The misuse of dextromethorphan (DXM) is common among teenagers and young adults. It is a common substance found in cough and cold over-the-counter medications such as Nyquil and Tylenol Cough & Cold. This video was created as an effort to increase awareness of the risks involved with misusing DXM.
According to the substance abuse and mental health services administration in 2006 an estimated 3.1 million people between the age of 12 to 25 years old misused over-the-counter cough and cold medications over-the-counter drugs also known as otcs are medicines that can be sold directly to people with other prescription drug abuse is not limited to street drugs and
Besides marijuana in the us the most commonly abused drugs are legal medicines abuse of otcs includes taking medicine in a way or dose even directed on the package taking medicine for the affected causes for example to get high and mixing otc medicines together to create new products dextromethorphan also known as dxm is a cough suppressant found in many otc cold
Medicines it is recognized as a substance of abuse in the united states and around the world it is a synthetically produced drug that is available in more than 140 over-the-counter cough and cold preparations some of these include tylenol cough and cold theraflu vicks nyquil & nyquil it was first approved by the fda and released in the 1950s but it quickly
Became a significant drug of abuse and was eventually removed from the market manufacturers reintroduced the drug with an unpleasant taste in order to decrease the prevalence of drug abuse however sales decreased and this force manufacturers to enhance the taste this caused a drug to become a significant drug of abuse again mostly with younger people dxm attaches
To receptors in the brain called nmda receptors and stops their activity it works to suppress a cough by decreasing activity in the area of the brain which is responsible for eliciting a cough in high doses dxm blocks these receptors leading to impairment and learning and memory process studies show high doses of dxm include approximately 400 milligrams of dbm per
70 kilogram person dxm abuse can produce adverse effects such as panic mania hallucinations stolen labored breathing blurred vision constipation dizziness and seizures to prevent misuse of otc s that have the exam it is important for you to follow the recommendations as described by the otc drug you should also be aware of the drugs potencies and effects before
Ingestion if you need assistance you should ask a pharmacist at your local pharmacy or also a doctor several studies have suggested the use of natural alternative medicines such as honey and ginger to prevent or relieve a cough a dose of 2.5 milliliters of honey before bed has been shown to alleviate cough related symptoms as efficiently as the exam through its
Anti-inflammatory properties ginger also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that suppress respiratory sensitivities without the side effects caused by the exam overall it is not bad to take medications with dxn if you present symptoms of cough and cold however it is important to be mindful of the drug’s effects to avoid the misuse of dxm alternative
Medicines as previously mentioned like ginger and honey can be taken instead of the exam to manage your flu-like symptoms you
Transcribed from video
Over-the-counter drugs: The misuse of dextromethorphan (DXM) By Demystifying Medicine McMaster