Coricidin® HBP™ for Cough and Cold: an alarming drug trend
Some teenagers and young adults, 13-19 -years-of-age, are deliberately ingesting large amounts of Coricidin HBP for cough and Cold; as many as 15 tablets at one time, and they get the stuff right off the shelf at the neighborhood supermarket or drugstore. Authorities say a growing number of teenagers are using over-the-counter cold medicines and cough syrup in excessive doses as recreational drugs --seeking what they describe as an LSD-like "high" from dextromethorphan, a non-prescription cough suppressant, an active ingredient of such products as Robitussin D and Coricidin D.
According to the DEA. "The abusers report a heightened sense of perceptual awareness, altered time perception and visual hallucinations." Most are discovering the practice on the Internet (Teen jargon: Dxing, Robo-trippin' and tussin'.) or from friends at school. Because the medications can be acquired legally, there is no means for tracking the breadth of abuse.
Product Information
Drug and Poison Information Center Dextromethorphan abuse is not new. Cold medicines have a history of being abused in an attempt to seek a cheap accessible high, but abusers often experience respiratory distress, slurred speech and hypertension.
Large amounts of Robitussin DM and other similar dextromethorphan-containing liquids have been uncommonly abused for years. This new trend of Coricidinâ abuse (taking 12-15 tablets) is an attempt to avoid drinking four to eight ounces or more of cough syrup at one time, a frequently nauseating experience. An excessively large amount of dextromethorphan could lead to coma and death.
Reported Symptoms Include: increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, increased pupil size, drowsiness, dizziness, slurred speech, unsteady gait, hallucinations, confusion, and nystagmus (involuntary rapid, rhythmic movement of the eyeballs).
An additional risk for teens is choosing the wrong Coricidinâ product. Some of the other Coricidinâ formulations include other ingredients such as acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) and/or phenylpropanolamine (a decongestant). Overdoses of acetaminophen can cause liver damage. Large doses of phenylpropanolamine are toxic to the heart and central nervous system.
Pharmacists, emergency department physicians, retailers, counselors, school nurses, teachers and parents (Lookout for excessive packages of cold medicine laying around.) need to be aware of this new trend.
For additional information on the above alert contact The Ohio Resource Network for Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities, P.O. Box 210109, 2624 Clifton Ave Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0109 Phone # 1-800-788-7254 (opt#2).
To participate in this OEWN initiative, visit www.ebasedprevention.org and fill out the OEWN registration form (listserv). Anyone in Ohio can report an issue to the Ohio Early Warning Network by calling the toll-free non-emergency InfoLine at 1-866-OhioEWN.
This alert is brought to you by the Ohio Department of Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools Program, the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addictions Services, Division of Prevention Services, the Ohio National Guard and the Ohio Resource Network for Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities
The information appearing on this alert is presented for educational purposes only. While the information published on this site is believed to be accurate, it is not intended to substitute for your own informational gathering or professional medical advice.
