A 35-year-old TikToker, BW, was hospitalized after chugging 1 liter of cough syrup, a concoction known as "Lean" or "Purple Drank," which contains codeine and promethazine. The mixture can be deadly due to the way it affects the brain and liver.
BW's liver converted the codeine into morphine, a potent opioid, which caused him to stop breathing. He suffered permanent brain damage and lost part of his hearing.
After being discharged from the hospital, BW tried to cope with withdrawal symptoms by taking large doses of loperamide, an over-the-counter medicine for loose stools. However, loperamide can be toxic in high doses and caused BW's heart to stop beating.
Despite CPR attempts, BW died after 25 minutes. The video warns against the dangers of "Lean" and loperamide, emphasizing that they can cause significant suffering and even death.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. BW, a 35-year-old man, was found unresponsive and blue in the face by his mother.
2. He had an empty styrofoam cup in his hand, which was later determined to have contained cough syrup.
3. Paramedics gave him an antidote three times before he responded, but his heart stopped beating in the ambulance.
4. BW was a TikToker who would often drink lean, a mix of soda, candy, and prescription-strength cough syrup.
5. The cough syrup contained promethazine and codeine, which can be deadly in large amounts.
6. Codeine is converted into morphine in the liver, which can cause respiratory depression and lead to death.
7. BW's liver was able to convert most of the codeine to morphine, making him more susceptible to its effects.
8. He had a history of misusing cough syrup and had developed a tolerance to its effects.
9. BW took antibiotics for pneumonia, which blocked the part of his liver that inactivates codeine, leading to a buildup of morphine in his system.
10. He stopped breathing and suffered permanent brain damage due to the high levels of morphine in his system.
11. BW was transferred to the ICU and later the step-down unit, where he recovered but still struggled with withdrawal symptoms.
12. He tried to self-medicate with loperamide, an over-the-counter medicine for loose stools, but took excessive amounts, leading to an abnormal heart rhythm and eventually, cardiac arrest.
13. Loperamide can behave like methadone, a treatment for opioid withdrawal, but can also cause cardiac problems in large doses.
14. BW's heart stopped beating, and doctors were unable to resuscitate him after 25 minutes of CPR.