A rumor is going around my area that pills with diphenhydramine hydrochloride (bayer PM, tylenol PM, and most over the counter sleeping pills) can be used to get high. Of course, I am skeptical because the intention of diphenhydramine HCI is to put you to sleep (I thought). It has even gotten to the point where local teenagers have overdosed on tylenol pm and such, supposedly because they regularly took it to get high. I was also under the impression that any drugs that were capable of getting oneself high were all prescription, but any kid can walk into a store and buy tylenol pm (correct me if I am wrong). Is this just a wild rumor or can dyphenhydramine HCI really get people high?
Diphenhydramine hydrochloride = benadryl
thats right, its benadryl. Beyond ensuring your allergies dont go crazy benadryl very often makes the patient very sleepy. It also has the added affect of calming ones stomach, so it is widely used for those pruposes.
I just checked the back of my benadryl box (I have bad allergies) and it does have 25mg of diphenydramine, but the larger ingredient is pseudoephedrine at 65mg… Just thought I’d add that…
Diphendramine (Benadryl) is an antihistamine with sedative side effects. It is important to note that its use as a sleep aid is based on its “side effect” of sedation, and that not all patients will have this side-effect. The main intended “therapeutic” effect of diphenhydramine is to dry up runny noses.
People who want to get high will abuse almost any substance. Think of those who sniff glue or soak rags in gasoline and breathe the fumes…
Diphenhydramine used to be a prescription drug. It is now OTC.
The main problem with Tytlenol PM is that it contains acetaminophen (Tylenol). Tylenol is a potent hepatotoxin, and more people kill themselves, on purpose or accidentally, by overdosing on Tylenol than by OD’ing on any other drug.
I notice by your profile that you are a student, which worries me about why you want to know about this.
Anyway, almost anything can get you high if you use enough of it; gasoline fumes, cough syrup, certain cold pills, finger nail polish, the air inside of rising bread dough (I’m not kidding about that!), etc… Hell, multiple hyperventilation episodes can give you a good buzz if you do it right (known as “red deviling” when I was a kid).
I haven’t tried to buy weed for almost 2 decades now, so I’m ignorant about it’s supply. But is it really hard to get or something? Why are people trying to get high on cold tablets?
pseudoephedrine = sudafed
It is also used as a decongestant.
Several years ago, I came VERY close to becoming dependent on Benadryl. I was taking it to help me sleep, and it got to the point where I could not sleep without it. I had to enlist the assistance of my doctor to get off of it so I could sleep on my own, without relying on drugs.
As Neurodoc said, any substance is abusable if you do it enough.
OK, I’m thru with the finger-shaking. 
Robin
I think you might be confused with dextromethorphan, found in Robitussin DM. It is definitely intoxicating but that’s just it: it’s toxic.
I would just like to observe that I thought this said “…Hell, etc.”
Dude! You can get high off Hell?! That’s it, I’m glad I’m a blasphemous nonbeliever!
True, wishbone but many have also tried to enjoy the toxic effects of both diphenhydramine and sudafed. People have become dependent on both. Heck, in college I knew one guy who tried to smoke both popcorn and couch stuffing.
Generally, the ingredients in OTC medications make you sick as hell before they make you “high”. Unless you consider tremors, hallucinations, osmotic diarrhea, and difficulty urinating among many other symptoms, to be a worthy high.
Qadgop, MD
Knew a few Robitussin-ers. They would reccommend not using it to get high, FWIW.
Over the counter medications can get you very “high”, but it is much more of an uncontrollable experience of hallucinations than the pleasent high of marijuana. If you were to guzzle down a couple bottles of Robitussin extra strength cough medicine (in certain circles this is called “Robing”), or take about 8-12 tablets of Dramamine, you will find yourself with a 5-10 hour session of auditory and visual hallucinations not unlike those found with LSD usage. The problem is that these sessions are uncontrollable, and are very rarely remembered afterwards. Getting ill is something that will happen before those hallucinations set in, but people who are willing to take these things are willing to put up with the back experience right before the hallucinations set in. People report out of body experiences, walking in a dream-like state, seeing things that are definitely not there. Unlike LSD, reality can not in anyway be distinguished from what you are seeing, and the chances of a really “bad trip” are greater.
I wouldn’t suggest using these things. Although I believe nonabusive drug use isn’t so bad, you are putting your state of mind at a greater risk by experimenting with cough medicines and Dramamine and the like.
pseudoephedrine shouldnt be in plain Benadrly it must be take on it like allergy and congestion bennie, or cold and sinus bennie.
The real danger is consuming too much of the OTHER chemicals that a lot of cough medicines have. You can purchase pure DXM easily if it concerns anyone wishing to try it. There’s a number of side effects that will likely make it less appealing if you didn’t already know…
from http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dxm/dxm_effects.shtml
* NEUTRAL
* pupil dilation
* visual and aural hallucinations
* decreased sexual functioning (difficulty achieving orgasm)
NEGATIVE
* upset stomach, vomiting
* body itching
* rash, red blotchy skin
* diarrhea
* fever
* tachycardia (racing, pounding heart)
I personally have noticed ‘body itching’ but that faded quickly… otherwise it was an interesting experience.
DXM, when taken in large amounts, has a PCP-like effect on the central nervous system. Indeed it binds to the PCP receptors in the brain, in addition to some of the opiate receptors. Hallucinations, inability to perceive reality, and psychoses do occur. I really wouldn’t encourage any messing with it at all, and tell my patients who are recovering alcoholics or addicts to avoid OTC meds with DXM completely. It’s a crappy cough suppressant anyway.
Qadgop, MD
I’m sorry I don’t have a cite for this, but i seem to remember that Benadryl has anticholinergic effects and in high doses is hallucinogenic. This is not happy, fun LSD style hallucinations however. The first hand accounts of abuse I have heard generally sound very similar to fever hallucinations. Makes sense since many other anticholinergic substances are hallucinogenic(ie datura, jimson weed etc). So basically, yes, it can get you high, assuming you have a VERY wideranging definition of “high”.
while anything is toxic in high enough doses, i don’t believe that DXM is particularly poisonous. Robotussin DM, however, is toxic in smaller doses to the the Pseudoephedrine. Tylenol PM would certainly kill you with a paracetamol OD before the Diphendydramine did you in. There have been studies linking DXM with a certain type of brain lesion when used chronically, though this has not been proven. I believe there is a significant risk of allergic reaction with DXM as well. So while it’s not all that toxic in the classical sense, its certainly not good for you
50mg (two sleeping pills) make me feel like I’ve just had a drink or two…that pre-drunk feeling. I often-times have trouble sleeping, and have only RARELY purchased sleeping pills from Walgreen’s. It takes me months to finish 'em, I’m afraid of getting hooked!
bad for the kidneys.
Very, very bad.
much much worse on the liver.
Qadgop, MD