Deadly Cold Medicine As Flu Season Approaches

Be careful. That over-the-counter cold medicine you have in your medicine cabinet may have some Dextromethorphan (DXM) in it and DXM can make a person high. You may not know about DXM, but most drug abusers do, so check your medicine cabinet.
 
The Atlanta Recovery Center warns that DXM can produce a high similar to LSD; including hallucinations, vivid dreams, loss of motor control and "out of body" states.
This high is described as “robo tripping” by DXM users. It takes an overdose of DXM to produce a drug high and this overdose can also cause health problems like rapid heart beat, lethargy, high blood pressure, kidney damage, liver damage seizures and even death.

This drug is easy to get and emergency rooms are reporting waves of young people who are overdosing on it. Estimates are that over two million teens in the United States have abused DXM products to get high. Often, these teens are finding information about DXM on the internet.

“At The Atlanta Recovery Center,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director, “we have first hand accounts from clients who abused this drug in the past. One reported that Coricidin (the most popular drug containing DXM) seemed to leap into his pocket when he was in the drug store. Another told a staff member that he has never quite returned to normal after his extensive abuse of the drug. The theft of drugs containing DXM is at an all time high.”

It is sometimes difficult to tell if someone is abusing an over-the-counter medication containing DXM. Be alert if the person is acting stoned but there is no tell-tale smell. This is a key sign. Other symptoms are:

• Dilated pupils
• Confusion
• Slurred Speech
• Dizziness
• Loss of coordination

While Coricidin is the most popular of the abused over-the-counter-medications, DXM is found in over 140 products. Look for those products that say "DM" or "Tuss".

Don't leave it to law enforcement to solve this problem. Drugs with DXM can be bought and consumed in large amounts without any laws being broken. Be alert for theft when you are in a drug store with an abuser or if you work in a retail facility that sells cold medication.

The best defense against this drug is education. The dangers are real and probably unknown to any would-be- user. This is one of the most dangerous ways to get high and unfortunately the most available.

Anyone about to take this stuff for fun needs to know it could kill them.