As society changes so does the recreational drugs used by many of today's teenagers. Dextromethorphan Hybromide is a drug that can be found in the most common of places. A mother's medicine cabinets, shelves at a department store, or the internet are just a few places that this drug can be found. Yet, as common as this drug may be, it is still a potentially deadly threat to today's young people. If used for the proper purpose this drug has the ability to help soothe and suppress a cough. Used recreationally this drug has the ability to produce “euphoria, dream-like state and mind-body dissociation reportedly caused by DXM…”, but with a side effects that could kill.
The National Drug Intelligence Center has been researching the abuse of dextromethorphan hybromide for a number of years.
“Adolescents are the primary abusers of the drug most likely because it is inexpensive and relatively easy to obtain. Additionally, because DXM is a common ingredient in many cough and cold medicines, many adolescents do not perceive any risk in abusing the drug. Compounding the problem is that few parents know about the potential for abuse of the drug.”
With the lack of knowledge about the abuse of this drug many parents are completely unaware that their teen may be using this product to get high. The side effects can be deadly based on the dosage consumed.
“Permanent or serious brain damage can occur from DXM including: impaired memory, control of your behavior, learning, visual perception, and multi-sensory thinking as well as other permanent damage including: psychosis, limbic seizures, temporal lability and depression.”
These are extreme prices to pay just to get a cheap, legal high. Many parents are not even aware how to recognize the signs of abuse, and sometimes it is too late to get help. Pearcesuggests that there are signs to be aware of to spot an abuser. An abuser may appear to be drunk with characteristics such as slurred speech, and being unable to walk properly. Parents need to learn how to recognize these signs in order to save their children's lives.
Ubelacker states that abusing such a drug can lead to irreversible damage to the mind, and body. Organs, such as the liver, can be affected by guzzling down huge doses of this medication. Though it may seem like a cheap, and legal way to get high it is deadly and may even lead to coma or death .
There are different levels of “high” as the N.D.I.C. explains.
“Abusers describe the DXM experience as occurring on four different plateaus. Abusers ingest increasing amounts of DXM (based on their weight) to reach each succeeding plateau. Abusers report the following effects occurring in each plateau: First Plateau: Mild inebriation. Second Plateau: An effect similar to alcohol intoxication and, occasionally, mild hallucinations. The abuser's speech can become slurred, and short-term memory may be temporarily impaired. Third Plateau: An altered state of consciousness. The abuser's senses, particularly vision, can become impaired. Fourth Plateau: Mind and body dissociation or an "out-of-body" experience. The abuser can lose some or all contact with his or her senses. The effects at this plateau are comparable to the effects caused by ketamine or PCP (phencyclidine).”
Some adolescents who ingest this drug never reach these plateaus. When mixed with other drugs DXM can produce a deadly effect
Dextromethorphan may seem like a legal way to get high and experience the effects that most illicit drugs provide without the fear of jail time. Parents need to learn the warning signs, and side effects of such drugs while monitoring their drug cabinets for potential abuse. Since dextromethorphan can not be forcefully removed from the shelves we as parents have to monitor the supply kept in our homes in order to keep our children safe.
As you can see from the chart above some cough suppressants kept in the home can contain large amounts of dextromethorphan. Suppressants such as Coricidin Cough & Cold can also contain other medications that can be fatal and induce a coma. One of these medications can be found in virtually every medicine cabinet in America.
The dangers of taking such medications can prove lethal. Some of the irreversible damage can include Olney's lesions. “In theory Olney's lesions are small holes in specific areas of the brain due to extensive use of dissociative drugs like, DXM, PCP, Ketamine, Nitrous Oxide, and others.”
Psychosis is another possible side effect of taking dextromethorphan in large doses, or for long periods of time. Dextroverse Inc. suggests that when dissociative drugs are taken daily, rather than recreationally the reactions in the brain can become intense. There are many chemical reactions that come with taking drugs such as DXM and sometime a user's brain just can not take anymore of the abuse thus, causing temporary or permanent psychosis.
