Cursed remedy: the hidden dangers in cough syrup

Students across the United States are getting a high off drugs bought at CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and many other stores carrying over the counter drugs. Students initially take 2.5-7.5 mg/kg, often called the 2nd plateau. As they become immune to the drug and crave a better high, they take increasingly larger doses until they reach 20 mg/kg, at which point the drugs become toxic.These drugs are legal, and many times the government is ignorant to their side effects. These drugs cause hallucinations and increased sensations that often rival that of acid while sharing many of the same effects as codeine and opium. These drugs are Robitussin, Nyquil, Coricidin, and Vicks 44. Why would the U.S. government allow these drugs on the street?

Normally used, these drugs do exactly what they prescribe to do, suppress coughs and help one sleep at night. Used in excess, these drugs cause a euphoric effect that becomes psychologically and physically addictive. In extreme excess, these drugs can cause brain damage or induce one into a coma.

The popular myth surrounding cough medicine is that it is the alcohol in the product that causes the high and thus any side effects would be similar to drunkenness. However, the actual cause is Dextromethorphan (DXM, Robo, Dex) or chloropheniramine maleate (CPM, Triple C).

These two ingredients are not similar to alcohol at all and are actually dissociate drugs, which in extreme use cause Olney's lesions, which are small holes in the brain. The longer one takes a drug the longer one wants to maintain the high and the longer one maintains a high the greater the risk of Olney's lesions. The difference continues in potency and effect on the brain. Several days of binge drinking equals 7.5-15 mg/kg of DXM or CPM. This is the target zone for most recreational users of these drugs. Therefore, a weekend or even a night of 'robo-tripping' could equal an entire week of binge drinking, causing as much, if not more, damage due to its nature of focusing on specific parts of the brain.

Many people wonder how a drug like DXM or CPM could become so addictive. The answer is that the drug itself does not cause a heavy addiction but simply a mild one. The problem comes with the psychological addiction that most students acquire. Students enjoy the high and then feel as if there are no consequences because it is just 'innocent' cough syrup. Everyone has met at least one person who claims they can drink as much as they want, but at the end of the night, that person becomes incredibly sick. However, while most people know the consequences of alcohol, few people know the consequences of DXM or CPM. As people get used to the drug they feel like they can go from six pills to 18 pills, from 18 pills to 32 pills and so on until one night their being taken away in an ambulance.

In some cases addictions come from a physiological dependency on the drug, but more often addictions start from a psychological dependency. People think they need to be high or drunk to have a good time. The students who get addicted to DXM or CPM start because they want to be drunk or high and are too young to buy alcohol. But, they can buy cough medicine. They 'robo-trip' before parties, then whenever they get bored they feel the need to 'robo-trip'. Most students who become addicted start 'robo-tripping' everyday because they feel depressed otherwise.

Remember that one trip causes as much damage as binge drinking for three days or more.

The problem is that people need to be educated about the dangers of using cough medicine recreationally. A dangerous drug for sure, but no more dangerous than any other over the counter drug on the market if used improperly. It is not the drug that causes the danger; it is ignorance of the drugs' consequences and the mindset that many students have.