What is Purple Drank?

Despite having legitimate medical uses, all drugs can be dangerous when people abuse them. Substance abuse involves using drugs against a medical professional’s instructions. This behavior can lead to the creation of new drugs such as purple drank. Overall, the concoction is dangerous because of its ingredients.

Ingredients in Purple Drank

People use many names to refer to purple drank, including lean, sizzurp, dirty Sprite, and other variations. The drink is made from a combination of prescription-strength cough syrup, fruit-flavored candy, and soft drinks.

The ingredients in prescription cough syrup are what make drinking sizzurp dangerous. These ingredients are promethazine and codeine.

About Promethazine

As an antihistamine, promethazine is a medicine that provides temporary relief for upper respiratory symptoms. These symptoms are usually the result of the common cold and allergies. Additionally, prescription-strength promethazine also treats the flu, bronchitis, and sinus infections. It can relieve or prevent motion sickness, nausea, and vomiting as well.

However, the drug blocks the H1 receptor, which affects the central nervous system. Because of this, it has sedative effects that impair motor functions. The most prominent side effect of promethazine is drowsiness. Although, some doctors take advantage of promethazine’s effects to relax patients before and after medical procedures.

Dry mouth, dizziness, inactivity, poor coordination, vision problems, and trouble falling or staying asleep are additional mild side effects. However, promethazine can cause serious effects too, including fever, fainting, wheezing, and slowed breathing. Sweating, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and irregular heartbeat may occur as well.

About Codeine

As a pain reliever, codeine treats mild to moderate pain. Drugmakers combine it with other drugs such as promethazine to reduce cough and respiratory-related pain. However, the drug doesn’t treat the cause of the health problem.

Instead, codeine changes how the central nervous system and brain respond to pain. As a cough suppressant, it decreases brain wave activity which motivates us to cough. Since it acts on the nervous system and brain, the drug is addictive.

Furthermore, codeine causes many side effects. The milder ones include headache, constipation, drowsiness, stomach pain, and lightheadedness. Agitation, fever, confusion, hallucinations, sweating, and rapid heartbeat are a few of the serious side effects. Some people also experience severe muscle twitching or stiffness as well as shallow breathing.

Risk for Addiction to Purple Drank

Overall, most people don’t abuse prescription cough syrups that contain these drugs. However, those who do are usually in search of a high. Drinking sizzurp gives them the euphoria that they seek without the bad flavor of the medicine.

Prolonged codeine consumption can lead to dependence just like taking codeine pain pills. Many people who drink sizzurp can overdose because they lose track of how much they’re drinking. They also don’t know how much prescription cough syrup is in their drinks because they typically don’t measure the mixture before making or consuming it.

End Prescription Cough Syrup Addiction at Steps to Recovery

If you fear you have a sizzurp addiction, you need substance abuse treatment. Steps to Recovery offers a prescription drug rehab program that can help you overcome the problem. We provide many treatment options to address your needs, including: