DXM #
| Common Nomenclature | Dextromethorphan |
| Street & Reference Names | DM; Robo |
| Reference Dosage | Light 100mg+; Common 200mg+; Strong 300mg+ Heavy 600mg+ Risk of Death 2500mg+ [Erowid] First Plateau 1.5-2.5 mg/kg; Second Plateau 2.5-7.5 mg/kg; Third Plateau 7.5-15 mg/kg; Fourth Plateau 15 mg/kg+ [TripSit] |
| Anticipated: Onset / Duration | 1 Hour / 8 Hours |
| Maximum Dose Experienced | 225mg |
| From | Fluid |
| RoA | Oral |
| Source / Jurisdiction | Retail / UK |
| Personal Rating On Shulgin Scale | ++* |
SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE #
I never really fancied DXM; meaning that having experienced dissociatives like ketamine and ephenidine it didn’t really seem to have anything interesting to offer. Further, in some quarters at least it had a reputation for being a dirty drug and a poor unclean cousin of other members of this class.
However, after the first edition of the book was published I decided to put this prejudice behind me and to take the plunge. A driving factor in this decision was that I could see some pretty conspicuous safety issues even prior to researching.
As a street drug, DXM is usually taken as part of a medicinal syrup, as purchased from a pharmacy. A number of brands are available, but herein arises the first
challenge: to identify a product which doesn’t also include other active ingredients, or at least, any problematic ones. This is an aspect not to treat lightly, as some additives can present significant dangers when taken in large (DXM trip) doses.
I eventually found a brand which contained liquid glucose and sucrose, but with only DXM and ethanol as its active ingredients. This explicitly stated that “Each 5ml of cough syrup contains: Dextromethorphan hydrobromide 7.5mg.”
From this I deduced that the 150ml bottle contained 225mg of DXM, which moves us on to the question of dosage. For DXM this issue is particularly interesting, as its effects have been commonly divided into four plateaus or stages.
Descriptions of these vary somewhat between sources, but they are broadly presented as:
First Plateau #
A sense of euphoria, with perhaps some distortion and enhanced music appreciation, and a feeling of heaviness.
Second Plateau #
Stronger manifestation of the first plateau effects, possibly with some disorientation, disconnection and mild hallucinations.
Third Plateau #
Stronger manifestation of the second plateau effects, but now in terms of a more dissociative experience. There is a possibility of anxiety, delusions, nausea, and memory suppression.
Fourth Plateau #
This is an encounter with full dissociation, and the symptoms related to it. This is sometimes referred to as a deep meditative state, often with associated hallucinations
Fifth Plateau #
A range of negative effects are encountered, possibly including blackout, delirium, dysphoria, psychosis and even death.
The second plateau is often cited as the place to be, and accordingly I decide to target this range.
So what is the dose? For an 80kg person TripSit presents a range of 200-600mg (with risk of death in excess of 2.2g). Given that at 76kg my 225mg bottle would fit nicely into my target band, I decide to glug the lot.
Note: TripSit also provides a handy tool for calculating doses on the following URL: https://dxm.tripsit.me
With all this worked out, I am now good to go.
T+0.00 I open the bottle and drink its entire contents. It doesn’t actually taste so bad; rather like a sweet chocolate liqueur. [1:35pm]
T+0:15 The mixture felt a little heavy when it first landed on my stomach, but a fuzzy warmth is slowly starting to emerge.
T+1:00 A warm inebriation has taken hold, at least in terms of headspace. There is a visual clarity to this when I focus, with maybe a hint of disconnection and even derealization. The mild intoxication comes with some numbness, particularly of the hands as I write these notes. Anxieties also seem to have dissipated.
There appears to be no loss of control (functional or mental), and with concentration I believe (perhaps subjectively) that I could pass as sober in most social situations. My pupils are slightly dilated and face is a little flushed.
T+2:00 As DXM is reputed to enhance appreciation of music I play something in the background. Rather than being an annoyance, which I sometimes find, it is in fact pleasant, and catches my attention positively from time to time.
The earlier effects are still in play, with the heady disorientation and accompanying numbness firmly established. I am more lethargic than anticipated with little motivation to explore or engage, although this could be influenced by a degree of pre-existing tiredness.
T+2:30 All the effects documented thus far continue to strengthen, with some dissociation now evident. This is unlike that of the other dissociatives I have tested in that it has a rather distant feel to it, as though the weirdness is experienced through a haze, rather than immediately around my persona.
With the music playing gently in the background, and a drifty aura surrounding me, this is strangely pleasant. I am no longer convinced that I could manage a difficult or prolonged social scenario without my condition becoming evident.
T+3:00 I remain somewhat distanced from the exterior world, but still connected. I flow with the sensory inputs which tend to hit me as waves of sound and vision. I am not off my head as such or high in a euphoric sense, but I am riding with it, with reasonable comfort.
T+4:00 At this point I am past the peak: the intensity is gradually fading.
T+7:00 The effects have slowly wound down, with only residue lingering in the background. It is also worth noting that I ate a lighter meal than usual in the evening, so there was possibly some appetite suppression involved.
The night’s sleep was a good one, and the next morning I awoke quite refreshed, with a mild afterglow present, which made for a pleasant morning.
Overall, DXM provided a more immersive ride than I was expecting. This was rather dizzy in places, but generally it was an interesting experience of inebriation and quasi-dissociation. Whilst I doubt that I would repeat the exercise, my initial negativity was a little misplaced. That said, the need for dose restraint and care is obvious. Also note that I was a little down for some days following the experiment, which may have been connected.