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MedHelp Member's Question

Abusing cough Medicine?

by Donna, Nov 21, 1999 12:00AM
I have heard that some kids my son hangs with are abusing cough medicine.  Drinking bottles of it for a high?  What type of cough medicine would this be.  And what kind of signs would my child show if he were doing this?
Member Comments (10)

by Dan, Dec 01, 1999 12:00AM
I am not a doctor but I can tell you that your child or his friends are most likely not getting high off of the alcohol in cough syrup.  They probably are using cough medicine that has the ingredient "Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide".  This is an over-the-counter drug found in many popular cough and cold medicines.  Chances are that they are using a product called "Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough" or generic equivalent.  This product is unique in that it has no other ingredients other than the DM.  Alcohol volume is 1.4% in the 4oz bottle, not nearly enough to cause a person to become alcohol-intoxicated.  Dextromethorphan is essentially a synthetic non narcotic cough suppressant that gives a similar high to codeine, although not as addictive(but it is addictive despite what AH Robins and the FDA may say.)  

As you may have assumed I am speaking from experience.  I am recovering from a 4 year bout with this stuff myself.  



The following is an out take from "The complete guide to prescription and non-prescription drugs" 1993:



Dextromethorphan Overdose Symptoms:



Euphoria, over activity, sense of intoxication, visual and auditory hallucinations, lack of coordination, stagger, stupor, shallow breathing.



A couple other symptoms that I remember:



Large pupils, sticky mouth, wide opened eyes, glazed, glassy eyes, walking funny somewhat like stomping, slurred speech (unlike an alcohol slur, this is mostly a result of numbness in the tongue as I remember it), inability to sleep for at least 8 hours after ingestion (usually), loss of appetite.





Make no mistake, this drug is for real.  It is actually quite popular among teenagers.  My only advise is to talk to a doctor and do what you think is best as a parent.

by stoneheart91, Feb 29, 2008 06:43PM
To: anybody
anybody in here addicted to dmx?

by stoneheart91, Feb 29, 2008 06:47PM
To: can it lead to brain damage
ever sense i stopped useing dmx ....people say i have looked lost and acted very slow

by newmanagment, Feb 29, 2008 06:50PM
i once saw my nephew high on robitussin. it wasnt pretty. as for dmx im unsure, try the medical consult part of this site, they might help. others on here may have experience with it tho. best of luck to ya,,,,

by jafro, Feb 29, 2008 06:55PM
What? and they sell this over the counter? to kids? how irresponsible. Surely kids would have to drink an awful lot (my stomach turns just thinking about it - I hate the taste of cold syrups). I can't imagine them selling something that dangerous. There must be strong warnings I'd hope at least.

by whathefu_k, Feb 29, 2008 07:50PM
To: Donna
A lot of teenagers are doing it now. They call it "robo trippin." I worked with this boy that would talk about doing it. He had to drink A LOT of it- several bottles. He was not the sharpest tool in the shed either. I wondered if it had made him slow.
Talk to your son about the dangers of what he may be doing to himself

by medicineman, Jun 03, 2008 09:34PM
To: anyone
It is not just over the counter cough medicines that you have to worry about. When teens over 16 go to the doctors they are often prescribed a cough medication with either Codeine or Hydrocodone. These are both narcotic Opioid pain medicines that are inserted into the prescription cough medications. In fact Hydrocodone is the same chemical formula as in the pain killer Vicodin. Teens often mix these prescription medications with sprite or other clear sodas and drink this concoction while driving. They call it leaning because of the feeling of leaning back in your seat. Also they may call it sipping on the "sizzurp". This is in fact the most dangerous form of cough syrup abuse. It can lead to opioid addiction not to mention impaired driving and other actions. Please watch your kids, my son started with this and  within 2 years became a heroin addict. I hope this never happens to your teens. Always ask for a non narcotic cough medicines.

by jackie05, Aug 01, 2008 12:04PM
To: anyone
i myself an addicted to cold medican i take 2 boxes of coricendan (thats not spelled right) to get high i do that for 4 days striaght then i stop i know i need help with this but its very hard no one understands it

by jackie05, Aug 01, 2008 12:06PM
To: one more thing
as a person who does this please look out for your kids or your friends, i wish i never would of started this i was in jail for 4 mos. for stealing cold med at the store, and when i got out i used again, look at there pupils the will be big and the day after you get high your tired and and wore out

by Anaxis, Aug 01, 2008 05:56PM
I started taking DXM through Corricidin cough-and-cold back in the mid-90s, we called it "fizzing".  At the time, my friends and I thought it was great, harmless fun.  Hell, at the same time, we thought that exstacy was safe. DXM is a powerful disassociative (accounting for the "robo" walk, hallucination, etc).  By itself, DXM isn't well understood (except by the manufacturers probably) as far as addiction and health-risks go because it can effect each user so very differently. The prior information here from others is good, but I have to add a warning about Corricidin C&C.  It also contains an antihistamine, CPM, which is DANGEROUS in overdose.  It can and has killed.  At least Robitussin only has a little alcohol in it.  :rolleyes:  Check out Erowid.org about Corricidin C&C.
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