Why Do Young People and Adults Abuse Dextromethorphan?
They are seeking the drunken, out-of-control feeling they get after drinking large quantities of the cough syrup. feeling. They also experience dizziness and More symptoms are euphoriadistorted visual perceptions. Some people enjoy the dissociation (disconnection from your own body, identity or thoughts) that occurs at high doses.
The usual dose of dextromethorphan (abbreviated as DXM) is 10 to 15 milligrammes (mg) of the drug. At around 100 mg, these drunken sensations begin to occur for most people. However, some people routinely drink more than this dosage or consume more pills or gelcaps, consuming 240 to 360 mg of the drug. Dosages as high as 600 mg and higher have been seen.
When high doses of the drug are used, the symptoms can be severely disturbing.
They may include:
- Mania
- Loss of consciousness
- Poor judgement
- High blood pressure
- Numb fingers and toes
- Slurred speech
- Nausea and vomiting
- Disorientation
- Loss of coordination
- Distortions of colour and sound
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Agitation
- Psychosis
If the dosage of DXM is high enough, it can suppress the central nervous system and cause death. High dosages are also associated with an “out of body” experience and the loss of contact with all of a person’s senses, similar to the effects of ketamine or PCP.
It was only in 2005 that the Food and Drug Administration began issuing warnings about the abuse of this drug.
