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Purple drank and Lil Wayne
Identifier
012133
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
From Wikipedia
Purple drank is a slang term for a concoction which includes a prescription-strength cough syrup used in a manner inconsistent with its labeling, as a recreational drug. The mixture became popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States, originating in Houston.
The prescription-strength cough syrup used in purple drank contains codeine and promethazine (not to be confused with dextromethorphan; DXM). The cough syrup, used in doses much higher than medically recommended, is typically mixed with ingredients such as the soft drink Sprite or Mountain Dew and optionally "a Jolly Rancher hard fruit candy thrown in for extra sweetness." The purplish hue of purple drank comes from dyes in the cough syrup. There are numerous slang terms for purple drank, including
- sizzurp,
- lean,
- syrup,
- drank,
- barre,
- purple jelly,
- Texas tea,
- Tsikuni.
The physiological effects of purple drank on the user is to produce mild "euphoric side effects", which are accompanied by "motor-skill impairment, lethargy, drowsiness, hallucinations and a dissociative feeling from all other parts of the body"……………
In an article following the hospitalization of the rapper Lil Wayne alleged to be related to purple drank, the LA Times spoke to physician and hospitalist Dr. George Fallieras, on the hazards of the concoction. Fallieras stated that in its intended usage
"The codeine in the medicine serves as a pain reliever and also suppresses coughing. A second drug in the cough syrup, known as promethazine, is used as an antihistamine and commonly used to treat motion sickness and nausea. It’s also a bit of a sedative -- employed partly to keep people from drinking too much of the stuff."
Dangers arise in higher dosages because promethazine is a depressant of the central nervous system and codeine is a respiratory depressant. When codeine is taken in very large amounts, it can cause the taker to stop breathing.
…Fallieras stated that the concoction does not cause seizures itself but increases their likelihood in those susceptible to them.
The drink includes a "massive" amount of the opiate codeine, which can be addictive in high doses...
The addictive nature of the drink means that trying to discontinue regular usage can bring about symptoms of withdrawal. In a 2008 interview with MTV News, Lil Wayne described the withdrawal as feeling
“like death in your stomach when you stop. Everybody wants me to stop all this and all that. It ain't that easy."