The narrator and his friend began abusing cough medicine containing DXM as teenagers to get high, enjoying the dissociative and musical effects. However, over years of frequent use they began facing negative health impacts and one was confronted by an employee at the store they stole from. Although the narrator still finds the DXM experiences intense and enjoyable to think about, he warns others that prolonged heavy use can negatively impact development and that it should be enjoyed in moderation.

1. It was a Friday night. My friend called me very excited about something. His cousin had just told him that you could get high on cough medicine, and he tried it and was raving about how amazing it was. So it was settled, we would obtain some and trip together. This would be the beginning of a long relationship with DXM. It started off harmless enough. We would walk up to the store close to my house and steal/buy some robitussin. This was very convenient since we couldn’t even drive yet, as we were 15. We started off chugging a bottle each, but as we did it more and more often, we couldn’t stand the taste anymore. So we inevitably switched to pills. Our young minds could hardly fathom the amazingness of what we were experiencing. What it did to music was simply heavenly. We would walk and get some, take it on the way home, and almost be tripping by the time we reached the safety of my room. Once there we would listen to music, play computer games, and just enjoy the feeling of another world. We tried different doses, pushed ourselves to the limits, and of course endured some very painful nights when our stomachs would get angry at us. For me the best part of DXM was the music quality. I cannot even explain, but if you have tried it before, you know what I’m talking about. That’s what kept me coming back. You could take a bottle, lie down and close your eyes, and just listen to music all night long. AND LOVE IT! It would be more exciting than an amusement park. This is what ultimately led to my destruction. We took it so many times over the years, that we both feel it has affected us in the long run. Anything in excess isn’t good for you, much less entire bottles of cough syrup! At one point it was so bad that I started to get recognized at Walgreens and an employee eventually confronted me. I knew I had a problem. It wasn’t physically addictive, not by far. It’s just the simple fact that in a little bottle available almost anywhere is a substance that can take you away for a while. It is so intense that you barely recognize your own flesh in the mirror. Music sounds like angels are whispering into your ear, and let’s not forget the occasional out of body experience with the right dosage. Now here I am, five years later. I still love DXM and enjoy just thinking about the times I’ve had with it. I have tried tripping again a couple of times, but it will never be the same. My body simply can’t handle it anymore. Not in the form of cough medicine at least. I don’t regret my times with DXM, but I do feel it has had some effects on my growth and development. So here is my warning to everyone who finds this drug attractive. It is one of the easiest to get, most hardcore, amazing experiences out there, but proceed with caution. As with anything in life, too much is bad. I learned this the hard way with DXM. Sweet DXM, my love.