Desomorphine, known by the street name “krokodil” is an opioid derivate of codeine. Like heroin and other opioids, it has a sedative an analgesic effect and highly addictive. People who inject this drug into their veins always develop severe skin problems, infections, and gangrene. The skin becomes discolored, sale-like, which resembles crocodile, hence the street name “krokodil.” Krokodil is also called “Russian Magic,” referring to its short duration of opioid intoxication (euphoria)
Krokodil is the worst drug in the world. Worse than cocaine, worse than heroin, worse than meth, worse than acid. It even makers crack look appealing, and that’s instance. Krokodil’s origins are among Russia’s poorest communities where it arose as a cheap alternative to heroin. This article will tell more about the danger of this drug.
Why is it called Krokodil?
The drug krokodil gets its name from the fact that the caustic drug causes an addict’s skin to become green, scaly and bumpy, similar to a crocodile’s. If the drugs miss a vein and are injected into the skin, that skin will develop abscesses. It is common for addicts to develop gangrene and require amputations. The flesh on some body parts affected by krokodil injection will tor off completely, leaving bare bone.
Withdrawal symptoms are savage and are much more than heroin. Heroin causes pain and sickness for days, but withdrawal from krokodil can result in a month of unbearable pain. Doctors dealing with addicts say that this is might be the stronger level of addiction and the hardest to cure. If a person does manage to get clean from krokodil, they may be left with permanent damage like a speech impediment, vacant glaze, and erratic movements.
What are the side effects?
According to the reports, the krokodil drug acts fast, within 2 to 3 minutes, and 1- to 15 times more potent than morphine, and 3 times as toxic. After a rapid onset, the euphoric effects may last less than two hours. Because of such short duration of the extasy, many users find themselves in a rapid repetition of drug use to avoid withdrawal symptoms that resemble heroin. And due to the drug’s rapid onset by the short duration of action and frequent administration, quick physical dependence may occur.
There have been multiple news reports about people using this drug in the United States. Those who use krokodil develop extreme skin ulcerations, infections, and scale-like skin. The most common complications reported thus fat from krokodil injection appears to be the severe vein damage, soft tissue infections, and horrible gangrenes. According to one of the CNN reports, the localized soft tissues effects occur relatively quickly after the use of this drug. There have been cases of amputations. It also appears that ulcerations may occur locally at the injection place but also at remote areas of the body. The organ or nervous system damage is also a common side effect of krokodil.
According to the independent medicine information website, reported health hazards due to krokodil injection use include:
- Reported health hazards due to krokodil injection use include:
- Blood vessel damage (thrombophlebitis)
- Open ulcers, gangrene
- Skin and soft tissue infections
- Need for skin grafts and surgery
- Limb amputations
- Pneumonia
- Blood poisoning
- Meningitis
- Rotting gums or tooth loss
- Blood-borne virus transmission (HIV and HCV due to needle sharing)
- Bone infections (osteomyelitis) and osteonecrosis
- Speech and motor skills impairment
- Memory loss and impaired concentration
- Liver and kidney damage
- Overdose
- Powerful respiratory depressant effect
- Death
Animal studies in rats have demonstrated cardiac congestion, necrosis at the injection site, and kidney toxicity.
Is krokodil addictive?
Addiction is an obvious problem with krokodil use due to its short effect duration and very high opioids potency. Frequent administration may lead to binge patterns that can last for days. Users are at very high risk for exhaustion due to sleep deprivation, speech problems, and memory loss. Even more, variations of homemade recipes can put users at increased risk of overdose.
Another, not so obvious risk of krokodil use is that those who are afflicted with gangrene and other side effects may delay seeking much-needed medical treatment due to fear of legal action. Moreover, the desire for continued krokodil administration to prevent withdrawal effects may prevent users from asking for help.
Devastating consequences
Desomorphine is very cheap, partly because of the availability of codeine but also because making it is relatively simple; people attempt it at home without the use of a properly-equipped laboratory.
Usually, the codeine is prepared with readily obtained chemicals, including paint thinner, codeine, hydrochloric and phosphorus. Needless to say, it is a very dangerous mix. Addicts usually cook the drug in their own kitchens and typically don’t even bother to purify the resulting substance, which greatly makes the drug even more dangerous than it already is.
Users inject their umpire desomorphine – and if they miss the vein, the injection will rot the skin and the person will end up with abscess and dead flesh. Also, needle sharing may be responsible for spreading HIV and hepatitis C. Typically addicts often die within two to three years.
There are many dangerous drugs out there. TestCountry, a professional provider of drug testing kits gives a long, descriptive list of other dangerous drugs and the consequences of their use. One of those drugs is krokodil. As you have read, the appearance of one’s skin after using this drug often resembles that as a crocodile, hence the nickname of this drug has acquired. Anyone who is taking this or any other dangerous drug should recognize the problem and seek out immediate drug rehab help. As mentioned above, most of krokodil users have a fatal reaction within the first few years of the first use. The severe health complications occur within the first couple of uses.
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