Anonymous asked: I really want to give dextromethorphan a shot. What's the safest way to try this while still having a good time, in terms of dosage and such? What are the long term effects of trying it once or twice vs. abuse? This is a great idea for a tumblr, I hope more people follow through with this idea.
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a dissociative, in the same class of drugs as Ketamine and PCP; DXM is a bit distinct in that it has more overtly psychedelic properties (though Ketamine can certain be just as pronounced in high “K-hole” doses).
The first step to safely taking DXM is to make sure that DXM is the only active ingredient you’re ingesting. Unless you’re procuring pure DXM powder from a reliable vendor (always always run your online vendors through http://safeorscam.com; if they have bad reviews or none at all, do not order from them), then you’re probably getting it from some sort of cold medicine. Most commonly this is cough syrup where, in therapeutic doses, it’s a cough suppressant.
Its role as a main ingredient in Robitussin is what led to the term “robotripping” as slang for the DXM experience. What’s important to note is that in the vast majority of cough syrup preparations, DXM is paired with other active ingredients; most commonly, these are guaifenesin (expectorant, loosens mucous) and acetaminophen (aka. apap/paracetamol/tylenol). If you use a syrup that contains these other active ingredients, taking enough of that syrup to reach a recreational dose of DXM will lead to dangerous levels of those other ingredients. Acetaminophen in high doses is highly toxic to the liver and potentially fatal (hepatotoxicity); ingesting large amounts of guaifenesin, while not fatal, will make you incredibly nauseous. The most important rule in dosing DXM from cough syrup is making sure that the only active ingredient listed on the package is Dextromethorphan*.
In terms of dosage, DXM is unique in that users have created substantial documentation of there being different plateaus of the experience. Each plateau has different effects, and is determined by a rough ratio of DXM dosage to bodyweight. As this is a bit complicated, I’ll defer here to the quite informative DXM FAQ available on Erowid.
As for long term effects, the unofficial safety standard is that for the plateau you reach, take that many weeks off (eg. 1st Plateau, one week; 3rd Plateau, three weeks) before your next dose. Following this, it’s unlikely you’ll suffer any long term problems unless you continue this regimen for a significant period of time. In rats, abuse of DXM has been shown to cause Olney’s lesions, though as of yet there is no evidence that this effect occurs in humans, but it is something to be aware of.
As with any hallucinogen or psychedelic, however, you must be aware of your mental state as usage of these drugs by those predisposed to mental illness (ie. with a family history or known diagnosis) can exacerbate their condition. If you fall into this category, you should think very carefully about why you are choosing to do the drug and be very mindful of how it may affect you.
If you have any other questions, the Erowid page on DXM is very thorough. Otherwise, feel free to direct any additional questions to me.
*[Ed. note: There are two main types of DXM found in medicine Dextromethorphan HBr and Dextromethorphan Polystyrene. Both are safe, though the latter has a much delayed onset and a much longer duration; it’s best avoided in favor of the former. Also, syrup has a faster onset than gelcaps as they have to dissolve in the stomach.]
