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July 8th, 2010
12:19 PM ET
Parents be warned: Your kids may be 'Robo tripping'
There's a trend among kids, dubbed "Robo tripping," and it's not the latest dance. In fact, "Robo tripping" is one of several colloquialisms used to describe getting high from - of all things - cough medicine. (Get it? "Robo" or Robitussin.) The high comes from ingesting large doses of dextromethorphan, found in over-the-counter cough suppressants such as syrups and lozenges. "I was looking for something that was easy to find, easy to do...even though I know...that this is not good, that this is wrong," said Shannon, whose story about abusing dextromethorphan as a teenager appears on the Partnership for a Drug-Free America website. It is that ease that may be the biggest problem. "These drugs are very often sitting in the medicine cabinet at home," said Dr. Michael Entrup, an anesthesiologist at Rhode Island Hospital. "What parent would think, 'My kid is abusing cough syrup'?" Parents seem to be aware of other, more obvious drugs and their potential risks to children - heroin, cocaine, alcohol and marijuana, for example. Experts say that many are in the dark about the dangers of "Robo tripping." "I know of cases where kids who were previously healthy come into the emergency room [after overdosing] with wide blood pressure swings, with disturbances in heart rhythm...problems with motor function," said Entrup, director of the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists. "I have not seen anyone die, but I know of patients who have come close." It is difficult to imagine near-death at the hands of a cough suppressant, but according to experts, it can happen. The danger comes when dextromethorphan-containing medications are taken with other stimulants such as caffeinated beverages, energy drinks, even prescription drugs to treat ADHD. "It's playing with fire," said Entrup. "The ingredients in prescribed dosages don't usually cause problems, but when taken in higher dosages, and with other drugs...it could be potentially lethal." Most often users report hallucinating, feeling dizzy or nauseated, vomiting, confusion, rapid heart beat, even numbness in the extremities. According to a 2006 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey more than 3 million people age 12 to 25 had used cough medications to get high. Among patients rushed to the emergency room for non-medical use of dextromethorphan, about half (48 percent) were aged 12 to 20, according to SAMHSA. "I would get nauseous to the point where I couldn't stand up," said Shannon. "I actually would start foaming. It's so gross to say but, when I would be getting sick I was throwing up foam...It was horrible." And then there is what drug abuse by a teen or pre-teen suggests. "The fact that someone is looking to abuse a drug, puts them in a category where they're more likely to abuse another drug," said Dr. Daniel Frattarelli, chair of the Committee on Drugs for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "It's not safe just because it's over the counter." The American Society of Anesthesiologists offers tips for recognizing dextromethorphan abuse: an unusual medicinal smell on your child's breath; empty or missing cough medicine bottles; a sudden change in your child's physical appearance, attitude and/or sleeping habits; and visits by your child to pro-drug websites. Even with the absence of the more glaring signs, experts recommend parents have a conversation about the potential dangers of "Robo tripping" with their kids.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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Always on the edge, CNN! Congrats on faithfully reporting more headlines that made news 10 years ago.
Yup, Robotrippin was extremely common when I went through basic training in the Army 10 years ago.
Agreed, this is old and trivial news.
Holding your breath can get you high, I say we arrest people who hold their breath beyond a legal time limit.
No kidding. What is up with CNN, too much air time?
Actually, we did this in the 1980s and I'm sure people did it before we did. So, this is only at least 25 years late.
Where's MC Chris when you need him?
10 years ago? I knew people who did this when I was in highschool. TWENTY years ago. Friends of mine did it in college. 17 years ago. This is hardly new.
Next week we'll probably hear about that new sickness called 'cancer'. C'mon Stephanie, you can do better than this can't you?
Yeah, not to mention that most cough syrups these days have different formulas that include things that will make you sick before the drug kicks in. Not to mention those that don't include those particular ingredients generally have psuedoephedrine in them which means they're subject to restrictions of the "everybody with a cold or allergies is a meth manufacturer" laws.
10 years ago? We were doing this in the 80's in IDAHO for crying out loud! This is really cutting edge stuff! Way to do your homework, CNN...
But Steve, breathing too much can also make you high! What we really need is regulation of acceptable breathing practices. Unfortunately different breathing patterns can affect people differently depending on activity level, size, and the ability of their lungs to absorb oxygen. So what we really need is to legislate an acceptable range for oxygen content in the blood!
Sound stupid? We already have laws about blood alcohol content.
I believe they are recycling old news. From personal experience, doing it and witnessing its effects working in an ER, I can tell you its a trip. You build a tolerance for it pretty quickly to where its not addictive. That being said; alcoholics and drug addicts will use it to increase their high when they are running low on their drug of choice. Would CNN like to warn us about the "new" phenomenon of swimming while under the influence?
Either 20/20 or 48 Hours did a show about this back in 2004. Old news.
I don't see the harm in refreshing people's minds. Obviously it is still a problem, or it wouldn't be mentioned. Also, many parents may not be aware of this.
No kidding. Wow. I think my mother did this in high school and she is a baby boomer.
I'll top that- I had freinds doing this 20 years ago...so, yeah file that under "not news"
When I was in the Marine Corps years ago this was the most widely used drug second to alcohol (which caused all the problems). Never came up on the piss tests at all. I'd say 80% of my infantry company was doing this on the weekends. We were hard charging devildogs, don't get me wrong, but we partied hard as well. Defending freedom is a tough job. This stuff will make you trip harder than LSD, but we never had anything close to any health issues on it except acting stupid. I'm sure at very high doses it can be pretty bad. Would not want my kid doing it.
10 years hell...kids were doing this when I was in Jr. High in the mid to late 1980's
ROBO-Tripping usually involves mixing a bottle of robotussion(sp?) and motion sickness pills. It creates a drug interaction that makes you "trip" this is very dangerous. Parents should always talk to their kids and be involved in their life.
Wow, an alarmist "article" out of nowhere. This sort of thing was news 10-15 years ago, when a wider range of DXM-containing preparations, as well as pure DXM powder (via the internet), were widely available. DXM itself is the only reasonably effective, non-addictive cough suppresant available. The only real alternative is codeine, which can become addictive and has well-known abuse potential.
DXM itself is of little danger to people with normal livers who follow a few simple rules, even when relatively large psychoactive doses are concerned. First, it must not be taken with pseudoephidrine (which is now hard to come by), or anti-histamines. Coricidin Cold and Cough was the main problem brand in the 90's, which has now been reformulated. Secondarily, caffeine and nicotine should be avoided or limited to minimal levels. Finally, all the usual disclaimers concerning driving, operating machinery, etc., but that's about it. I was able to educate myself and experiment with DXM safely in the mid-90s when I was in my teens, back when there was no Wikipedia or Erowid. Sure, it can be used stupidly and dangerously (as can more dangerous substances like gasoline, Pledge furniture polish, aerosol duster, tobacco, and Miller beer, but its benefits as a legitimate medication and its high level of relative safety should and will keep it readily available as an OTC medication. And I don't think taking the user's favorite, Robo Max Cough (and similar generics) off the shelves has not curtailed recreational use, but has made it more dangerous by forcing users to turn to more dangerous alternatives. Bad call, FDA.
Freeman, I was in the Marines, too (86-90). We did this all the time, until I had a really horrible episode. Not an ideal way of getting high. Kids think they're invincible. My brother's best friend died from inhaling butane flames, he suffered cardiac arrest at the age of 16. No telling what robo can do. I consider myself lucky.
Wow! This is COMPLETELY NEW!
From what I hear, there is this substance called "booze" that kids are starting to get into. Apparently, it can impair ones balance, coordination, and reactions. It can also lower inhibitions, and in extreme cases even cause death! Kids these days... What will they come up with next.
So, you're saying it's harmless. Are you saying we shouldn't be aware of what our grandchildren are doing, are we telling our kids/grandkids about what we did and the message that should be shared? Did you miss the message maybe?!
Ahhh! Brings back memories of my high school daze (the late 60s), when the "Robo for lunch bunch" was looked down upon as idiots who wanted to get high but couldn't find the right stuff. On the other hand, there were those who could get their hands on pot, LSD, booze, etc., and would walk down the main street of our little Louisiana town late at night tripping on the stop lights turning red to green and back and the multi-colored storefront lights. We'd also watch the narcs drive back and forth pretending we didn't know who they were. It got to be hilarious at times.
Yes, I can also say I knew people who did this during the 80's when I was a teen. I never did, but I had a friend who called it "Star Juice"
I guess this must be why when you go to buy the medicine they card for it. I actually laughed at the first cashier to card me. Seriously, carding me for cough meds?
Its relevant to me since my 13 yr old son ODed 9 months ago, I'm hurt by the flippant remarks about "old news & irrelevant" I guess if I was a drug abuser like the previous people who made comments, I wouldn't find this informative.
New trend among kids??? Nice research, CNN... Robotripping has been around since the 1970s. It got popular in Texas with the chopped n' screwed rappers in the 1990s and went national when Three Six Mafia released "Sippin on Some Sizzurp" in 2000. Not to mention, you're way more likely to find your kids stealing pills from your medicine cabinet than drinking cough syrup... fearmongerers.
i had friends doing this back in the early 90's.
exactly. this isnt news, kids have been doing this for AGES. along with sniffing glue, huffing paint thinner, propane, free on from your kids bedroom A/C unit, gasoline...what a joke, HEY CNN, THE BEATLES BROKE UP!
Robitussin is not sizzurp. The syrup that chopped 'n screwed rappers are talking about is prescription cough syrup containing codeine and/or promethazine.
Yeah, they're talking about what around here is called the "Golden Elixir" , It's RX cough syrup with hydrocodone in it. My husband had a bottle once and wouldn't let go of it, He thought it was the greatest thing. It's totally different than the DXM stuff.
We've got some streetwise witty folks posting on this one, it's so funny. Not to make light of drugs...
history repeats it self over and over and over, this is nothing new was called strobbing 10 years ago. I am starting to see that life is just a continuous repeat and we are trapped in the loop until we eventually die. What is the point to life then?
The point of life is to die
Well fred, if you feel there's no point why don't you save us your presence?
The point to life is whatever you decide it is.
History will always continue to repeat itself. The people who choose to be a part of that will not go down in history as anything special, just more sheep. The ones who do something different, perhaps something positive... THEY'RE the ones who can tell you what the point of life is.
That's interesting, I always called it robo-tripping when I was younger...this was about 14 years ago... 🙂
Fred, there is a lot to live for brother. The truth is that God has put you on the planet for a reason. Part of the journey is finding out what that is, the adventure is doing it. There will never be another you and you have something to offer the world that no one else can. Life is valuable, your life is valuable.
who knew that if i scanned the comments long enough that i could find a god comment in a completely unrelated article
I agree EJ, CNN using scare tactics to keep everyone inside their homes at night.
Doesn't sound like a very fun high. What are the 'desired' effects?
tripping your balls off
and than throwing up everywhere
And feeling pretty drunk to boot.
Wow, sounds like we are missing out guys! Let me put down this drink and go get Robo LOL!
I did this accidentally once as an adult by misreading the label (tsp vs tbs) called poison control and thaey laughed and said drink lots of water and go to bed. Whole process amde me sicker than any jagershots ever.
In small doses, it gives you a high feeling; Light-headed, dizzy, euphoric. However, in larger quantities it can produce a 'trip' similar to acid or psychedelic mushrooms. Disassociation with self, euphoria, visuals like spacial movement (objects, rooms, walls, doorways appear to bend or morph), and visualize extra rainbow-like colors (similar to oil-in-water effect) somewhat coulds your vision, and intense closed-eye or low-light visuals (geometric shapes and fractal-like patterns in every color imaginable twisting around in your mind). Yes, I obviously have done this in the past and no I don't recommend it... you can get the same effect with MUUUUCH safer drugs... like acid.
"What are the 'desired' effects?"
I would guess that the first effect is relief of your dry cough.
makes the floor feel like it's made out of marshmallows...
First, this is not news. This has been happening for years. Second, it's just another reason to legalize safer drugs like marijiuana. Let's be real people. People want to get high. Let's try to make it as safe as possible.
yeah basically any topic can be used to promote drugs. people want child porn too, your priests front most. legalize it jamon already. whats good for the priest is definitely good for u and I
Did you just compare pot to kiddie porn? WTH is wrong with you?
DUH, that is a very appropriate name.
New?! hahahah way to be on point CNN. let me know when Salvia "takes off" in 10 years..
Could they not have done an article on K2 or spice(legal cannabinoid mimics)? That is the important story right now. Actually having been smoking K2 for the past month, I take that back. Any news network would probably make it sound like everyone is doing it and it is extremely dangerous for you. Why does no one mention how most people DONT like Robo-tripping? There were ZERO harmful effects found for Salvia, yet that is already illegal in many places. I wish CNN did an article on how every new drug gets made illegal by our government before any testing is done on them.
Come on! Are there really still people out there that don't know cough syrup is used to make meth? I mean, hasn't that been common knowledge for some 20 years? Give me a break.
And guess what? I guarantee you that every single one of those kids will be fine. If we're lucky, they'll stop chugging that disgusting slime and do something better and safer like LSD anyway.
In before tools claim LSD rots your brain and causes your brain stem and spine to bleed or any number of ridiculous nonsense.
Also, welcome to 2010 CNN. Way to go with the extremely dated fearmongering.
How relevant, you read my mind! I learned what this was almost 13 years ago. It's hardly a new trend. And it also used to be done by smoking a lot of marijuana and then downing a whole bottle of cough syrup. Stupid kids did it then and I'm not surprised that stupid kids are doing it now. But definitely not new.
Wow CNN...this practice was old news when i was a kid, fifteen years ago. A bit slow on the uptake, are we?
This is not new. It was a big fad in the late 80's early 90's in Indiana. In Bloomington there was even a zine called Tussin Up.
This just in! Kids now-a-days are listening to edgy records by a troubled young man calling himself Elvis!
Nothing new here, robo-dosing has been going on since dextromethorphan has been on the market. I am always amazed at how ignorant the mainstream media and policymakers are about what really goes on in the world. People still thing that "illegal" or "illicit" drugs are the problem. HA. The best drugs out there are the "legal" ones that are produced under purification and dosage standards (i.e. OTC and prescription drugs). Anyone who thinks that these drugs are not as dangerous and addictive and abused as any other drugs is either in severe denial or terribly ignorant.
You are so right. I haven't taken any allergy medicine since I had a horrifying hallucinogenic experience after taking one allergy medicine tablet.
So the rest of us know that this is old news. In a slightly updated version of this story, underground chemists have started making dextromethorphan or DXM in pill form, and has largely replaced MDMA as the main ingredient in "ecstasy". but this probably won't make the news for another 10 or 15 years.
I don't know what's scarrier – that kids are still messing with this, or that 1/2 of the abusers are adults over 20!
This is OLD OLD OLD NEWS.... this was popular in the 80's 90's but news today? What about EXTRACT, amazing there actually was a story about a lady getting drunk on extract which is legal to buy at any age any time. Lemon extract used to be 160proof. 80% alchohol. never mind Vanilla at 70. Buy orange extract and some orange soda and u got a kicking mixed drink for cheap.
Dead or alive, you robo trippers are coming with me.
Don't eat the Sterno.
I'm in the middle of watching Rococop 2 whilst reading this post (bathroom break). What a great world this is.
This is not new. People have been doing this for decades. The second part is that people who do it are unlikely to do it more than once because it's not pleasant. This is a non-issue reported on a slow news day.
Not to parrot, what's being said – this isn't a new trend at all. When I was in high school (20 years ago) kids were doing this when they couldn't score alcohol.
What's next? A scathing piece on kids getting high from sucking on the top of a whipped cream nozzle?
Really, is all of your "news" behind today? This has been going on for years. This story could have been done much better with more research.
this just in.... BREAKING NEWS!!!!!......Banana peels may be smoking your kids
as stated by others....this is not what i would call "new"...i've known about it for almost 20 yrs now...
You have 30 seconds to comply.
Welcome to the year 2000 CNN: where gas is $1.01/gallon, 20gigabits of hard drive space is considered 'too much', and everyone listens to the new Shaggy single
Didn't MC chris write a song about this 10 years ago (called "the tussin"... you know when this was actually popular... did i go to archive.org on accident again?
proof that robots are taking over.
Yeah this is nothing new, we were doing this 20 years ago. Thing is I bet they never do it more than 2x, that stuff will mess you up for many days.
This "trend" is not new at all. It has been done for DECADES. There is nothing new here.. just a rehashing of another old scare-story. In a few weeks or months they'll probably be telling you yet again about how much stronger pot is these days than it was in the 60s and how you should be scared of that.
I'd just like everyone reading this to know that I've had some really wonderful and enjoyable experiences on mind altering drugs, including but most definitely not limited to cough syrup. I'm good looking, happily married, well educated, make $90K a year, and wish that our society took an intelligent approach to the whole drug thing and recognized that since the beginning of human history, people have done things to get high, and to respond accordingly rather than shake an asinine judgemental finger at it. Next time you see a five year old spinning around and around and around to make themselves dizzy, think about it.
you're a conceited arse I want a divorce
Hahahaha, now that's funny.
CNN fail. Welcome to at least 100 years ago and suckin' back on grandpa's old cough medicine.
Oh, you mean like kids did when I was in h.s....in the early 90s??? Not exactly a breaking news story.
Jesus Christ CNN, get with the program. Robo tripping has been around since at least 15 (back when all the kids in my school were doing it) years ago if not longer.
Ha! This is so old! Either CNN's reporters are clueless or they've taken to recycling really old news. Probably both.
Id love to have mr gupta interview me about my teenage dxm and dph abuse. I'm sick of the media spin and the whole "what about the children!" Mentaity when that isn't even the case. U need an id to get it. If you do cough syrup with apap or other stuff in it, u diserve to die for not researching. Dxm is an amazing substance and I want to stop the bias in news reporting. I 1st did dxm when I was 17. I'm now 21. I still do it occasinoally but now I do research chemicals. Psychadelics suit my 20-something brain.
Id – should be I'd.
mr should be capitalized and followed by a period. And Mr. Gupta should be referred to as Dr. Gupta.
gupta should be capitalized.
dxm and dph should be capitalized and explained.
Mentaity should not be capitalized, and isn't even a real word.
U is a letter, not a word.
need an id – everybody has an id. Or did you mean ID?
What is apap?
u is still only a letter.
diserve is not a word.
1st should be spelled "first."
occasinoally is not a word.
Psychadelics is not a word.
Any people say drugs are bad for you and make you look like an idiot.
Way to turn this into something COMPLETELY unrelated. If you're against cough medicine then you better be against gay marriage too! Cough syrup = GAY MARRIAGE. 😉
This is because better drugs are illegal.
Wait, drugs are illegal?
This artical has NOTHING to do with guns, get off of the thought about government trying to take your guns and actually read the artical its about DRUG awareness!
This has been going on since the beginning of time.
Got nothing better to write about, Dr. Gupta?
Hasn't this been around for a while now? Yes, I'm quite sure of it actually. Here is an ABC article from 2006 regarding the same issue:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2702166&page=1
Just seems like more fear mongering on the part of CNN.
Watch out parents - there is a potent herb that is sweeping the nation and your kids are probably using it.
It's called Marijuana!
As previously noted...this is nothing new. Not even close to being new. Parents need to open their eyes to the welfare of their kids. People are idiots and to be honest...most of the posts' here confirm that. Live in the now, folks. Kids are smart.
Spend some time working in a rehab center, and you will see what these drugs, including marijuana, do to people; not just the individual using it, but to the entire family. I guarantee it is no laughing matter.
New trend? Haha, yeah it's brand new. Just like the Macarena! Have you heard about it? It's a crazy new dance that's sweeping the nation! HEEEEEY MACARENA!!!
Seriously, I am 35 and know that teens have been doing this for at least 20 years.
New? People have been doing this for decades. And why you don't hear about it more often? I tried it one day out of boredom years ago and couldn't get the bottle down, puked purple stuff for two hours, and swore never to try again. You CAN get a trip from it, if you have an IRON stomach. There are much easier and safer ways to get a buzz.
Why on earth would anyone want to get high off of Robitussin. I always hated taking that stuff when sick. It tastes so bad and I always had to wash it down with a big glass of water after.
Hasn't this been around for a while though? Shouldn't somebody spend some time writing comments to CNN telling them that?
This isn't entirely your fault, Stephanie.
Your editor should be equally ashamed.
And what does any of this have to do with Lebron?
New trend? There was a South Park episode about it in 2004. Thank you for this breathless report on such an emerging trend.
Seriously kids were doing this in the late nineties when I was still in high school... CNN on the bleeding edge once again.
Stephanie Smith should really watch more South Park, then she would be more up to date! XD
I remember I had a real bad cold once and drank a whole bottle of cough syrup out of pure not wanting to cough anymore, well, little did I know at the time but it turns out that stuff can really mess you up! Not something that I would call fun, or recreational, definitely not. Weird and confusing is more like it. Can't people just have a couple beers after work and leave it at that? Drinking cough syrup to get high is crazy! What an age we live in.
Robo-tripping is child's play. These kids need to step it up and try some butt-hash. It gets you 10x higher and is all natural (just inhale the gasses from fermented urine & feces). Al Gore is into it and so should you.
We will take your word for it... glad thats working out for ya though!
You're pathetic.
"I say if you are against Guns then you must also be against Alcohol, Drugs, Cough Medicine as they kill more people then Guns."
I'm a little perplexed about the gun reference @Augsbee. What parent goes around saying I for one hate guns but I'm all for legalizing herion and reducing the drinking age to 12. What does an outdated article about cough syrup abuse with kids have to do with parents being against guns. Are you trying to make a point about children bearing arms?????
I'm sure there are those who will disagree, but you can't convince me that this is better than just legalizing pot. I mean how much stupid stuff do people have to do to prove that they are going to catch a buzz one way or another regardless... why not allow something that is no more dangerous than cigarettes or cigars, which many who oppose pot legalization smoke personally... (*cough* hypocrites *cough*)
I was hoping this was about a new robot dance crazy, instead it's grape drank ima grip and sip.
Soo, you need to spell it out for them: rappers rap about this. There are whole albums. People dress in purple and drive purple cars just to crack on this. Some rap guy I can't think of OD'ed on it. And now, CNN is on the story!