---
title: Casualties Unknown Drugs and Medicine: What Each One Does
description: What each medicine does, which drugs players rate highly and which ones can kill you.
url: https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/medicine-and-drugs/
---

Items

# Casualties Unknown medicine and drugs

_[Image: The inventory wheel with a tooltip describing a combat pen: 100 mL holding medical-grade stimulant, epinephrine and oxyline]_

_Item text lists a drug's contents and dose. This combat pen is from the 6.0 pre-release build. Official Steam screenshot, © Orsoniks / Oro Interactive._

**Short answer:** Casualties Unknown drugs are mostly medical items for treating specific problems, such as pain, heart rhythm, bleeding and infection. Read the item text before use: it lists the contents, dose and warnings. Many drugs have overdoses and withdrawal, so use them only when you need them. confirmed

These are fictional in-game items. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and the numbers apply only to the game’s simulation.

## How do you use drugs in Casualties Unknown?

Hover over an item to read it. The [combat pen text](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4576490/) is a good example: it lists the whole mix and a note for each ingredient, plus its weight, trade value and whether it can be used in the health panel. confirmed Syringes and injectors open a minigame, while drinks can be swallowed.

Version 6.0 added 4 new medicine types and 3 new drug items alongside the reworked heart. confirmed

## What does each medicine do?

Below are the items and effects that official notes, in-game text or recordings show. confirmed

| Item | Use | Source of the claim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Combat pen | Stabilises casualties in combat; a 100 mL mix of stimulant, epinephrine and oxyline | In-game text |
| Medical-grade stimulant | “A very good kick”; generally safe; dose 100 mL | In-game text |
| Epinephrine | Reduces pain for a while; a low chance to restart a stopped heart; over 40 mL causes fibrillation | In-game text |
| Oxyline | Reoxygenates quickly, stabilises fibrillation, promotes hemoglobin; explosive with stomach acid | In-game text |
| Amiodarone | Reduces fibrillation faster since 6.1 | Patch notes |
| Procoagulant | Thickens blood; stops bleeding across the body | Patch notes, recordings |
| Antiseptic mush, clotting mush | Crafted treatments, buffed in 7.0 | Patch notes |
| Anti-rad | Treats radiation; can be overdosed | Patch notes |
| Antibiotics | Treats infection | Patch notes, recordings |
| Antidepressants | Mood; overdose is less serious since 6.0 | Patch notes |
| Opioids | Pain relief; cause vasodilation | Patch notes |

## Which drugs do players rate most highly?

- **Fentanyl** turns up constantly in player advice, including a bare “FENTANYL!!!!” in a list of beginner tips. reported Treat that as the community’s sense of humour about pain relief. Opioids carry overdose and dependence risks.

- **Sodium nitroprusside** is suggested for high blood pressure, particularly during a [sense of impending doom](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/layers/enemies-and-traps/). reported

- **Bruise kits** are named as the best treatment for dislocations and muscle damage. reported

- **L.R.D. serum** is rated highly enough to get [its own page](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/lrd-braingrow-mindwipe/).

## Which Casualties Unknown drugs are dangerous?

Almost all can hurt you. The items called out in official text and notes:

| Risk | Example | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fibrillation | Epinephrine over 40 mL | confirmed |
| Explosion | Oxyline mixed with stomach acid | confirmed |
| Overdose | Anti-rad and opioids | confirmed |
| Withdrawal | Dependence on certain drugs | reported |
| Stroke | Stimulants pushing blood pressure too high | reported |

Mystery cans are a special risk. Oxyline can no longer appear in non-descript cans, since 7.0, but other liquids can, so a can may contain almost anything. confirmed Antidepressant overdose is mild now, per 6.0. confirmed

One forum tip for hopeless situations is to take every drug you have, hoping for a mood boost and a [last stand](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/survival/last-stand/). unverified It does not fix what is killing you, so use it only when the run is already lost.

## Is injecting different from drinking?

Often, yes. A 7.0 fix dealt with a mismatch in chance between drinking and injecting epinephrine, which shows the game tracks them separately. confirmed Injecting miscellaneous liquids slightly thins your blood. confirmed Unknown liquids are risky by either route, so read what you can before you decide.

## How do you store Casualties Unknown medicine?

Keep medicine where you can reach it quickly: a medkit or belt rather than deep in a backpack. Medkits got a buff in 6.0, and antiseptic mush can be stored in medkits since 7.0. confirmed See [liquids and containers](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/liquids-and-containers/) for how to carry liquids safely.

Trade value is another reason to keep spare medicine, since it sells well to [traders](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/characters/survivors-and-traders/).

## What should you make first?

Dressings and sterilized dressings are the first medicine worth crafting. Save your finds for what you cannot make: heart drugs, antibiotics and blood replacements. See the [crafting guide](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/crafting/) for recipes that need nothing rare.

## What is the safest way to learn the drug system?

Use the [console](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/mods/console-commands/) on a throwaway run, spawn an item, and read its description. The in-game text is the most reliable source of doses, particularly after the full game’s balance changes. If our numbers differ from what your game shows, trust the game.

## Which medical items changed most recently?

The last public patch before release, 7.0, made several changes that older guides miss. confirmed

- Antiseptic mush can go in medkits, and antiseptic and clotting mush were both buffed.

- Hemothorax lowers maximum oxygen again.

- Items that reduce stroke no longer repair vision.

- Autopumps and the manual defibrillator estimate were both fixed.

## Sources
Last checked 9 November 2026. Marks: confirmed = official notes, in-game text or a recording of the game; reported = two or more players; unverified = one source.

- [Casualties: Unknown on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4576490/) · combat pen screenshot

- [v6.0 Patch Notes, Steam](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1830163047266090)

- [6.1 Demo Patch Notes, Steam](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1830797770233957)

- [7.0 Demo Update notes, Steam](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1834602721186794)

- [Steam forum: some tips for a beginner](https://steamcommunity.com/app/4576490/discussions/0/567046289381147747/)

- [Steam forum: How do I treat or avoid this?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/4576490/discussions/0/567048683131235272/)

- [Steam forum: Splatter your game knowledge here!](https://steamcommunity.com/app/4576490/discussions/0/801219948950225874/)

## More in Items

- [L.R.D., Braingrow, Mindwipe What L.R.D. serum, Braingrow, Mindwipe and the neural booster do, and when to use each.](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/lrd-braingrow-mindwipe/)

- [Crafting How crafting works, how Intelligence limits it, and which recipes to make first.](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/crafting/)

- [Liquids and containers How to mix and separate liquids, which containers to use and how inventory slots work.](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/liquids-and-containers/)

- [Weapons and armor Which weapons to use, how fights work, and how armor protects your body.](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/weapons-and-armor/)

- [Tools and light Light sources, how to get batteries, lockpicking and the tools worth carrying.](https://casualtieswiki.wiki/items/tools-and-light/)