Students sent to hospital after overdosing

[drdªv€]

Students sent to hospital after overdosing on cough and cold medicine
Posted Friday, February 23, 2007

Two Bartlett High School students were taken to a hospital by ambulance Thursday after they overdosed on over-the-counter cough and cold medicine, officials said.

Both teens had their stomachs pumped at Central DuPage Hospital, Elgin Area School District U-46 Communications Director Kris Houser said.

They were alert and oriented during the entire ordeal, and are expected to make a full recovery, Houser said.

A school nurse called for the ambulance after a female student arrived at her office complaining she felt sick and numb.

The teen admitted she had taken eight to 10 tablets of Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold medication, known as Triple C.

Triple C contains Dextromethorphan, which can produce euphoria, auditory and visual hallucinations and a sense of disassociation if taken in doses well above the recommended amounts, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The availability of the ingredient, found in more than 120 over-the-counter cold medicines, has made it a popular choice for teens and young adults looking to get high.

The female student said a male classmate had given her the pills at school, Houser said.

The school staff found the other student, who was found to have a dangerously low heart beat, Houser said.

District officials notified Bartlett police about the incident, Houser said.

A 2006 study of 50,000 teens found 5 percent of high school sophomores and 7 percent of high school seniors used Dextromethorphan non-medically, according to DEA statistics.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network estimates 12,584 emergency department visits in 2004 involved Dextromethorphan.


http://www.dailyherald.com/news/cookstory....488&cc=c&tc=&t= (http://www.dailyherald.com/news/cookstory.asp?id=284488&cc=c&tc=&t=)

[drdªv€]

BARTLETT -- Two students at Bartlett High School were rushed to the hospital on Thursday afternoon after overusing an over-the-counter medication, according to Elgin School District U46 officials.

"Two students overused Triple C (slang for Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold). It's a cough medicine that they used for a high," said Kris Houser, school district spokeswoman. "One reported to the nurse's station and said they took eight tablets of it (at school) and felt sick. The other student, who took it six hours earlier, went to the nurse and had a low heart rate.

"Both were sent to Central DuPage Hospital (in Winfield) and got their stomachs pumped. They are alert and fine," Houser continued.

The two students involved in the incident were acquaintances, according to Bartlett High Principal Diane Longfield.

"From my knowledge, the freshman (male) gave it to the senior" female, said Longfield, who added that disciplinary action would be taken.

"They both were sick from taking it -- they made a stupid mistake and there will be consequences."


Practice not uncommon

This trend in overdosing on over-the-counter medications is not too uncommon, said Dr. Kevin Most, a family physician at Central DuPage.
"It's very safe when taken at a reasonable dosing, but when they're abusing it and taking it many levels of above what is recommended, it becomes dangerous," said Most. "It's hard for kids to buy alcohol, but they can easily get cold medications and get high, and that's what's scary.

"We used to see kids using pseudoephedrine and making methamphetamine," Most continued. "And now you can only buy a limited amount" due to a state law requiring buyers to sign a pharmacy's log book when buying medicines containing pseudoephedrine.

And now pseudoephedrine has been replaced by another over-the-counter drug, said Most.

"Now they're no longer using pseudoephedrine, they're using the dextromethorphan (DXM) found in cold medicines, like the cough suppressant Robitussin," said Most. "Kids are doing it for the for the hallucination. It's very similar to hallucinating drugs like PCP (phencyclidine), and it has a fairly long half life," meaning it stays in the user's system for long time.


'These pills can kill them'

And Bartlett High students agreed.
"Yeah, I think a lot of kids do it. It's an easy way for them to get high," said Linnea Mengay, a freshman at Bartlett.

Freshman Hannah Neirman chimed in saying, "Kids are taking it because DXM gets them all wasted."

And this trend will continue due to its accessibility and cheap price, said Most.

"It's a combination of things -- it's easy to get a hold of, it's the biggest thing sold over the counter, and it's fairly low priced," said Most.

But what's even worse -- youths don't realize the serious consequences, said Most.

"Kids are finding that high doses of these cold medicines can get them high," said Most. "But the sad thing is no one's telling these kids that these pills can kill them.

"It has many negative side effects -- raised body temperature, nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, seizures, brain damage, and death," he said. "But, they keep abusing it because they're getting the side effects they want from it."


http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/courier...DOSE_S1.article (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/269914,3_1_EL23_A1OVERDOSE_S1.article)

[Rodion Romanovich]

lol, I'm still getting the sideeffects I want from it.
I've schooled alot of people on the sizzurp, I've given it much exposure and prolly am partly responsible for some kiddies going to the sauce for trippin'. I'm not regretful, it ain't exactly my fault, people love rumors, and me chugging cough syrup while getting way better ACT scores than the drugless nerds was juicy.

[Jaay]

What a bunch of propaganda... "we used to see kids taking pseudoephedrine and making methamphetamine".. COME ON. lol

I bet they didn't even overdose... how can you overdose and be "alert"?

Their mom's probably caught them, panicked cause they seemed slightly delirious, and took them to the ER.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Yea, I've been to the emergency room for a 708 mg dose. Thanks mom.

[sam^4]

Originally posted by Jaay@Feb 23 2007, 05:48 PM


I bet they didn't even overdose... how can you overdose and be "alert"?

isn't the recommended dose like 20mg though :sly:

[Rodion Romanovich]

10 - 30

[smerdyakov]

The Drug Abuse Warning Network estimates 12,584 emergency department visits in 2004 involved Dextromethorphan.

I wonder how many of these are due to dextroverse members. Tally 2 for me :shake:

[Cool Cherry]

LOL. 8-10 capsules of Coricidin isn't even close to ODing!

[Neoluigi]

*sigh*

I really have to stop reading the front page DV news, it's always so damn depressing :shake:

[Lil Yoshi Powder]

Originally posted by Libre@Feb 23 2007, 04:49 PM
LOL. 8-10 capsules of Coricidin isn't even close to ODing!
Word. When I used to use triples' id dose 16+
Bitch cant handle her dxm, then she deserves to take a trip to the hospital.
And WHY THE FUCK were they doing it at school, retards I swear.

[bassplayerdave]

yes, take a lesson from this one kiddys, dont mix drugs and school. It never ends up being fun or turning out well for the most part. Why be all paranoid about getting busted while trying to catch a buzz at shcool? Take your drugs afterwards and enjoy them :thumbsup:

[Topherrr]

LOL good job @ overdosing on 8-10 friggin triple c's she deserves a gold medal

[kuhlxcrunr]

Well, I hardly feel 300 mg of DXM, but then again it is an overdose according to the FDA recommended dosage. The people involved probably got the robo walk and thought they were going to be paralized for life.

[xVertigox]

Originally posted by Neoluigi@Feb 25 2007, 05:31 AM
*sigh*

I really have to stop reading the front page DV news, it's always so damn depressing :shake:
Exactly.

[Homosexual Dirk Diggler]

i wouldint say its depressing, i would say its annoying as fuck to keep hearing dumb fuck kids bringin more unwanted attention to DXM

either way the board news sucks

[reiter+razor]

Haha those idiots got their stomachs pumped because they "ODed" on 8 CCCs. Wow.