There is a “new” drug that has been used like crazy all over Russia and is now threatening to spread into the EU, US, and worldwide.  The drug is called Krokodil (which is Russian for crocodile) and it gets its name for the creepy green colored skin you get after injecting it, just like a crocodile’s skin, but the side effects don’t end there, and it could be a huge public health issue if it spreads all the way to the US.  In 2010, it was estimated that there were 1 million krokodil users in Russia, despite its horrible immediate and long term side effects.

What is Krokodil?
It is actually desomorphine, a form of morphine created using codeine, iodine, and red phosphorous.  Desomorphine is a drug that is used primarily in Switzerland for actual medical uses for anesthesia.  On the streets of Russia, it is made in people’s own homes, using household cleaners, and being used like crazy. It is used like a cheaper version of heroin because codeine is sold over the counter in Russia, as are all the other ingredients (gasoline, paint thinner, hydrochloric acid, iodine, and red phosphorous- the red tip to matches), it is easily made, and clearly a large population that want to use it.  When injected, the high only lasts about an hour and a half, feels like that of heroin, and it takes a skilled person about an hour to cook it up, so some krokodil addicts are constantly cooking and injecting; there is an average life span of 2-3 years once starting to use the drug.

What are the side effects?
As I said earlier, at the injection site the skin becomes green and scaly, which is due to the blood vessels dying and the tissues rotting in a form of gangrene, which happens almost immediately.  The skin can rot away exposing the bones, which are porous and are eaten away by the acidity of the drug, so not only does your skin for away but so do your bones, which can occur in any part of the body, not just where you have injected. Rotting skin and bones can lead to painful surgeries and long term dressing changes, along with amputations (the removal of parts of your body- please see the attached link for a realistic view of an amputation outside of the US) .  Due to the harshness of the drug, addicts quickly run out of veins to inject into on their arms and will move to larger veins in the groin and neck sites which can cause almost certain death after even one injection (especially in the neck).  Long term krokodil users have major brain damage which can  cause problems with motor skills, even formulating words and speaking can be a challenge, and very few even survive long enough to get rehabbed from using the drug.  Krokodil use is a certain death sentence due to risk of infection, vein damage, and the damage to brain, kidney, liver and heart from injecting such a toxic drug.

you can clearly see the gangrene, and the flesh that will soon wear away…..

This woman’ s gangrene has been treated, but now her bones are exposed, leading to a risk of infection

Fingers lost and dying due to ruptured veins and poor blood flow

The green skin color change…. The drug seems to have swept over Russia quickly, in the last 8 years and has become an epidemic overwhelming the healthcare system with these patients, for amputations, infections, and overdoses.  This is a very dangerous drug, that is clearly highly addictive, cheap and easy to make, and despite the effects addicts seem to want to use this drug.  I just wanted everyone to learn about it and the side effects, the statistic that there is a 2-3 year lifespan after trying the drug scares me silly, and I hope that it would keep some people from trying it.  If you know anyone who is using this drug, or wants to try it, please urge them not to, and call a drug hotline (1-877-243-7408) or go to www.na.org (for local contacts) for ways to talk to them, places to bring them for help, and try to get them to call.  If you have tried it, please see your HCP and get your body checked out, the effects aren’t always visualized as first, but simple blood tests can show the punishment your body has gone through. So please stay away from Krokodil, and spread the word about how horrible it is… Yours in Good Health B