Dextromethorphan (DXM) is another drug of concern.[10] This is a common ingredient found in many cough syrups available all over the country. Lean is a mix of codeine and antihistamine promethazine with soda, cough syrup, candy, or alcohol. Lean is considered a drug because codeine is an opioid and promethazine is an antihistamine. Addiction to drugs containing opioids can be challenging to address, but it’s not impossible.
Lean/Sizzurp Ingredients, Use, and Coping With Mental Health Symptoms
There are numerous slang terms for a lean drink which include, purple drank, Sizzurp, Syrup, Drank, barre, purple jelly, Texas tea, Dirty Sprite, and Tsikuni. Which are similar to using other opioids such as prescription medications, and heroin. Lean or purple drank (known by numerous local and street names) is a polysubstance drink used as a recreational drug. It is prepared by mixing prescription-grade cough or cold syrup containing an opioid drug and an anti-histamine drug with a soft drink and sometimes hard candy. Lean, also known as purple drank or sizzurp, is a slang term for a codeine-promethazine cough syrup concoction mixed with soda and candy.
- While the soft drink and candies mask the medicinal taste, they do not diminish the potency of the drugs involved.
- It is important to note that Lean is an illicit and dangerous substance.
- Sipping lean may be glamorized in pop culture, however, there is nothing pretty about addiction.
- The lean drink began as a form of getting high with the trend of southern hip hop, and is still a prominent part of hip hop culture.
- If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction or dependence on lean, schedule a callback below to learn about the outpatient detox options near you.
The Dangers of Mixing Lean With Other Drugs
In the context of Lean, promethazine contributes to the drink’s sedative effects, enhancing its appeal to users seeking relaxation and euphoria. Some users may also intentionally misuse promethazine because of its sedative effects. Doing this can trigger an addiction to both promethazine and codeine.
Signs and Symptoms of Lean Addiction
If too much cough syrup is added to the mixture, the risk of overdose increases. Additionally, research shows that individuals with mental health conditions (such as depression or anxiety) are more likely to use a substance like lean to curb the side effects of their mental illness. Actavis, the main pharmaceutical company producing codeine-promethazine cough syrup, discontinued production in 2014 due to the syrup’s repeated abuse and connection to overdoses. As a result, very few companies make codeine-promethazine cough syrups now. Chronic use of codeine—that is, drinking lean regularly—can also cause drug dependence, which may trigger codeine withdrawal symptoms if you go too long without drinking more. One of the most significant side effects of long-term use of lean is addiction.
History of Purple Drank
The high risk of addiction means that lean is not safe as a recreational drug. These effects can vary depending on factors such as the dosage, individual tolerance, and the presence of other substances. Although codeine is less potent than morphine, it is a highly addictive opioid that can cause overdose. There are many cases of people who’ve died from lean, either due to overdose or complications caused by long-term use. Some high-profile cases of this include the deaths of rappers DJ Screw, Big Moe, Pimp C, and Fredo Santana. The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies codeine as a Schedule II controlled substance when it’s a single ingredient.
Users attending parties where drugs may be present should always be cognizant not to drink anything not prepared personally. It’s good to practice vigilance with what you drink in general, as parties are one place where people may be targeted for predatory drugging regardless of whether lean is present. Since then, popular artists like Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, Mac Miller, 2 Chainz, Future, Pimp C, and Juice Wrld have written about lean and even spoken publicly about their lean addiction. Nonetheless, the shoutouts and occasional reverence for lean has led many of their fans to try it.
Several rappers have promoted lean as both a recreational drug and a source of creative inspiration. Lean addiction is a serious health concern that poses significant risks to individuals who use it. The combination of codeine and promethazine can lead to respiratory depression, cognitive impairment, and physical side effects.
In the event of an opioid overdose, a person may become unconscious, stop breathing, and make gurgling noises. Pay less attention to what’s on MTV and more to what’s actually happening in Greater Cincinnati. Learn the word “30s.” your kids know what the real opiates are; you should too. Codeine has a relatively low abuse potential — though can make for quite the gateway drug — and promethazine is just an antihistamine with effects comparable to benadryl.
As the use of lean began to spread in the South, notable songs like Three 6 Mafia’s single “Sippin’ on Some Syrup,” featuring UGK, brought the term “purple drank” to a nationwide audience in 2000. Lean’s use had stayed confined to Houston until American rapper DJ Screw released songs in the 90s mentioning the drink, exposing the wider music scene to the mixture. Drinking lean can produce a wide range of physical, cognitive, and psychological effects—including addiction with chronic use.
One limitation is inherent to the data collection methodology of anonymous online surveys. Persons using substance-related subReddits are not representative of all persons using lean. Although Qualtrics’23 bot detection (reCAPTCHA) was used, and the chances of receiving an incentive were low, there is still a risk of bots completing the survey or individuals completing the survey multiple times.
If you or someone you know are planning on using lean, you need to know what overdose signs and symptoms to watch for. CNS depression from drinking high amounts of lean can slow or stop your https://rehabliving.net/ heart and lungs. The risk of a fatal overdose is even higher when you mix it with alcohol. Filling your diet with nutritionally beneficial food may just be as simple as a twist of the lid.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome is a life threatening neurological disorder. Includes symptoms such as sweating, unstable blood pressure, high fever, muscle rigidity, and autonomic dysfunction. The lethality of lean drink because even more deadly when it leads to Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome. People who are addicted to lean or codeine cough syrup can get help from a West Palm Beach drug rehab center. With that said, just because something is popularized in the media doesn’t mean it is safe.
With empathy, understanding, and ongoing support from healthcare professionals and addiction specialists, individuals can overcome their addiction and lead a fulfilling life free from substance abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling with lean addiction, it is important to seek help from a healthcare professional or addiction treatment https://rehabliving.net/the-cost-of-excessive-alcohol-use-infographics/ center. With the right support and treatment options, recovery is possible. Promethazine is a prescription cold medication used to treat various conditions, including nausea and vomiting. They are combined in promethazine-codeine cough syrup, a prescription medication used to alleviate symptoms of allergies or the common cold.
Whether you are training or resting, aim to meet your recommended daily protein intake”, she concludes. Nutritionist Jenna Hope says that weight gain is a result of “many factors such as stress, poor sleep, a sedentary lifestyle, hormonal imbalances and consuming more energy than necessary”. High protein intake can potentially make you gain weight, says Bhaskaran. “Excess protein consumed is usually stored as fat, while the surplus of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) is removed from the body through the kidneys.
This tolerance necessitates increasingly higher doses of the drug to achieve the initially desired effects of euphoria and relaxation. Over time, this escalates into a physical and psychological dependence on the promethazine-codeine mixture, where the user finds it challenging to function normally without it. Lean is a very sweet drink that blends soda with cough syrup containing codeine.
Sociodemographic, mental health and lean use characteristics of the sample. Ineligible respondents were notified of their ineligibility and thanked for their time. Eligible respondents were notified of their eligibility and asked if they would like to participate in the study.
When used recreationally (meaning, for fun), promethazine can slow down the central nervous and respiratory systems, affect the heart, and cause seizures. For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. Simply put, lean can and has killed people, either through overdose or through accidental injury while intoxicated. As with all street drugs, these names will likely change over time and certainly have regional variants. Jessica graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) with an English degree and combines her writing expertise and passion for helping others to deliver reliable information to those impacted by addiction.
American rapper Future spoke publicly about quitting lean, notably voicing his disappointment that American rapper Juice Wrld was influenced to try lean because of Future’s music. DJ Screw protégé, Big Moe, produced the albums “City of Syrup” and “Purple World” based on the drink. Sadly, he passed away in 2007 from a heart attack speculated to be related to lean abuse. By 2006, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had focused on cough syrup abuse throughout the South. Some rap artists have claimed lean helped with their musical creativity.