Attempt to get high ends in man's death

August 21, 2005


Attempt to get high ends in man's death
Teen combined cough syrup with caffeine pills; practice called common, risky.


By John Tuohy
[email protected]


An 18-year-old man died Saturday after he combined cough syrup and caffeine to get high, a practice medical experts warn is prevalent among young people.

Anthony Gray, a Far-Southside resident, and Ricky Harris, 18, Greenwood, had read on the Internet how to get high by combining Vicks Formula 44 and caffeine, according to a Marion County sheriff's report.

Gray and Harris consumed a bottle of Vicks and caffeine pills at 11 p.m. Friday, then smoked marijuana about six hours later.

At about 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Gray complained he was sick and went into the bathroom at his home in the 2100 block of Friendship Drive.

When Harris checked on him later, Gray was on the floor unconscious, police said.

He was taken to Community Hospital South, where he was pronounced dead.

Dr. James Mowry, director of the Indiana Poison Control Center, said young people seek out cough syrup for the dextromethorphan, or DXM, which can produce a euphoric high, and because it can be bought over the counter.

"Kids find that if you take large amounts of it you can get a high like PCP but without the violence," Mowry said.

DXM is contained in 125 nonprescription cough and cold medications, including brands of Robitussin and Coricidin.

The chemical can cause hallucinations, a feeling that you are removed from your body and paranoia, Mowry said.

He said overdoses from DXM are "something that is reported as being prevalent."

Marion County Coroner John Linehan said a person "could die pretty easily" by consuming a bottle of cough syrup.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month issued a warning about DXM abuse. The FDA said five teenagers recently have overdosed by taking a powdered form of DXM.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers' Toxic Exposure Surveillance System said the reports of DXM overdoses have doubled in the past five years.

The American Medical Association has recommended banning over-the-counter sales of cough and cold medicines to people under 18.

original http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...464/1006/NEWS01

[Suburban_Prince]

i swear to god, show me someone who died from dxm ONLY and then maybe ill take these dumbass news stories seriously. honestly people need to wake the fuck up and research b4 getting high, or mixing chemicals, or jumping to conclusions

[rT::3000]

Originally posted by rudine@Aug 21 2005, 03:59 PM
Marion County Coroner John Linehan said a person "could die pretty easily" by consuming a bottle of cough syrup.

well shit... someone should have told me that about 9 years and approximately 400 bottles ago.

[rfgdxm]

Originally posted by dxmisgood24@Aug 21 2005, 07:27 PM
i swear to god, show me someone who died from dxm ONLY and then maybe ill take these dumbass news stories seriously. honestly people need to wake the fuck up and research b4 getting high, or mixing chemicals, or jumping to conclusions

Dude, get a fucking clue.

http://www.dextromethorphan.ws/

I've got autopsy reports in my files from people who died from taking DXM ONLY. Which part of taking lots of just DXM can kill you do you need me to explain to you?

[Suburban_Prince]

Originally posted by rfgdxm+Aug 21 2005, 07:53 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (rfgdxm @ Aug 21 2005, 07:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--dxmisgood24@Aug 21 2005, 07:27 PM
i swear to god, show me someone who died from dxm ONLY and then maybe ill take these dumbass news stories seriously. honestly people need to wake the fuck up and research b4 getting high, or mixing chemicals, or jumping to conclusions

Dude, get a fucking clue.

http://www.dextromethorphan.ws/

I've got autopsy reports in my files from people who died from taking DXM ONLY. Which part of taking lots of just DXM can kill you do you need me to explain to you? [/b][/quote]
yes i realize you can die from only dxm but its so rare and the media is blowing dxm dangers so out of proportion, sorry if i was unclear in my first post but fuck you for instantly flaming

[rfgdxm]

Thanks for the heads up rudine. I'll try checking this out with the coroner later this week. Hopefully Indiana doesn't have stupid laws that make coroner's reports unavailable to reporters. I actually know about a DXM death in the Pacific Northwest I can't confirm because the laws of that state forbid reporters from accessing official records. This state actually covers up drug OD deaths so details aren't available. WHY hide the fact a drug can kill?

[deadevilfrog]

Originally posted by rfgdxm@Aug 21 2005, 08:03 PM
Thanks for the heads up rudine. I'll try checking this out with the coroner later this week. Hopefully Indiana doesn't have stupid laws that make coroner's reports unavailable to reporters. I actually know about a DXM death in the Pacific Northwest I can't confirm because the laws of that state forbid reporters from accessing official records. This state actually covers up drug OD deaths so details aren't available. WHY hide the fact a drug can kill?

I do hope you can get a copy of the coroner's report. I can think of many reasons why someone just keels over and dies. Since it was 6 hours after he dosed, one bottle of nasty vicks, (untold amount caffeine), it may not be even related. Or if it is could be he had a weakness in his body that the stress of his partying took advantage. Or maybe he grunted to hard and popped an anuresym (bad spelling).

The autopsy is the thing for clarifying this one methinks.

[cakedrink]

"Kids find that if you take large amounts of it you can get a high like PCP but without the violence," Mowry said.

At least this one doesn't have violence accusations, , YAY!

i wonder what website suggested overloading on both DXM and Caffeine. unsafe, so it makes me think Totse.

[SkimmerX]

I would def like to see the details of this, vicks 44 isn't very strong. Perhaps they combined cough and cold formula with caffine and still I have trouble imagining someone just falling over dead at the age of 18.