Desomorphine is a type of drug that is normally used for sedative or analgesic purposes due to its calming and pain relief effect. Generally, it is normally a fast-acting drug, but its effect wars of very quickly as well, thus tending to be less effective for persistent pains.
However, its prolonged use may lead to addiction, and some extent, it may cause severe health problems such as damaged blood vessels and tissues, especially in parts of the body where the injection is administered.
Addicts usually experience problems that may lead to amputation of limbs; they are prone to secondary infections of tuberculosis. Unlike other sedative drugs such as heroin, Krokodil is fatal, since it can kill within two years if used uncontrollably or irresponsibly.
Desomorphine is usually poisonous due to the presence of heavy metals such as lead, phosphorous, and zinc, which have severe and adverse effects on people’s health, especially in relation to the development of muscles and bones; they are also likely to affect the nervous system and, to some extent, lead to kidney problems (Thekkemuriyi, John & Pillai, 2014).
The first report on the clinical use of desomorphine was published in 1935. The analgesic properties were from 5 or 10 times that of morphine. The sedative effect of desomorphine was found to be less than that of morphine; dizziness and vomiting were less frequent with desomorphine than with morphine, but the depression of respiration was sometimes greater.
Research on the use of desomorphine as a pain reliever on cancer patients was another study conducted. In this study, the results indicated that pain relief was experienced rapidly; however, nausea and vomiting were the same with morphine and desomorphine (Thekkemuriyi, John & Pillai, 2014).
Another research study was to find out the dependency properties of the drug. Researchers substituted morphine in five addicts with desomorphine, administering it four times a day. During this time, the group seemed to have never been completely stable or entirely normal in feeling and appearance during the substitution period. Removal of the drug caused the addicts to develop abstinence disease.
In a study on drug dependency, patients were given smaller doses of desomorphine in comparison to morphine, with results indicating that withdrawal periods of desomorphine were shorter as compared to morphine. The tolerance of both drugs in the system was the same; however, desomorphine was found to cause more side effects. Nevertheless, desomorphine was found to be more addictive than morphine with the first injection (Shuster, 2013).
Desomorphine is a cheaper alternative to heroin and is described as the drug of the poor with adverse effects (Shuster, 2013). Production of desomorphine can be done in small scales using ingredients found in chemists, thus keeping it within easy reach by its suppliers and customers.
Due to its analgesic nature, the drug can cause addiction after the first injection. Many of those using the homemade desomorphine, also known as Krokodil, suffer from an array of illnesses. The drug destroys inner organs before reaching the skin; it is currently being described as the flesh-eating drug because of its adverse effect on the skin (Gahr et al., 2012).
Even with the dangers it poses, people are still using the said drug, as it has immense addictive effects. For many drug users, the calming effect properties it has been said to be the main causes of its continued use. In different researches, the drug is recommended for use as an anesthetic during minor surgeries due to its calming effect and relaxing properties.
Moreover, these adverse effects, as compared to other drugs, make the users be dependent on the drug during withdrawal moments. The ugly part of desomorphine is that long-term use of it leads to brain damage; some of the addicts currently suffer from speech impairment to immovable limbs caused by excessive use of the drug (Gahr et al., 2012).
Given that users of the drug are likely to share needle during injection of the drug, researches have shown high infections of HIV in drug abusers than in normal persons. The use of desomorphine has hit the USA, with cases of flesh wounds been reported each day. The EMS units say that there has been an increased usage, with many people suffering from extensive damage to the skin, especially in the areas where injections were done.
In Russia, the use of desomorphine is extremely popular, with only a few people managing to afford heroin, Krokodil becomes the better option. In this regard, the drug has been in use in Russia despite being banned some years ago (Gahr et al., 2012).
Desomorphine has a highly addictive nature, and this causes users to be less vigilant when using it. Its clinical use is due to extensive pain relief effect, even though withdrawal symptoms are high and can cause dependency. Desomorphine manufactured in kitchens is highly acidic, causing numerous ordeals that may lead to death.
In Russia, the use of desomorphine is rampant, with a minimum of ten deaths estimated each day as a result of its abuse. This has caused an alarm in the Russian government who are currently making strides to curb production of the drug by administering codeine as a prescription drug only (Gahr et al., 2012).
The damages caused by this drug are extensive in many ways; for instance, continued use of the drug causes massive distortion of organs. Confessions by desomorphine addicts reveal that they have used the drug for the last six years, and with the destructive properties of this drug, the addicts now suffer from speech impairments caused by brain damage.
One may ask why they are still using the drug despite the overwhelming effects it has on their body. Simply explained, the drug is addictive, and in the case of desomorphine, it comes as a much cheaper option than other drugs (Gahr et al., 2012).
In conclusion, the adverse effects of the desomorphine drug need to be well researched and proper action is taken to avoid its abuse, even if it calls for banning of the drug altogether. Given that the drug is cheaper than other drugs, it is likely to be affordable to many people, including teenagers, thus calling the governments for taking measures that will make its availability in the market curtailed.
Simply put, dependency on drugs leads to poor living standards which are the direct results of health implications that do not allow people function properly, thus making drug users less productive, the effect of which is the poor economic situation and deplorable living conditions.
Clinically processed desomorphine can be highly useful in the management of pain, especially for cancer patients. Medics have distorted this discovery by tending to overuse the drug, causing effects of dependency on the said patients. The drug codeine, which is the main ingredient is highly addictive in nature and many countries; it is a prescription-only drug.
References
Gahr, M., Freudenmann, R., Hiemke, C., Gunst, I., Connemann, B. J., & Schönfeldt-Lecuona, C. (2012). ‘Krokodil’-Revival of an Old Drug with New Problems. Substance Use & Misuse, 47(7), 861-863.
Shuster, S. (2013). Krokodil Tears. Time International (Atlantic Edition), 182(24), 22.
Thekkemuriyi, D., John, S., & Pillai, U. (2014). Krokodil—A Designer Drug from Across the Atlantic, with Serious Consequences. American Journal of Medicine, 127(3), e1-e2.