Health
What to Know About Orphines, a New Class of Deadly Opioids
Since last fall, new and deadly synthetic opioids called orphines have begun appearing in street drugs in the United States. They are far more potent than fentanyl but cannot be detected by standard toxicology tests.
Orphines are still much less common than fentanyl, but they are proliferating quickly. As of last month, they have been found in 14 states, mostly in the South and the Midwest. Law enforcement officials and public health officials are trying to assess the gravity and endurance of the threat they pose.
Here are answers to some basic questions.
What are orphines?
They are a class of opioids that was created in the 1960s by Paul Janssen, a Belgian doctor and pharmacologist, whose teams investigated rapid, safe pain relievers for surgery. As part of that effort, they also developed fentanyl.
Dr. Janssen and others discovered that orphines had life-threatening side effects such as acute respiratory depression and were highly addictive. Within a few years, the research on them was halted.
Researchers characterize orphines as 10 times more powerful than fentanyl, even in quantities no greater than a few sand-size grains. They can be lethal with stunning speed, with victims slumping over abruptly, respiration shutting down, chest walls rigid. Sometimes the classic signature of overdose, “the foam cone” — froth from the nostrils and mouth — does not even have time to bubble up.
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Still, it is possible for people overdosing on orphines to be revived with naloxone, the opioid reversal medication. But numerous doses may be required, many more than the one or two doses typically needed for fentanyl.
Why did orphines start showing up in United States?
Orphines are among the synthetic opioids that started to appear in the street drug supply in the wake of global crackdowns on fentanyl.
In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary ban on all fentanyl-related substances, called analogs. That same year, an article in The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry addressed the challenge of developing opioids without toxic side effects and offered orphines as cautionary examples. It described them as dangerous, because they are so powerfully addictive and may affect breathing.
Researchers speculate that rogue chemists, seeking illicit drugs that can evade international drug laws, may have been inspired by the article to develop orphines. By 2019, brorphine, an early orphine, was detected in Europe.
Around that time, another class of cheap, synthetic opioids called nitazenes had been circulating in Europe and the United States, alarming law enforcement and public health officials. But in July 2025, China, a key manufacturing source of chemicals for nitazenes, banned them.
Nitazenes began to fade but, within months, orphines popped up in the American illicit drug supply.
In what form are orphines sold?
The most common orphine is an analog called cychlorphine (also known as N-propionitrile chlorphine). It seems to be circulating in counterfeit pills or as a powder, bulking and boosting fentanyl. Overdoses and fatalities may occur because the user did not know that the intended drug — such as the stimulant methamphetamine — had been adulterated with the orphine.
Cychlorphine is so new, so difficult to seize that researchers believe it is often being delivered by international mail. In addition to the United States, it has been detected in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, France and Germany, where, cheap and available, it has been nicknamed “poor man’s fentanyl.”
There are indications in Europe that cychlorphine is being used on its own, not just to adulterate other drugs. Medical examiners in the United States are starting to surmise this as well because a few overdose fatalities do not test positive for conventional illicit drugs, like fentanyl and benzodiazepines. When further toxicology tests have been done, cychlorphine shows up as the only deadly drug on board.
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America’s youth have been increasingly abusing common over-the-counter medications, according to poison center records.
A health advisory from America’s Poison Centers, representing 53 poison centers across the country, alerted a “concerning rise” in cases of diphenhydramine abuse among teens ages 13 to 19.
Diphenhydramine is commonly found in allergy and sleep medications such as Benadryl and Zzzquil, as mentioned in the advisory.
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From 2024 to 2025, the total exposure to any substance among teens in this age group reportedly increased by 5.1%.
But cases involving diphenhydramine alone increased more rapidly, from 10,068 to 13,284 cases, a 32% spike.
Thirteen percent of diphenhydramine cases in 2026 have been linked to intentional abuse, an increase from 7.3% in 2020. (iStock)
The trend appears to be continuing into 2026, as the first five months saw 6,179 diphenhydramine-only cases in teens — more than double the prior year.
According to America’s Poison Centers, the exposure appears to be driven by recreational misuse rather than accidental over-medication. Thirteen percent of cases in 2026 were linked to intentional abuse, up from 7.3% in 2020.
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Taking diphenhydramine improperly or in large amounts can affect the brain and heart, and can lead to serious or life-threatening effects, the advisory warned.
Diphenhydramine is commonly found in over-the-counter allergy and sleep medications. (iStock)
Some symptoms of diphenhydramine poisoning include drowsiness, agitation, fast heart rate, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, dangerous heart rhythm and loss of consciousness.
To avoid overexposure and complications, America’s Poison Centers advises the public to store all medications safely, up high, and out of reach of kids and teens. Label instructions should be followed carefully.
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“Talk with teens about the risks of misusing medications, including serious health effects and poisoning,” the notice suggested. “Be aware of social media trends or challenges that may encourage unsafe use of medications.”
Those who suspect misuse should contact the local Poison Control Center immediately.
America’s Poison Centers advises the public to “be aware of social media trends or challenges that may encourage unsafe use of medications.” (iStock)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Benadryl manufacturer Kenvue commented that the “health and safety of people who use our products is our top priority.”
“The social media trend promoting misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products is extremely dangerous and should be stopped immediately,” a Kenvue spokesperson said. “Our hearts go out to those impacted by the misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products.”
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“We are working with social media platform safety teams to remove these dangerous posts and help stop this behavior from spreading,” they added. “We are also taking action to educate on the safe use and storage of over-the-counter medicines, including those with the ingredient diphenhydramine.”
“The social media trend promoting misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products is extremely dangerous and should be stopped immediately.”
Mary Leonard, SVP of communications and public affairs for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, called the recent report “deeply concerning.”
“OTC medicines should never be used for recreational purposes, and intentional misuse should not be confused with the safe, effective use of these products,” she told Fox News Digital. “When used as directed, millions of Americans rely on OTC medicines containing diphenhydramine for relief from allergies, cold symptoms, motion sickness, minor skin irritations and occasional sleeplessness.”
“Because misuse of any medication can result in serious health consequences, the Drug Facts label clearly communicates dosing instructions, warnings and other important safety information.”
“OTC medicines should never be used for recreational purposes, and intentional misuse should not be confused with the safe, effective use of these products,” an industry spokesperson said. (iStock)
Kenvue shared the following three steps people can take to help prevent misuse.
- Report content related to this trend on the social media platform where it appears.
- Always store OTC medicines up and away in places children cannot access — preferably in locked cabinets or containers — and never leave medications on counters, bedside tables or in open bags, even temporarily.
- Carefully read and follow the instructions on the label and educate children on safe usage.
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“Dosing instructions and additional safety information are available on Benadryl.com, and always remember to consult a healthcare professional should you have questions,” the spokesperson added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Zzzquil maker P&G for comment.
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