Long Term Coricidin/DXM/Cough Medicine Abuse

[Matthew19H]

So, I abused Coricidin (triple c's) for about three years, along with Robotussin and Delsym on occasion.  At first it was with my friends on the weekends for about a year.  then i stopped for a while when i was on probation, and started back after six months of only smoking weed. this time i was hooked, taking coricidin by myself at least two or three times a week, and for the last year or so, i did it almost every day.  The most i ever took was 28 pills, but usually it was 16 (a whole box).  At the time, i didn't realize it, but I was delusional, and pyschologically addicted.  Finally, my mom noticed I was psychotic and took me to rehab.  My delusions were like everything from thinking i was being controlled by a snake that bit my brain to thinking my friends had planted a mind controlling microchip on my head in the form of a mole, just crazy **** like that and sometimes hearing voices and hallucinating, and A LOT of paranoia.   Other drugs i did just A FEW times during this period were LSD, shrooms, DSO, morphine, marijuana, and lortabs, plus a little drinking.   Since i've been sober for the last two months, I've realized that I was totally screwed up.  

Now WITHOUT ANY DRUGS, I'm having problems with my vision, like seeing specs of light, or my vision will be pixelated, and also lights like head lights, the moon, streetlights, the sun, etc. will be all stretched out, like when you squint really hard, except my eyes are wide open.  Other times i get blasts of light, like everything is overwhelmingly bright.  It's almost as if my eyes are still dilated.    My hearing is still like it was when i was tripping.  Music sounds so full and like it's got tons of reverb even when it doesn't, and i hear this constant white noise when i'm trying to listen.  It sounds crazy, but it's like i'm stuck in the afterglow of tripping.
Also, sometimes i can't sleep because my brain is racing with crazy *** thoughts, and then other times i feel completely stupid.  i'm having memory problems, trouble concentrating, and my muscles feel tight.  Off and on, I hear a voice in my head narrating my actions, I think it's from drug induced psychosis, and i'm still having fits of paranoia and delusions.  I can't tell if it's getting better of worse.  I'm scared I'm going to be tripping permanently.

Has anybody else been through this?   If so, how long does it take to feel like you've come down completely, or will it ever even go away?  Could it be withdrawals, or can you even have withdrawals from something that's not physically addictive?  How long will it take my vision to be normal?  Have I done permanent brain damage?  Are there any ways to speed up the healing process besides taking prescription drugs?  I think I've put enough chemicals in my body already, I'd like to get better naturally if that is possible.   If I stay sober, will drug induced psychosis ever go away?

[Smashlea]

I was introduced to tripple cs 2014 by a friend. My first time I took 6 pills by myself before bed just in case I had a bad trip there wouldn't be any one there to witness. I loved the first high it was something I never experienced. I was listening to music and basically just had a party in my own head. I continued doing them with 2 friends of mine a few times a week. Eventually we started getting into trouble like shoplifting going to jail and getting into fights with our family. Fast forward today I'm 22 and I still take these pills everyday before work because I hate my job and I feel like there the only way I'll get through the day. Ive lost 5 jobs with these pills being the probable cause. I don't tell anyone but I know people notice me acting strange and slurring my words. Everyday I try to stop but I jus f end up right back at the pharmacy shoplifting.

[Kmj1205]

Do you or did you ever have excessive spit in your mouth or spit bubbles under your tongue making it hard to speak after taking large amounts of triple c? I took 16 of them back in june and have these spit bubbles under my tongue that will not go away.

[RIGHTEOUSROGER]

Its been 13 years since I started taking trip c's. The high is Awesome. But the aftermath is terrible. Mood swings. Constantly hearing ringing in my ears. Light spots often are appearing in my eyes. I get pins and needles in different parts of my body. I want to get away from it so bad but it has a powerful persuasion on me. Its already ruined two relationships. And what's worse it cost me 3years away from my children. My faith in GOD is all that keeps me alive and fighting this demonic addiction. I still struggle with it. Its almost as if a part of me needs it. Its so scary when you build an intimate relationship with this demonic addiction. I pray for all of us who are fighting this. CORICIDIN SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED.ITS DANGEROUS

[jacer38]

I do not really know the exact date that I started taking triple c's but it  has been at least 6 months now since I've started. I am a female and I have suffered with ADHD, depression, and anxiety my entire life. I did not start taking medicine for it until my senior year of high school. I am 21 now and I do triple c's almost everyday. I usually take between 10-14 and I have not went over that and refuse to go over it. But the reason I'm posting this is because something happened about a month ago that was possibly the scariest thing of my life. My friend works at a drive thru tobacco place and I was there one night visiting him. I had done 14 triple c's before I went there and after I got there I drank 2 cans of beer, since my tolerance is usually okay. But right before we were about to leave I fell on the ground, he says, and looked as if I was having a seizure. In my head, however, it was like a repetitive loop of him dragging me across the floor and hitting the coolers and it was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever experienced in my life. It's like 6 phases were happening over and over and over again with just a little blackout between each of them. Then once we are in his car I kind of come to, but I feel weird when he asked me to put my seat belt on because it didn't feel like I had a body. I felt like a floating pair of eyeballs. All of a sudden I could only move certain parts of my body, and I could feel things with my hands but I couldn't control what was going on in his passenger seat. I couldn't talk either no matter how hard I tried. I could scream though. I stretched my body to where I was beeping his horn with my leg while rolling down the back window with my arm that I turned all the way around in the seat for. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me either. Then I finally came to and he told me about what all he had just witnessed me doing. It felt like everything that I had ever known was wrong, like it was a lie and wiped away and this new realization set in that the world was different than I thought it was. It's hard to explain but that's the best I've got.. if someone has had a similar experience then please let me know. I've searched everywhere and nothing really explained what I've went through. You can email me at j a c e r 3 8 ....... @.......... g m a i l . c o m

[CarlyC63]

I've been addicted to corocidin for 15 years, I started when I was 15 and I'm 30 now, I started taking about 8-10 pills at a time with my friends on the weekends and it just escalated to taking an average of about 20 pills almost every day. I used to love the high but there were times when I took too much my heart would race out of my chest and I sometimes would thought I would hear a radio playing quietly in the distance, my hearing would get muffled and I already had bad hearing to begin with. Throughout the years of my abuse I started getting headaches and a couple years ago is when I started experiencing nerve damage in my hands and arms. I would see spots of light floating around, and there was a couple times when I had bursts of light in my eye that hurt and I knew then what had just happened, I just had blood vessels burst in my eye. Then over the summer I had my first stroke, I didn't know that's what it was at the time, all I know is I just heard something "pop" inside my brain, it was the scariest sound I ever heard, it almost echoed in my head like it was hollow and my vision went blurry and I had almost no motor function I could barely walk I thought I was gonna fall. You would think that would be enough to scare me straight right? But no it didn't, after a while I started again and then last week it happened again, my second stroke. I felt my brain swelling earlier and then that familiar feeling from the summer time except this time it was worse and lasted a lot longer like it happened a few times, I know I had to go to the hospital but I was so afraid my parents were going to find out I was using again. I was on probation for 3 years and was in multiple drug programs doing 5 years of continuous treatment, the last thing I wanted to do was let my parents down, again. I know this time I was definitely scared straight cuz there will be no next time. I have caused so much damage to my body I don't think will ever heal, I am slower than I used to be and I have neuropathy in my arms and legs

[charbarstar]

Staying sober is definitely the best option. IT ALWAYS IS!!!! I  heard how good the trip was so i decided to take them.. I eventually got up to taking 2 full packs. My whole life changed NOT FOR THE BETTER! I became apathetic and i did things i would never do if i was in the right state! PSYCHOSIS is a side effect! I myself have experienced it and it is the SCARIEST thing to ever go through. The high on these pills is great but THINK about what you are doing to your body. These pills RUINED my life and picking up the pieces is the hardest thing i've ever had to do. HELP is not as far away as you think.. as much of a drag as it seems and as stubborn as you are -or convinced that you're okay or better than that. YOOURE NOT!  I have constant muscle contortions and my reality is not always clear, i have the worst headaches- along with high blood pressure and anxiety that's through the roof. Also the choices i made on them has effected my life forever. THE HIGH YOU GET FROM THESE PILLS IS NOT GREATER THAN THE REGRET THAT WILL FOLLOW! im so worried for all the stories i have read on these pills.. i wish people were more content with their lives and didn't see drugs as the only option. God Bless you all. Stay strong..

[Anonymous111222333444]

How are u doing now now that u r sober? How long were u sober? Please reply it seems like ur the only one on here that got through it

[123info456]

I have schizo-affective disorder. It was never really that bad as a kid but then I too started abusing cold medication for 7 years. I took the regular abusive dose of 16 at a time. in some cases I went two weeks without ever crashing because I used it so often. I took mushrooms once (its a long story but basically I took them after I was told that it was horny goat weed and a couple girls were on their way to visit my friend and I. it ended up being 2-3gs of dried ground shrooms from brazil) I used to snort hydros, adderal, and Xanax, sometimes separately, sometimes all together in one giant line. This was all over 8 years ago. Two years ago, I had a complete mental break down. I went into a dead street late at night and started smashing my bike on the road because I almost got hit by a car a couple times earlier that week. I then jumped the fence of a public pool. Someone told me to leave but I pleaded that it was "ok" because I knew what I was doing. I then jumped in with my clothes on. Later that night I was waiting for my clothes to dry by walking around. The cops picked me up after 7-10 of them pointed their guns at me. I nearly s**t my pants. They took me to the psychward which is when I decided to see a theorpist again. now Im on invega susstenia (montly shot form) for Schizo-affective disorder with is a combo of schizophrenia and bi-polar which triggers the schizophrenia. The meds help ALOT.

[katty713]

I was taking triple c's for about six months before I quit, but I was doing it heavily, for about a month straight, taking all 16 pills at once.  I would also mix it with weed and cigarettes and one time I even tried drinking... Now I've sobered up and gotten away from my friends that were influencing me to use, and I can relate with your symptoms.  I get these weird dancing lights in my vision, sometimes black spots where there's nothing at all, I have extreme tenseness in my jaw muscles and other parts of my body.  For a long time I was having digestive problems.  I also suffered from severe depression for the first year after I stopped taking the pills.

If you're still struggling with getting back to normal, I suggest diet and exercise as the number one remedy.  Its the only thing that makes me feel normal, to do something physical and build up my strength again, because of course, while I was doing pills, I was hardly eating, and would have tons of sugary drinks while I was high, too, to get rid of the taste of puke in my mouth.  Also, you need to hang out with sober people, people who don't smoke or drink at all.  Even drinking alcohol will get you ****** up, because your liver is so damaged.  I made that mistake once months after I had stopped using, thinking I could handle it.  In fact I got so drunk that I ended up smoking meth without even knowing it.  

Your best bet is to stay completely sober, and keep yourself busy.  Picking up hobbies like reading is good, because it makes your brain focus and slow down.  It helps me sleep, because sometimes I can't stop my thoughts from going crazy either.  Some days it would get so bad that I would think about just laying down on train tracks and giving up, and I wouldn't even feel scared by these thoughts.  On my good days, though, I know that's not what I should do.  Whenever I'm feeling weak or helpless, I talk to my friends, or I do a workout, to get my head back on straight.  You'll get through it, you just need to find a new, positive focus so your mind isn't on the past, but the future. You're still here and alive, and that's what is most important.

[natalandonlove1]

I have en going through all of these posts and really for the first time ever I have started understanding the damage I have done to my body from taking coricidin. Its started out as an escape from reality once a week with my friends but eventually I wasn't satisfied with just once a well I started taking them throughout the week as well with out my friends just to get through daily life! I remember always hearing birds chirping above my head but I loved them they made me so confident and happy! My house was always clean because I always had the energy to clean I always had food because I would steal everyday from any store I could get to. I had amazing social skills and it felt like for the first time ever I was truly enjoying life. Before I started using them I was cutting because I was mentally hurt but after I stared using them I would cut all the time and most times because it was cool to watch in my head I told myself that I was artistic and the cuts on my body were my art. I forced myself to throw up everyday to get skinnier because I hated being the chubby girl. Then eventually I needed to drink everyday to feel high on them. I do remember being paranoid and always thinking that people were conspiring against me. Eventually my friends left because they couldn't deal with always seeing me like that, my family stopped coming to see me because they hated what I was doing. I kept my body healthy by always drinking water, eating three small meals a day that always contained fruit and walking. This is the only time I have ever been able to go to school and do good. I got pregnant at about 6 months into my binge and quite immediately. I miscarried my baby though but the guy I was with didn't want me to do them anymore I figured because I had already quit I just would stay done with them. I lapsed a few times here and there for a few days or so. I got pregnant again and my beautiful baby was born three months premature absolutely non drug related. And passed away in the hospital 16 days later. Since that has happened I have starred smoking meth and I just would love to be back on them but every time I do them I don't get the good feelings I used to get hen I first stating doing them. I don't feel happy or confident, I feel paranoid and awkward I just sit there in a daze silently till I come down. Reading this though has really made me not want to do them. I no longer do any drugs at the moment but I crave them so bad. I have noticed that I occasiomly can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy. I still get paranoid and have depression/anxiety and bipolor. Is there any way to ever feel normal without them. I feel so depressed when I'm not on them and sometimes that little red devil told m I'd be happier on them. I just don't want to completey wreck my body and brain.... Ugh soooo torn!!!!!

[NightTime_Poison]

I did Coricidin for two years. Terrible stuff. I wrote my entire experience in it in my blog. The symptoms don't always completely go away. They slowly fade over time. The cool thing about your brain is, it rebuilds itself in its own neat way. I've been clean for 3 years now and I feel mostly normal, aside from some high feelings randomly, but rarely. And some weird flickers in my peripherals. Cough medicine is some nasty stuff, and not just cause it tastes disgusting. Apparently cough medicine is popular among young teens because its not exactly illegal. I'm trying to spread awareness about it over my neglected blog. If you would like to check it out, here's a link: http://dearbitchingblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-cough-medicine-abuse-rainbow-from.html and if you like what I wrote, share it with people. Maybe one day, people will turn to weed instead of slowly destroying themselves.

[bahamamama13165]

Hi, just thought I'd let you know I abused that drug for years, daily. I tried to quit many times and failed. Until, I went in patient for a couple months. I didn't have the money, so I put it on credit card. Still the best decision of my life. I just celebrated one year clean. Contact me if you want info on the rehab I went to. It was great. Very clean, great food, almost like a resort but without the huge price tag of some of the big name rehabs. It's privately owned buy a man in recovery and it totally changed my life. Good luck, you have a great life waiting for you on the other side of the addiction.

[nursegirl6572]

You would be better served to start a new thread as this one is old and will get passed by.

Yes, you definitely need help.  I would recommend an intensive inpatient rehab program.  Have you actually tried any kind of recovery program up til now, or just telling yourself you have to stop?

If you continue to abuse this, you will suffer devastating consequences...you've already started to.  Please get help ASAP.  If you feel you may harm yourself, seek immediate help.  Suicide isn't the answer.

[CrazyCrackhead]

I'm a 19 year old female. I graduated high school last year, got a great job, started going to college, and was living pretty stably on my own. I have always had a love/hate relationship with alcohol. I didn't do anything else but drink...then I couldn't get up in time for work. A friend introduced me to TripleC's and just haven't been able to stop since. I LOVE them but the side effects scare me, I'm aware I could lose my job, I quit school, currently being evicted, and my friends/family are torn up over this. I'm also going insane...I talk out of my head. I once looked at my step dad after he asked if I was listening to his warnings of addiction (he's a pillhead) and replied, "Don't you know we're all already dead and just puppets? My puppeteer is about to give up on me though. I need to figure up a plan but for now lets not talk loud enough to where they can hear us and know what we're up to." I could hear myself say this but was not thinking it or even controlling my mouth it felt like. WTF is happening to me? Idk what to do or how to stop???? Once I came in from work, took more than I should've, set up in the corner of my room next to the ceiling and WATCHED MYSELF lay on my bed while my eyes rolled around in my head.
  I say each box is the last box but then before I know it, I'm ****** walkin out of DG with another box swearin to myself and sayin how it's the last time (probably out loud hell.) I keep planning to eat a bottle of sleeping pills so I can end this ****...but it would devastate my mama. Someone pleeeeaaase ******* help me off this ****!!!!!???? This is not me.

[AubreeLee]

I've abused coriciden for through out my teen years and into my early adult years. A while back I started using them daily for four months.. I would take up to 50-60 pills a day and sometimes in one sitting. I used so I could get away from reality and away from myself. I knew they were bad for me, but at the time I really didn't care. Its been almost six months since my binge and I have to say I am NOT the same person I used to be. Im extremely slow and forgetful. Its hard for me to put sentences together or find the words i'd like to use. It affected my relationships with my family and friends. My best friend of 12 years kicked me out of the apartment we shared because I was taking coriciden. I started shoplifting 5-10 boxes at time. I moved back with my mom after being kicked out.. Of course she found out of my abuse of DXM.. It was obvious. I was running into walls, everytime i tried talking to her it just came out as slurs.. One night i took coriciden with LSD and tripped so bad I was on the floor in the living room screaming at the top of my lungs that i was dying. My mom called the ambulance & on the way to the hospital I was screaming that I was being abducted by aliens. After that all I remember was waking up in a mental institute. ANYWAYS! Being sober now and trying to patch my life back together has been a complete struggle. I lost the trust and respect from all of my friends and family. Its hard for me to even have friendships now because I cant express myself or say what I want because I dont know how to anymore. I just want to say to anyone thinking of using coriciden or to those that are. Just dont. Its not worth it. Think about your future.. Do you want to be have mental disabilities for the rest of your life because of it?

[bahamamama13165]

Does he, by any chance, also take antidepressants?  It's a dangerous combination. You should have him checked out by a doctor to make sure he didn't suffer a mini stroke.

[worried4aaron]

Would some of you consider telling your stories on some of the robo tripping forums. For the most part all they talk about is how cool it is tripping balls and what a great high it is, but never about the side affects. My son went on a 4 day binge and its been over a week and he still is not back to normal. He took it once and liked it so much he keep doing it till he couldn't,t come back down. Now his body is numb his face and lips tingle, he has tracers and his hearing is off, also he feels dissociated.

[Jmsn72]

Having been there myself, I am ceasing dxm use after two years, 480 mg a day. This is the second period of cessation.. I believe the brain is re-regulating itself now that it doesnt have the drug to flood the receptors with neurotransmitters....Having done this once before after a year usage (before going back to it...the effects are just as painful for me as they were before...

For me this has been continuous petite mal seizures or glitches every few seconds every minute, sensations of posession when trying to sleep, complete social anhedonia (so bad there isnt even a desire to interact for even sexual contact), complete nihilistic thinking, and anxiety leaving the house....There is also sever coordination problems, extreme tremors and this occurs every moment of every day....Thoughts seem to have constant breaks in them...

It can last 2 weeks for to a month for me until i am stabilized again...Weaning urself off is better than cesation as i am currently learning the hard way....It's hell and the cold sweats arent fun either nor is the nauseau....but once its gone things return to normal...

Good news is u arent ****** up for life....Bad news is its gonna hurt ...aLOT!

[SB74]

I wish the best for all of you. My 18 year old Son has been on these pills for almost 2 years now. Had to call 911 twice I thought he was gonna die. He has taken up to 40 pills at a time. I don't know what to do. I've tried to talk to him, beg him, ***** at him, threaten to kick him out. I'm so worried about him I feel like I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown at times. Any Advice? Do I just try to ignore it? He was in drug treatment for 9 months last year for marijuana. He got caught up in the system and was dirty so they sent him away. I'm desperate Please help! Also please let me know of any support groups. I could really use it myself. Thank you.

[mommymarieme]

Hey barrelracer! Just wanted to let you know this is an older thread but if you go to the top of the page and hit the post a question button more people will support you. I am so glad you are here and just wanted to welcome you it is kind of late so there may not be very many replies until morning.

[barrelracer2016]

actually just message me on here and I will be happy to help or even just talk.. i like talking to people who go through the same things I do so just know Im here when you think nobody else is :)

[barrelracer2016]

Hi! my name is Katie and I have been abusing Coricidin for about a year now. i was recently hospitalized after I "overdosed" on 24. i usually take only 16 just because I love to do it. my parents think I am addicted but honestly I just love the high. The out of body experiences and the warm tingly feeling I get after I take them is irreplaceable. I started doing them a 15 with my best friend because I was hearing voices and seeing shadows. I was later diagnosed with Bipolar type 2 with Physcotic episodes. Now we are possibly considering paranoid scizophrenia. I think tripple cs honestly have pushed me to the edge of being scizophrenic. I am on medication for my Bipolar and it helps with the voices but had I never started doing tripple cs then maybe my condition would not have worsened. I can easily say that I am able to stop anytime and now that my parents are threatening to send me to rehab I have no choice. Plus I have a horse and she is my everything. I dont know what i would do without her. I compete in rodeos as a barrel racer and now that I am 16 I can drive. I think tripple cs have given me a glimpse at what people who get addictions can go through but the memory loss and sometimes not understanding a conversation is not worth the high. i promise that tripple cs only hurt you. you my think you need them but in actuality you are better off and happier without them. anyways, just thought I should share my story. I really like this site. If anyone ever wants to talk, Im here :) just email me: ***@****

whoop whoop mcl <3

[SwimFly311]

I am in the same position. How did you quit?

[bradley22]

did you ever pea blood

[ArcticReign]

I had a similar situation in my town. Many of the commonly abused DXM products have been taken off of shelves in various stores.

I'll try to make this relatively short so that it's readable. I've been abusing DXM for years. I found that tripple C's give me the most enjoyable effect, probably because of the two active ingredients combined. I don't do them too terribly often. Certainly when I'm on them I'm not myself, but otherwise I haven't noticed any "bi polar" or lasting central nervous system effects that some of you mention.

They switched the CCC's recently. They are no longer candy coated and don't seem to have as much of an effect. I'm not sure why, perhaps they are time release or something. Anyway, I typically took two boxes (32 pills) at a time of the newer CCC's and would get the effect of maybe 20 pills of the old candy coated ones.

Recently I probably had in my possession about 10 boxes. I was taking them throughout the day. Unfortunately, I underestimated them. I blacked out that evening. I have no idea how many boxes I had left, but I was found at least a day later basically still incoherent from the drugs. There were none left, so I know I took A LOT! I really have no idea, but I would estimate maybe six boxes throughout the night.

I was lying on the ground. I couldn't walk at all. I literally thought I had a stroke or something.

Anyway, I was taken to the hospital. I had fallen at some point, so got 4 stitches in my chin, had minor bleeding in my head probably due to the fall, was suffering from liver damage, and was on the verge of kidney failure. My liver wasn't that bad and recovered in a few days, but my kidneys were worse. The doctor estimated it was due to a combination of the drugs, dehydration, and lying in one spot for a long period of time.

They tried to have me urinate so they could test my urine and I couldn't. They stuck a catheter in me and my urine was literally mud brown. I have never seen anything like it. They said that I was so dehydrated and confined in a fixed position for so long that my kidneys began breaking down and processing muscle which clogs them up leading to kidney failure. It is known as Rhabdomyolysis. My whole body was sore as though I just did a total body workout for the first time in years.

Anyway, I spent a week in the hospital. Most of the time I was in intensive care. I had an IV and catheter till the last day and they took blood from the same arm every two hours. It ******* sucked. They also did two complete liver flushes with a second IV.

When I was finally healthy enough to go home, my numbers were almost back to normal. I was told I would make a full recovery. Before I left, though, the doctor said (I'm estimating numbers here, can't remember exactly) that my kidney count (whatever number they were looking at) is like 600 and mine was 120,000. He said I got lucky. If I hadn't been found on time I'd be dead or on dialysis.

My mother joined me at the hospital shortly after I had arrived. She didn't tell me this till I came home, having mostly recovered, but I guess every time they left my room they were talking about my astronomical numbers and seriously worried about irreversible kidney damage. Of course, no one told me this at the time. I actually didn't even think I was sick. Thought I'd spend the night and then go home the next day.

So, dire warning. I would stay away from it. If you are going to do it, though, I would recommend a sober babysitter. Especially if you are prone to blackouts. Stay well hydrated, too.