What Is Robotripping? A Guide for Parents

Robotripping is a term that refers to the overuse of certain cough medicines to get high. The main ingredient involved is dextromethorphan (DXM), which is found in many over-the-counter cough syrups, tablets, and lozenges.

Robotripping is common among children and teens because of the relative ease of access of these drugs. However, while these medicines are safe and effective when used as directed, taking them in much larger doses can lead to severe health consequences. Understanding the signs, symptoms, and effects of robotripping can help you decide whether your teen needs professional help for substance use issues.

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Key Takeaways

• Robotripping is the overuse of certain cough medicines to get high.
• Understanding the signs, symptoms, and effects of robotripping can help you decide whether your teen needs professional help for substance use issues.
• In high doses, DXM acts as a hallucinogen, causing a range of symptoms from mild euphoria to confusion to aggression to complete detachment from reality.
• Newport offers a safe, nurturing space for teens to heal from problematic substance use.

What Is Robotripping?

When someone “robotrips,” they consume a lot more DXM than they should. There’s a common misconception that drugs containing DXM must be safe, since they’re legal and sold over the counter. But the reality is that robotripping can be very dangerous.

Hence, adolescents are clever when it comes to finding ways to get high. The advent of TikTok has introduced new “challenges” for getting high or abusing common household items, including nutmeg and laundry detergent pods.

However, robotripping on DXM isn’t new. Also known as skittling, dexing, and robodexing, robotripping has been a known problem among teens since the early 2000s. In mega-high doses, DXM acts as a hallucinogen, causing a range of symptoms from mild euphoria to confusion to aggression to complete detachment from reality. In extreme cases, it can even cause death.

Common Over-the-Counter Medications That Can Cause a DXM Trip

The most common over-the-counter cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (DXM) include:

• Robitussin (various formulations, such as Robitussin DM)
• NyQuil (including NyQuil Cold & Flu and NyQuil Severe)
• Delsym (12-hour cough relief)
• Mucinex DM (and other Mucinex products with “DM” in the name)
• Coricidin HBP (such as Cough and Cold)
• DayQuil (including DayQuil Cold & Flu and DayQuil Severe)
• Theraflu (such as Cough and Cold)
• Vicks 44 Cough Relief

Many of these medicines now contain an age limit of 18 upon purchase. However, state laws vary, and not all require an ID check.

Physical and Psychological Effects of Robotripping: DXM “Plateau Doses”

The effects of DXM vary depending on several factors—the amount taken, a person’s psychological state at time of ingestion, their underlying mental health issues, and the environment. The varying levels of intoxication from different doses of DXM are often referred to as “plateau doses.” There are four plateau doses, and they range from mild euphoria to intense hallucinations.

First Plateau: Mild stimulation

Dosage: 100–200 mg
Users may experience:

• Mild euphoria
• Slight stimulation
• Increased talkativeness

Second Plateau: Mild to moderate intoxication

Dosage: 200–400 mg
At this level, effects are similar to alcohol intoxication and include:

• Cognitive impairment
• Motor function loss
• Mild hallucinations
• Detachment from environment
• Alterered perceptions of auditory and visual stimuli

Third Plateau: Dissociative state

Dosage: 400–600 mg
This plateau is characterized by:

• Significant dissociation, a state where users feel disconnected from reality and their own body
• Intense hallucinations
• Loss of motor coordination
• Dreamlike state

Fourth Plateau: Intense hallucinations and delirium

Dosage: 600–1500 mg
Users experience:

• Profound hallucinations
• Delirium
• Trance-like state
• Severe disconnection from reality
• Extreme dissociation
• Potential severe mental and physical impairment

The risk of dangerous behaviors, overdose, and death increases significantly during the fourth plateau.

DXM Effects with Other Drugs

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, people who combine DXM with substances like alcohol or antidepressants are much more at risk for dangerous side effects, including toxic psychosis and death. Unfortunately, teens may combine drugs in order to get more of a desired high without realizing the risks.

Risky combinations include:

• Alcohol: Alcohol is a depressant. The two substances combined can cause extreme drowsiness, impaired motor functions, and a higher risk of respiratory problems, including dangerously slow or stopped breathing.
• Antidepressants (especially SSRIs and MAOIs): DXM interacts negatively with certain antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Combining the two can lead to serotonin syndrome, a life-threatening condition characterized by agitation, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, increased body temperature, and seizures.
• Other over-the-counter meds: Many OTC cold, flu, and pain medicines contain additional ingredients like acetaminophen, which can cause liver or kidney damage when taken in high doses.
• Marijuana: Weed can compound DXM’s hallucinogenic and dissociative effects. Teens who use both simultaneously have an increased risk of experiencing anxiety, panic, paranoia, impaired judgment, major dissociation, and detachment from reality.
• Stimulants (like cocaine or ADHD medications): Combining DXM with stimulants can place excessive strain on the heart and nervous system, leading to severe cardiovascular issues like heart attack or stroke, as well as heightened anxiety, agitation, increased heart and breathing rates, and potential for aggressive behavior.
• Opioids: Mixing DXM with opioids increases the risk of severe respiratory depression and overdose, as both substances depress the central nervous system. This combination can be particularly deadly.

If your teen is struggling to breathe, having symptoms of heart attack or stroke, vomiting excessively, or is otherwise dangerously impaired, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room for treatment right away.

What to Do If Your Teen Is Abusing DXM

Teens use risky substances for a variety of reasons. Reasons for cough medicine misuse can include:

• Curiosity
• Poor judgment resulting from still-developing brains
• Low self-esteem
• Peer pressure or a strong desire to fit in
• Underlying mental health conditions

Talking to your teen about serious topics, such as dextromethorphan use, can be challenging, particularly if they’re already moody or rebellious. Here are some ways to help your teen if you suspect they’re abusing DXM or other substances.

• Help your child develop resilience and emotional regulation skills. These skills improve their stress tolerance and decrease their likelihood of turning to risky behaviors like substance use.

• Maintain open communication with your teen. This includes asking questions, practicing active listening, getting curious instead of judgmental, and letting them know they can come to you when they’re having problems.
• Set boundaries. As the parent, you’re responsible for your child’s well-being. Setting healthy boundaries for inappropriate behaviors – such as implementing consequences for stealing household medicines or lying to you about drug use – teaches them you care, but that they still need to be accountable for their actions.

Teen Treatment for Substance Use at Newport Academy

At Newport Academy, we understand how scary it can be when your teen is engaging in risky behaviors like problematic substance use. If you’re worried that your child could be taking part in problematic cough medicine use, we’re here to help. We offer a wide array of tailored teen treatment programs, including residential care for teens and adolescent outpatient treatment, for mental health and substance use disorders. Our caring staff work to uncover the underlying issues that cause the destructive behavior.

Newport’s comprehensive therapeutic approach promotes spiritual, relational, emotional, and physical healing. Our treatment programs for children ages 7-11 and teens ages 12-18 include:

• Psychoeducation. Learning about mental illness, coping strategies, and treatment options serves to empower teens and their families. By better understanding their experiences and symptoms, teens can learn to play an active role in their recovery.
• Individual therapy. This includes evidence-based modalities such as cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, EMDR, and trauma repair.
• Group therapy. Peer support from group therapy builds healthy relationships and helps your teen feel less alone in their challenges.
• Family therapy. Utilizing attachment-based methods, family therapy heals ruptured parent-child bonds, restores trust, and improves family well-being.
• Experiential therapy. Therapeutic modalities like art, culinary, fitness, and music can teach teens new ways to connect to themselves and their environments.
• Academic programming. Many teens who struggle with mental health also struggle with academics. We provide tailored instruction with academic instructors and teachers to focus on your child’s strengths.

Start your child or teen on the path to healing today. To learn more about children and teen treatment at Newport and see whether it’s right for your family, contact us for a free teen mental health assessment.

Sources

StatPearls. 2024 Jan.

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