By Danny Andino, CEO, Arise Recovery Centers · Clinically reviewed by Nicholas Overbeck, LPC-S, LCDC · October 2026
A new opioid has reached Texas, and most people who take it never know. It is called cychlorphine. It turns up mixed into fentanyl, fake pills and other street drugs.
Here is what it is, why test strips miss it, and what to do if someone stops breathing. The short answer on that last one: give the Narcan, and if it is not working, give another dose.
The short version
- Cychlorphine is a lab-made opioid that was never approved for medical use. Early lab data suggest it is up to about 10 times stronger than fentanyl.
- Crime labs nationwide reported it once in 2024 and 106 times in 2025. The White House drug policy office lists Texas among the three states where it is most common.
- It hides in fentanyl, fake pills, cocaine and other drugs. Fentanyl test strips and routine hospital urine screens do not detect it.
- Naloxone (Narcan) still reverses it. It can take more than the usual one or two doses, so give another dose every 2 to 3 minutes and call 911.
- The DEA placed it in Schedule I, its strictest category, on August 27, 2026.
- The surest protection is not using pills or powders that did not come from a pharmacy. If stopping is hard, outpatient treatment with medication can help, and you can keep working while you do it.
What cychlorphine is
Cychlorphine belongs to a family of opioids called orphines. Drugs in this family were first made in a Belgian lab in the 1960s, in a search for new painkillers. None was ever approved for medical use.
It began spreading in the illicit drug supply in 2024 and 2025. The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, a lab that tracks new drugs, says early lab data put it at about 10 times the strength of fentanyl. The DEA says it binds to the brain’s opioid receptors more tightly than fentanyl does. Data from people are still limited.
How fast it is spreading, and where
In 2024, the DEA’s national crime-lab system logged one report of cychlorphine. In 2025, it logged 106, across 10 states. The DEA’s August 2026 scheduling order counts 225 reports in 19 states, including Texas.
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy lists Ohio, Texas and Tennessee as the states where it is most common. A research lab tracking these cases has linked 23 Texas deaths to it as of August 2026, according to San Antonio’s WOAI-TV. The DEA has reported five deaths in the Houston area. The Travis County medical examiner has recorded two this year, ages 18 and 22.
A DEA official told WOAI the drug has been seen in the Dallas and Houston metro areas. In Austin, EMS reported in late September that 9 overdose patients in the past 30 days needed more than two doses of Narcan, up from 2 in September 2025. EMS does not test which drug was involved.
There is also a hopeful sign. In Knoxville, Tennessee, where officials raised the alarm early, the medical examiner’s office says cases fell after the public warnings went out. Awareness works.
Why test strips and drug screens miss it
Fentanyl test strips are built to detect fentanyl. Cychlorphine is a different chemical, so a strip can read negative even when it is there. The White House drug office says routine hospital opioid urine screens miss it too.
That matters in two ways. Someone who tests their supply can feel safe when they are not. And some overdoses are likely never counted, because standard screens cannot see the drug. The DEA says as much in its scheduling order.
It also travels in drugs people do not think of as opioids. Federal reports have found it mixed with cocaine and methamphetamine and hidden in counterfeit pills. Last month we wrote about medetomidine, a vet sedative riding along with fentanyl. The pattern is the same: what is in the bag is not what is on the label.
| Tool | Does it help? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Fentanyl test strip | No | Built for fentanyl. A negative strip does not mean a safe sample. |
| Routine hospital urine screen | Usually no | Finding it takes special lab testing. |
| Naloxone (Narcan) | Yes | May take more than two doses. Give one every 2 to 3 minutes. |
| Calling 911 | Yes | Naloxone wears off in 30 to 90 minutes. A strong opioid can outlast it. |
| Never using alone | Yes | Naloxone only works if someone is there to give it. |
| Treatment with medication | Yes | Linked to 38% to 59% fewer opioid overdose deaths in the year after an overdose. |
Sources: White House ONDCP Drug Threat Notice, April 2026; FDA Narcan nasal spray label; SAMHSA Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit; Larochelle et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, 2018.
Narcan still works. Keep giving it.
If the person is not breathing normally 2 to 3 minutes after a dose, give another with a new spray. Keep going until they respond or help arrives.
What to do if someone overdoses
Signs include slow or stopped breathing, blue or gray lips, pinpoint pupils, and not waking up when you call their name or rub their chest.
- Call 911. Texas law gives some legal protection to a person who calls for help during an overdose, with limits. Call anyway.
- Give naloxone. One spray in the nose. Naloxone nasal spray is sold over the counter.
- Wait 2 to 3 minutes. If breathing is not back to normal, give another dose with a new spray. Repeat as needed.
- Keep them breathing. Give rescue breaths if you know how, or roll them onto their side.
- Stay until help arrives. Naloxone wears off in 30 to 90 minutes, and the overdose can come back.
If someone you know has already survived an overdose, here is what to do in the days after.
Overrated vs. underrated
Overrated
- “I test everything.” Fentanyl strips cannot see cychlorphine. A negative strip is not a safe sample.
- “One Narcan is enough.” It often is for fentanyl. With cychlorphine, plan on more.
- “I don’t use opioids.” It has turned up in cocaine, meth and fake pills. The label is not the contents.
Underrated
- Two doses at home. Naloxone is sold over the counter. Keep at least two where the person sleeps.
- Never using alone. Naloxone only works if someone is there to give it.
- Medication. Methadone and buprenorphine are linked to far fewer overdose deaths.
The real protection
Narcan and test strips are emergency tools. They do not change what is in the supply. What reliably lowers the risk is not buying from it, and for someone who is hooked, treatment is how that happens.
Medication is the part most people skip. In a study of more than 17,000 overdose survivors, methadone was linked to 59% fewer opioid overdose deaths over the next year, and buprenorphine to 38% fewer. Here is why more working adults are getting treated for opioids, often while they keep their jobs.
Arise Recovery Centers provides outpatient drug and alcohol treatment at 12 locations in DFW, Houston and Austin: a day program, intensive outpatient and supportive outpatient. We work alongside your prescriber if you take buprenorphine or naltrexone, or help you find one. This guide to levels of care explains the options. You can schedule a free consultation or verify your insurance online in about two minutes. Both are confidential and do not commit you to anything.
Frequently asked questions
What is cychlorphine?
Cychlorphine is a lab-made opioid from a family of drugs called orphines. It was never approved for medical use. It began spreading in the illicit drug supply in 2024 and 2025, often mixed into fentanyl, fake pills and other street drugs. Its chemical name is N-propionitrile chlorphine.
How strong is cychlorphine compared with fentanyl?
Early lab data suggest it is up to about 10 times stronger than fentanyl, according to the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The DEA says it binds to opioid receptors more tightly than fentanyl. Data from people are still limited.
Is cychlorphine in Texas?
Yes. The White House drug policy office lists Texas among the three states where it is most common. A research lab has linked 23 Texas deaths to it as of August 2026, and the DEA has reported cases in the Dallas and Houston areas. The Travis County medical examiner has recorded two deaths in 2026.
Do fentanyl test strips detect cychlorphine?
No. Fentanyl test strips are designed to detect fentanyl, and cychlorphine is a different chemical. The White House drug policy office says routine hospital opioid urine screens also miss it. A negative test strip does not mean a sample is safe.
Does Narcan work on cychlorphine?
Yes. Naloxone (Narcan) reverses cychlorphine overdoses, but it may take more than the usual one or two doses. Give a dose, call 911, and if breathing is not back to normal in 2 to 3 minutes, give another with a new spray. Keep going until the person responds or help arrives.
Is cychlorphine illegal?
Yes. The DEA placed cychlorphine in Schedule I, its strictest category, with a temporary order that took effect August 27, 2026, and runs through August 27, 2028. Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use in the U.S.
What are the signs of an opioid overdose?
Slow or stopped breathing, blue or gray lips or fingertips, pinpoint pupils, and not waking up when you call the person’s name or rub their chest. Call 911 and give naloxone right away. Naloxone wears off in 30 to 90 minutes, so stay until help arrives.
Where can I get treatment for opioid addiction in Texas?
Opioid addiction can be treated in outpatient care while you keep working. Medication like buprenorphine, paired with counseling, is the standard approach. Arise Recovery Centers offers a day program, intensive outpatient and supportive outpatient at 12 locations in DFW, Houston and Austin, and works with your prescriber. A free consultation is confidential and does not commit you to anything.
This article is education, not medical or legal advice, and it does not replace advice from your own doctor.
Sources: White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, “ONDCP Drug Threat Notice: Cychlorphine, a Synthetic Opioid Involved in at Least 55 Deaths, Has Potential to Spread Across Nation,” April 30, 2026. Drug Enforcement Administration, “Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of 5,6-Dichloro Brorphine, 5,6-Dichloro Desmethylchlorphine, N-Propionitrile Chlorphine, and Spirochlorphine in Schedule I,” 91 Fed. Reg. 55252 (August 27, 2026). Drug Enforcement Administration, “Public Safety Advisory: Fentanyl Mixed with Emerging Synthetic Drugs,” May 12, 2026. Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, NPS Discovery, “Increase in Fatal Overdoses Linked to Novel Synthetic Opioid N-Propionitrile Chlorphine (Cychlorphine),” January 30, 2026. WOAI-TV (News 4 San Antonio), “New Synthetic Opioid Reaches Texas; Officials Warn It’s 10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl,” August 6, 2026. KXAN, “Texas Senator Plans to File Legislation to Address Emergence of Cychlorphine,” October 15, 2026. FOX 7 Austin, “What Is Cychlorphine? Dangerous New Drug Hits Austin Streets,” September 24, 2026. Newsweek, “Map Shows Where Cychlorphine-Related Deaths Are Surging Across US,” October 8, 2026. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NARCAN (naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray prescribing information. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit, 2023. Texas H.B. 1694 (2021), Health and Safety Code §481.115(g)–(i). Larochelle MR, et al., “Medication for Opioid Use Disorder After Nonfatal Opioid Overdose and Association With Mortality,” Annals of Internal Medicine 169, no. 3 (2018): 137–145.