DOSE:	960 - 1440 mg	oral	DXM
		oral	Chlorpheniramine Maleate

BODY WEIGHT:

200 lb

I first tried DXM when I was 18 years old. My boyfriend at the time was a habitual tripper and he turned me on to DXM.

I did not begin to use DXM regularly until age 19. The frequency and dosage of my tripps increased from this point on.

My DXM usage hit its peak when I was 21-23 years old. During that time period, I was tripping multiple times a week, often for days at a time. I was on a HEAVY dosage, anywhere from 960 mgs to 1440+ mgs at a time. My method of choice was ingestion of Coricidin Cough and Cold (with CPM). I also went through a Mucinex phase and a Zicam Cough Max spray phase. Robotussin and Delsym cough syrups were taken occasionally to substitute or add to the aforementioned substances. During this time I was living with my ex who first introduced me to DXM. I did not work. I barely left our little compound. I was estranged from my family and abandoned most of my friends. I also had a simultaneous addiction to shooting up Morphine (a habit which I have since completely kicked, thank the gods!). My life was a mess, to put it mildly.

Right around my 24th birthday I started having severe physical and emotional reactions to DXM. I started bleeding internally after ingestion. I had a couple Complex-Partial Seizures while tripping. I attempted suicide a few times. I had been in a constant state of delusion for almost a year by that time, false memories, thinking I could read minds. I ended up moving out of the house where my addiction was being fed and staying (mostly) off DXM for almost 6 months. I would still tripp occasionally because by then I was physically and psychologically addicted.

After detoxing myself for 6 months, I began using more regularly again. I have not yet gotten back to tripping as often as I did during that 3 year period, but I am tripping regularly again.

Currently I tripp at least twice a month. Recently I've begun tripping once a week again at a dose of 960 mgs.

By now my tolerance is extreme. A 960 mg tripp is normal for me. I can function at a level higher than most. I can write and draw, carry a conversation, operate electronics, walk and run, ride a bike, swim, and even fake total sobriety for limited periods of time if need be. I don't get off at less than 960 mgs, I don't even feel it.

I do have some long-term, possibly permanent, side effects from prolonged DXM use though. While I haven't had any decrease in intelligence, my memory has definately been affected. My pupils are 'blown out', they don't react normally to light anymore. Sometimes one will be large and one small for no reason. I have to wear sunglasses even on cloudy days. After taking DXM I bleed internally for 3- 4 days. My mood cycles are affected by a lack of DXM, I'll sink into a severe depression if I go longer than a month without tripping.

Yes, I am still a chronic abuser of DXM. I do not know if I will ever quit. I don't know if I can. I don't know if I WANT to. The good outweighs the bad for me. DXM sends my inate creativity into overdrive, I do some of my best artwork while I'm tripping. Everything is more fun when I'm tripping. Hiking, exploring, watching movies, having sex, talking, everything. I LOVE dextromethorphan. Hopefully I can keep it under control for now until I decide it's time to kick the habit.

I'm back to leading as normal a life as I ever will. I work seasonally at a resort and when I'm not at that job, I am a professional independent body piercer. I have a good life. I also have this secret addiction. My close friends know about my tripping but most of the people in my life do not. If they happen to see my when I'm tripping, I either play sober or tell them I'm drunk. I am ashamed to tell people that I am a 25 year old cough medicine addict.

Dextromethorphan was in many ways the beginning of my life, it ushered in my 'adult' world. It will also be my death someday. At this time I do not see stopping in my near future.

This report is very shallow, there is much, much more to my addiction than I have shared here. Thank you for the opportunity to share my life on DXM, however briefly.

[Erowid Note: Most Coricidin contains CPM (Chlorpheniramine Maleate) which can be dangerous in high doses. See DXM Brand Warnings for more info.]

Exp Year: 2005-2012	ExpID: 97359
Gender: Female
Age at time of experience: 25
Published: Jan 16, 2020	Views: 2,448
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DXM (22) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Addiction & Habituation (10), Not Applicable (38)