Signs & Symptoms of Purple Drank Abuse

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Purple Drank, also known as Lean, is a mixture of a prescription cold medication with a soda drink like Sprite or Mountain Dew, plus ice and Jolly Rancher candies often added for color and taste. The cold medication is one that contains promethazine (an antihistamine) and codeine. These ingredients combined make a purple liquid that is then sipped until euphoria and dissociation from one’s body occur. The effects of taking Purple Drank will last between three and six hours.

It is common for the high associated with this combination to be called a “swooning euphoria.” The combo also has a sedative effect and makes a person woozy.

There are other effects of Purple Drank abuse that are not so sought-after.

Effects of Purple Drank include:

• Constricted pupils that do not respond well to light
• Rough, raspy voice
• Slow, slurred speech
• Uncontrolled eye movement
• Droopy eyes
• Slowed heart rate
• Drowsiness
• Loss of balance
• Loss of coordination
• Paleness
• Constipation
• Urinary tract infection
• Dental problems
• Addiction

It is possible to take an overdose of codeine when abusing Purple Drank, resulting in an opiate overdose and death. If the use of the drink is combined with alcohol or other drugs, the combination can also contribute to death.

This drug was widely abused in Texas in 2000, but then the number of people abusing it began to drop. By 2011, numbers of users were back up again.

But in fact, the origin of this drug goes back to the 1960s in the Houston area. From there, it spread to other parts of Texas and Alabama and the South, then recently on to Philadelphia.

The Effects of Purple Drank on the Hip Hop Industry and Sports

Among rappers and football players, there have been a number of arrests and deaths related to this drug combination. Most famously, rapper Lil Wayne talks and raps about the use of this drink, as does the group Three Six Mafia. At least three hip-hop rappers or producers have died, including DJ Screw and musician Big Hawk, both from Houston.

In 2005, JaMarcus Russell, a quarterback who had just been released from the Oakland Raiders because he was reportedly “drowsy and weak” too often, was arrested after being found with a codeine-based cough syrup.

In 2006, Terrance Kiel from the San Diego Chargers was arrested for trying to send a shipment of cough syrup to a friend. He was cut from the team and died in a car crash two years later after he left a Fourth of July party. News reports stated that his friends had tried to talk him out of driving but he took off anyway.

Johnny Jolly of the Green Bay Packers was arrested in Houston in 2008 after a traffic stop for loud music. Police found codeine in his car and discarded styrofoam cups—the preferred container for Purple Drank.

Lil Wayne was hospitalized in October 2012 after he suffered seizures while flying in his private jet. After a short hospital stay, he returned to performing. Despite the fact that he has been quite public about his drug abuse, his seizures were attributed to a migraine and dehydration.

When Lil Wayne was asked about stopping his abuse of Purple Drank, he talked about the symptoms of going through withdrawal: “It ain’t that easy - feels like death in your stomach when you stop doing that shit. You gotta learn how to stop, you gotta go through detox.”

Is it Possible to Build a New, Sober Life after Addiction to Purple Drank?

The main addictive substance in Purple Drank is the codeine which is an opiate. Thousands of people who are addicted to opiates have built new, sober lives for themselves after the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

Narconon centers all around the world use the same procedure to help people overcome the cravings and eliminate the guilt and depression that can drive an addicted person back to substance abuse. Each person must not only recover physically from the damages of drug abuse, he (or she) must also gain a brighter outlook that enables him to look forward to that productive new life he will build for himself.

He must have the life skills to take actions like these:

• Choose friends and associates who will enable him to stay sober
• Know how to deal with associates who might jeopardize his sobriety
• Understand how personal integrity is lost
• Know the process to recover one’s personal integrity and use it for his own relief
• Repair his muddied perceptions resulting from substance abuse
• Learn problem-solving techniques for dealing with setbacks and obstacles

These changes and more are available on the innovative Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. All it takes is an earnest desire to recover from addiction. Even those who don’t really believe they can recover when they first arrive soon see this program working and realize that they can achieve a new sober life.

Learn how the Narconon rehab program can be the last one you ever need.

Prescription Drugs:
What You Need to Know

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Signs You Have Abused Purple Drank

• Slurred speech
• Blurred vision
• Euphoria
• Sedation
• Dissociation from one’s body
• Impaired motor skills
• Lethargy
• Drowsiness

The high from Purple Drank is sometimes referred to as a “swooning euphoria.”

The reason this formulation is also nicknamed “Lean” is that it causes some people to want to lean on objects for support.

When the dosages of these drugs get high, there may also be unpleasant signs and symptoms that are not sought by the abusers. Signs like vomiting, weakness, headache, itching, dry mouth, hives, chest pain, fainting, hallucinations, seizures and tremors.

How Purple Drank Kills and Addicts

Unfortunately, one of the signs and symptoms of Purple Drank abuse is death, especially if the drug is mixed with others like alcohol or Ecstasy. The codeine in the cough syrup is a breathing depressant, as is alcohol. When mixed, the effects can be fatal. In August 2012, a fourteen-year-old girl in St. Paul, Minnesota died after she was given this drink by adults. Her seventeen-year-old cousin was hospitalized.

Purple Drank tends to be more abused in some locations than other. Texas, Florida and Philadelphia are noted for higher levels of Purple Drank abuse.

Abuse of this drug is addictive because of the codeine, and it may be an entry-level drug for young people, especially those who follow hip hop music.

The promethazine in the cough medication is also sought by those who like the “buzz” they might get from it although it is not reported to be addictive in itself.

Abuse of Cough Medications with Codeine

Prescription cough medications are abused by a different crowd. Some people prefer a drink that contains prescription cough medicine with codeine or a combination of codeine and the antihistamine promethazine.

Overdose

In this case, the cold medication is mixed with a soft drink. Sprite or Mountain Dew are preferred. Jolly Rancher candies are often added to give the drink color and flavor. This practice became popular in the American South, particularly among rappers, hip-hop musician and audiences and has spread out from that limited area as it has become better known. Several rappers feature the drug combination in music videos, leading to its wider use.

These mixtures are called Purple Drank, Drank, Barre Oil, Southern Lean, Lean, Purp, Purple Jelly, Texas Tea, Purple Sprite, Syrup or Sizzurp. The custom is to serve the drink iced, in a styrofoam cup.

In some areas, the mixture is modified to contain over-the-counter cough medication and vodka.

• Constricted pupils that do not respond well to light
• Rough, raspy voice
• Slow, slurred speech
• Uncontrolled eye movement
• Droopy eyes
• Slowed heart rate
• Drowsiness
• Loss of balance
• Loss of coordination
• Paleness
• Constipation
• Urinary tract infection
• Dental problems
• Tremors
• Insomnia
• Catatonia
• Hysteria
• Addiction

Heavy use of the drug can result in hallucinations and possibly seizures. As codeine is an opiate, it is possible to overdose on Purple Drank. If the drink is abused along with other drugs, the possibility is even greater. This kind of overdose can result in death.

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Call us at 1-800-737-5250 to get help now. or learn more about the Narconon Drug Rehabilitation Program

Leaving Addiction Behind

When a person has abused this drug for a period of time, he (or she) may not be able to quit using it on his own. But getting off this drug does not have to be as severe as reported by Lil Wayne. At Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers across the US and around the world, it is possible to find a tolerable withdrawal experience and lasting sobriety.

Narconon programs have nearly 50 years of experience helping people leave all types of addiction behind. No matter what drug or type of alcohol is being abused, recovery is possible at a Narconon center.

Withdrawal is made more tolerable with the use of generous nutritional supplements that calm a body’s reaction to withdrawal symptoms. One-on-one work with the staff help the recovering addict find relief from the loss and despair of addiction and look forward to a sober future. Those who go through this withdrawal process sometimes state that it is the most tolerable withdrawal process they have ever been through.

Once this step is done, the Narconon drug rehab program starts in earnest. Each person is helped to detoxify the residues of past drug use that may be involved in triggering cravings. At Narconon, this is accomplished with a combination of time in a sauna, nutritional supplements and moderate daily exercise. Drug residues are flushed out and as they go, a brighter outlook and lower cravings are reported as results.

Once a person achieves this fresher viewpoint, he can then move on to learning the sober living skills that will serve him when he returns home.

Find out how the Narconon program can help someone you care about who is abusing Purple Drank or any drug.