Recreational Use
Dimenhydrinate is used as a deliriant at doses of 1200 to 2000 mg, although body weight plays a significant part in dosing of this drug. Slang terms for Dramamine used this way include "dime," "dime tabs," "D-Q," "substance D," "d-house," and "drams." Frequent users of Dramamine are sometimes called Dramatists, a pun on the name. Tripping on Dramamine is sometimes referred to as Dramatizing or "going a dime a dozen," a reference to the amount of Dramamine tabs generally necessary for a trip. The LD50 (the dose at which 50% of animals tested produced fatal symptoms) for dimenhydrinate is 500 mg/kg in lab rats, which may suggest that a human of typical weight would need to ingest a greater than tenfold amount of a psychoactive dose in order to risk death: However it is important to note that LD50 varies greatly even between mammals and is almost always lower for humans than for rats. As well, it is possible that a significant proportion may experience serious or fatal reactions at doses far lower than the LD50.
Many users report a side effect profile consistent with tropane glycoalkaloidal (e.g. atropine) poisoning as both show antagonism of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in both the central and autonomic nervous system, which inhibits various signal transduction pathways. In the CNS, dimenhydrinate readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, exerting effects within the visual and auditory cortex.
The auditory/visual hallucinations coupled with the ensuing confusion and short-term memory loss often leads to mild or intense paranoia among the users. Though auditory hallucinations are more common than visual hallucinations, the visuals of a "Dramamine Trip" can seem very real. At higher doses the hallucinations are more frequent, realistic and in some cases, frightening. Taking Dramamine at higher doses is neither advised nor recommended -- potential for overdose is a risk. Hallucinations induced by Dramamine abuse are sometimes shared among users; that is, it is common for Dramamine users to hear their own name being called, to see frightening creatures (such as insects or zombies), and to have conversations with non-existent people. When taken before going to sleep, users tend to sit up and look around at their surroundings at random, sometimes within 2-5 minute intervals.
Other CNS effects occur within the limbic system and hippocampus, causing confusion and temporary amnesia due to decreased acetylcholine signaling. Toxicology also manifests in the autonomic nervous system, primarily at the neuromuscular junction, resulting in ataxia and extrapyramidal side-effects and the feeling of heaviness in the legs, and at sympathetic post-ganglionic junctions, causing urinary retention, pupil dilation, tachycardia, irregular urination, and dry red skin caused by decreased exocrine gland secretions, and mucous membranes. Considerable overdosage can lead to myocardial infarction (heart attack), serious ventricular dysrhythmias, coma and death. Such a side-effect profile is thought to give ethanolamine-class antihistamines a relatively low abuse liability. The specific antidote for dimenhydrinate poisoning is physostigmine, usually given by IV in a hospital.
Read more about this topic: Dimenhydrinate