diction

After a rather significant change in my life, I began to abuse DXM. For the past six months, I would consume 240mg at least four times a week. Obviously I would accumulate a tolerance, and by March, I was taking in 360mg to experience the familiar buzz. I don't do this to get high, but rather to just get through the day. I don't exactly like what I do, and the act of swallowing the pills makes my body shudder in disgust.

I always thought of it as a self medication of sorts. I understand that I have been using these pills as a crutch to cope with my feelings of depression and anxiety, but it hasn't affected my personal relationships or my work habits, so I never really saw the point of stopping. Without them, I feel very lethargic and unmotivated. The DXM helps me focus and feel enthusiastic enough to maintain a social life. I didn't see it as an addiction until recently.

As a personal challenge to prove to myself that I was not addicted, I have decided to go without DXM for twelve days (during my Spring Break) to see what would happen to me both physically and mentally. I have been sober for seven days, and I am miserable. I was fine during the first three days. But now, I can hardly sleep, and I have constant hot flashes that make me sweat and feel noxious. I have grown very paranoid and refuse to turn off any of the lights in the house. I think it is because I have had little sleep the last four days, and I have begun to see things in the corner of my vision. I suffer from headaches and shaking. My will to continue without my pills is very weak at this point.

Has anyone else experienced a DXM addiction? I feel pathetic for feeling this way, because I know that there are much more addicting substances out there that people are suffering from, and yet I am sure that they have managed to stay strong throughout their stage of withdrawal.

BFD

Welcome. I hope someone here can answer you... I've never even heard of this, but I'm sure someone else has!

shorty28562

An addiction is an addiction, no need to underestimate yours because of the type. It takes time for your body to heal and adjust without the chemical constantly in your system. I can't comment on how long it will take to get better, as everyone is different.

I toyed with DXM when I was younger but didn't take it daily. Other substances ruled my lifestyle that point.

Just don't give up. Stick it out and you will feel much better. Continue posting on here, it helps.

I'll be praying for you.

ShadeM

I've been surfing the internet all morning looking for stories like this. I am stunned by the number of people in recovery who have no idea what this drug does to people.

Thanks, Diction, for sharing this.

I am a recovering alcoholic. My husband has been abusing DXM for most of his adult life (he is 45!) In 2008, when I got sober, is when he REALLY got bad with it. It's now 2013 and he's still abusing it.

For people who don't know what it is, look for the site dxmstories dot org (I can't post links yet since I am new here)

Because of how unknown this common addiction is, there is VERY little help out there for it. I've heard people in NA and Anon groups say things like "gross!" and "cough medicine? who cares! That's over the counter so it's harmless!"

Yeah, alcohol is "over the counter" too. And we all know how harmful it is.

My husband's biggest hurdle with his addiction to it is that he doesn't think he's addicted. He, like others, think that because he doesn't have withdrawals, and that it's OTC, means he can't possibly be addicted. But let me tell you something: if you find yourself sitting in the parking lot of wal-mart saying "don't buy any, don't buy any, don't buy any..." and you find yourself going in saying "don't buy any, don't buy any, don't buy any..." and you find yourself standing in ANY aisle, tobacco, alcohol, cough syrup/pills thinking "don't buy any, don't buy any, don't buy any..." and you buy it anyway? You're Addicted.

Here's a list of what my husband has lost over his years of abusing DXM so badly that he forgets his own name, his passwords for the computers he fixes, and where he is and who people are:

His first wife
The quad muscle and kneecap in his left leg, due to slipping down a plank at the skate park while photographing his son while he (my husband, not his son) was high on DXM
his high paying government job
custody of his two sons
his second high paying gov job
the bed we shared (I made him start sleeping in the guest room in about 2008)
VISITATION rights with his two kids!
The quad muscle in his left leg, due to slipping on wet leaves while high on DXM

and lately, he's been calling in sick to work twice or more per week.

I have gone to Narc-Anon and Al-Anon and AA and NA and I am at my wit's end. Because no one knows about this drug and because when they find out they think it's harmless, I can not get help ANYWHERE!

I've had to call an ambulance for him THREE times over the years when he became non-responsive after taking 60 to 90 of the pills!

So I signed up for this site so I could find stories from both people who abuse DXM and people trying to help others who abuse it. Knowledge is power.

My husband desperately needs help. *I* need help, and I am not getting if from the traditional places (anon groups, and my own 12 step groups)

So thank you again, diction, your post may help educate some people, then with some supportive people who now know what we're talking about, we can get help too.

jakec

I can relate a lot.

I'm 17 years old and have been abusing DXM for the past 2 1/2 years. It started out with small doses like 240mg just to get a buzz, but I quickly started taking doses around 600+ mg at once to experience dissociation, hallucinations, and out-of-body experiences.. I was litterally OBSESSED with the feeling this drug gave me. I've speant hours upon hours doing research on this drug, and I've stolen so many DXM products hundreds of times it's amazing I've only been caught twice. I could not stop to save my life.. I became VERY paranoid; at one point I thought there were hidden cameras placed around town and people were watching me on a TV show.. My short-term memory was SHOT; I would set something down, and I would go to pick it up a few seconds later and I wouldn't be able to find it and I'd get so worked up trying to remember where I put it.. I slurred my words every time I opened my mouth, I sounded like a cross between a mentally challenged person and a junkie, it was pathetic. I was arrested and put in jail for shoplifting cough medicine, and I went to court high on the stuff.

I've now been off the stuff(and all other mind-altering substances) for 33 days and I still have problems with short-term memory, confusion, and I still slur my words sometimes. And after everything I STILL think about using DXM EVERY single day that goes by.

I wish I never tried this drug, I wish it was never invented. What a terrible replacement for codeine as an over-the-counter cough suppresant; it has JUST as much abuse potential and I don't care what ANYONE says, this stuff can be ADDICTING. DXM has chewed me up and spat me out, it has stolen my f*cking sole. Other addicts have told me "you don't know how I feel because you've never smoked crack.." that is BS. For me to walk into a pharmacy is just as tempting as if a crack-head walked into a crack house.

People need to be aware of the dangers of this drug. I've seen it ruin peoples lives including my own..

Spider1488

Wow!!! I never knew this but I guess if u take enough of anything u can get high remember you can get addicted to otc anti diarrhea meds. It never ends so be careful whatever u take.

DangerousDave

Don't feel pathetic. DXM is no joke.

It's heavy stuff, very heavy stuff. With it's dissociative effects I can easily understand how too much of it could make someone almost lose touch with reality.

I hope you get the help & info you need to kick this stuff.