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‘I-Dosing:’ Digital Drug or Harmless Download?

Dozens of YouTube videos show teenagers doing what’s called “I-dosing.”

They’re listening to droning music that the company, I-doser.com, says is intended to help you relax or alter your mood.

But the videos show much more extreme reactions. Some look terrified as they listen. It seems to send others into fits of violent shaking. Some say it’s supposed to make you feel like your on drugs.

I-doser.com did not return our email.

We showed some of these videos to Doctor Thomas Wolfe, a neurologist with Desert Regional Medical Center. He says these people look to be having a rare auditory epileptic seizure, caused by hyperventilation.

“If that was a seizure that he was having that was likely related to an underlying tendency to have that brain pattern activate and not from the specific pattern for music,” said Wolfe.

But Wolfe is quick to point out the epileptic symptoms seem to immediately disappear once the person stops listening.

“Confusion, sleepiness, sometimes unresponsiveness can occur. In that individual we saw the video on he stood up and interacted with the camera immediately,” said Wolfe.

According to their website, the company says their product won’t work on everyone. They also say it’s safe.

Wolfe agrees.

He said people won’t get hooked unless they’re already prone to addiction and says it won’t lead to the use of illegal drugs unless people are already interested in trying them. He said these online reactions are most likely kids looking for attention.

“And if they’ve never done drugs or if they have done drugs maybe they were expecting a certain feeling or expecting a certain behavior and so then this hamming it up could be an easily possible especially with a more immature individual,” said Wolfe.

Doctor John Mardones works at JFK Hospital’s emergency room. He says the youtube videos look similar to what he sees from his patients who use recreational drugs.

He’s not worried about his teenage daughter “i-dosing.” Rather, he says parents should watch out to see if their kids are doing illegal drugs.

“Any types or drugs, you have to be concerned and keep an eye out and your ears open,” said Mardones.

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