The document discusses the dangers of teenage abuse of dextromethorphan (DXM), an active ingredient in many over-the-counter cough medications. It notes that while safe in normal doses, abuse of DXM in high doses can cause hallucinations and an altered mental state. The dangers of DXM abuse include side effects like high blood pressure and vomiting, as well as potential for psychosis with long-term abuse. Mixing DXM with other substances increases these health risks. The document urges that DXM abuse should be taken seriously due to these medical dangers.

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Dangers of Teenage Cough Medicine Abuse
Saturday, Sep. 6th 2014
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There is a good chance that you have it sitting in your
medicine cabinet at this moment – but it is a leading source
of over-the-counter (OTC) drug abuse in teenagers. The
drug in question is dextromethorphan (DXM), and it is an
ingredient in more than 100 different cough and cold
formulas that you can find in your local supermarket or
pharmacy. While you may know it under different brand
names, the base ingredient remains the same.
An Assumption that It is ‘Safe’
Most parents and teenagers assume that if it is available as a legal OTC medication, it must
be safe. It is true that in appropriate dosages, these medications are mostly harmless. At
extremely high doses though, the risk of abuse and other dangers become much higher.
When taking about 25 times the recommended dosage, DXM leads to hallucinations and an
altered state of consciousness, this effect can last upwards of 6 hours. This has made DXM
popular as an easy and cheap ‘legal’ high.
Teenagers may also abuse prescription cough medications that contain hydrocodone and
codeine, but those are far more challenging to obtain. Because it is not a narcotic, DXM is
straightforward and easy to obtain. It was originally introduced as an alternative to codeine
when it came onto the market in the 1950s. While it is not as physically or mentally addictive
as hydrocodone or codeine, there are still a number of dangers associated with the abuse of
DXM.
The 5 Dangers of DXM Abuse
These are the five dangers that both teenagers and parents have to know about when it
comes to the abuse of this OTC cough medication:
It causes an altered mental state – If teenagers abuse DXM, they experience an
altered perception of reality. This may include a lack of coordination, visual
changes, dizziness, poor judgment and hallucinations. It is dangerous to cross the
street in this condition, let alone ride a bike or drive a car.
It has a number of side effects – Some of the side effects include high blood
pressure, slurred speech, pounding heartbeat, panic attacks, seizures, vomiting and
nausea. When taken with other substances or alcohol, it may even be a fatal
combination.
You can get it in a powder form – One of the ways that teenagers are getting
around the vomiting side effect is by buying DXM in powder form. There are even
websites available that describe how to extract the DXM from the cough medication
found in stores.
It may lead to psychosis – Long­term
abuse may lead to chemical psychosis. This
means that the user requires medical treatment and hospitalization because he or
she has lost contact with reality.
It is possible to magnify its effects – Oftentimes teenagers will experiment with
other substances, including alcohol. This is only going to increase the dangers of
abuse. Especially because these OTC medications often contain other substances
such as acetaminophen, decongestants and antihistamines. When taken in large
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2. means that the user requires medical treatment and hospitalization because he or
she has lost contact with reality.
It is possible to magnify its effects – Oftentimes teenagers will experiment with
other substances, including alcohol. This is only going to increase the dangers of
abuse. Especially because these OTC medications often contain other substances
such as acetaminophen, decongestants and antihistamines. When taken in large
doses, these may be dangerous. Some of the included dangers are liver damage,
stroke and heart attack.
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