What Drugs are in Lean and How is it Treated?
Many people have heard of lean (also known as purple drank, sizzurp, syrup, and Texas tea) because it is often talked about in popular and music culture. However, many of the same people are unfamiliar with what is in lean and how addictive and dangerous these ingredients can be.
What Is Lean?
Lean is a concoction of many different substances. It is often used recreationally in party, music, and dance settings. For example, according to the American Journal on Addictions, “1,029 EDM [electronic dance music] party attendees (ages 18–40) were surveyed in New York City in 2018 using time-space sampling… An estimated 15.5% of attendees have ever used Lean, and 3.4% of attendees have used it in the past year. Only an estimated 0.2% have used it in the past month, but 14.2% would use it in the next month if offered by a friend.”
Lean is also regularly portrayed positively on social media and online imagery. According to the peer-reviewed journal JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, “The prevalence of codeine misuse images, glamorizing of ingestion with soda and alcohol, and their integration with mainstream, popular culture imagery holds the potential to normalize and increase codeine misuse and overdose.” One aspect of lean that these images don’t portray is exactly what is in lean and how dangerous these substances can be.
What Drugs Are in Lean?
When asked, “What drug is in lean?” The answer is there are often many. Now, the primary drug in lean is the synthetic opioid codeine often found in cough syrup. Codeine is highly addictive and is a big cause of the euphoric effect that people are after when they use lean.
The next component of lean is the antihistamine promethazine. While it is not an addictive ingredient in lean, promethazine can cause many significant side effects. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Promethazine, by authors Southard and Khalili, “Promethazine has several potential adverse effects related to its mechanism of action. The most common side effects include sedation, confusion, and disorientation, which may impair physical and mental abilities. However, promethazine may paradoxically cause excitability, restlessness, or, rarely, seizures.”
Other ingredients in lean are soda and candy. These are primarily mixers, though they also mask the taste of the other substances, which makes overdose on lean much more likely. If the soda has high levels of caffeine, this can create more side effects. Many people also mix alcohol into their lean.
Is There Alcohol in Lean?
While not a primary component, alcohol is often mixed into lean. This can be extremely dangerous as mixing alcohol and opioids can greatly increase the chances of overdose and overdose death.
Alcohol can also make withdrawals from lean more dangerous because alcohol withdrawals can potentially be deadly. The good news is there is a solution to lean addiction, whether it contains alcohol or not.
How Is Lean Addiction Treated?
Lean addiction is often treated with therapy, medication management (as needed), holistic wellness, and connecting with other people in recovery. However, before any of these modalities and methods are used, many people need to detox from lean because the ingredients like codeine can cause such serious withdrawal symptoms.
The primary therapy that is often used to treat lean addiction is psychotherapy. Psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can get to the underlying issues that often cause lean addiction. As is often said, “The substance is but a symptom of deeper issues.”
Other tools that can be very helpful for lean addiction are holistic healing methods like meditation. Meditation can help by addressing many negative issues that are caused by lean addiction. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “During the meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall. Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency.”
The Importance of Long-Term Success at The Phoenix Recovery Center
Here at The Phoenix Recovery Center, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why all of our recovery plans include a focus on what happens after our clients move on from treatment. We also ensure that all of our clients remain connected to their recovery via our offerings of alumni support services.
The iconic author and philosopher Joseph Campbell famously said, “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” For those looking to recover from lean addiction, that new life can be found right here at The Phoenix Recovery Center. The key is to take that first step and reach out for help.
“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell
Many people may have heard of lean but are not familiar with what in it makes it so dangerous. Lean includes codeine and often alcohol, which makes for a highly dangerous combination. The good news is there are recovery options out there. This includes treating a lean addiction with psychotherapy, group therapy, sometimes medication management, and holistic wellness practices. There are also benefits of engaging with recovery communities like those found in 12-Step programs for lean recovery. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, we can help. You don’t have to do this alone. For more information about lean addiction, please call The Phoenix Recovery Center at (801) 438-3185.
