What is the general character of a DXM experience?
This is a difficult question to answer, because DXM’s effects tend to vary widely depending on the person, their set and setting, other drugs, their physiology, and so on. DXM, probably more than most drugs, tends to exert its (recreational) effects on plateaus, rather than being linearly dose-dependent. Within a given plateau, a given set of effects will occur (at a roughly dose-dependent strength). On the other hand, once the next plateau is reached, the feeling may change entirely. A reasonable analogy is water – it exists in three states (solid, liquid, and gas) which all can exist at varying temperatures (e.g., hot water and cold water), but which have different and characteristics. Importantly, DXM and its metabolite, dextrorphan (DXO), produce different sets of effects. Normally, DXM is converted mostly or entirely into DXO, but with recreational doses, the conversion enzyme (P450-2D6) can saturate, leaving a mixture of DXM and DXO. Furthermore, another of DXM’s metabolites – 3-
