A synthetic opioid that officials say is ten times more potent than fentanyl has been linked to deadly overdoses in Washington Parish, and a recent drug bust there resulted in the arrests of ten people while turning up the drug itself. Authorities describe cychlorphine as a growing threat that standard emergency treatments may struggle to counter.
Officials say cychlorphine has been linked to deadly overdoses in the parish and other parts of the country, according to WDSU. The station reports the drug has actually been around for more than 50 years, even as it now surfaces as a fresh danger in overdose cases across the region.
Dr. James David Hammond said deaths connected to cychlorphine are not confined to Louisiana. He told the station that cases are also emerging in cities including Philadelphia and San Francisco, pointing to a spread well beyond the parish where the recent bust took place.
Why Standard Narcan Doses May Fall Short
Hammond said standard 2-milligram doses of Narcan may not be enough to treat overdoses tied to cychlorphine, per the same account.
The ten arrests tied to the recent Washington Parish bust came as investigators uncovered the drug during the operation, the report notes. No further detail on the exact timing of the bust or the arrests has been confirmed.
A Louisiana Overdose Landscape in Flux
Louisiana also maintains its own Louisiana Opioid Data and Surveillance System to track overdose trends as they evolve.
For now, officials' warning remains focused on the drug's potency.
