No day comes (and goes) without a lesson. Today I found some very interesting comments on a video about the abuse of cough syrup. As usual, the comments section was much more interesting (and hair-raising) than the video itself. It kind of appalled me to realize how many kids (mostly it's kids) are doing this stuff, chugging two or three bottles of Robitussin at a time, because they are actually - intentionally - chasing DISSOCIATION, which (last time I checked) is a mental illness.
I know from sad (bad) experience that drug and alcohol addiction can make you do crazy things, and it can even make you crazy. As a small child, I'd take the cap off the Benylin bottle and chug straight out of it, feeling the warmth spreading down into my chest and glowing in my tummy. Mmmmmmm! No one knew then that, along with the warm, tingling comfort of dextro-whatever-it-is (DXM for short), I was getting a hefty dose of codeine AND alcohol. I'm lucky I survived it.
This new thing - and it sounds about as new as drinking Sterno or Lysol in the alleyway - is called robotripping, and sometimes involves downing a two-litre bottle of Sprite as a chaser. It seems to me that chugging that much Sprite alone is enough to do long-term damage.
I'm always interested in the kind of commentary which plainly displays all the hallmarks of addiction, including elaborate, strenuous defense of the habit, protesting too much (hey, we never said you shouldn't take it, buddy - it's your body/funeral), and just plain bullshitting as a means to protect the habit and make it seem OK, at least in other people's minds. It doesn't work, I can tell you, but I'm fascinated when I see it.
THIS guy might be able to sell ice cubes to a refrigerator, or goldfish to a cracker factory. He's that good.
I think DXM improved my life a lot. Drugs in general but specifically DXM motivated me in ways to learn and accomplish things I would have never been interested in. My interest in pharm, chemistry, mycology, organic chemistry, has all stemmed out of drug use. I work in I.T. and I am too busy to trip these days, but I did DXM many many times for many years and I really liked it. I kind of think there is a double standard where people use prescriptions, ssri's, amphetamines, etc all under the guise of treatment because they are on label use, but treating people who become educated about what they put in their bodies, treat themselves, and find relief are dumped on.
Most medical dr i know are on stimulants, anti depressants, and sleeping pills. I came out of health science research even though I changed fields. I worked in hospitals for years, I have plenty of friends that are nurses and dr. They are all so judgmental about what I chose to do to my body even as they take their own cocktails.
Frankly, I think the issue is with addiction and lack of education. Teenagers don't have direction, don't have safety knowledge... they are prone to over indulgence. I will maintain that tripping on high doses of dxm many many times has caused nothing but a positive change in my mind and personality, but I've never taken what I felt was too much (as in black outs, vomiting, bad side effects, symptoms of overdose, etc)
I've never abused it multiple days in a short period always having a break in between, I've always made sure to exercise, eat right, and sleep a lot and treat my body with respect. I never mixed drugs in any unsafe way. I feel bad for people who get caught up in addictions but it's just like a food addiction. You eat fried chicken , fries, an a large soda every meal you're going to kill yourself. Maybe not today, but some day not that far off. Safety in general and in all things is not stressed enough in our society. Life can be taken or maimed in an instant in so many ways.
(response to a negative comment by @rose j ) you have damage from this drug? or from overdosing, or from mixing it with other drugs, or from buying a formulation that had other ingredients (decongestants) or from abusing it multiple days in a row? I really find it hard to believe. I can take pretty large doses (3rd plateau but never 4th) a hundred times, and experience only positive effects and someone can take it 6 times and have permanent damage and PTSD unless it was really abused, in which case I don't think it's fair to say it was BECAUSE of the drug.
I mean you can abuse fried chicken, the fried chicken isn't responsible for becoming obese and having heart disease, the choice to abuse the fried chicken is. If you take way too much tylenol it'll screw you up too. Doesn't make it the drugs fault. I know a guy who says he smoked marijuana once and was high for 4 years. I mean I guess anything is possible but it is certainly not typical of marijuana from the thousands of people I've met who have smoked it. Not trying to doubt your experience, I'm just saying 3rd plateau is considered a very high dose for this stuff, and I've never experienced seeing something that wasn't there.
APPENDIX. (Not the kind you have taken out.) I couldn't just leave it at that. I took a deeper dive, and was more shocked than ever at what I found. This is just a small excerpt from a website on rogue pharmaceuticals and what they can do to your body.
Everything You Need to Know About Robotripping
DXM, short for dextromethorphan, is an over-the-counter (OTC) cough suppressant that’s found in some cough syrups and cold meds. Robotripping, dexing, skittling — whatever you want to call it — refers to using DXM to experience a range of psychological and physical effects.
Robotripping usually involves higher than recommended doses, which can be harmful. Plus, a lot of DXM-containing products have other active ingredients that can also be harmful in higher doses. The effects of robotripping can vary a lot depending on how much you take. DXM causes different stages of intoxication (often referred to as plateaus) that vary with dosage.
A 100- to 200-milligram (mg) dose of DXM produces effects similar to ecstasy, also called molly. It causes mild stimulation and has an uplifting effect. People also describe feeling more energetic, social, and talkative.
2nd plateau
The second stage happens with 200 to 400 mg of DXM. It’s compared with alcohol intoxication, except with a more noticeable decrease in motor and cognitive functioning.
Euphoria and hallucinations are also likely with this dose.
3rd plateau
Things can get pretty hectic at this level, which produces effects similar to those of ketamine. This plateau happens with 400 to 600 mg of DXM. That’s enough to leave you almost incapacitated.
strong dissociation
intense hallucinations
loss of motor coordination
4th plateau
This involves an extremely high dose of DXM that’s anywhere from 500 to 1,500 mg. At this stage, the effects are similar to taking a hallucinogen like PCP. The effects of this dose are hard to shake off and last longer than the effects of other plateaus. Some people have experienced the effects for 2 weeks after stopping DXM.
Taking this much DXM causes a trance-like state and sensations similar to out-of-body experiences. Delirium and hallucinations often lead to aggressive or violent behavior. People also experience reduced pain perception.
DXM produces several physical effects that vary from person to person and by dose. The product you take also matters. DXM products often contain other active ingredients that produce their own effects.
Potential side effects include:
increased body temperature
hot flashes
sweating
nausea
dizziness
slurred speech
lethargy
hyperactivity
high blood pressure
slow breathing
irregular heartbeat
itching
