Sleepy is not the typical reaction. I said above I chew one of two tabs but, truth is, I stop at that first one since two sends me flying. That single half-dose decongests really well but also gives a buzz, a rush that’s anything but drowsy.
I enjoy some parts of it but, luckily, I’m just more a caffeine type.
Yeah definitely not the normal reaction. I’ve been taking pseudo for decades to deal with my allergies and keep my energy levels up.
It’s the base for methamphetamine so very strange to see it makes you sleepy.
I can’t tolerate caffein these days so 60mg pseudo does the job. It will increase your heart rate somewhat and give a buzz to some.
I rarely take a second one unless I really need to stay awake or getting allergy hammered.
Even 30 mg is fine.
There are lots of annoyances getting it but best to have doctor prescribe which I have but even then limited supply and have to show drivers licence.
Haven’t had a proper cold in a long while and never had covid so not up to date on other approaches but most of these “colds” will go away in a week, and with treatment 7 days. 
phenylephrine was proven to have ZERO theraputic affect. Expect a class action suit on that.
A Lemon sip is a feel good treament and can loosen up clogged passages.
Oh no, now we need another thread on different OTC/Prescription Drug affect idiosyncrasies! Seriously, that’s always one of the problems with these threads, the reactions from person to person vary so dramatically - be it pseudoephedrine, caffeine, OTC painkiller efficacy, you name it.
I don’t like combos because I like to choose which symptoms I want to address. Maybe I don’t want a combo cough & congestion. Maybe I just want dextromethorphan for a dry cough that is irritating. But maybe the cough is the result of post-nasal drip, and Benadryl will dry it up. Maybe it’s a little of both, because I have a sinus infection, and I need both, as well as Tylenol for a headache, but I need to see a doctor in case I need an antibiotic as well.
And if I want Tylenol, maybe I want 500mg-- maybe I want 1000mg-- or maybe I want the slow-release 8hr 650mg.
Not to mention, combo meds are really expensive. Getting the ingredients separately is so very much cheaper. The ingredient in Nyquil that knocks you out is doxylamine succinate. You can buy it as a sleep aid all by itself, and get a bottle of 50 for about $7.
Another vote for separate meds. I keep the original sudofed (from behind the counter), a cough suppressant, a mucus thinner (guaifenesin), something to open my sinuses (Afrin), a few pain meds, makings for hot tea, some whiskey, and a netti pot around. And if i have a cold, i use whichever of those seems helpful for today’s symptoms.
Update, Mrs Cad in addition to the guaifenesin went with chicken soup as well.
Same here, I typically don’t like combo meds and I prefer to take something to treat the specific symptom. Typically. But for a cold or incoming flu I do like the NyQuil, and it knocks me out and I get some good rest.
I cannot use the cold meds or even home remedies much.
I vote for a humidifier.
If the sudafed stuff or nyquil works good for you, it will just be extra. For comfort.
The pseudoedephrine wasn’t the only thing that made original recipe Nyquil so effective and snooze-inducing. It also had a relatively high alcohol content. As a kid, one shot of that and I was out for 8 hours. Always woke up feeling better from the temporary coma.
Pseudoephedrine for me all the way (whatever product has it).
Yes, this is what Meth is made with and it is controlled (but it is NOT Meth…just an important component of Meth). You need to have your ID scanned to buy it OTC. Works better than anything and no, you will not get addicted to it taking it for a cold/flu.
After that some aspirin (or Advil…whatever works for you). You are not curing anything, you are treating the symptoms so you feel better and that’s worth a lot. Still sucks to be ill but these make it more tolerable.
If you have a cough then there is a lot to choose from there. I get a little lost. Do I want a cough suppressant or an expectorant? Or something else?
Hydrate too (maybe with some sports drink on occasion…need your electrolytes). Especially if you have diarrhea.
Fluticasone propionate (Flonase) is quite pleasing up your snoot though. I don’t think it’s as powerful as azelastine, or at least it’s not as “new” (that only became OTC in the last few years).
I’ve had horrible allergies this year and discovered Claritin is more effective for me than fexofenadine (Allegra)
You can in fact be prescribed meth, it’s called Desoxyn. Most doctors are going to try regular amphetamine first, Adderall. But I’m sure there’s Dr. Nicks out there to get the other one.
Right? it seems a lot at first, but then, it lasts forever. I had a mild flu a few weeks ago (vaccinated, so it just lasted a few days, and I really only felt sick for one), and ran out of the cough pills (dextro) that I bought years ago, and were a month past the “sell by” date. But still worked.
I have a friend who gets the dextro version (dextroamphetamine-- used to be sold as Dexedrine) because it makes her antidepressant work better. She takes a very small dose-- about 1/4 of what a kid with ADHD gets, and it allows her to cut her antidepressant in half, and still get a better result from it, without the side effects.
I’ve watched her go through a dozen antidepressants, and combinations of them, and nothing works for her like this. It works dependably, without making her speedy, numb, or pack on weight.
Sorry for the hijack– just in case anyone was thinking, “why are those out there?” There are people who, for whatever reason, have chronic depression that responds better to antidepressants when they also take a small dose of to amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, or methamphetamine. And then, they are also used for ADHD.
In my misbegotten youth, my group of friends used to take large doses for entertainment value. Great while it lasts, but the come-down is really rough. Not recomended. (It is now tightly controlled as it can be used as a precursor to methamphetamine - I’ve not tried that as a remedy for colds…)
For colds, I’m on the “hot toddy” wagon - strong whisky with lemon, honey and hot water. It may not really work, but it makes me feel better.
Is it addictive? (really asking and not suggesting she is getting high from it…although, is she?)
Not physically, but some possible psychological addiction. It varies.
Large doses of Sudafed for fun?
I find it’s a mild stimulant, like caffeine. And that’s welcome to combat that lassitude of having a cold. When I’m in the congestion phase of a cold, i often take Sudafed during the day and a dose of Afrin right before i go to bed. I can’t take Afrin full-time because if i do, i get rebound when i stop. But it works great to clear my nasal passages so i can breathe at night.
The other thing i like when i have a cold is olives. Being sick lowers my blood pressure, which makes me feel bleah. Eating salt raises my blood pressure. Olives are an easy and pleasant way to eat salt.
Look, teenagers will do anything for fun. I mean, I have used/abused all sorts of “innocent” substances, including ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, nor-ephedrine and nor-pseudoephedrine.
All of which were OTC in Zimbabwe, but are more controlled here in South Africa. The “nor” isomers being made precription-only well after the standard isomers.
I can’t recall ever using them for the intended purpose.
The “nor” isomers are not as easy to make into methamphetamine, which is why most cold medicines that contain ephedrine will be nor-pseudoephedrine.
(It may be worth mentioning, the popular Somali/Ethiopian plant “khat” contains cathinone, chemically quite similar, and used for similar purposes- nasal decongestant, staying awake, mild stimulation and as an appetite suppressant)
A tiny amount of pseudoephedrine prevents me from sleeping for 1-2 nights. When you have a cold, that’s practically the last thing I need. It’s not surprising that it’s used as a easy to get buzz by some people, even without being converted to meth.
The FDA had been trying to get phenylephrine out of cold/allergy meds because it is useless. Who knows if they will be able to do anything now.
Phenylpropanolamine was my sinus med of choice. But it got pulled years ago. It’s still available in some countries.