Family Tips

As any other medicine, dextromethorphan can be safely taken in 15- to 30-milligram doses, which are sufficient to suppress a cough; sometimes teens tend to consume as much as 360 milligrams or more. Taking huge quantities of products containing DXM can cause hallucinations, loss of motor control, and disassociative sensations.
Users may also experience other possible side effects: confusion, impaired judgment, blurred vision, dizziness, paranoia, excessive sweating, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache, lethargy, numbness of fingers and toes, redness of face, dry and itchy skin, loss of consciousness, seizures, brain damage, and even death.
When taken in large quantities, dextromethorphan can also cause hyperthermia, or high fever. This is a real problem for teens who take this drug being in a hot environment of a party or in a dance club, where it can be sold and passed off as similar-looking drugs like ‘angel dust’.