OSU Medicine has issued a media advisory on a new emerging synthetic opioid known as Cychlorphine that is causing alarm among health and law enforcement officials across Oklahoma, with experts warning of its extreme potency and growing presence in the illicit drug supply.
According to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Cychlorphine has already been identified in the state and linked to at least one fatal overdose. The drug may be significantly more potent than fentanyl and, in some cases, more difficult to reverse with standard overdose treatments.
“Cychlorphine represents a dangerous shift in the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Rachel Wirginis, board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician at the OSU Addiction Recovery Clinic in Tulsa, and associate program director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program at OSU Center for Health Sciences. “We are seeing increasingly powerful synthetic opioids that require rapid recognition and aggressive intervention to prevent fatal outcomes.”
Health experts note that naloxone, known as Narcan, can still be effective, but multiple doses may be needed due to the drug’s strength. This can delay life-saving treatment in emergency situations.
Adding to the risk, cychlorphine is often manufactured to resemble legitimate prescription pills or other substances, making it difficult for individuals to know what they are taking.
The drug has been reported in multiple states and is believed to have entered the U.S. from international sources, highlighting the rapidly evolving nature of the opioid epidemic.
“Our best defense is awareness,” said Wirginis, who is board-certified in family medicine and addiction medicine. “Understanding how dangerous these new substances are can help save lives.”
What Oklahomans should know:
- Avoid taking any pills or substances not prescribed by a health care provider
- Carry naloxone and be prepared to use multiple doses
- Seek immediate medical attention in any suspected overdose
- Talk openly about substance use and mental health
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CYCHLORPHINE
1. It’s a new and highly potent synthetic opioid
Cychlorphine is a lab-made (synthetic) opioid that has recently emerged in the U.S. drug supply. It is not well-studied, but early reports indicate it is extremely powerful and dangerous.
2. It can be significantly stronger than fentanyl
Health officials warn cychlorphine may be up to 5-10 times more potent than fentanyl, one of the strongest opioids currently driving overdose deaths.
3. Overdoses may be harder to reverse
While naloxone (Narcan) can still work, cychlorphine overdoses may require multiple doses due to its strength — and in some cases may appear resistant.
4. It is often disguised as other drugs
Cychlorphine may be pressed into pills that look like legitimate prescription medications or other drugs, increasing the risk of accidental exposure and overdose.
5. It is already linked to deaths, including in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics has confirmed cychlorphine in the state and linked it to at least one fatal overdose, with cases also reported in multiple states and internationally.
About Dr. Rachel Wirginis
Dr. Rachel Wirginis, DO, is board-certified in family medicine and addiction medicine. She serves as associate program director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program at OSU Center for Health Sciences and cares for patients at the OSU Addiction Recovery Clinic in Tulsa. She completed her addiction medicine fellowship at OSU and her family medicine and osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) internship and residency at SSM Health St. Anthony in Oklahoma City. Wirginis earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and an MBA from the OSU Watson Graduate School of Management. She is an active member of the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM) and is involved in professional research, presentations, and publications related to addiction medicine.