# Addictive drug "Krokodil" AKA Desomorphine rotting flesh off addicts bones- Warning GRAPHIC website **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951 "2011-11-05T13:22:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/21 "2011-11-06T00:17:26Z")
Sweet Zombie Junkies. Seriously. That’s fucked up beyond anything. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/22 "2011-11-06T02:43:31Z")
My (admittedly limited) understanding is that the massive tissue die off is not caused by infection, it’s caused by the adulterating chemicals used in/created by the crude manufacturing process. It’s a chemical reaction destroying tissue, not bacteria (though bacteria may well come along afterward for dinner). Thus, the dead, sloughing tissue isn’t spreading infection through the body, and at least initially may have _less_ bacteria than normal tissue. I saw an extended video of Mr. Left Tibia and Fibula. It looked pretty damn convincing to me. Spoilered for more sensitive readers. Basically, the guys shows up in a wheelchair with his left leg wrapped up in plastic. The doctor/medical guy starts peeling away the plastic, whereupon the flesh of the left leg slumps down, sort of like an old, baggy grey sock, exposing the leg bones. This is shortly followed by the medical guy performing an amputation with a saw [like this one](http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Camping-Saw-Sportsmans-Version/dp/B000O9GHDQ). That gets rid of most of the dead tissue. I can only hope that the patient was then taken to an operating room for more “clean up”. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/23 "2011-11-06T03:34:05Z")
Where did you see this extended video? I find these sorts of images fascinating honestly. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/24 "2011-11-06T04:00:42Z")
How is it pronounced? Like “crocodile”? More like it’s spelled (KROK-oh-dill, perhaps)? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/25 "2011-11-06T04:09:01Z")
The third link of the OP has people pronouncing it just like the word “crocodile”, nothing fancy. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/26 "2011-11-06T04:15:45Z")
Thanks, **Bees**. I didn’t want to watch that video. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/27 "2011-11-06T04:21:39Z")
If you skip to 1:00 of the video it skips all the images of damage to skin and goes on to discuss how the availability of codeine is a problem in Russia. Then they have a few people, including one user, weigh in on the upcoming ban on codeine, finishing the video off with a woman having what looks to be a copious amount of… something, injected into her neck. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/28 "2011-11-06T06:23:33Z")
You know, if they really are that hard up for narcotics, they could grow their own poppies. I mean, if the process were difficult, we wouldn’t have such a hard time stamping it out in Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![raskolnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47c2d/32.png) [@raskolnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raskolnik)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/29 "2011-11-06T07:34:22Z")
Siberia, and Primorya are not well suited to opium poppies. Elevation and temperature are not ideal. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/30 "2011-11-06T08:26:33Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:24, topic:601951”] How is it pronounced? Like “crocodile”? More like it’s spelled (KROK-oh-dill, perhaps)? [/QUOTE] > [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > The third link of the OP has people pronouncing it just like the word “crocodile”, nothing fancy. IIRC, it is the Russian version of crocodile. Referring to making your skin look like a crocodiles; before it falls off, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/31 "2011-11-06T10:26:27Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Or just a fake leg. Russia seems to be a source of a lot of made-up news stories and images, for whatever reason. > > Not that I doubt the actual story, that the drug exists, is being abused by heroin addicts or that it causes horrific tissue damage, I’m just wondering about the image in the OP’s link that shows almost the entire fibula/tibula exposed with almost no skin attached. I have trouble believing someone could survive that. You may take it from me. The human body can take a staggering amount of insult, and still stay alive, technically, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/32 "2011-11-06T10:51:02Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > Where did you see this extended video? I find these sorts of images fascinating honestly. On YouTube. Please search for it yourself, I don’t care to see that again, at least not this morning. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/33 "2011-11-06T11:30:24Z")
Since this board is supposed to be about fighting ignorance, I’ll point out I’m not at at all convinced these aren’t just random photos of victims of necrotizing fasciitis. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/34 "2011-11-06T14:59:11Z")
We had a thread that turned into one on this topic back in July: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616347&highlight=Desomorphine](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616347&highlight=Desomorphine) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/35 "2011-11-06T15:04:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > We had a thread that turned into one on this topic back in July: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616347&highlight=Desomorphine](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616347&highlight=Desomorphine) Beat you to it - post #3. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/36 "2011-11-06T15:06:09Z")
Someone needs to make a mashup of those horrific video images with that catchy “Schnappi krokodil” [song](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnappi). ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/37 "2011-12-25T06:21:06Z")
They couldn’t call it “Opal” or “Cecil” or “Snake-Hips,” it had to be “Krokodil”… ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/38 "2011-12-25T06:28:51Z")
I was underwhelmed by the pictures. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/39 "2011-12-25T06:48:22Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > To be so addicted to heroin that if you can’t get it, you’ll shoot up this crap… :(:(☹ It is ASTOUNDING to me the lengths people will go to for a high. A FOAF died because he heard you could cut open a [Thermacare](http://www.thermacare.com/producthub.aspx?source=Google$Branded+-+General$thermacare$thermacare$Exact&s_kwcid=TC%7C16752%7Cthermacare%7C%7CS%7Ce%7C10360616580) wrap, scrape out the chemicals/ingredients and snort them. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951/40 "2011-12-25T07:02:54Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > My (admittedly limited) understanding is that the massive tissue die off is not caused by infection, it’s caused by the adulterating chemicals used in/created by the crude manufacturing process. It’s a chemical reaction destroying tissue, not bacteria (though bacteria may well come along afterward for dinner). Thus, the dead, sloughing tissue isn’t spreading infection through the body, and at least initially may have _less_ bacteria than normal tissue. Yeah, I was under the impression that the deterioration wasn’t bacterial–It seems to me like there’d be more discoloration and/or swelling of the surrounding tissue. It’s more like a terrible chemical burn than anything else; the skin looked rather bleached to me. But damn, that is an impressive amount of soft tissue missing there. It’s like the bones were professionally boiled and cleaned. I can’t imagine the pain these people must be in. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addictive-drug-krokodil-aka-desomorphine-rotting-flesh-off-addicts-bones-warning-graphic-website/601951.md?page=3)