewing her own work. But the alleged motivation to do nothing with the case may have been as simple as winning votes, Brennan said. "Who needed the Philadelphia police and the Philadelphia vote in order to get into the governor's office? Attorney General Shapiro," Brennan said. "This guy puts politics above everything." Despite offering public sympathy to Greenberg's parents, Brennan said Shapiro has never had a conversation with them or their investigative team about the case. The case ultimately went to investigators from the Chester County District Attorney's Office, who spent two years reexamining it under Democratic DA Deb Ryan. They ultimately said they did not have enough evidence to bring criminal charges against anyone. Much of the physical evidence was destroyed by a crime scene cleanup crew before police arrived at the apartment with a search warrant. Digital evidence may have been tainted after it was removed from the crime scene by prominent Pennsylvania Judge James Schwartzman, the uncle of Greenberg's fiancé. "This guy's a judge and an attorney. He disciplines attorneys for doing things wrong," Brennan said. "What the hell was he thinking of?" Neither Goldberg nor Schwartzman have been accused of any wrongdoing, but multiple judges have slammed the handling of the crime scene and the forensic investigation as part of the parents' two lawsuits. Greenberg died Jan. 26, 2011, after Goldberg called 911 and said he found her dead in the kitchen of their Philadelphia apartment during a snowstorm. There was a half-prepared fruit salad on the countertop above her, she had just sent out save-the-date notices for their expected wedding and friends and family said she had not seemed suicidal. Goldberg said he found her after returning from the gym in their building. However, according to Brennan, the first responders who arrived found him wearing different clothes than the athletic wear he had on in surveillance video downstairs. WATCH: Sam Goldberg, fiancé of Ellen Greenberg at the time, seen in 2011 surveillance footage The 27-year-old teacher was covered in bruises at various stages of healing, and half of her 20 stab wounds had been inflicted from behind. There was evidence that at least one wound was inflicted after her death, the scene had been staged and that her body had been moved, according to Brennan. He said dried blood would not have dripped sideways across her face if she'd died in the position she was found. And an outside autopsy found signs of manual strangulation on top of the other injuries. "Reviewing the file and the crime scene photographs and the medical examiner's photographs, I don't know how you come to that conclusion [of suicide]," Guy D'Andrea, a former homicide prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, told Fox News Digital previously. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER Police have been heavily criticized for their handling of the crime scene, which was left unsecured and cleaned up by a crew called in by building management before they returned with a search warrant. After more than a decade of trauma for the parents and a pair of lawsuits, Dr. Osbourne finally walked back the controversial suicide finding in a letter to a Pennsylvania court last month. "It is my professional opinion Ellen's manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide," he wrote. "Since issuing the amended death certificate, I have become aware of additional information I did not have at the time of issuing the amended death certificate which may have impacted my opinion." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Days later, the City of Philadelphia settled a lawsuit with Greenberg's parents, Dr. Josh and Sandee Greenberg, that accused local officials and the medical examiner's office, including Osbourne, of participating in a "concealed conspiracy for the purpose of disguising Ellen's homicide as a suicide," according to legal documents. Brennan is calling for a federal probe into the investigation and city officials by President Donald Trump's new Justice Department. "You have people who are actually trying to hide a homicide," he told Fox News Digital. "Don't you think the federal government would be interested in the corruption? "I hope, and I pray that Trump appoints a Republican U.S. attorney in Philadelphia." Shapiro's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
