Dehydrated Trip
I am an experienced DXM user and have had 40-50 very rewarding
trips. However, I really feel the need to relate the following story of
an ill fated DXM experience that could have ended up pretty bad.
Whatever you do, don't repeat this stupid mistake.
I am a 32 yoa male and weigh about 190lbs. Recently I came down with
a mild flu and started running a fever. Always the experimenter, I was
curious to see what would happen if I dosed on DXM while in a feverish
state. I ingested 600 mg of DXM in the form of Sucrets cough drops and
settled back in my recliner watching TV. My ususal dose is 900 mg so I
figured I would be pretty safe. The trip came on mild and had the usual
effects of lower level experiences for me. I awoke the next day with no
problems other than my flu symptoms. This itself was stupid and
irresponsible and I should have stopped there. The day after that (two
days after a 600 mg dose) I had to get up early and attend a self
defense class. I took a single dose of Tylenol OTC antihistamine that
had come in the mail as a sample. To get myself going that morning I
drank a few diet sodas and had a medium sized lunch later on. At the
end of the class I was called on to do some physical exertion which
caused me to sweat quite a bit.
I got home and noticed I was still sweating a lot but drank plenty of
bottled drinking water and thought no more about it. I guess the flu
clouded my judgement and I got the stupid idea to dose with 900 mg of
DXM cough drops again. I was thirsty and went through several glasses
of water while I sucked down the cough drops. Later that night my wife
came home from work and we sat on the couch watching TV as the DXM
started kicking in. I usually go through a slight state of agitation
and maybe nausea when the trip first starts. This time the agitation
seemed to linger though and I noticed I was feeling worse than usual
after three hours into the trip.
Eventually the feeling of something being wrong grew in intensity and
in the back of my mind I knew something wasn't right. I was sweating
badly and tried to stagger into my bed to sleep it off. I had an
incredible thirst and was gulping down water as fast as I could. I
continued feeling "bad" in a way I can only describe as primitive panic
as something in my head was screaming at me. This was no ordinary DXM
trip. At one point I glanced in the mirror and noticed I was as white
as a sheet. My breathing became difficult and I finally collapsed on
the couch unable to move. This was not at all typical of any DXM trip I
had ever had. My wife was freaking out even though she was also a DXM
user and knew I had dosed. I could feel something important slipping
away and with my last surge of strength told my wife to call and
ambulance.
I was taken to the local emergency room where I was treated for
sodium and electrolyte depletion resulting in shock. For a few hours I
was scared to death that I had fried my brain and that maybe something
in the OTC cold medicne had caused a bad reaction. I kept my mouth shut
about the DXM and none of the doctors seemed to pick up on it in my lab
results. After a few days in the hospital I was released and in normal
health.
The moral of my story is this. DO NOT take DXM if you are sick. The
inert ingredients in the cough drops probably helped to flush my kidneys
and speed up the dehydration process. Im also sure the antihistamine
contributed as well. Despite postings I've seen about how
antihistamines enhance the DXM trip I would suggest avoiding them. I
remain convinced that DXM is a safe drug if used wisely so please
consider my example as a good way not to use it. I've since used DXM
with no ill effects but I make damn sure to drink some Gatorade (water
does no good for advanced dehydration) before and after the trip. Also,
give your body plenty of time to recover before dosing again. Please be
careful and have a safe trip.
-Melvin
©1998 The Third Plateau
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