Does cough syrup get you high?

Answer 1

It depends on what kind you use, how much you take, and your body weight. It won't really get you high but it can make you feel dizzy, drunk, and sleepy. Be careful, because you can take too much of a cough syrup to make you sick.

Answer 2

Sometimes.

Most over-the-counter cough syrups today contain a chemical known as Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide (or, in less common cases, Dextromethorphan Polystirex which is essentially a time release formula), commonly known as "DXM". This chemical is in a class of drug known as "Dissociative Anaesthetics." This class includes such drugs as Ketamine, Phencyclidine (PCP), and, more distantly, Nitrous Oxide.

It should be noted that one CAN overdose on DXM and the effects have been reported to be very extreme at high doses and it should be approached with the same degree of caution and discretion you would use in taking any powerful psychedelic. Do not presume one can automatically be safe from overdose on a drug simply because a medical dose is legally available. I wouldn't say "Don't do it!" because I know that sort of statement is generally ignored, but there have been deaths associated with high doses of DXM. There are also many other chemicals in cough medications: Some just cause nausea if overdosed on, and others such as pseudoephedrine can make mucus membranes bleed when overdosed on (i. e. bleeding out the eyes and/or rectum from extreme drying and cracking of the mucus membranes).