An two-year-old interview with the editor of DXM Zine

The following is an edited version of an e-mail interview with conducted with Jeff Beach (aka Gravol), who was at the time the editor of DXM zine at Dextroverse.org.

-------------------------------------------------------
From: FLjeffbeach@aol.com
Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 20:13:00 EDT
Subject: Re: Questions
To: jamesk@tripzine.com

> How long have you been doing DXM zine?

Since November of '97 (approximately 5 years), with a special Anniversary Issue appearing in November. The Zine will now be put out on a bi-monthly basis instead of monthly.

> How many regular contributors do you have?

Roughly 400 in 16 nations. Our subscribers range from teenagers to senior citizens in some cases, and they use DXM for a wide range of purposes (psychedelic effects, pain, depression, etc.).

> Do you have any visitor stats for the site? Number of users per month, or anything like that?

Unfortunately the Dextroverse is in the midst of switching servers so all stats are unavailable. The website address will remain the same, but everything needs to be re-uploaded (which will not take long at all). The Dextroverse itself is the most active and popular DXM community on the Internet, and the DXM Zine is only one facet of that community. The majority of subscribers come to me by word of mouth or from Internet advertisements.

> How many e-mail inquiries do you get about DXM through the zine? What are the general questions like?

I get messages every day, on average a half-a-dozen, regarding The DXM Zine. Most are subscription requests, but general questions range from people requesting information on reputable DXM suppliers, how to contribute articles, or questions concerning DXM itself or brand names.

> In your estimation, what is the most popular form of recreational DXM? Syrup?

When I left Akron, Ohio, in 1998, Coricidin Cough & Cold was the most popular form of DXM being abused. One entire highschool was hooked, articles plagued the newspapers, medications were put behind the counter, and I'd see Coricidin boxes in ditches where beer bottles should've been. More than likely the source of the epidemic was the advent of the Internet, but spread quickly by word-of-mouth, and consisted of users as young as 12 and 13 years-of-age.

Unfortunately, I believe Coricidin Cough & Cold is the most popular form of DXM being abused, because the majority of 'dexers' do not have the resources of the Internet at their disposal or know of other preparations - they learn from their friends at school the type of medication, and most of them don't know enough about DXM in general to know that there are other, safer preparations.

The syrup users tend to be more sophisticated and older in age, with the average user in their early 20s. Syrup abuse has stayed constant over the years, and the main reason why DXM has gained such popularity is because of the youthful population abusing Coricidin.

Yet others with the knowledge of the Internet, drug forums, and chemical suppliers, choose to use DXM powder, which in my opinion is more dangerous than Coricidin (at least as far as fatalities are concerned) because it can be marketed in fake "E" tabs and is difficult to measure out.

What self-proclaimed DXM experts like Robert F. Golazsewski ("The DXM Harm Reduction Page") fail to point out is that the majority of people abusing DXM in this country do not have online DXM resources at their disposal or care enough to do research on it, and this accounts for the large number of hospitalizations resulting from overdoses. Coricidin is also not as deadly as he touts it to be or what the media would like you to believe (there has only been one confirmed death resulting from DXM intoxication by a 13-year-old, in which no other drugs were involved).

One side-note: Coricidin may cause abnormal behavior in some individuals because of the synergistic relationship of the DXM and the antihistamine (DXM should only be used in pure form with no other active ingredients), which has resulted in shootings, psychotic outbreaks, and animal cruelty, which do not seem so prevalant in other forms of DXM or linked to DXM itself.

> Of the people who use DXM recreationally, what percentage would you say are daily users, and what percentage are "weekend" or infrequent users?

Recent polls I've conducted seem to indicate only a small fraction (approximately 5%) are daily users. The number may actually be higher among non-Internet users who use Coricidin. About two-thirds are "weekend" or infrequent users. The majority of people only use DXM once or twice a month, which seems pretty consistent with other psychedelics of use, like LSD or tryptamines.

> How often do you use DXM yourself, and in what dosage?

I have used small amounts of DXM (350mg) on a regular basis (average of once every other day) and sometimes daily for 5 years with no ill effects or damage. There is a big difference between high-plateau doses (500mg and up) and low-plateau doses. In my opinion and experience (and until medical evidence proves otherwise) that DXM, even when used regularly, in small doses between 200-350mg are perfectly safe.

There has been no major findings of any sort indicating that long-term DXM use in moderate doses is harmful on the brain or body. In clinical trials by major pharmaceutical companies, patients are taking on average of 240mg daily in a clinical setting (enough to cause substantial euphoria and some psychedelic effects) and are showing no harmful side effects.

Doses of over 2000 mg have been abused (this has been documented) on a daily basis for several months with no permanent damage reported (the lethal dose of DXM has been substantially lower than that amount, so great caution must be exercised when using amounts of 800 mg or more, and users should never exceed 1000 mg).

> Although it is not technically addictive, how easy do you think it is to form a dependancy or habitual use routine with DXM? Do you think this is common?

It is very uncommon and rare to become physically addicted to DXM. Psychological addiction is another story, but no greater than to that of LSD. If one becomes physically addicted (which is very possible with daily use over at least a 4-6 month period) then they can expect light to mild withdrawal symptoms, including sweating, vertigo, loss of appetite, and long periods of deep sleep, which typically are uncomfortable at worse. The effects would dissipate within a week, but again I need to remind you that withdrawal and physical dependency is so rare that most medical texts don't even classify DXM as addictive.

> Do you know of any people or groups of people who use DXM socially, like in a party atmosphere

I personally used to use DXM with a large group of friends (in Ohio) and would go to alleged "haunted" hotels and areas and take a large amount of DXM and stay the night. A lot of weird things happened and it was one of the funnest times in my life - though quite scary for the rest of my friends. This is just one activity that can be done on DXM - it is generally not a "social" drug like alcohol, but small groups of friends can dex in a controlled setting without incident.

In Florida, DXM isn't as prevalant as up North due to the heavy influx of other club or designer drugs, however it does often appear in "E" tablets and I'm sure some people intentionally take DXM and go to raves on it. Also due to the relatively small number of raves up North compared to other areas of the country, DXM probably isn't used in clubs or party settings very often, except in "get-togethers."

> Do you have any estimation on what the typical age-range of most recreational DXM users is?

The predominant age of DXM users who use the Internet are teenagers to people in their early to mid-20s. It is difficult to say what the average age would be on the street, but my guess is it would be slightly lower due to schools being the ideal setting for abuse to spread (by word-of-mouth).

> Do you think DXM is used by an under-age crowd as an alcohol substitute because it is easier to get syrup than beer?

To irresponsible or uninformed users of DXM, they may use it as a substitute for other intoxicants (this would account for most of the younger users). However, to older users DXM is not being used for intoxication purposes, but more because of its psychedelic properties, mind exploration, etc. - A very high number of users try or use DXM because they are interested in a psychedelic experience and are curious about it. Since people generally do not use DXM more than once or twice a month, it should not be viewed as just another "cheap legal high" that is abused for its convenience.

Unfortunately the irresponsible users who are young and don't know any better are damaging the credibility of this complex substance and their own health because of their intention to use it as only another intoxicant to get high off of, which is the last thing it is.

> Other than the deaths and adverse reactions which are posted online, how often do you hear from or get news of someone who thinks they may have damaged their brain from too much DXM use?

I rarely *ever* get reports or first-hand accounts of people who claim they've been brain-damaged by DXM. There have been rare cases in which the person has an enzyme deficiency and has an adverse reaction to it, but that is not because of the drug itself, but of their physiological and chemical makeup, and to my knowledge no one has died from that.

Actual deaths resulting from DXM are rare, and documented deaths resulting solely from Coricidin use is even more rare. The majority of deaths comprise suicides, accidents, or combining the drug with heavy amounts of central-nervous depressants and opiates, and account for less than .01% or less of users.

> What is the most common symptom or complaint that these people have?

The majority of people who try DXM find it too overwhelming to continue with its use. For the people that do use it on an occasional or semi-regular basis, the most common symptoms include nausea and detachment from their surroundings (which is why they take it in the first place). Sometimes it is falsely reported that DXM causes high blood pressure or heart problems but this has yet to be documented in many of the hundreds of medical reports on DXM. Vertigo is another major symptom that often leads to nausea, but for the most part nausea is the main concern over DXM use.

More adverse effects can be expected with Coricidin Cough & Cold, which are attributed to the antihistamine in it, and not the DXM. These include pains in the eyes and flu-like symptoms, and quite possibly changes in blood pressure.

> Do these clear up over time, and if so with what frequency?

There is no documented cases of permanent brain damage resulting from DXM, and to my knowledge no reports of permanent bodily injury resulting from mild to moderate doses of DXM. In fact, to my knowledge, there are no reports of anyone with any permanent injury resulting in responsible DXM use. One concern with syrup is the heavy load it exerts on the body to break down the glucose and sugars, but this can be prevented by using DXM in its powder form or tablet form.

Most users report an "afterglow" or euphoric "hangover" of DXM the next day, especially after using it at night. This goes away and decreases in intensity throughout the day and is quite pleasant in nature. Some people do overreact and become worried because they feel the trip will never end, but this is no different than with LSD users, and nobody has ever gone crazy or psychotic after using DXM (at least nothing that is documented). Others claim they lose sensation of their heart beating (which is due to the numbing effect of DXM) or are convinced that something is wrong with them, but it never turns out to be anything of concern.

> One more question: How old are you?

I'm 24... will be 25 in January. You should also mention that I use DXM for my artwork and has many benefits for me, both physical (steadying of hands for drawing) and mental (enhanced perception and spiritual enlightenment), and I do not plan to discontinue the zine anytime soon.

Amiens Cathedral, drawn entirely on 350mg doses of DXM

Also, I'd like to mention that DXM inspires creativity on a profound level - users write poems, draw, paint, etc. - the drug brings out the creative side in individuals. It also enhances psychic ability (from my own experience) and I believe further research needs to be done to see just how much DXM is linked to pK and ESP.

[PREV] [INDEX] [NEXT]