A synthetic opioid named cychlorphine has raised concern among health and law enforcement officials in Oklahoma after being identified in the state and linked to at least one fatal overdose, ABC affiliate KOCO reported March 23.
The drug — which may be significantly more potent than fentanyl — can be more difficult to reverse with standard overdose treatments, according to a March 27 news release from Oklahoma City-based OSU Medicine.
Health experts said naloxone can effectively reverse overdoses linked to cychlorphine. Multiple doses may be required due to the drug’s strength, which can delay treatment in emergency situations.
Cychlorphine is manufactured to appear like legitimate prescription pills or other substances and may make it difficult for individuals to identify what they are taking, according to the release.
“Cychlorphine represents a dangerous shift in the opioid crisis,” Rachel Wirginis, DO, associate program director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program at OSU Center for Health Sciences, said in the release. “We are seeing increasingly powerful synthetic opioids that require rapid recognition and aggressive intervention to prevent fatal outcomes.”
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