Coricidin FAQ: Please Be Aware of What you are Taking!!!

Coricidin is a combination of dextromethorphan and chlorpheniramine maleate. The general dosage is 30mg of DXM and 4mg of CPM. One major reason why abusing coricidin is far more dangerous than other DXM containing products is the presence of Chlorpheniramine maleate. While the fatal doses for both of these substances is substantially high, they are BOTH metabolized by the SAME liver enzyme! This means that the liver is given a much harder workload and that the fatal dose lowers significantly. CPM has a half life of around 21-24 hours. If used many times in a short timespan, the fatal dosage lowers more and more, as the CPM levels are not deteriorating. The dose that was fine the first time can very well be fatal the second time. CPM is what is called an acetylcholine inhibitor, which basically means that it inhibits the Central Nervous System(CNS). DXM also has effects slowing respiration and inhibiting the CNS. Combined in high doses, their synergistic effects with this characteristic alone can cause shallow breathing, dangerous decrease in blood pressure, and lowered stomach acid secretion. "High doses of Chlorpheniramine Maleate can cause severe and life-threatening symptoms including seizures, loss of consciousness, bleeding from skin, mouth, rectum, and vagina, and possibly death". Numerous hospitalizations and deaths have been recorded. Most of the deaths which have occured have been caused by less than 10 tablets. Most of the time the cause was abusing it more than once in a relatively short time span, increasing concentrations to fatal levels. The combination of CPM and DXM, both affecting serotonin, can also cause a life-threatening condition known as serotonin toxicity, or serotonin syndrome. Coricidin Cough, Cold, and Flu is even more toxic, containing 325mg of acetaminophen(APAP) in addition to the above chemicals. Acetaminohpen is notorious for the damage it can cause to the liver in high doses, and its deadly combination with other drugs and alcohol. Coricidin and generic versions are one of the most dangerous drug combinations to abuse. Please, if you absolutely need to abuse over the counter medications, use a product containing only DXM, it could save your life. -Aaron Ellis