Krokodil drug what is it made of

If you have a drug problem or know someone who does, our Heartland drug rehab can help. Call us today at for more information about our inpatient substance abuse treatment in Illinois. If you or a loved one are struggling with drugs or alcohol, call us now! Join us on Social Media. Krokodil is the street name for desomorphine, a semi-synthetic opioid drug that produces similar side effects to other opioids like heroin and morphine.

How Is the Krokodil Drug Made? The effects of Krokodil drug include: Euphoria Sedation Open skin ulcers Skin infections Skin necrosis skin death or rotting flesh Soft-tissue infections Vein damage Gangrene Blood vessel damage thrombophlebitis Limb amputations Pneumonia Blood poisoning bacteremia Meningitis Rotting gums, tooth decay, or tooth loss Blood-borne virus infection such as HIV and Hepatitis Bone infections osteomyelitis and osteonecrosis Speech impairment Motor skills impairment Memory loss Difficulty concentrating Liver and kidney damage Overdose Respiratory depression slow or ineffective breathing Physical tolerance and dependence Addiction Death Krokodil can be used in various ways, but the most common method is intravenous injection.

After overcoming her own struggles with addiction, she began working in the treatment field in Russia and the Ukraine seem to be most affected by the drug, but there have been reports of its use and side effects in the United States. The drug was found to be a more potent pain reliever than morphine with a shorter duration and less nausea.

Doctors continued to use the drug before and after surgery for its calming effect. This means it has a high potential for misuse without any accepted medical use. Codeine tablets are available without a prescription in Russia. Inexpensive and readily available substances are combined with the codeine to make the homemade or street version of the drug, krokodil. The most recognized side effect of krokodil is scaly green and black skin that develops shortly after injecting the drug.

According to reports , people develop significant swelling and pain in the area where the drug is injected. This is followed by skin discoloration and scaling. Eventually large areas of ulceration occur where the tissue dies. The damage is believed to be at least partly caused by the toxic effect of the additives used to make the drug, most of which are erosive to skin. The drug is also not purified before injection. This may explain why the skin irritation happens almost immediately after injection.

The ulcerated skin often progresses to severe muscle and cartilage damage. The skin continues to ulcerate, eventually sloughing off and exposing the bone underneath. A yellowish to light brown liquid is produced with a strong acid-like smell. The name Krokodil is thought to come from a step in the cooking process where codeine turns into a chemical called a-Chlorocodide, and also because it often causes ulcers and scaly skin that look like crocodile skin where it has been injected.

In over-the-counter codeine was banned in Russia and reports of Krokodil use declined. But between and , media reports of Krokodil use in the United States and United Kingdom gave the impression its use remained widespread. The reports focused on the skin infections and examples of gangrene said to be related to the drug.

They referred to Krokodil as a flesh-eating drug and suggested users became zombies. Poor injecting practices and poisons cause skin and vein problems, including infections, in people injecting any type of drug. But injuries from Krokodil can be more serious.

Read more: Krokodil: how 'flesh-eating zombie drug' is causing a global crisis. These effects are caused by the toxic chemicals used during the homemade drug process. The infections can be treated if caught soon enough and monitored. Medical case reports have identified infections and rotting skin down to the bone at injection sites.

It is most often abused via injection although it can also be consumed orally and the high lasts about two hours, which is shorter than the high from heroin. Many krokodil users will inject repeatedly to avoid withdrawal symptoms and maintain their high. As a result, they typically become addicted very quickly.

Because it is cheap and easy to make, krokodil has become a widely abused drug despite the devastating and life-threatening consequences of abuse. In fact, the average krokodil user only lives about two or three years after they start using it.

About 1 million people in Russia use krokodil and use of the drug has also been reported in Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Germany, and Norway. Since then, krokodil use has also been reported in Illinois and Oklahoma. Krokodil abuse may often go unreported as heroin users may accidentally buy some of it under the assumption that they are buying heroin.

It is less likely to be manufactured in America as regularly as it is in Russia because codeine is a controlled substance in America and requires a prescription or over-the-counter purchase through a pharmacist. Krokodil is highly addictive and can cause physical dependence in a very short time. This is largely due to its ability to cause a powerful high that only lasts a few hours. People typically use codeine as the base for krokodil but they may also use other opioids.

Often, these chemicals are not entirely cooked from the drug and when they are injected or consumed, they can cause horrible and life-threatening side effects. People who abuse opioid drugs or buy opioids online may be more likely to develop krokodil addiction. Signs of krokodil addiction may include:. Although these withdrawal symptoms are extremely uncomfortable, they are not life-threatening.

However, the discomfort can be enough to keep someone trapped in a lifestyle of addiction just to avoid them.