At Elmbrook Middle School, a 13-year-old is seizing. Upon arrival, your patient is responding to painful stimuli in care of the school nurse, who says she seized for three minutes. The girl has no history of seizures, takes no prescription medicines and has no allergies. The nurse says she had been acting strangely in class, as if she were drunk; however, she does not smell like alcohol. Physical exam reveals constricted pupils, diaphoresis and moaning upon palpation of the abdomen. While examining the patient you find a box of cold medicine capsules in her pocket. You suspect the child has overdosed on dextromethorphan, a drug in cold and cough medications.
This girl, like as many as 1 in 10 of her classmates, has been using over the counter medications to get high. Over the counter medication abuse has been on a steady rise in this country now for many years. Since 2000 there has been a fourfold increase in use of over the counter cough medicines to get high. Many teens view these drugs as safe because they take them medicinally on a regular basis and because they have a much more positive view than illegal street drugs. This combined with the ease in which these drugs can be acquired, seem to be the biggest factors causing the rise in abuse. What teens need to know is that these drugs are not safe. Between 1999 and 2004 there was a sevenfold increase in overdoses and poisonings related to abuse of over the counter cough medicines reported to poison control centers. When over the counter cough medicines are taken at extremely high levels they can lead to coma, seizures, serious psychosis and even death.
How can we help?
The most important thing that nurses and parents can do to prevent abuse of over the counter medications is to educate themselves and their teens. Warn teens of the dangers of over the counter medications when taken at levels above normal dosage, and assure them that they are anything but safe. Being able to spot the signs and symptoms of a potential overdose will also help ward off more serious complications and get emergency medical treatment immediately. Some of the symptoms of cough syrup overdose:
• Dilated pupils
• Rapid heart rate
• "Out of body" sensation
• Poor Comprehension of speech
• Blurred vision
• Hallucinations
• Decreased level of consciousness
Awareness of this growing problem is one way to help head off potentially life threatening overdoses. The following video addresses the problem as well.
Sources:
Over-the-Counter Drug Overdoses
Above The Influence
So are they begining to regulate this more harshly to prevent?
ReplyDeleteDextromethorphan, an ingredient in more than 120 cold medicines, is currently under review by the Drug Enforcement Agency to be considered a controlled substance. If that gets done there will be most certainly be more regulations on the medicines containing DXM, but as of yet there aren't any regulations on these products. There are also not restrictions on other over the counter medicines that people have been known to abuse, such as Dramamine and Afrin nasal sprays.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody else know any other sites that talk about this? I found it very interesting.
ReplyDeleteVery informative.
ReplyDeleteoh thanks. very informational.
ReplyDeleteParents need to check on their teens and what they are taking since they can buy it and hide it, or mix it with drinks. Thanks for the symptoms of the cough syrup overdose. Wow it just seems like anything they can get their hands on that does something to feel that high or whatever they want to get, they will find and abuse it.
ReplyDeleteCrazy, really. In Switzerland, even Asprin is sold at a pharmacy (never in a grocery store). The difference: Their drug addicts are registered and receive aid (with clean needles/drugs). Getting "over the counter" drugs (even something for female issues) requires a registered pharmacist delivering the product to the customer from BEHIND the counter. Not only is the public more informed on their drug "choices", it regulates ALL drugs and makes getting them less appealing as they are reserved for the "sick", only. Makes sense, even IF a bit frustrating for those of us who are not use to it. You can only educate your child but you cannot control what they choose to do under peer pressure or at a friend's house.
ReplyDeleteDrugs are a serious issue our teens are affronting now days. just like the blogs say some teens use them to cure their illnes but others use them for satisfaction. I thinkg its very vital for pharmacies to pay attention to this issue, they should be paying attention to who they be selling these kind of drugs to. it will stop teens from getting high or to use them for other purposes. All pharmacies should request or ask for a prescription before selling it to any person.
ReplyDeleteSaul
ReplyDeleteAnother way to help reduce is for parent to buy a medication cabinet that locks and keeps children away from meds.
Erik- If you look to the last post and also the sources we have cited you will find countless and very informative information.
ReplyDeleteDonna and Mrs. Lassker- Certain drug stores have cough medicine behind locked counters and other over the counter medication. For now, we must focus on education the entire public what's going on now.
Nabor- Certain pharmacies are focusing on training their staff to ask questions when a big amount of a certain otc is being bought. We hope this furthers to help stop this problem.