This addiction literally owns my son. He is addiction to this shit like it was
heroin.
I am helpless, there is nothing I can do, except try to educate the public, and make them aware of this. Before my son started doing this, I had no idea that you could get high on cough and cold medicine.
DXM is a synthetically produced substance that is chemically related to codeine, though it is not an opiate.
DXM is an ingredient in more than 140 over-the-counter cough and cold remedies and since the 1950s has gradually replaced codeine as the most widely used cough suppressant in the United States. It is available in capsule, liquid, liquid gelatin capsule, lozenge, and tablet forms. It also is available in powdered form on the Internet--typically for sale to laboratories conducting research on
DXM.
When ingested at recommended dosage levels,
DXM generally is a safe and highly effective cough suppressant; however, when ingested in larger amounts,
DXM produces negative physiological effects. Reports of
DXM abuse have resulted in monitoring by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and
DXM could be added to the Controlled Substances Act if warranted. In 2003 legislation was introduced in Texas and North Dakota to prohibit the sale of
DXM to minors. The proposed legislation did not pass in either state. A similar bill introduced in California this year was also defeated.
Slang terms for
DXM include
DM,
robo,
rojo, and velvet. Slang terms for
DXM intoxication include
robo tripping,
skittling, and
dexing.
DXM Plateaus
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).
Over-the-counter products that contain
DXM often contain other ingredients such as acetaminophen,
chlorpheniramine, and
guaifenesin. Large dosages of acetaminophen can cause liver damage; large dosages of
chlorpheniramine can cause increased heart rate, lack of coordination, seizures, and coma; and large dosages of
guaifenesin can cause vomiting. Some first-time users may not abuse
DXM repeatedly if they experience negative side effects--such as vomiting--commonly associated with the other ingredients contained in over-the-counter
DXM medications. Nonetheless, some
DXM abusers "
robo shake," a practice whereby they drink a large amount of cough syrup containing
DXM and then force themselves to vomit so as to absorb enough
DXM through the stomach lining to achieve the desired effect while expelling the other ingredients. Some more experienced abusers use a chemical procedure to extract the
DXM from the other ingredients contained in cough syrups to avoid such side effects. (This procedure cannot be used on
DXM products sold in
nonliquid form.)
DXM abusers can obtain the drug at almost any pharmacy or supermarket. Most seek out products that have a high concentration of the drug. One of the most frequently abused products containing
DXM is
Coricidin®
HBP Cough & Cold, which contains 30 milligrams of
DXM per tablet. Abusers often refer to
Coricidin®
HBP Cough & Cold as triple C because of the three Cs imprinted on the red tablets. Other slang terms include skittles,
dex, candy, and red devils. Another frequently abused product containing
DXM is Robitussin®
DM, a syrup that contains 2 milligrams of
DXM per milliliter.
I love shopping on line.
