Brorphine infographic opiate deadly drug doctor Brorphine

Brorphine Infographic – A Deadly Killer Opioid

Brorphine is a new opioid that has recently been making its way into street drugs in North America. Some people take Brorphine on its own. The drug has also been discovered as an adulterant in other drugs such as Fentanyl or heroin. Alarmingly, Brorphine can be stronger than Fentanyl. (Fentanyl is currently the leading cause of overdose deaths in America, and it’s 50-100 times stronger than morphine.)

Medical examiners have found Brorphine in overdose deaths in both the Midwest as well as the South. The potent drug has never been available for legal manufacture. It is estimated to have caused at least 120 overdose deaths by the summer of 2020, and government officials believe it is responsible for almost 300 deaths nationwide.

What is Brorphine?

According to the DEA, Brorphine is a deadly, illegal opioid drug first mentioned in research in 2018. There is no approved medical use of Brorphine, and it has never been tested in humans. (All of the tests involved mice or rats.)

When scientists studied it, Brorphine was hoped to be a drug that caused fewer overdose deaths. The researchers were looking for an opioid that didn’t depress the respiration system and therefore risk overdose. However, it didn’t work out because the drug had many dangers to users. (It also still depressed the respiration, so there was no reason to continue.)

Brorphine has no legal, medical uses, but it is sold as a designer drug or passed off as other opioids. It was first reported in the Midwest but has now made its way overseas, including clubs in Belgium.

Brorphine has a grayish color and has been found in drug seizures alongside Iso, another dangerous newly-discovered opioid. (Iso has been outlawed in the US, and Brorphine is presumed to be a “replacement” for it.) Brorphine has also been found in fentanyl pills and a drug called “purple heroin”.

Is Brorphine Legal?

While Brorphine has been called “legal” by people who sell, it has never been legally manufactured. When a drug is advertised as a legal way to “get high” that doesn’t mean it is safe to take or buy.

The DEA is already taking action to treat Brorphine as a schedule I drug, the most dangerous class of drugs that carry harsher penalties for possession and manufacture.

Dangers of Brorphine

Sought By Fentanyl and Heroin Users

Brorphine is more dangerous than Fentanyl because it can be as powerful as Fentanyl and sometimes as much as twice as powerful. Because the drug has never been distributed legally, there is no standardization of any pill or powder contents.

Here are a few more reasons it’s dangerous:

  • Brorphine is dangerous because it is a potent narcotic drug. No one has completed any human trials because of its potential dangers. Because the drug is an opioid, it has the same risks as all opioids, including addiction or overdose. Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug, may not reverse overdoses with such powerful drugs.
  • Becoming addicted to an opioid as potent as Brorphine can easily be deadly. The drug is rare, and no one knows the potency or other drugs it is combined with.1 Because the drug has no legal use, it’s harder for officials to detect it. There is no way for a person buying drugs from an illicit source will be able to know if any pill they’re taking contains Brorphine or not. (Most of the cases of  overdoses have been discovered after a person has died.)
  • Brorphine studies ended when researchers discovered that the effects of the drug were similar to other opioids. The drug itself was “expected to be cardiotoxic,” which is why the drug researchers chose to stop pursuing medical use. In clinical trials, researchers discovered it could cause cardiac arrhythmia, a significant danger to the heart. (One of the major reasons that Brorphine was scrapped.)

Where Does Brorphine Come From?

According to the DEA, it’s not clear where illegal Brorphine production originated, but it’s been talked about on the deep web for a few years. It has been seen for sale online as well.

Brorphine was first mentioned in medical research in 2018, and the first time the drug was found in the US was in 2019. Many of the drugs for sale online are listed as “research chemicals,” which is how it’s marketed in illicit forums. Because it’s not a legal drug, there is no consistency in how pure it is. It may be cut with other drugs, sold as a powder, or pressed into pills.2

Brorphine and Opioid Addiction

Brorphine is a powerful, dangerous drug. Even people who are addicted to other opioids such as heroin have overdosed on the drug accidentally.

Long-term opioid use can cause heart, gastrointestinal, nerve damage, and other issues. People addicted to opioids are more likely to suffer fatal overdoses, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic.

People who use opioids are often more isolated and more desperate to get ahold of their drug and choice, causing them to take more risks.

Drugs like Brorphine are being passed off as other opioids, such as Oxycontin or Fentanyl, making it easier to overdose. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to seek drugs from even sketchier sources.

Getting Help for Opioid Addiction

People get clean from opioids all the time. Opioid addiction is usually treated through detox and a treatment recovery plan. Safe, clinical detox can help opioid users avoid complications and withdrawal effects when they get sober. Detox facilities can keep the user comfortable as their body begins the detox process.

MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) has been a life-changer for many people addicted to opioids. Drugs like Sublocade (extended-release buprenorphine or BUP-XR)  can help create “breathing room” as you get clean and sober in a safe, compassionate environment.

If you or somebody you love is having a problem with any substance, help is available. You deserve to reclaim your life and feel whole again. Call the phone number at the top of the screen to get started. We’re here to help.

References
1.Brorphine – Investigation and quantitation of a new potent synthetic opioid, available here.
2.Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of Brorphine in Schedule I, available here.