Why isn’t Benzedrex a controlled substance???

[Juicewrldfan]

Due to a possibly increased risk of pulmonary hypertension and the generally unenjoyable effect. Smoking it was very tense and jittery, its like smoking really bad racemic meth.

Fast onset of propylhexedrine is not a good thing given it's adrenergic nature. Again, it is kind of like low-grade meth or racemic speed. It's best taken orally in large doses to smooth out the rough edges and soften the overall effect with a serotonin dump. Snorted and smoked make it feel very jittery.



This does sort of work. I once cut out the active portions (the yellow part, the oily spot) of the cottons from three inhalers, and put them all into one inhaler and inhaled continuously for a long time, and could definitely feel it. But it didn't feel particularly good, producing a sort of jittery though not entirely unpleasant stimulation.

Again, much like low quality meth, or in the case of MDMA, you're best off bombing it in a large oral dose in order to exploit the oral pharmacokinetic advantage of a more gradual norepinephrine dump, balanced out by the eventual dopamine and serotonin release that occurs at high doses.


***On a side note, anyone notice a change in the color of the oil on the cottons as of late? The spot on the cotton where they dumped propylhexedrine freebase used to be fairly dark brown, but I've noticed more recently that color has gotten lighter, in some cases even hard to see. They still work similarly.

Yeah. I didn’t find any cottons that had any color really. Most seemed all white but some had very very light color. It is very hard to see, but yeah they still work. This was the case for all the cottons I came across and I bought like a hundred inhalers in three weeks. I had to shovel the broken cases out of my car floor pretty much as I was being a bum and cracking them open to extract on the drive home and just throwing them on the car floor. I was strung out what can I say.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I've done it twice.

First time 1 cotton and found it enjoyable enough to try it again. The second time I took 2 cottons and enjoyed it for a few hours but eventually had a harsh comedown combined with a horrible psychosis. The sink in the bathroom was dripping and this noise translated into people talking inside my walls. I was literally holding my head against the wall trying to hear the conversation. Felt like I has been up on meth for 5 days but in reality was only on propylhexadrine for maybe 10 hours. Needed to abort that shit quick so took some benzos and risperidone and passed out.

I'm a fiend and will do many drugs with reckless abandon, but that stuff is very low on my list and would only do it if I had downers and APs to take afterwards.

But I still don't understand why anyone would find it particularly abusable. Far cry from meth.

 

[unodelacosa]

But I still don't understand why anyone would find it particularly abusable.

Yep – propylhexedrine is some nasty-feeling, skin-crawly shit, to me. It's a short, shaky high that is not without its own initial charms, but then it degrades and leaves me feeling like hot, wet garbage. No thanks. And normally I love most stims. No offense to you, @Juicewrldfan, everyone has their drugs of choice, right? Different strokes and all that.

Goddamn the taste of the eucalyptus and menthol from one of those cotton wads is so impossibly ratchet it almost makes me gag. I can taste that foul shit now just thinking about it.

Anyway @Juicewrldfan propylhexedrine isn't removed from OTC status probs bc of this very unpleasantness. It's schedule V I believe, whatever that means, lol. It's just not that enjoyable to most people, I think. There are some exceptions of course to prove the rule, such as yourself, but I get the feeling it's not too common. Similarly, DXM in OTC cough syrup isn't much of a problem bc it's so goddamn unpleasant on its own to most people. Has a built-in safety mechanism in that dysphoria.

I was strung out what can I say.

I hear ya, man, but criminalizing drugs w/prohibition is too destructive to society as it deals out far more harm than the drugs they purportedly protect us from. I appreciate your genuine concern for others, and I'm really sorry that shit strung you out, but please don't advocate for more drug laws. It's the last thing we need.

From a technical standpoint, one of the most profoundly mind-altering substances – the motion sickness drug Dramamine (Dimenhydrinate) – when you take about a dozen it becomes a deliriant. A friend and I did this when we were 18-yrs-old, and it was a miserable experience I will never repeat. Nonetheless, I thought initially: holy fucking shit, this seems dangerous to be able to buy OTC. But it's no more dangerous than, say, Paracetamol (acetaminophen, aka Tylenol), which will kill you if you take the whole bottle at once. Not a pleasant or drowsy death either, but rather a painful slow shutting down of internal organs and immense pain. Super inadvisable on every level, yet the option is there, in the wild, so to speak, ripe for the plucking of the OTC persuasion.

Or really, no one will stop you from buying two different cleaning products – one made w/ bleach; the other, ammonia. Take them home, open them up, combine them in the bath tub, lean over that motherfucker and breath deeply – deadly chlorine gas will burn your trachea and asphyxiate/poison you. You'll wind up slumped over the tub, dead as a doornail like some 1950s homemaker.

None of the above mean we should outlaw bleach, ammonia, diphenydramine (the biggest component to Dramamine), or acetaminophen, though, ya feel me?

 

[mal3volent]

I haven't done Benzedrex since high school when I was chugging robitussin , doing duster, snorting random pills and every other whacked out thing I could think of.

 

[dextromethorphian]

I haven't done Benzedrex since high school when I was chugging robitussin , doing duster, snorting random pills and every other whacked out thing I could think of.

Who doesn't like snorting their mom's random anti-depressants while near ODing on Benadryl cough syrup?

 

[mal3volent]

Who doesn't like snorting their mom's random anti-depressants while near ODing on Benadryl cough syrup?

I at least knew enough to get the kind without the Guaifenesin, my hippy friend told me

 

[dextromethorphian]

I at least knew enough to get the kind without the Guaifenesin, my hippy friend told me

Where's the fun in taking DXM if you aren't dying of horrific stomach cramps that come with consuming over 24 grams of Guaifenesin in one sitting? That's what I like at least.

 

[RDP89]

I hope nobody is still injecting propylhexedrine. There were several cases in the ‘80’s of death from IV propylhexedrine. Something about the brain stem closing up if I remember right(from the literature). So it should be stated for harm reduction purposes to NEVER inject propylhexedrine. There’s quite a high risk of death.

I remember back in the mid to late '80 in state pen that this was a huge "thing". Removing the cotton and either IV-ing it or letting it soak in a hot beverage like coffee for a while before consuming. Some would put the cotton in a syringe and push the contents thereof straight into their veins.
This is where I first heard the term "cotton fever" but may have meant something different back then IDK.

 

[blow_in2night]

As a meth fanatic I tried these thinking I had stumbled upon some hidden treasure. I procured 2 of these and proceeded to ingest the cotton a little at a time. I was Def spun but not in a good way. Ended up on a drive with my sis and by the time I got back I had to lay down. My heart was beating irregularly to the point I was legit worried.
I think I indulged twice and abandoned altogether. I can only assume that someone who would abuse this doesn't have the most basic of impulse control stemming from some underlying mental deficit. You literally reach a point of diminished returns very shortly after ingestion...like an hr and a half after.
No need to control a substance that works as prescribed and has a very low abuse potential. This is just my take on it and I haven't extensively researched this....

 

[dextromethorphian]

I hope nobody is still injecting propylhexedrine. There were several cases in the ‘80’s of death from IV propylhexedrine. Something about the brain stem closing up if I remember right(from the literature). So it should be stated for harm reduction purposes to NEVER inject propylhexedrine. There’s quite a high risk of death.

I don't think anyone does since everyone that uses it recreationally is always warned to never IV (especially when people talk about making it into an HCL form.)

 

[mal3volent]

Where's the fun in taking DXM if you aren't dying of horrific stomach cramps that come with consuming over 24 grams of Guaifenesin in one sitting? That's what I like at least.

yep well I guess I missed out on that one. This was in the late 2000s as well when you could just walk in and grab whatever you wanted. Nothing behind glass. The local grocery store even had the grape Delsyum which was a real treat.

 

[dextromethorphian]

yep well I guess I missed out on that one. This was in the late 2000s as well when you could just walk in and grab whatever you wanted. Nothing behind glass. The local grocery store even had the grape Delsyum which was a real treat.

You aren't missing out on much, lol. My local stores don't have anything behind glass but they almost NEVER have the Delsym HBr tablets or the Robitussin gelcaps.. only Mucinex in terms of pills. And omg don't get me started on Delsym, I LOVE IT. It's still available here and I love bingeing it (mainly because it does last longer), but the syrup fucks my stomach up and I end up not shitting for a week straight like I'm on an Oxy binge.

 

[RDP89]

I used to use/abuse Propylhexedrine via the benzedrex cottons so I understand the allure. They were much cheaper than cocaine, and shit, if I didn’t have money I’d just steal them. I’m clean now of all drugs. But, anyway I think the thing here is that if it got popular enough to be a visible problem it would go behind the counter or even be scheduled, but it’s been on the shelf for many years and that hasn’t happened. So I think that’s unlikely to change. As others have stated, there’s too many limiting factors to make it a popular drug of abuse. That, and the fact that even with the internet most people, even among drug using populations, just don’t even know what this stuff is or that it can get you high. I believe far more people are aware of DXM’s recreational potential. Which again speaks to the limiting factors for recreational use/abuse potential because if those weren’t as extreme as they are, I think word would be far more widespread far more quickly about benzedrex recreational use.

 

[RDP89]

I don't think anyone does since everyone that uses it recreationally is always warned to never IV (especially when people talk about making it into an HCL form.)

Yeah, I’m pretty sure no one has attempted that in a long time, thankfully.

 

[dextromethorphian]

I used to use/abuse Propylhexedrine via the benzedrex cottons so I understand the allure. They were much cheaper than cocaine, and shit, if I didn’t have money I’d just steal them. I’m clean now of all drugs. But, anyway I think the thing here is that if it got popular enough to be a visible problem it would go behind the counter or even be scheduled, but it’s been on the shelf for many years and that hasn’t happened. So I think that’s unlikely to change. As others have stated, there’s too many limiting factors to make it a popular drug of abuse. That, and the fact that even with the internet most people, even among drug using populations, just don’t even know what this stuff is or that it can get you high. I believe far more people are aware of DXM’s recreational potential. Which again speaks to the limiting factors for recreational use/abuse potential because if those weren’t as extreme as they are, I think word would be far more widespread far more quickly about benzedrex recreational use.

I also used to abuse Benzedrex and that was exactly why. I'd spend $10 on 2 (and occasionally 3/4) and be geeked out and euphoric for the day. Much easier than getting Meth, but the comedown proved that it's not as great for you physically.

 

[Keif' Richards]

It's a pretty self-limiting drug in a lot of ways. The whole experience is often characterized as Amphetamine-like. There is a pronounces body-load or tension that users describe as uncomfortable and anxiogenic. If you are taking the stuff orally, the gastrointestinal stuff can suck. First you have the nasty taste that lingers in your stomach for hours and secondly, the cotton can pretty easily become caught in the digestive tract. This is a serious issue if it does occur.

Methamphetamine and to a much lesser extent, pharmaceutical stimulants are easy enough to acquire either licitly or illicitly. When people are faced with the desire to get high, Methamphetamine is always going to blow Propylhexedrine (Benzedrex) out of the water, at for a fraction of the price. These are the reasons I feel it is not scheduled, it's just not that abusable at the end of the day. You certaibnly don't want to deal with a comedown from 5 tubes of Benzedrine, so again, there are limits to how far one can go with this.

I agree with @Snafu in the Void in the Propylhexdrine is just not "good" enough. There are times when we're willing to do anything just to escape our heads. Propylhexedrine to me is this. It's going to give you a buzz, but it's certainly not on anyone's favorite list.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

We can sniff it all up and then fight about who gets to keep the porno magazines !

LOL that is an epic joke

That could be a stand up bit

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Yeah just because something can be dangerous doesn't mean it should be restricted.
I doubt the average person even knows what propylhexedrine even is or that it's abusable.

Honestly, I wouldn't even say it's abusable. It barely provides any euphoria or stimulation, so I don't see people going to town on it.
Dextromethorphan is more recreational than propylhexedrine IMO.

I do find that if you're tired AF, a few puffs off that inhaler will help wake you up for a few. I'm also mentally ill, so should I not have access to benzedrex? Come on now.

 

[smokeymcpot42088]

To answer the OP: I have been a polydrug user for over 20 years, ok hold. Last 8 yrs or so just sub benzos pot and concentrates so 15-ish yrs. (the poor bastard that I am).
(while i was writing this novel kief richards nailed it in a paragraph)

Never in all my days have I considered walking into walgreens/mart/w/e and buying a benzedrex inhaler to pull the cotton out and soak. Every other person has a stim script, failing that meth is beyond epidemic. *edit* I guess im not a stim person, I am an opi person and have never used kratom, bzo but never valerian root. I guess im a bit of a snob?

Why would any sensible user not go that route instead? (I get the prison stories, second class drugs in there, oh huzzah for seroquel) *dont worry im vetted I watch 60 days in lmao. Also did they change what the active ingredient is in those cotton messes?)

Also, lots and lots and lots of things could be made controlled substances under the analog act. I think it is a apply pressure as "needed" type deals. (which is why this is getting no attention, most ppl will call a friend with rit addy or meth. I can't imagine its great bang for the buck wise? Hmm I think i read its the same price as a dime bag so it isn't cost prohibitive. Shit i dont even know what meth costs, Ive heard "its as cheap as dirt" and 2 dimers a point; which is not cheap at all H being half that per point. I assume a point is about a days worth. (a damn heavy day if its good).

I think there are a few substances that don't get hit hard or often because they are so widely needed.

I am no chemist but in particular I believe 1.4 butanediol is one of such substances and is used to create plastic... Many years ago there was a product called aquadots I believe, made as a childrens toy for xmas. Well for w/e reason (not a chemist) all of the 1.4 did not become plastic and you had basically ghb soaked plastic. But at any rate it is just too necessary to make a controlled substance. So huzzah for not consuming 1.4-butanediol but having it legally, in the US. I think they have clamped down a bit on it from the order it by the frickin liter anywhere.
^^^^CORRECT ME IF I AM NOT 100 HERE ^^^^^^^

(wave goodbye to bromazolam it is becoming too prevalent.....or stock the hell up.)

I would be a rich man if I were the type to have vended my clonazolam stash instead of ''enjoying a nice taper" saw some douche clear 90k on ebay in about a week (just preban), I hear MDPV has skyrocketed also. Only time I have ever seen a temptation of resale. The guy that owned our local headshop became a millionaire in one yr...than lost it all selling a dime bag to a cop wired up.

Simple investment advice says buy buy buy. but remember the risks when its time to sell sell sell.
but of course don't do that.

Bettering your own situation through (possibly) the only way you can is the backbone of capitalism! But if you get caught or do it wrong remember you are a lousy fuckin no good drug dealer.
(see how that logic works) Serious cognitive dissonance. If you watched boardwalk empire the conversation between Enoch Thompson and Joe Kennedy broils it down well. Ill youtube a link when im on a computer that has copy paste lol.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

DO NOT EVER INJECT PROPYLHEXEDRINE.


YOU ARE ASKING FOR BRAINSTEM DYSFUNCTION BY DOING SO.

Intravenous abuse of propylhexedrine (Benzedrex) and the risk of brainstem dysfunction in young adults - PubMed

In 1949, amphetamine sulfate was replaced by propylhexedrine in the nasal decongestant agent Benzedrex because of psychosis, sudden death, and widespread abuse. Propylhexedrine is not without risks, and reported cases of psychosis, myocardial infarction, pulmonary vascular disease and pulmonary...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov