Triple C, sometimes referred to as Robo, Skittles, Dex, or DXM, is a street name for the very common cold medicine Coricidin Cough & Cold. It is an over-the-counter drug that contains the active ingredient dextromethorphan. In small doses, dextromethorphan is an effective cough suppressant. However, in large doses, it takes on hallucinogenic properties, which is what causes people, often teens, to abuse the drug.
Why Do People Abuse Triple C?
Generally speaking, you are only intended to take between 2.5 and 10 mg of Coricidin Cough & Cold. At these recommended doses, you won’t experience anything other than maybe a bit of drowsiness and relief of your cold symptoms.
However, these are not the doses that lead to addiction and bodily harm. The ‘high’ of Triple C can have some pretty intense effects for a drug that is perfectly legal to buy at all major retailers without a prescription. Users of Triple C report experiencing:
- Auditory and Visual Hallucinations
- A sense of floating and a loss of awareness of gravity
- Euphoria
- Altered consciousness
At the highest doses, users may even completely lose all sense of the body and the self, existing in a state of pure hallucination for as much as 4 to 12 hours.
What are the dangers of Triple C?
In the short term, Triple C has some mild side effects, but misuse of dextromethorphan won’t cause too much harm if only done once. However, some of the more common side effects of mild use are:
- Stomach pain and nausea
- Itchy, red, or watery eyes with blurred vision
- Headaches
- Irritated, itchy skin and rashes
- Irregular heartbeat and hypertension
- Loss of muscle control
The real harm of Triple C comes from long-term use. As the user uses Triple C more and more, they are more likely to become addicted, with withdrawal symptoms last for up to a week. Such withdrawal symptoms include:
- A loss of pleasure
- The inability to focus and remember
- Anxiety, panic attacks, sleeplessness, and tremors
- Constipation
- Toxic psychosis
Another long-term effect that must be considered is liver damage. Coricidin Cough & Cold contains Acetaminophen, which can cause liver damage when doses exceed 4000 mg. To experience the hallucinations and euphoria of Triple C, the user must take well over the recommended daily dosage of Acetaminophen, which, in the long term, could lead to liver failure.
Triple C and Addiction Treatment
Just because you can get Triple C from a drug store, does not mean it’s safe. Regular misuse of Dextromethorphan (DXM) will cause dependence and the disease of addiction can become more problematic with a co-occurring mental health issue. If you or a loved one is abusing over-the-counter medications, overdose is possible, and an Inpatient Drug Rehab in Arkansas is important to help them find freedom from addiction. Alternatively, if you are looking for outpatient IOP, we have an option that may suit your needs.
