Dextromethorphan
Why Is This Drug Recommended?
Dextromethorphan is used to treat a cough that is brought on by the flu, the common cold, or other diseases. Dextromethorphan will suppress coughing, but it won’t cure the underlying cause or hasten healing. The drug dextromethorphan belongs to the group of drugs known as antitussives. It functions by reducing activity in the area of the brain responsible for coughing.
How Is This Medication to Be Taken?
Several different forms of dextromethorphan are available, including a liquid-filled capsule, a chewable tablet, a dissolving strip, a solution, an extended-release (long-acting) suspension, and an oral tablet.
Depending on need, it is often taken every 4 to 12 hours. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on the packaging or prescription label you do not understand, and carefully follow them.
Only use dextromethorphan in accordance with the label or the package’s instructions. Dextromethorphan should not be consumed in excess of the specified dose in a 24-hour period. To ascertain how much is in each dose, consult the container or prescription label. Large doses of dextromethorphan use might result in fatal adverse effects.
Dextromethorphan is available by itself and with decongestants, antihistamines, and cough suppressants. Consult your doctor or pharmacist to find out which product is best for your symptoms.
Before simultaneously using two or more non-prescription cough and cold medications, carefully read the labeling. If you take these products together, you can experience an overdose because they might both contain the same active ingredient. This is crucial if you plan to give children cough and cold drugs.
Cough and cold remedies sold over the counter, including those containing dextromethorphan, can have fatal side effects in young children. Don’t give this medicine to kids who are under the age of four. If you provide these goods to kids between the ages of 4 and 11, use caution and pay close attention to the instructions on the container.
Make sure the product is appropriate for a child of that age by carefully reading the package label before administering a child dextromethorphan or a combination product that contains it. Products containing dextromethorphan intended for adults should not be given to children.
Check the package label before giving a child a dextromethorphan product to determine how much of the medication the youngster needs to take. Use the dose on the chart that corresponds to the child’s age. If you are unsure about how much medication to give the child, consult their doctor.
Do not measure your dose with a regular spoon. Use a spoon designed specifically for measuring medication, the measuring cup that came with it, or both.
The dissolving strips should be placed on your tongue and then swallowed once they have melted.
When consuming chewable tablets, you can either let them melt in your mouth or chew them beforehand before swallowing.
Before using the extended-release solution, shake the bottle vigorously to uniformly distribute the drug.
Allow the tablets to melt gradually in your mouth if you take them.
If your cough does not improve within seven days, if it disappears and reappears, or if it coincides with a fever, rash, or headache, stop taking dextromethorphan and make an appointment with your doctor.
What Specific Safety Measures Should I Take?
Inform your doctor and pharmacist before using dextromethorphan if you have any allergies, other medications, or any of the substances in the product you want to use. A list of the ingredients can be found on the package label.
If you are currently on an MAO inhibitor, such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have just finished taking an MAO inhibitor within the last two weeks, you should not take dextromethorphan.
Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use.
Inform your doctor if you smoke, have a persistent cough that produces a lot of mucus, or have ever had breathing issues, including asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis.
Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking dextromethorphan.
You should be aware that some brands of chewable tablets containing dextromethorphan may be sweetened with aspartame, a source of phenylalanine, if you have phenylketonuria (PKU). This inherited condition requires you to follow a special diet to prevent brain damage that could cause severe intellectual disability.
Consequences of Green Hornet
Seizures, rashes, and unsettlingly high heart rates have all been connected to Green Hornet in reports. The FDA has published warnings regarding the effects of Green Hornet, even though they might be due to mixing it with other drugs. Green Hornet is primarily made up of herbal elements.
Still, it also contains the chemically active substances diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan, and depending on the dosage, it can have side effects similar to an overdose.
Green Hornet Is Prohibited
According to the FDA, the Green Hornet herbal ecstasy product in question was made by Kekio Inc. in Colorado Springs.
The business utilized the online store Mind Excursions to market Green Hornet both offline and online.
The name of the maker is not listed on the Green Hornet label. The FDA notes that Mind Excursions no longer sells Green Hornet.
A variety of herbal compounds are included on the product label. Diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan, two chemicals in this medicine that are not listed on the label, have been discovered through FDA examination. Numerous over-the-counter cough and cold treatments contain each of these medications separately.
Another action the FDA has taken against goods being produced, advertised, or distributed as substitutes for illegal street drugs is this recent advisory.
It is worrying that people of all ages are utilizing these possibly lethal items.
Anything sold as a “street drug alternative,” such as herbal ecstasy, is regarded as an unapproved new drug. The legislation is broken by products that include active substances that aren’t disclosed on the label. According to the FDA, such infractions may result in enforcement action, including seizure and injunction.
Green Hornet’s Current Status
Although the company that produced Green Hornet has stopped, there are still alternative herbal Ecstasy products available. The FDA has warned against using herbal versions of illegal medications because there may be hidden active ingredients. Making items without disclosing the active ingredients is against the law and can result in criminal charges for the maker.
Consulting a class action lawyer specializing in defective products or personal injury will help you protect your rights and preserve your capacity to seek compensation for your injuries if you have been hurt while using these products.
