Coricidin

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Coricidin, Coricidin 'D' (decongestant), or CoricidinHBP (for high blood pressure), is the name of a drug marketed by Schering-Plough that contains dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and chlorphenamine maleate (an antihistamine). Varieties of Coricidin may also contain acetaminophen (an analgesic/fever reducer) and guaifenesin (an expectorant). The drug is marketed as a remedy for the common cold, especially for people with hypertension, whose high blood pressure may worsen if they take other decongestants.

1 Recreational use
2 Interesting facts
3 See also
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] Recreational use

Coricidin brand cold medicine is often taken in (often much) higher than recommended doses for its dextromethorphan content. Since DXM has dissociative effects in high doses, it is sought for recreational use. In this sense, Coricidin is referred to as Triple C. Studying the effects of the drug concludes it to be a dissociative. Side effects are a sense of euphoria, trouble eating, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, difficulty urinating, possible delusions, psychotic episodes, mental break downs, complete and total apathy, troubles having an orgasm, possible impotence. Coming down from a binge induces deep depression, body aches and pains. Tendency to be very tired but cannot sleep.

Chlorpheniramine has anticholinergic activity, which in high doses can cause serious reactions. One reported fatality case involved chlorpheniramine.^[1] Combined with the dextromethorphan found in Coricidin, these effects, along with the effects of dextromethorphan, are intensified and cause extreme dizziness and depression.^[2]

[edit] Interesting facts

In the 1960s, blues-rock guitarist Duane Allman (1946-1971) of The Allman Brothers Band began using an empty glass Coricidin bottle as a guitar slide, finding it to be just the right size and shape for this purpose. Other prominent slide guitarists, such as Bonnie Raitt, Rory Gallagher, and Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd adopted the Coricidin bottle as well, but such bottles eventually went out of production in the early 1980s (although replicas have been produced since 1985).^[3]^[4]