Illicit drug manufacturers spend a lot of time figuring out how to skirt current safety laws to produce substances that get you high. Many of these concoctions are made from toxic substances such as gasoline, lighter fluid and other dangerous chemicals. The lemon drop drug — so named because it’s mixed with lemonade powder from the grocery store — is one such substance.
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What to Know About Lemon Drop
Just because a high is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe or non-addictive. Illicit manufacturers don’t have your best interests at heart. They simply skirt the existing laws — easy to do, because it takes time for enforcement professionals to catch up — and create the next life-threatening substance. Sometimes, you can even find these drugs in legitimate stores, inside packages labeled “Not for human consumption.” Other times, manufacturers modify legal products to create illicit, high-producing substances.
Lemon drop is one such substance. Made by mixing painter’s solvent or lighter fluid with over-the-counter cough syrup, the active ingredient in lemon drop is Dextromethorophan. Also known as DXM, this ingredient is why certain cough syrups are sometimes sold behind the counter in your local pharmacy. What’s worse is that recipes to extract DXM and create this powerful drug are available online. Lazier buyers can also find pre-made lemon drop online, which looks like a small yellow rock.
The Effects and Dangers of Lemon Drop
Lemon drop is a psychedelic drug that produces strong hallucinations. For some users, this experience can cause anxiety or panic that can last for hours. Lighter fluid and paint solvent are toxic substances not fit for human consumption, and DXM, even though it is sold over-the-counter, is extremely dangerous. Side effects of DXM include:
- Overdose and death. High amounts of DXM can stop the heart, slow breathing and cause fatal liver injury. Combining lemon drop with alcohol is extremely dangerous because alcohol is also a depressant.
- Nausea, vomiting and stomach pain
- Extreme sedation or drowsiness, confusion and dizziness
- Blurred vision, slurred speech and poor physical coordination
- Numbness in extremities
Lemon Drop Addiction Signs
Some of the signs of DXM or lemon drop addiction include:
- Unexplained purchases of cough syrups such as Robitussin or Vicks 44
- Missing bottles of cough syrup
- Hearing or discovering your loved one using slang words such as “skittling,” “robo,” “dexing” or “tussin”
- Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
- Ignoring old friends or activities to spend more time alone or with new people
- Poor performance in school
- Increased hostility
- Combining drugs such as lemon drop or DXM with alcohol
Contact Us Today
If you find out that someone you care about is using lemon drop and it’s causing personal problems, it’s time to get help. Through diagnosis and treatment, individuals who abuse drugs and alcohol can achieve a life-lasting recovery.
Treatment often includes medically assisted detox, behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, experiential therapy, small group counseling and aftercare. The longer you wait to get help, the more difficult recovery can be — so if using lemon drop is causing problems, it is a problem, and treatment can help.
For more information about lemon drop addiction, contact us today.
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