Xylazine
Encyclopedia
Xylazine is a drug
that is used for sedation
, anesthesia
, muscle relaxation, and analgesia in animals such as horses, cattle and other non-human mammals. An analogue of clonidine
, it is an agonist
at the α2 class of adrenergic receptor
.
As with other α2 agonists, adverse effects include bradycardia
, conduction disturbances, and myocardial depression. Yohimbine
(Yobine) and atipamezole
(commercial name Antisedan) can be used to reverse xylazine effects. In veterinary anesthesia
, xylazine is often used in combination with ketamine
. No formal information in humans is available. Xylazine is sold by Bayer
under the brand name Rompun.
Xylazine is also used to shorten the effects of musth
on male Elephants in Asia.
was used instead of xylazine.
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
that is used for sedation
Sedation
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
, anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
, muscle relaxation, and analgesia in animals such as horses, cattle and other non-human mammals. An analogue of clonidine
Clonidine
Clonidine is a sympatholytic medication used to treat medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, some pain conditions, ADHD and anxiety/panic disorder...
, it is an agonist
Agonist
An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...
at the α2 class of adrenergic receptor
Adrenergic receptor
The adrenergic receptors are a class of metabotropic G protein-coupled receptors that are targets of the catecholamines, especially noradrenaline and adrenaline ....
.
As with other α2 agonists, adverse effects include bradycardia
Bradycardia
Bradycardia , in the context of adult medicine, is the resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute, though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 beat/min. It may cause cardiac arrest in some patients, because those with bradycardia may not be pumping enough oxygen to their heart...
, conduction disturbances, and myocardial depression. Yohimbine
Yohimbine
Yohimbine is an alkaloid with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe . It is also found naturally in Rauwolfia serpentina , Alchornea floribunda , along with several other active alkaloids...
(Yobine) and atipamezole
Atipamezole
Atipamezole is a synthetic alpha2-adrenergic antagonist, indicated for the reversal of the sedative and analgesic effects of dexmedetomidine and medetomidine in dogs. It has also been researched in humans as a potential anti-Parkinsonian drug.-External links:*...
(commercial name Antisedan) can be used to reverse xylazine effects. In veterinary anesthesia
Veterinary anesthesia
Veterinary anesthesia is anesthesia performed on animals by a veterinarian. Anesthesia is used for a wider range of circumstances in animals than in people, due to animals' unwillingness to cooperate with certain diagnostic or therapeutic procedures...
, xylazine is often used in combination with ketamine
Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
. No formal information in humans is available. Xylazine is sold by Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
under the brand name Rompun.
Xylazine is also used to shorten the effects of musth
Musth
Musth or must is a periodic condition in bull elephants, characterized by highly aggressive behavior, accompanied by a large rise in reproductive hormones - testosterone levels in an elephant in musth can be as much as 60 times greater than in the same elephant at other times...
on male Elephants in Asia.
Veterinary Indications
Veterinarians use xylazine as an emetic when it is desirable to remove a substance from a cat's stomach. In one trial, pilocarpinePilocarpine
Pilocarpine is a parasympathomimetic alkaloid obtained from the leaves of tropical American shrubs from the genus Pilocarpus. It is a non-selective muscarinic receptor agonist in the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts therapeutically at the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 due to its...
was used instead of xylazine.