Dextromethorphan overdose

Alternative Names

Home Care

This can be a serious overdose. Seek immediate medical help.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

• Patient's age, weight, and condition
• Name of product (as well as the ingredients and strength, if known)
• Time it was swallowed
• Amount swallowed
• If the medicine was prescribed for the patient

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

See: Poison control center - emergency number

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The patient may receive:

• Activated charcoal
• Laxative
• Narcotic antagonist (a medicine to reverse the effect of the painkiller)
• Tube thru mouth into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)

Outlook (Prognosis)

This medication is safe, if you take it as directed. Unfortunately, many teenagers take extremely high amounts of this medication to "feel good" and to have hallucinations. Like other drugs of abuse, this can be dangerous.

Although most people abusing dextromethorphan will need no treatment, some people will. Their survival is based on how quickly they receive help at a hospital.

The U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) has linked the deaths several teenagers to dextromethorphan abuse.

References

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Warns Against Abuse of Dextromethorphan (DXM). Rockville, MD: National Press Office; May 20, 2005. Talk Paper T05-23.

Chyka PA, Erdman AR, Manoguerra AS, et al. Dextromethorphan poisoning: An evidence-based consensus guideline for out-of-hospital management. Clin Toxicol. 2007 Sep;45(6):662-77.