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Sizzurp 101 - The speculation behind Lil Wayne’s recent hospitalization raises more awareness on his well-documented addiction to “sizzurp” (aka “purple drank”). Do you know why this concoction can be so dangerous? —Kellee Terrell  (Photo: WENN)

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What Is Sizzurp? - “Sizzurp” is a drink usually made with soda, Jolly Ranchers and a prescription-strength cough syrup laced with codeine (a narcotic pain medicine) and promethazine (sedatives). It can also be made with over-the-counter cough syrup.  (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Who Drinks It? - While rappers such as Three 6 Mafia and Lil Wayne have made the cocktail a household name, it’s not just a drink that rappers guzzle. It’s very popular among young people given how inexpensive it is to make it. Also, it’s not uncommon for some marijuana smokers to dip their blunts in sizzurp for an extra high.  (Photos from left: David Livingston/Getty Images, Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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What Are Its Side Effects? - Given that the drink can boast up to 25 times the recommended dose for cough syrup, side effects are not uncommon. They can include loss of motor skills, drowsiness, loss of ability to breathe, nausea, euphoria (intense feeling of joy and happiness), hallucinations, memory loss, seizures and comas.  (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Why Is It Addictive? - It’s all about the ingredients. Codeine (a drug from the same family as heroin), taken in large doses can be highly addictive, given that it numbs pain, but the feeling of euphoria can also be addictive.    (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Is It Legal? - Yes. Unless someone has forged a doctor’s signature on a prescription slip, none of the ingredients in sizzurp violate any drug laws.  (Photo: REUTERS/Fred Prouser)

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Sizzurp and Other Drugs: Recipe for Disaster - Many sizzurp drinkers mix it with other stuff such anti-anxiety meds, painkillers and liquor, reported The Atlantic. All of which can seriously increase one’s chance of seizures and other serious medical issues. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Can You Die From It? - Most definitely. It’s been reported that sizzurp killed rapper Pimp C in 2008, and it’s believed that Big Moe died from it in in 2007, reported the Daily Beast.  (Photos from left: Koch Records, John Ricard / Retna Ltd)

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Quitting Is Really Hard - Lil Wayne has been very upfront about how difficult is has been to stop drinking sizzurp. Withdrawal symptoms can include violent diarrhea, chills, nausea, insomnia and intense pain, reported the Los Angeles Times.  (Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity)

Photo By Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity/ REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity