An autopsy case of a young man with a single overdose of dextromethorphan.
Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) September 1, 2024 Kyoko Hasuwa, Noboru Inoue, Shuhei Tamura et al.
A man in his early twenties was found dead at home with no external injuries or obvious internal lesions. Toxicological analyses revealed extremely high concentrations of dextromethorphan (DXM), an over-the-counter antitussive, and no other drugs were detected. This appears to be the first reported death caused by a single overdose of DXM in Japan. While DXM is commonly used worldwide and has become popular among young people for its euphoric, hallucinogenic, and dissociative effects, fatal cases of DXM poisoning are rare and usually involve multidrug ingestion. The authors argue that public awareness should be increased about the risks of massive DXM ingestion.