Be Ready to Manage Medetomidine Overdoses and Withdrawal
June 2026
CDC is warning clinicians to look out for overdoses and withdrawal from medetomidine...an adulterant increasingly found in illicit opioids.
Medetomidine is the racemic mixture of levo- and dexmedetomidine...the same alpha-2 agonist sedative we commonly use in the ICU, OR, etc.
You may also hear medetomidine called “rhino tranq,” “dex,” or “mede.” Most cases have been reported in the Northeast US...but lab tests show medetomidine is getting into more street opioids across the country.
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