How are nitazenes used?

Nitazenes can be injected, inhaled, or swallowed (tablet form).²

Effects of nitazenes

Use of any drug can have risks. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.

Nitazenes affect everyone differently, based on:

• size, weight and health
• whether the person is used to taking it
• whether other drugs are taken around the same time
• the amount taken
• the strength of the drug (varies from batch to batch).

Short term effects of nitazenes include:

• euphoria
• relaxation, drowsiness and clumsiness
• pain relief
• reduced stress
• itchiness
• nausea and vomiting
• fever and sweating
• slow breathing and heart rate.⁴

Overdose

If the dose is too high, you might overdose. Call an ambulance straight away by dialling triple zero (000) if you or someone you are with has any of these symptoms:

• slow/shallow breathing
• bluish/greyish lips and complexion
• passing out
• coma
• death.⁵

Emergency services are there to help and can provide instructions over the phone.

The potency of nitazenes varies between drugs in the class. They can range from levels similar to morphine, to a lot stronger than fentanyl.^6,7

If overdose occurs, naloxone will likely temporarily reverse the drug’s effects, including respiratory depression. More than one dose may be required.⁶

Long-term effects

The long-term effects of nitazenes haven’t been studied enough to understand what the risks might be, but it’s thought they may be like other opioids.

Some common long-term effects of opioids include:

• increased tolerance
• dependence
• constipation
• damage to vital organs such as the lungs, brain and heart.

Tolerance and dependence

Nitazenes have a high potential for tolerance and dependence.⁸

Mixing nitazenes and other drugs

The effects of taking nitazenes with other drugs – including over-the-counter or prescribed medications – can be unpredictable and dangerous.

Because of a lack of formal research around mixing nitazenes with other substances, this information covers mixing other substances with opioids in general: