dextromethorphan is setrogenic plus an nmda antagonist (
noncompetitive, low-affinity NMDA receptor antagonist, sigma-1 receptor agonist, and serotonin transporter and norepinephrine transporter inhibitor) orrr a really good cough supressant, HOWEVER i would do lots of research and be sure before trying it in any other way than a cough medicine. it kinda works for me rn but its a mixed bag for different people and still has side-effects. it is one component in an approved antidepressant called auvelity; 45mg dxm and 105mg bupropion. depending on where you are it could be hard to get but you can get it shipped to you in most countries, even in ones where its kind of illegal. its given me alot of relief and joy in life HOWEVER it is easy af to abuse i ended up in hospital before and abusing it alot causes 10x more problems, also my usage is different to if someone only took it as instructed so idk how our experiences would compare. i will not that using recreationally will not do much good for most people long term at all. be aware if youre using any other substances and meds or are prone to psychosis or mania. id assume and i kind of have experience that like anything else, if you take it long enough and then suddenly stop, you will not have a good time. i cant really vouch for it completely as one, you don't have any medical supervision, and two idk ive heard and seen and been through enough misuse leading to addiction or just bad stories like if u get unlucky and dxm just isnt for you even in small amounts (ur enzymes could just be like nah so ur sensitive to it or u could go manic or it just bums u out or makes u sick) and i dont wanna put a chemical on a pedestal for other people like all bc it works for me most the time doesnt mean it does for anyone and everyone all the time ig.
heres some resources ive found about it, i still reccomend doing your own research if you ever think about it.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9577655/
my personal side effects of using a low dose consistently are... being more sensitive to all the senses, dry mouth, loss of appetite, more prone to overheating, some insomnia, not giving af. the article explains some of the mechanisms and research done.
https://erowid.org/chemicals/dxm/faq/dxm_faq.shtml
mostly written two decades before auvelity was made, this faq focusses way more on the recreational side and takes the stance that it is NOT a good antidepressant, but i still think it is an essential read for anyone thinking of touching dxm or just curious, it has a lot of valuable observations, covers alot of topics and is detailed. also has a good history lesson too about dxm before the 21st century.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-su...-bupropion-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20539888
at the bottom you can also see the precautions and side effects etc
im putting this here because there will be people and have been people who have done this, i just want to put all the info i think is helpful here to making a decision or give some pointers, i still do not reccomend self medicating, theres just alot that could go wrong or just long term consequences in general, but i know people will want to try anyways (i have so yeah), so i hope this is informative for anyone who reads. ive heard stories of people who buy their own non prescribed dxm and still work with their doctors and inform them if they cannot access auvelity or agree to go into trials too where they can try a medication for a study too so yeah. you can ask around on the dxm subreddit, theres usually just random high people and other random bs but if you ask about DIYing antidepressants people will likely chime in with their experiences and/or theyll tell you to check in with a doctor about it.
