Mr. Tambourine Man
Bluelighter
hello fellow BL'rs. I wanted to post a warning on what I think may be a contamination of supposedly DXM-only cough-gels, purchased as generics from acetaminophen.This is largely speculation on my part, bu the fact are these:
One week ago I consumed300 mg (20) allegedly DXM only cough gels (CVS generic brand). 2-or 3 hours later I followed this up with a 2lb dose of poppy-seed tea which I split in half w/ my girlfriend. To rule out the Tea, she experienced no negative effects and had a positive experience from it. I also consumed a~ 1 mg of phenazepam (note that I have at least a minor tolerance to all these substances)
By the reports of my girlfriend, and those who found me less than an hour later (I was in a small apartment with a few friends) I was unconscious, with open eyes and barely breathing. After being rushed tot he the ER it was found that I had suffered extreme hypo-tension, damaging, my liver, kidneys, and brain to some extent. However, on the toxicology report, it showed a I had also taken a massive overdoes of Tylenol. [just so there is no misunderstanding, I have what verges on a phobia of Tylenol, there was none in the apartment that night, nor could I have left to acquire some unnoticed]
After spending a week in the hospital and being given regular doses of acetaminophen-antidote (I forget the name, tastes horrible![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
) as well as regular injections of anti-clotting agents to fight two blood clots I developed during my periods of extremely low blood pressure. Much of the treatment, including the night of the accident,I have no memory of, for better or worse. What is certain though, is that had I not been found as soon as I had by my girlfriend, who alerted others, I would certainly have died.
Even now, after being discharged, I am far from normal. I have severe tinitus and some hearing loss that doesn't go away,I am unsteady when I walk, and I still have two painful (but non threatening) clots in the veins of me right arm, for which I am prescribed a a 3-month regimen of anticoagulants.
The moral of the story?
I had purchased a bottle of CVS-generic Cough-gels for a minor DXM trip, since the label shows DXM as the only active ingredient, and this is a brand I have used many times before. However, this time I woke up in a hospital with a failing liver and severely high levels of acetaminophen in my system. Since I make a point of avoiding acetaminophen (I don't keep any in any form in my apartment) and since Robitussin puts acetaminophen in some of their other products, the only explanation that I can think of is that there is a batch of dangerously contaminated CVS-brand Cough-Gels. I realize this is pure conjecture, but I can't figure it out any other way. I just hope this helps someone, somewhere; I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer what I went through. (Also any comments or thoughts would be much appreciated)
One week ago I consumed300 mg (20) allegedly DXM only cough gels (CVS generic brand). 2-or 3 hours later I followed this up with a 2lb dose of poppy-seed tea which I split in half w/ my girlfriend. To rule out the Tea, she experienced no negative effects and had a positive experience from it. I also consumed a~ 1 mg of phenazepam (note that I have at least a minor tolerance to all these substances)
By the reports of my girlfriend, and those who found me less than an hour later (I was in a small apartment with a few friends) I was unconscious, with open eyes and barely breathing. After being rushed tot he the ER it was found that I had suffered extreme hypo-tension, damaging, my liver, kidneys, and brain to some extent. However, on the toxicology report, it showed a I had also taken a massive overdoes of Tylenol. [just so there is no misunderstanding, I have what verges on a phobia of Tylenol, there was none in the apartment that night, nor could I have left to acquire some unnoticed]
After spending a week in the hospital and being given regular doses of acetaminophen-antidote (I forget the name, tastes horrible
) as well as regular injections of anti-clotting agents to fight two blood clots I developed during my periods of extremely low blood pressure. Much of the treatment, including the night of the accident,I have no memory of, for better or worse. What is certain though, is that had I not been found as soon as I had by my girlfriend, who alerted others, I would certainly have died.Even now, after being discharged, I am far from normal. I have severe tinitus and some hearing loss that doesn't go away,I am unsteady when I walk, and I still have two painful (but non threatening) clots in the veins of me right arm, for which I am prescribed a a 3-month regimen of anticoagulants.
The moral of the story?
I had purchased a bottle of CVS-generic Cough-gels for a minor DXM trip, since the label shows DXM as the only active ingredient, and this is a brand I have used many times before. However, this time I woke up in a hospital with a failing liver and severely high levels of acetaminophen in my system. Since I make a point of avoiding acetaminophen (I don't keep any in any form in my apartment) and since Robitussin puts acetaminophen in some of their other products, the only explanation that I can think of is that there is a batch of dangerously contaminated CVS-brand Cough-Gels. I realize this is pure conjecture, but I can't figure it out any other way. I just hope this helps someone, somewhere; I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer what I went through. (Also any comments or thoughts would be much appreciated)
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and I hope you continue to recover. 