T's and blues. Abuse of pentazocine and tripelennamine

Pentazocine, long an abused drug among the medical community, has become popular among street addicts. The tablet form of pentazocine is combined with the antihistamine, tripelennamine, dissolved in water, and injected intravenously. This combination is known as "T's and Blues." Prescribing physicians should be aware of the abuse of these two drugs, particularly since pentazocine in tablet form is often considered of low abuse potential. Patterns of abuse, serious medical complications, and treatment considerations are discussed.