What Will Happen If a Human Takes Acepromazine?
Acepromazine is a veterinary drug that is not intended for human consumption and is fatal in certain doses. The drug is primarily used as a tranquilizer to calm anxious pets, especially dogs and horses, according to DailyMed.
Acepromazine affects animals and humans by depressing the central nervous system. As a result, muscles relax and cause heavy sedation, notes DailyMed. The drug lowers blood pressure significantly, but if blood pressure is lowered too much, it can put the subject in a coma. Researchers initially created the drug for humans in the 1950s to treat psychiatric disorders, but it is no longer prescribed for humans, according to Wikipedia.
MedicineNet explains that the drug is dangerous for humans. One report claims a toddler accidentally ingested acepromazine pills that were not in a childproof container. A veterinarian prescribed the drug for the family’s dog. The child later died from poisoning, which the American Association of Poison Control Centers reports is a common occurrence. In 1998, there were 3,702 cases of people being poisoned by drugs prescribed by veterinarians for animals.
Humans cannot even consume animals that have recently ingested the drug, states DailyMed. Animals that are used for human consumption, such as pigs or cows going to a slaughterhouse, are never prescribed acepromazine. Pet owners are required to get a prescription for the drug from a veterinarian.
