# Damage caused by krokodil drug **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717 "2015-10-06T14:45:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/1 "2015-10-06T14:45:45Z")
I found a video purporting to show the damage done by krokodil on someone’s head. Since Internet videos are often enough fake or contain false information, I’d like to know if the following video is likely that of the damage caused by the drug krokodil. ACHTUNG! It doesn’t look good. [Krokodil: Nueva Droga Que Se Come a Las Personas Vivas - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mks_yUjF0oo) If it looks to likely be real and have been caused by krokodil: 1. How can someone still be alive with that much damage to their head? What would be the prognosis for them? 2. How come the damage is so one-sided in this video? 3. How come most of the damage done by krokodil isn’t internal since it goes through the veins? 4. If krokodil were smoked, what would be the kind and intensity of the damage? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/2 "2015-10-06T14:57:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Illicitly produced desomorphine typically contains large amounts of [toxic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic) substances as a result of being “cooked” and used without any significant effort to remove the byproducts and leftovers from synthesis. Injecting any such mixture can cause serious damage of the [skin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin), [blood vessels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_vessels), [bone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone) and [muscles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscles), sometimes requiring limb amputation in long-term users.[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desomorphine#cite_note-lifsci-7) Causes of this damage are from [iodine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine) and [phosphorus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus) (and other toxic substances) that are present after synthesis. The large volume of tissue damage/infection is what gained the drug its nickname of the [flesh-eating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesh-eating_disease) drug, as homemade versions made by suppliers and users contain multiple impurities and toxic substances that lead to such tissue damage/infection (the pure form of the drug itself would not cause this damage).[[15]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desomorphine#cite_note-Desomorphine_Krokodil_Basics-15) [Gangrene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangrene), [phlebitis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlebitis), [thrombosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombosis) (blood clots), [pneumonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonia), [meningitis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningitis), [septicaemia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septicaemia) (blood infection), [osteomyelitis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteomyelitis) (bone infection), liver & kidney damage, brain damage and [HIV/AIDS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS) are also common amongst users of krokodil.[[12]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desomorphine#cite_note-drugpo-12) Sometimes, the user will miss the vein when injecting the desomorphine, creating [abscess](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abscess) and causing death of the flesh surrounding the entry-point.[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desomorphine#cite_note-lifsci-7) Test subjects were subjected to desomorphine intake. The completed tests on animal subjects produced results that contrast desomorphine to [morphine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine). Compared to morphine, the results show increased [toxicity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicity), more potent [relief of pain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analgesic), higher levels of general [depression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_%28mood%29), decreased [respiration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_respiration), and increased [digestive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestion) activity. [Desomorphine - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desomorphine) It’s the impurities doing the damage. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/3 "2015-10-06T16:21:31Z")
since krokodil often includes the impurities and wouldn’t have that name without them, can anyone give some info on the questions I asked? ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/4 "2015-10-06T18:10:48Z")
I’m not an expert, but 1 poor due to the risk of infection 2 rt hander injecting the lt side of their head 3 dilution ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/5 "2015-10-07T02:52:34Z")
When krokodil (ETA: in Russian, крокодил) first began to be much-discussed in Western media (a few years ago), it was (and still is) easy to find on-line photos of damaged arms, hands, and legs of krokodil users. Without even looking at the OP’s link, I can at least tell you that people were all asking the same questions then as you’ve asked now. Especially OP’s question #1: _How is that person even still alive???_ There are numerous photos on-line of arms and legs with the flesh literally rotting and falling away, in true zombie-style, all the way down to the bare nekkid bones. :eek: And they’re shooting that shit into their heads now? That’s some desperate krok heads there! ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/6 "2015-10-07T03:29:14Z")
Thread has little point anymore. The video was misidentified as being an example of the damage done by krokodil. It seems to have been caused by flesh-eating bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/7 "2015-10-07T04:43:42Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Thread has little point anymore. Eh, #2 got answered by the fact that the video was misidentified. I think the other questions in your OP are still valid, and haven’t been completely answered. Seems like this thread still has a lot going for it. #1 has become a bit more generic (how can anyone survive that much damage to their head, without necessarily specifying what caused the damage, and what would be the prognosis for someone in that condition), where #3 and #4 are still about Krokodil and haven’t been changed by the revelation that the video isn’t what it was advertised to be. . ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/8 "2015-10-07T04:59:37Z")
You’re right. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damage-caused-by-krokodil-drug/733717/9 "2015-10-07T12:23:54Z")
Can someone survive that level of damage to their heads? Sure - short term at least. She isn’t bleeding out. Her brain is intact enough to keep her body functioning and she upright and conscious. Back when I worked with medical researchers I saw a number of images of people with horrific damage who were alive, many of whom later made a recovery of sorts and went on to live their lives. One was someone pulled from the fire/crowd crush of the The Station fire in Rhode Island. The side of her head was severely burned, down to and through her skull, exposing some of her brain. She survived, underwent surgery and rehab, and I presume is still up and walking about and living her life. The big problem, of course, is infection in raw tissue uncovered by skin. As long as that can be managed the person can continue to live. As to whether or not what is shown in that link is survivable, I don’t know. A lot depends on what sort of circulation remains in the living tissue at the margins as to whether or not some sort of skin graft could be done to cover the exposed eye socket, check bone, and jaw bones. That’s the sort of damage face transplants are intended to help with, although in this case it would be a half a face transplant. The fact there are people who have undergone facial transplants, including transplant of underlying facial bones, lets you know this is not an entirely unique case. This sort of head injury depicted in the link in the OP is particularly horrifying because it erases half of the person’s face, which is pretty damn disturbing to look at. Really, folks, don’t click on that without considering you’ll be looking at someone with exposed facial and skull bones.