The Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the community of a new drug the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has identified in recent overdose deaths.
The drug, medetomidine, is a veterinary tranquilizer, similar to xylazine, and can cause adverse effects including slowed heart rate, low blood pressure and decreases in brain and spinal cord activity. It is not approved for human use.
According to data from Western Michigan University’s Swift Toxicology of Opioid Related Mortalities (STORM) project, postmortem toxicology testing identified medetomidine in three overdose deaths since March. The deaths occurred in Ingham, Berrien and Wayne counties. In addition to medetomidine, testing also identified fentanyl and other potent manufactured drugs.
MDHHS is particularly concerned about this drug as medetomidine can cause central nervous system depression and death, cannot be reversed by medications like naloxone/Narcan and cannot be tested for with drug testing strips. That being said, with both medetomidine and xylazine usually found in combination with fentanyl, health officials still urge those who use drugs or have loved ones who use drugs to keep naloxone in case of an opioid overdose.
MDHHS will continue monitoring STORM and other rapid data sources and will share information as it becomes available. Agencies aware of any medetomidine-involved overdoses or exposures since January 2024 are asked to share this information at MDHHS-MODASurveillance@Michigan.gov.
