Rapper Lil Wayne was hospitalized last week for seizures possibly associated with drinking a cough syrup mixture.
Local experts warn of the medicine’s dangers. This concoction, also known as “drank,” “sizzurp” or “lean,” can be made with different ingredients including sodas and candies.
The main components are promethazine and codeine, which can be found in commercially available cough medicines.
Paul Doering, a professor of pharmacy at UF, said taking promethazine and codeine in large doses can slow or even stop breathing.
The effects of the mixture include an intense feeling of euphoria, drowsiness and altered mood, Doering said.
“People underestimate its potency, and they underestimate the problems it can cause,” he said. “Lil Wayne is darn lucky he didn’t end up in the cemetery.”
Joan Scully, substance abuse coordinator at UF’s Counseling & Wellness Center, has seen the drink’s effects first hand.
Scully said cough medicine taken in large portions can act as a hallucinogen.
Anything that produces a desired effect on a person can be addicting, she said. People who are predisposed to addictions are more likely to struggle.
“I have worked with one person for sure who became addicted to the point where she had bottles in her backseat,” she said.
Scully wants students to know there are programs available to help those questioning their drug use as well as ways to help them stay clean.
Danielle, a 19-year-old UF student, said she wanted to see what the drink was like.
“I passed out when I stood up to get water,” she said.
