Xylazine

Xylazine is a structural analog of clonidine and an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, sold under many trade names worldwide, most notably the Bayer brand name Rompun, as well as Anased, Sedazine and Chanazine. Xylazine is a common veterinary drug used for sedation, anesthesia, muscle relaxation, and analgesia in animals such as horses, cattle, and other mammals. In veterinary anesthesia, it is often used in combination with ketamine. Veterinarians also use xylazine as an emetic, especially in cats. Drug interactions vary with different animals. Xylazine was first investigated for human use in the 1960s in West Germany for antihypertensive effects before being discontinued and marketed as a veterinary sedative. Xylazine's mechanism of action was discovered in 1981, which led to the creation of other α2-adrenergic receptor agonists such as medetomidine and dexmedetomidine. Xylazine has become a commonly abused street drug in the United States where it is known by the street name "tranq", particularly in the territory of Puerto Rico. The drug is used as a cutting agent for heroin and fentanyl.