I had been curious about DXM for a while after reading about it online. I weighed myself that morning (74kg) and used the calculator on this site to determine that 225mg would put me solidly in 2nd plateau territory — about 3mg/kg.
Preparation
I fasted for 5 hours beforehand and took a cetirizine tablet an hour before to prevent robo itch. Got one of those DXM-only syrups (no acetaminophen, no guaifenesin — checked three times). Took it at 8pm in my bedroom with music queued up, lights dimmed.
The Come-Up (T+0:00 to T+1:00)
The first 45 minutes were almost nothing. Light nausea at T+30, which faded. Then around T+50 I got this warm, pleasant buzzing sensation that started in my chest and worked outward. I felt simultaneously light and heavy. The music from my headphones became three-dimensional in a way I struggle to describe.
The Plateau (T+1:00 to T+3:30)
Walking felt like moving through water. My thoughts would start a sentence and finish somewhere completely different — not scary, just… loose. There was a very strong mood lift. I spent a lot of this period lying down with headphones in, and the closed-eye visuals were genuinely beautiful: geometric patterns that pulsed with the music.
Coordination was significantly impaired. I knocked over my water bottle twice trying to reach for it. Made a mental note: anything that needs to happen physically should happen BEFORE dosing.
Come-Down (T+3:30 to T+6:00)
Gradual return to baseline. Some residual dissociation for another hour, then a pleasant tired feeling. Slept extremely well.
Afterthoughts
Overall strongly positive. The dissociation was less scary and more interesting than I anticipated. I wasn’t prepared for how profoundly it affects coordination — even at this moderate dose I wouldn’t have been able to navigate outside safely. Glad I stayed home.
Would repeat at similar or slightly higher dose. Waiting a full month before considering again.