Drug info - OTC stuff in the UK

[Akewstick]

SWIM has had immense amounts of fun with such OTC drugs as DXM, Codeine and Diphenhydramine, he was wondering if there are any other drugs available OTC that are enjoyable?

He was hopeful of Ephedrine, Propylhexedrine and various other chemicals, but has discovered that most of them are either unenjoyable or unavailable in the UK.

Does anyone know any other kind of OTC drugs that are abused by people in the UK?

I'm not planning to break the law in any way, and am not asking for access to illegal drugs.

[Abrad]

Dihydrocodeine is available over the counter in the UK. Similar to codeine but twice as potent. Other than that SWIM can't think of anything.

[tre2005be]

codeine is available OTC in the uk? where from?

[Abrad]

Pharmacists...

[tre2005be]

i didnt think you could buy pure codeine OTC i thought you needed a prescription?

[Abrad]

You can't buy pure codeine OTC. You can, however, buy products containing small amounts and perform a cold water extraction.

[tre2005be]

which products contain Dihydrocodeine and which contain codeine? if you dont mind me asking...

[Abrad]

Paramol contains 7.5/500 DHC/Paracetamol.
There are many products containing codeine including Nurofen+, Solpadeine and more. Again, these also contain paracetamol so a CWE is essential. There are also codeine based cough suppressants available although pharmacists are wary to sell them to anybody who they believe will abuse them.

[tre2005be]

thank you. how would swim go about performing a CWE?

[Abrad]

SWIY would first UTFSE. After doing this he would eventually have found this thread.

[tre2005be]

SWIM apologises profusly and thanks abrad for his time and help.

[Akewstick]

if 7.5 mg of dihydrocodeine is equal to 15mg of codeine, then wouldn't it be possible to get a decent hit with about 10-14 pills?

I'm not saying anyone would recommend SWIM to take 10-14 paracetemol pills without using a CWE, but he's pretty sure he could get away with it, right?

[Abrad]

That amount of paracetamol will cause liver damage and, in some cases, death. ALWAYS perform a CWE. NEVER take more than the stated dose of paracetamol.

[tre2005be]

so is paramol kept behind the counter? would i have to ask for it or is it on display?

[Abrad]

It is supervised sales AFAIK. Just ask for it. They may be a little wary of selling it. SWIY should be ready to tell them a reason why you need it.

[tre2005be]

are all the products that contain codeine the same? and if SEIM were to ask for some what would SWIM say they were for?

[adzket]

acute pain i.e real bad tooth ache, migrain, muscular pain, joint pain. if asked point out that swiy has tryed less powerfull painkillers all ready and they have not worked very well so swiy wishes something stronger and if it still continues after three days swiy will consult a doctor.

[baron samedi]

Any SWIY's in the uk know which opiate based cough suppressants are available OTC. SWIM has heard of Gee's Linctus which he believes contains opium extract. Any SWIY's tried this? Does anyone know of any other i.e. codeine/morphine based?

[Nicaine]

Originally Posted by Akewstick

He was hopeful of Ephedrine, Propylhexedrine and various other chemicals, but has discovered that most of them are either unenjoyable or unavailable in the UK.

Too bad about propylhexedrine, it's one of SWIM's favorites. He recently tried levo-methamphetamine (Vick's Inhaler in the U.S.) and there's no doubt whatsoever, propylhexedrine blows it completely out of the water. Don't feel TOO bad though, considering the OTC opiates you guys have available...

[Zaprenz]

Gee's Linctus (Contains opium tincture) - Actually hard to aquire as they will usually sell it to old people as its a generation thing. No real medical reason for it nowadays but they will happily sell it to people who have obviously been using it a long time(occasionally that is).

Kaolin & Morphine (Morphine which can be separated fairly easily using time) - As above although slightly easier to aquire, it depends what use and who is selling it.

Codeine Linctus - IS technically still made in [P] format (Pharmacy over the counter) as oppossed to [POM] Prescription only medicine but a LOT of pharmacies choose not to stock it and therefore when they say "we don't sell it" they are often telling the truth. The few pharmacies that still stock it are probably not going to be happy continually selling it. Pharmacies will have big bottles of it for prescriptions but a) they wont sell the big bottles as thats illegal and b) They are not going to bother pouring some into a small bottle, working out what quantity is legal, writing out instructions and a label just for a few quid.

There is pulmo Baily which contains Guaiacol 75mg, Codeine 7mg but isn't really suitable or usefull. Also available J.Collis Brown mixture it contains morphine in very small amounts with peppermint oil - not very large and doesn't seperate easily like kaolin & morphine.

Paramol (Dihydrocodeine + Paracetamol), Neurofen Plus (Codeine + Ibuprofen) + variations on co-codamol are sold usually no questions asked. Well they do ask questions but its more just checking you know what your doing as opposed to an interrogation. They essentially don't care and are just covering their backs unlike the above linctus' which they don't like selling.

There are also a few products containing ephedrine but seeing as they contain other compounds such as theophyllin (which can be dangeous especially taking too much) it is much more sensible to buy ephedra or sida cordifolia (which are both legal in UK) or ephedrine pills which are semi legal (legal to import but are technically prescription only med). This is if one is so inclined anyway, ephedrine is still the unhealthy, heart racing, quasi-horrible stimulant.

Diphenhydramine & Promethazine are also available OTC.

There are many products containing DXM but none of them contain it alone without other chemicals that cause problems. Ranging from paracetamol (extremely dangerous) to sorbitol. There are chewable sweets but they only contain 7.5mg which means a lot of menthol, sorbitol etc. It is essential one knows what one is doing and understands all the ingredients contained in any DXM preperation - there are more threads on this - use the search. Unfortunately its not as convenient as certain products in the U.S.

As mentioned already a cold water extraction is essential on tablets or pills - even taking more than 1g of paracetamol at once and definately no more than 4g in a day. This is no joke - slow liver damage is also possible from taking even small amounts above the recommended dose frequently. ITS NOT WORTH IT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol

Be Safe.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Koalin & Morphene still legal! - Who knew!

[Mona Lisa]

Originally Posted by baron samedi

Any SWIY's in the uk know which opiate based cough suppressants are available OTC. SWIM has heard of Gee's Linctus which he believes contains opium extract. Any SWIY's tried this? Does anyone know of any other i.e. codeine/morphine based?

SWIM tried it back in 1988. It had the most revolting taste, probably to put people off 'abusing' it. SWIM told me it was foul! SWIM didn't recall any interesting effects either.

[baron samedi]

Thanks for the replies guys.
SWIM knew about the OTC codeine/DHC tablets, but was interested in any other OTC opiate concoctions that could be used recreationally. From the above info SWIM would assume the only ones worth doing are the harder to acquire linctus'. Would SWIM be right in assuming the Pulmo Baily and J.Collis Brown are not worth the effort?
SWIM wasn't aware of the ephedrine loophole regarding importation which is interesting, but will not be experimenting with anti-histamines or DXM for the time being, for varying reasons. It amazes me that people would want a "nightshade" style deleriant buzz like you get from diphenhydramine et al, but there ya go, each to his own.

[Zaprenz]

^Couldn't agree more.

My adding the anti-histamines was really for beneficial uses at normal recommended doses.

SWIM imagines anti-cholinergics to be like demetia. (especially as many drugs which try to increase choline function are for dementia). SWIM has known people with dementia and its the complete opposite of fun.

Each to their own though I guess.

Like mentioned though promethazine at recommended normal doses can be very useful.

[baron samedi]

Well there must be a sub-section of society which enjoys trying to replicate that good ol' sensation of delirium you get with a bad fever. SWIM thinks that even HE is not that desperate to get high, but would perhaps consider it if taken for their proper purposes i.e. insomnia and suchlike.

[darkglobe]

OTC DRUGS COMMONLY ABUSED IN THE UK

The more common abused OTC drugs in the UK generally fall into three categories: Cough Suppressants, Opiate Painkillers and deleriant Antihistamines. Each of these is described in as much detail as possible below. While referring to this post, please remember that I'm not a scientist. I welcome all additions/corrections to this post from anyone wishing to share their knowledge.
Please also note this list is not intended as a directory of what to get fucked up on when you run out of crack cocaine! All info is posted here (genuinely) to inform and protect. Any individual who reads this and makes their own judgement with regards to abusing these OTC substances gambles with their own health, their own reputation and indeed, their own life.

COUGH SUPPRESSANTS

Without insulting anyone's intelligence, cough suppressants are those medicines used to reduce or stop the involuntary cough action. The abusable ones come in a number of forms. The ones I know about are described here.

Codeine-Based Cough Suppressants
Codeine is an Opiate derived from Opium, but usually synthesised artificially in recent times (I believe). Codeine is a widely-used and reportedly effective painkiller, but it also used as an antitussive. It is this use that I have attempted to describe below.

Codeine as an Antitussive:Codeine is believed to be a mild to moderately effective cough suppressant. While being popular for many years as an antitussive (cough suppressant), Codeine has generally been replaced by newer drugs, such as Dextromethorphan. I am not completely au fait with Codeine's methods of action as an antitussive, but the basic ideas is that it acts on the Vagus nerve in the Brain, which controls the "itch" reflex from the throat.

Codeine as a Recreational Drug: Codeine's abuse potential is high, as it is an opiate - giving rise to addiction and dependance problems. For years Codeine cough suppressants have been abused for those who enjoy the effects of recreational Codeine use: euphoria, sedation, contentment etc.

Forms of Codeine Cough Suppressant: Codeine usually comes in a linctus (syrup) form for use as a cough suppressant. Also, I believe is is generally combined with other ingredients in order to reduce abuse potential. I'm not aware of Codeine cough suppressants coming in tablet or capsule form.


Dextromethorphan-Based Cough Suppressants
Dextromethorphan (DXM for the benefit of my fingers) is a synthetic drug used to treat 'dry' (non-productive) coughs. The drug was originally brought out to reduce the demand for remedies using Codeine Phosphate (see above). DXM started its life in our shelves in 1958, and is still widely in use at present.
DXM as an Antitussive: While DXM is in fact the singular most popular antitussive available today, it's efficacy has recently been in doubt amongst researchers (see here for more information). The drug is alleged to reduce the involuntary cough reflex (from the throat to the brain), without stunting the function of the cilia (tiny hairs on cells lining the alimentary canal).

DXM as a Recreational Drug: DXM has been known for its recreational effects since the 1960s with the introduction of 'Romilar' (an OTC tablet-form of DXM). Romilar was taken off the shelves in 1973, following an 'abuse epidemic', if you like.

Forms of DXM Cough Suppressant: DXM comes in a number of forms. The most popular are: cough syrup/linctus, gelcap and spray/mist. DXM is often combined with other ingredients in order to recuce abuse potential and increase efficacy of product.

Post still work in progress. Please, let me know what you think!