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American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2022, 10(11), 291-294
DOI: 10.12691/AJMCR-10-11-3
Case Report

Over-The-Counter Cough Medication (Dextromethorphan) Abuse: A Case Report of Dexing or Robo-tripping

Milenis Lopez Leon1, Sahar S. Abdelmoneim1, , Madeleidis Lopez Leon1, Sandy Espinosa Hernandez1, Manuel De La Cruz Seoane1, Kenneth Adam Kilgore1, Santiago Pastori1 and Odalys Frontela1

1Division of Internal Medicine, Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs Campus, 1475 W 49th Pl, Hialeah, FL 33012

Pub. Date: November 22, 2022
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Cite this paper

Milenis Lopez Leon, Sahar S. Abdelmoneim, Madeleidis Lopez Leon, Sandy Espinosa Hernandez, Manuel De La Cruz Seoane, Kenneth Adam Kilgore, Santiago Pastori and Odalys Frontela. Over-The-Counter Cough Medication (Dextromethorphan) Abuse: A Case Report of Dexing or Robo-tripping. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2022; 10(11):291-294. doi: 10.12691/AJMCR-10-11-3

Abstract

Dextromethorphan (DXM) and DXM-containing cough preparations are available over-the-counter (OTC) and are commonly abused for their euphoriant and hallucinogenic properties. These effects occur when DXM is taken in high doses (10-20 times the amount recommended for cough suppression). Awareness of DXM abuse in the primary care setting is warranted due to its prevalent use and potential to result in drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Reaching a diagnosis of DILI involves an extensive workup to exclude other known causes. If a physician is to identify the use of a single drug as the cause of a patient’s liver injury, a high level of suspicion must be held. We herein present a case of an 82-year-old male who was dependent on over-the-counter, DXM-containing products and who used them regularly for three years. This case report highlights DILI as one potential consequence of chronic OTC DXM use, as is evident from our diagnostic workup.

Keywords

OTC Abuse dextromethorphan

Copyright

Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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