What is DXM and its effects on behavior? Dextromethorphan is a cough medicine commonly found in over-the-counter cough medicines. It is therapeutically beneficial for uses listed on the drug label (such as limiting coughs), but in recent years it has begun to be misused. “Abusive” being defined by the dosage quantity and frequency of dosages. A normal dose would be 10 to 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight; an excessive amount can exceed 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, but is usually in the hundreds of milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Dextromethorphan, an emerging drug of abuse. It is often found in over-the-counter medications such as Robitussin®, Vicks 44 and Desylum. DXM is known by the street names: bowling, triple C, red devils, dex, DM or robo; and the act of abusing the drug is often known as robotripping or dexing. It became popular as a hallucinogenic drug. It is similar to codeine, but is known to not be as addictive, which is why it has been used in many cough medicines instead of codeine. Due to its easily accessible availability, DXM is popular among a younger demographic consisting of young adults and adolescents. Routes of administration may be intranasal or oral. Intranasal would involve snorting DXM in powder form directly into the nasal cavities. The oral route can take various forms: simply a large dose of cough medicine or a more concentrated modified concoction. If one is a little experienced in chemistry, DXM can be separated from the other ingredients in a cough medicine. The effects of DXM on the body are inhibitory in nature. It binds to and inhibits Sigma-1 receptors in the antidepressant-like effects of dextromethorphan. At recreational doses, DXM releases 5-HT and therefore may possibly be an antidepressant. Dextromethorphan is a contender in reducing heroin and opiate withdrawal symptoms. DXM may increase the effectiveness of clonidine in reducing withdrawal symptoms as well as reduce the need for opioid agonists to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Quinidine actually reduced or reversed the effects of DXM on withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent subjects. The therapeutic effect of adding dextromethorphan to clonidine to reduce symptoms of opioid withdrawal: a randomized clinical trial. DXM at higher therapeutic levels can cause excessive serotonin levels and, when taken with at least therapeutic levels of SSRIs, has been shown to result in serotonin syndrome. Dextromethorphan-induced serotonin syndrome