Know the facts about DXM and connect with help and support to keep your child safe.
Cough syrup and cough and cold tablets or gel caps that are available without a prescription. Also, dextromethorphan can be purchased in a powder form, often over the internet.
DXM may produce euphoria and mind-altering effects when taken in quantities greater than the recommended treatment dose. People who misuse DXM describe different “plateaus” ranging from mild distortions of color and sound to visual hallucinations and “out-of-body” sensations, and loss of motor control.
Common DXM effects can include confusion, dizziness, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, impaired physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, numbness of fingers and toes, and disorientation.
1MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Feb. 2018, medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682492.html.
2National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Commonly Abused Drugs Charts.” NIDA, 2 July 2018, www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonly-abused-drugs-charts#methamphetamine.
3“Dextromethorphan overdose.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 23 Sep. 2018, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002628.htm.
Learn how to safeguard and dispose of your prescription medications to prevent teen medicine abuse.