MEDSTUFF: Avoiding Dextromethorphan?

[dewline]

siderea posted an alert the other day about dextromethorphan, a substance found in a lot of over-the-counter cough/cold-related symptom-relief stuff. Apparently, the source they were looking at had, in Siderea's opinion, "buried the lede" about dangerous side-effects on people already coping with COVID-19 in amidst what may be other useful information on possible methods of dealing with the disease.

Well, if that's confirmed, that's me setting aside stuff I've been using for decades to be safer.

Some additional deep background published in Pediatrics by the American Academy of Pediatricians:

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/114/1/e85

Comments

[thewayne]

Wow. That's heavy stuff! Seems like almost all OTC cough syrups have it these days, it's hard to avoid. And getting prescription stuff without it down here is hard because usually you're talking the controlled narcotic stuff, i.e. the good stuff that actually works.

[dewline]

It does indeed seem difficult to avoid. I'm not sure that the Canadian situation is any better right now.