Can High Doses of Dimenhydrinate Cause Hallucinations?

[raolduke]

If I remember right this is the active ingrediant in motion sickness pills - if high doses of dramamine (for example) are taken you are able to hallucinate. This is considered a deliriant? How would you rate the power of this drug compared to any other substance or device that creates hallucinations?

 

[denverdoc]

You need to first understand the differece between delerium and hallucinosis. To put this in another way, delerium is damn dangerous as one has no insight whatsoever between their interpretation of events and those actually occurrng, and in many cases heralds a medical emergency. I cannot count how many times I have seen this, most often in the settng of Alzheimers dementia, stroke, withdrawal from booze or pills. Hallucinations can be caused by mental illness, drugs, metabolic disturbances etc, but in the first case its often a medical emergency, while in the second just getting some rest in many instances.

The key feature in distinguishing the two is disorientation.

 

[Csimmonds]

Apologies if this is somewhat irrelevant, but I watched an episode of Mythbusters where ginger seemed to actually work in preventing motion sickness. And here's something that actually mentions ginger overdose.

http://www.drugs.com/MTM/ginger.html

When one considers that a surfeit of carrots can be harmful (see vitamin A poisoning), it's not surprising that many things that people might have legitimately around the home might prove dangerous. And particularly if they are hallucinogens. People have tried to "fly" from their bedroom window, straight down.

 

[denverdoc]

Actually hallucinogens, at least DMT, LSD, Psilocybin, etc, have proven to have a pretty good safety record, compared to say stimulants, EtOH, XTC, opioid narcotics and most other recreational drugs. There have been occasional misjudgements as you mention, but I'll bet the total deaths as a result of such instances is rather small. Not advocating their use. Just setting things in perspective, which is why I tried to emphasize the difference between delerium and hallucinosis. Dramamine OD is more along the lines of the former.

 

[raolduke]

I have no idea about ginger :S
All of those mkultra drugs seem a lot safer. LSD was suppose to be the cure all drug. Dramamine is definitely more powerful than LSD.. I am not sure if its more harmful - I think it is, but overdosing with dramamine can create quite vivid hallucinations. Full reality distortion, 3D hallucinations, auditory hallucinations. I am not sure why its stronger than LSD (average synthesis) but I suspect because dimenhydrinate is not only used just for motion sickness but can also be used as a sedative.

 

[denverdoc]

Indeed it is, more dangerous as in large doses of dramamine can lead to seizures, heart problems, etc. I don't know about cure-all, but LSD showed some potential in a few areas. Perhaps even more potential in terms of psychotherapy was the use of XTC. Before Reagan, this drug was being used by psychotherapists and some astonishing claims were being made, then it hit the street, and the Rave scene was born. Remains one of the few empathogens known. Who knows, maybe even sociopathy could be treated, nothing else works, but as of now, cannot find out.