Xylazine Facts
Depressant;
Description
Xylazine — tranq — is a synthetic sedative of the thiazine class. It suppresses norepinephrine signaling and activates opioid pain pathways, producing deep sedation and analgesia.[1][2]
Subjective effects include profound sedation, muscle relaxation, pain suppression, and loss of consciousness. The experience resembles pharmacological unconsciousness — an involuntary shutdown that outlasts the fentanyl it accompanies, leaving users immobile and unresponsive for extended periods.[3]
Xylazine produces rapid physical dependence, and withdrawal does not respond to standard opioid medications.[4] The gap between non-fatal and fatal doses is dangerously narrow,[5] and no antidote exists — naloxone reverses only the fentanyl component, meaning apparent recovery can mask ongoing xylazine toxicity.
Dose and durationby route · individual sensitivity varies
No dose recorded for this route. The timings are not a dose guide.
Starts in 1 – 5 minLasts 30 – 120 minAfter-effects 2 – 12 hours
Body and dependence
- Acute toxicity
- Critical
- Chronic toxicity
- High
- Physical dependence
- High
- Psychological dependence
- Moderate
- Withdrawal
- Moderate · medical supervision
- Compulsive redosing
- Low
Tolerance
- Builds
- Moderate
- Fully resets after
- Not recorded
- Carries over to
- mu opioid agonists (supraspinal);
delta opioid agonists (supraspinal); fentanyl
Effectslikely at a common dose
- Perception
- none likely · 6 possible, including Spatial disorientation, Vestibular distortion, Visual acuity suppression
- Body
- Motor control impairment;
Muscle relaxation; Pain suppression; Physical fatigue; Pupil constriction; Respiratory depression; Sedation; Vasoconstriction; +9 possible, including Abnormal heartbeat, Dizziness, Temperature dysregulation - Thinking
- Cognitive fatigue;
Cognitive impairment; Confusion; Decision impairment; Focus suppression; Information processing suppression; Motivation suppression; Thought deceleration; +6 possible, including Language suppression, Memory suppression, Compulsive redosing urge - Feeling
- none likely · 7 possible, including Dysphoria, Anhedonia, Depression
- Self
- Sociability suppression;
Social disconnection; +4 possible, including Communication suppression, Craving, Depersonalization - Time
- none likely · 2 possible, including Temporal disorientation
Who shouldn't take it
Combinations60 recorded
Seek help immediately if
No emergency profile is recorded for this substance. Not recorded never means no risk.
988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineFireside Project: 62-FIRESIDE
References
- [1]
- [2]^Bedard ML, Huang XP, Murray JG, et al. (2024) Xylazine is an agonist at kappa opioid receptors and exhibits sex-specific responses to opioid antagonism — Addiction Neuroscience doi:10.1016/j.addicn.2024.100155
- [3]^Spadaro A, O'Connor K, Lakamana S, et al. (2023) Self-reported Xylazine Experiences: A Mixed-methods Study of Reddit Subscribers — Journal of Addiction Medicine doi:10.1097/adm.0000000000001216
- [4]^Perrone J, Haroz R, D'Orazio J, et al. (2024) NIDA Clinical Trials Network Meeting Report: Managing Patients Exposed to Xylazine-Adulterated Opioids — Annals of Emergency Medicine doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.01.041
- [5]^Ayub S, Parnia S, Poddar K, et al. (2023) Xylazine in the Opioid Epidemic: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Clinical Implications — Cureus doi:10.7759/cureus.36864