# All hail the Mighty Pseudoephedrine! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043 "2009-10-08T13:10:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/21 "2009-10-09T17:10:41Z")
The PPA vs. pseudoephedrine thing puzzles me. A small amount of pseudoephedrine keeps me awake all night and makes my heart race. A full Rx level dose and I don’t sleep for days. (And I’m not alone.) I wonder how many people it’s killed. PPA works great and has no side effects for me. It also isn’t an ingredient in meth. Guess which one is still on the market? ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/22 "2009-10-09T17:18:52Z")
Pseudoephedrine gives me the restless leg feeling in my lower spine as well as in my knees. I hate that stuff. I will only take it during the day for congestion if I have to, never a sleep aid - counterproductive. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/23 "2009-10-09T17:41:08Z")
You need a prescription in Oregon, I understand. In California you have to swipe your driver license; if you have a three year old license that won’t swipe, I don’t know how or if you can get it at all. Strangely enough, they don’t do that for actual (meth)amphetamines that require a triplicate prescription. If they ever start requiring a driver license swipe for prescriptions, then the DMV is going to be crowded with replacement card requests. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/24 "2009-10-09T23:59:11Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > As a _slight_ hijack, I just have to say this: I don’t mind _too much_ having to beg my pharmacist for pseudoephedrine (that crap you can still buy right off the shelf does _nothing_ for me). However, I would really like to see some studies that prove that having to show ID to buy the stuff really _does_ cut down on production of meth. Otherwise, it’s just a PITA I have to go through so some bureaucrats can pretend they’re doing something to “fight the war on drugs” :rolleyes: . Hey–without these registration regulations, how would they have ever nailed [Sally Harpold](http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_246225916.html)? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![HeatherPA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heatherpa/32/3072_2.png) [@HeatherPA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeatherPA)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/25 "2009-10-10T00:11:51Z")
I buy the cold and allergy medicines with the big D because they put me to sleep when I’m feeling like crap from the sinus annoyances. Meanwhile Capital N, small y, big fucking Q, uil? Keeps me awake all night bouncing off the ceiling… ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/26 "2009-10-10T00:15:09Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > Hey–without these registration regulations, how would they have ever nailed [Sally Harpold](http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_246225916.html)? :smack: Wow. Well, I’m glad they got _that_ monster off the streets! :rolleyes: Seriously, these new regulations resulted in the following ridiculous situation: My sister and her SO both suffer severe allergy symptoms; for these symptoms, they rely on large doses of Nyquil. Therefore, my sister was very pleased when she went into a Wal Mart (hereby proving _no one_ should be pleased upon entering a Wal Mart) when the regulations were just, well, ‘baby regulations’, and finding Nyquil that was packaged two bottles to a box. On top of that, they were marked “Buy One, Get One Free”. But when she tried to check out, she was informed the purchase would not go through because, according to new regulations, the limit would be _three_ bottles of Nyquil. :smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/27 "2009-10-10T05:36:45Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The PPA vs. pseudoephedrine thing puzzles me. > > A small amount of pseudoephedrine keeps me awake all night and makes my heart race. A full Rx level dose and I don’t sleep for days. (And I’m not alone.) I wonder how many people it’s killed. > > PPA works great and has no side effects for me. It also isn’t an ingredient in meth. > > Guess which one is still on the market? Well, PPA was taken off the market because it was (supposedly) giving people strokes. I believe the science is still unclear about how dangerous PPA really is. But at least it explains why pseudoephedrine is still on the market for humans and PPA is not. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/28 "2009-10-10T06:45:49Z")
I think I may be developing a tolerance to Pseudoephedrine. Either that, or my ongoing sinus issues have reached truly apocalyptic levels. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/29 "2009-10-10T09:13:36Z")
well At least you can still get it, even if it is behind the counter. The took my Terpin Hydrate,the only cough medicine that worked, totally off the market. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/30 "2009-10-10T13:39:56Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Well, PPA was taken off the market because it was (supposedly) giving people strokes. I believe the science is still unclear about how dangerous PPA really is. But at least it explains why pseudoephedrine is still on the market for humans and PPA is not. I _know_ this, but clearly pseudoephedrine is far more dangerous. The “logic” involved is just plain not there. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/31 "2009-10-10T22:56:57Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I _know_ this, but clearly pseudoephedrine is far more dangerous. The “logic” involved is just plain not there. Do you mean pseudoephedrine is more dangerous in meth form? If so, I agree. But otherwise, I think the FDA disagrees with you. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043/32 "2009-10-11T13:02:58Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Do you mean pseudoephedrine is more dangerous in meth form? If so, I agree. But otherwise, I think the FDA disagrees with you. I am also well aware that the FDA disagrees with me. Just because they’re the government doesn’t mean they are logical. In fact … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-the-mighty-pseudoephedrine/513043.md?page=1)