Emergency rooms across the country are reporting increased numbers of teens abusing over-the-counter cough and cold medicines.

College student Lauren Thompson says "I've heard of people taking Robitussin to get high, but I think it's stupid."

Registered nurse Joan Knoll explains that Robotripping is the nickname for the abuse of Robitussin cough syrup -- or any other cold and flu medicine -- that contains dextromethorphan or dxm- a drug which can have an effect similar to pcp. "DXM is a disassociate atheistic, it comes cough syrup. Robotripping is actually the experience of this agent in the body."

Joan says that nearly half of over the counter drugs contain dxm that teens can buy at a local drug store and it may already be in your own home. "Keep tabs on the medicines that you have in your medicine cabinet. Don't overbuy cough medicine. They've taken them off the shelves. They will not sell it to a child."

Joan also says that some of the symptoms of robotripping can include: sweating, nausea, stomach pains, irregular heart beat, high blood pressure even passing out. And there are red flags for parents to look out for. "They're going into the parents medicine cabinet and taking the medication. If you start finding cough medicine in their backpacks or in their room, that's another way of finding it."

Although dxm can be safely taken in 15- to 30-milligram doses, robotrippers tend to take as much as 360 milligrams or more.

This problem may be more common than you might think, reportedly one in 11 teens has abused over the counter medications.