Abuse of cough medicine containing dextromethorphan, known as “robo-tripping”, is on the rise according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which has asked the Food and Drug Administration to look into ways to control the abuse. The DEA says that emergency room visits from abuse of the drug have increased in recent years and about half of those visits involve young people aged 12 to 20.
Dextromethorphan (which is a cough suppressant) is not very effective at controlling the most common coughs caused by cold or flu. It is available over-the-counter in more than 120 products, such as Coricidin, Nyquil Cough, Robitussin DM, and Vicks 44. When used as directed, dextromethorphan is considered safe by the FDA. But even standard doses of the drug can cause agitation, muscle spasms, and allergic reactions. Overdosing can bring hallucinations, rapid heartbeat, loss of coordination, and a ''high'' similar to psychotropic drugs like PCP. Some of the products also contain other ingredients, like the pain-reliever, fever-reducer acetaminophen, which can cause liver damage when overused or combined with alcohol, and the decongestant pseudoephedrine, which can increase blood pressure.
The DEA says that the Internet may play a role in the spread of "robo-tripping," because a proliferation of how-to websites now explain how to abuse the drug. A quick look at You Tube shows that a number of young people apparently videotape themselves abusing the drug and post the video of themselves or their friends “robo-tripping” online. Pop-culture may play a role in the rise as well. The rapper ‘Lil Wayne has sung about “sippin’ syrup” and in 2009 talked to Katie Couric about his addiction to prescription cough syrup.
On September 14th the FDA will convene a meeting to review the increased incidents of cough medicine abuse, and consider whether increased restrictions could help curb the problem. In the meantime, if you have young people in your home, be aware of the risk of cough medicine abuse. And if you want to replace your dextromethorphan products with remedies that actually help treat a, see How to Treat a Cough.
