Timmins, Ontario – Northeastern Public Health (NEPH) and community partners are warning residents about a worrying rise in opioid poisonings across our area. The drugs involved may contain tranquilizers, including medetomidine. Medetomidine is a powerful sedative that is showing up more often in the unregulated drug supply.
According to Seamus Murphy, Deputy Chief of Cochrane District Paramedic Services (CDPS), local paramedics have responded to more than twenty suspected opioid poisonings over the past two days.
In these cases, naloxone, a medicine that reverses opioid overdoses, helped patients start breathing again. But the patients stayed unconscious or were much less aware of what was happening around them. Naloxone works well against the effects of opioids on breathing. It does not reverse the effects of sedatives like medetomidine.
People exposed to medetomidine may become deeply sedated. They may also have:
- a dangerously slow heart rate,
- blood pressure problems, and
- other serious complications that need medical care right away.
Some patients may seem to have recovered from an opioid overdose because their breathing returns. They can still be unresponsive because of other drugs in their system.
"We are encouraging anyone who uses unregulated substances, as well as their friends and family members, to be aware that naloxone may restore breathing but may not fully reverse all of the effects of the current drug supply," said Seamus Murphy. "If someone remains unconscious or is difficult to wake after naloxone administration, please call 911 immediately and continue monitoring them until emergency responders arrive."
NEPH reminds the public what to do in an overdose or poisoning:
- Call 911 right away if you suspect an overdose or poisoning.
- Give naloxone if opioids may be involved.
- Keep checking the person's breathing and responsiveness after giving naloxone.
- Do not leave the person alone, even if their breathing improves.
- Know that the person may need more medical care if sedatives such as medetomidine are involved.
Northeastern Public Health works closely with CDPS, healthcare partners and other community organizations to track trends and share information about new risks in the local drug supply.