Cyclizine abuse by teenagers in Utah

Substance abuse by teenagers is common, often involving use of alcohol and illicit drugs, Ingestion of cyclizine hydrochloride, a nonprescription medication, was noted to occur frequently in Utah for abuse reasons, A retrospective review was conducted of patients younger than 18 years of age over a 3-year period who intentionally ingested cyclizine identified from Utah Poison Control Center records, Eighty patients were included; 42 patients underwent hospital record review, Abuse accounted for 89% of cyclizine ingestions; hallucinations (70%) and confusion/disorientation (40%) were the most notable symptoms, Tachycardia (52%) and systolic hypertension (69%) were frequently present in patients who presented to a hospital, No serious complications occurred, This study illustrates teenage abuse of one nonprescription antihistamine presumably to induce hallucinations, Abuse of over the counter medications by adolescents may be more appealing than illicit drug use for numerous reasons, and may be more common than appreciated. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company