The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves dextromethorphan to help relieve coughing from a short-term cause. Healthcare professionals may recommend dextromethorphan for adults and some children. Ultimately, the best approach is to avoid mixing dextromethorphan with alcohol altogether and to seek medical advice promptly if negative interactions are suspected. Unfortunately, many people combine DXM with other substances, increasing the risk of severe side effects, which can be deadly in some cases. There is no safe amount of alcohol, and any mixture of these substances poses dangerous risks.
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This agent integrates the NMDA antagonist dextromethorphan with the norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor bupropion. €œRobo-tripping†is a slang term for misusing DXM cough medicine. The drug is sometimes mixed with soda or candy to mask the unpleasant taste of cough syrup.
How Long Should You Wait To Drink After Taking Cough Medicine?
Not only does it suppress the subconscious cough reflex, but it suppresses the conscious feeling of irritation that causes us to cough when we’re sick. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the risks and interactions of OTC and prescription medications taken with alcohol. Rehabilitation programs (inpatient or outpatient), therapy, support groups, or a combination of all three can help people recover from a substance use disorder. In some cases, medications can also help, like for alcohol use disorder. Your risk for overdose increases the more you take of either substance, because your liver gets overworked trying to metabolize them.
DXM works by affecting the brain’s cough center in the medulla, which is responsible for triggering the cough reflex. By altering the signals sent to this area, DXM reduces the urge to cough. At higher doses, DXM acts on the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors in the brain. This interaction can lead to dissociative and psychoactive effects, including altered perceptions and hallucinations. Dextromethorphan, usually used to treat coughs, is now being looked at for its possible role as a kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist, which could provide a new path to treat depression. KOR antagonists are known to exert a relevant preclinical efficacy in stress-induced animal models of depression 49.
While dextromethorphan may benefit those suffering from a cough as an over-the-counter medicine, it can be dangerous when mixed with alcohol. The effects of DXM are all exacerbated by alcohol since they both bind to NMDA receptors. By Ayesha Gulzar, PharmDAyesha Gulzar is a clinical pharmacist interested in medical research, pharmacy practice, and medication therapy management. Dr. Gulzar has been working in medical communications, writing medical and clinical research for patients and health professionals in the United Kingdom.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before use if you are
Other medications and drugs can interact with DXM and alcohol, increasing harmful effects on the body. These include stimulant drugs like amphetamines and depressant drugs like benzodiazepines. Some people intentionally mix dextromethorphan and alcohol to get high. Dextromethorphan (DXM) is found in over-the-counter (OTC) cough medications like Robitussin and is widely available in pharmacies. The accessibility of this substance, combined with the availability of alcohol, makes them easy targets for abuse.
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If you’re worried about drug use, it’s important to learn about the treatment options available. Seizures are sudden changes in the electrical activity of the brain, and they can cause convulsions, loss of consciousness, and death. People who abuse DXM and alcohol together in high doses are at increased risk for seizures. Mixing alcohol with DXM also poses an increased risk of overdose, which can be fatal. Even if an individual survives an overdose, they may suffer from permanent consequences, including brain damage.
The additive effect of mixing these substances is particularly hazardous, with the potential to lead to coma or death. Another important thing to consider is the interaction between alcohol and other medications present in cough syrups in particular. Many cough medications contain acetaminophen, also known as APAP or by its brand name, Tylenol.
Monitoring the weeping of young animals while they are held or not held is a simple method for objectively studying such effects. This contact comfort is partially mediated by the activation of brain opioid systems, as demonstrated by different preclinical and clinical studies 22. Neurochemicals other than opioids contribute to the sensation of contact comfort. Primates have also been verified to release opioids in the brain through touch 23. The opioid receptor antagonist naloxone has been shown to increase grooming in primates, possibly as a response to the adverse effects of reduced opioid levels in the brain. Primates groom each other for social comfort, and opiate medications may reduce the desire to be touched by promoting opioid self-satisfaction in the brain.
We report this case presentation to raise awareness about the hazards of OTC drugs and to discuss clinical pharmacological pathology. The patient provided written informed consent for the publication of this case. In the consultation of patients with dextromethorphan with alcohol addiction, the possibility of various addictive drugs must be kept in mind.
How Dextromethorphan Is Misused
In such regard, new perspectives would be unveiled for the treatment of major depressed patients experiencing such pain. The glutamatergic system has become a significant focus of research 25. Despite the existence of multiple classes of monoamine-based drugs, a considerable number of patients fail to achieve durable remission of depressive symptoms. More than 100 different cough and cold products have it, including some from Robitussin.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re experiencing side effects from DXM use. If you did not get paperwork with dextromethorphan, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you. If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help. For this reason, you should talk with your pharmacist or doctor before consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice during treatment with dextromethorphan. The following sections address additional interactions that may occur with dextromethorphan.
It is also important to recognize that DXM presents some abuse risks. At high doses, DXM can produce effects such as euphoria, hallucinations, and a dissociative state. This has led to its misuse, especially among adolescents and young adults seeking recreational effects.
Before you start taking dextromethorphan, talk with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the factors above apply to you. They can help determine whether dextromethorphan is safe for you to take. Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take dextromethorphan.
DXM suppresses coughing by reducing the activity of our central nervous system — the part of our brain responsible for breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. Because it acts on such a critical part of our body, DXM has a wide range of side effects. High doses of DXM can cause dangerous drug interactions with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
Dextromethorphan can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. Other factors may also affect whether dextromethorphan is a good option for you. Before taking dextromethorphan, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take.
- Before taking dextromethorphan, tell your healthcare provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.
- It’s best to avoid drinking alcohol while you’re taking dextromethorphan.
- The management may involve aggressive monitoring and intervention to stabilize the patient’s condition.
- Ketamine’s transient therapeutic effects may be contingent upon the opioid system’s activation.
- Plus, we’re always introducing new features to optimize your in-app experience.
Opioids that activate MOR are particularly effective in reducing the arousal of GRIEF/separation distress in animals. Opioid receptor blockers reduce the effectiveness of this contact, but socially isolated birds settle down and cry less. Dextromethorphan can interact with St. John’s wort, which is used to ease symptoms of depression and other conditions. Taking dextromethorphan with St. John’s wort increases your risk of serotonin syndrome, a condition that can be life threatening in severe cases.
