Stupid friggin' meth-heads, they wussed out NyQil...

[MacTech]

I’ve come down with some strain of Mutant Evil Virus From Space (MEVFS, thanks the Tick ), and have been hammering it for the last few days with megadoses of Vitamin C, Echinecia, and green tea, as well as Tylenol’s new liquid Cold and Flu meds (daytime version), last night i noticed i was running low on my “take no prisoners” med, NyQuil (must…resist…urge…to…make…Lewis Black…or Denis Leary…Reference…), so i stopped into the local pharmacy for another bottle of NyQuil Red (the only thing in the world that tastes like red…damn, said i wasn’t going to do that)

i get it home, and notice a small yellow sign in the corner “New formula, Pseudoephedrine-free”, sure enough, i compare the labels on the old bottle and the new bottle…

new one is missing Pseudoephedrine, and Nasal Congestion is off the list of things it cures, and since my nose is alternatively running like a river, and dry as the Sahara, it would be nice to have a med that relieves nasal congestion…

strangely enough, the Tylenol liquid meds also contains Pseudoephedrine (more of it than even old NyQuil…), as does the store-brand knockoff of NyQuil i bought tonight

i know they’ve changed the laws regarding Pseudoephedrine, to prevent meth-heads from cooking it up in their homebrew stills (or whatever the hell it is they use, i hope these jerks blow themselves up while making that crap), but it pisses me off that they had to ruin a formerly decent cold med

and no, before you ask, i could care less about the alcohol content in the “big frakkin Q!” (damn, there i go again, said i wasn’t going to do that…), there could be 0% alcohol in it, and i’d still use it, because the stuff works, heck, it’d probably make the stuff easier to down if they ditched the alcohol, hey Vicks, howsabout a trade, you put the Pseudoephedrine (Dear Og i love cut-and-paste, sure makes it a heck of a lot easier to keep typing in Pseudoephedrine… ) back in, and take out the alcohol, sound like a good trade? works for me…

P.S.
Pseudoephedrine

[Mr2001]

Don’t blame the meth-heads, blame the idiot legislators who think making it (slightly) harder to produce illegal drugs is so important that it merits taking away a perfectly good cold medication.

[nonacetone]

If you want the one WITH the Pseudoephedrine, you’ll need to ask for it at the pharmacy. They keep all the ‘good stuff’ back there now. You’ll have to sign for it, and possibily show ID.

[Habanero]

A good idea to avoid being sick in the first place is a healthy diet. If you’re into reading labels, then check out the ingredient lists on some of your food. A lot of the stuff they stuff you with is nothing but health degeneration.

On a side note, I haven’t been sick in years. (Knock on wood)
My mother in law believes it’s because of my love for spicy food. I can’t see a connection, but maybe I’m not looking into it enough.

Hope you feel better, regardless.

-Haba

[DrMemory]

I don’t get that at all. A Meth-maker would hafta work kinda hard to get the pseudoeffedrine out of a bottle of Nyquil, wouldn’t they? seems more trouble than it’s worth.

I agree it must be the legislators over-reacting.
My theory of Nyquil: Nyquil, it’s doesn’t make you any better, but You Don’t Care

[TheBoneyKingofNowhere]

I’m sure you know this already but just making sure to be careful on the amount of “tylenol” you may be simultaneously taking… listed as “acetaminophen” in the ingredients… 1000mg is max strength, but sometimes people take tylenol for one thing, then nyquil for another, then some-other flu-time concoction (alka-selzer) and if you line up the bottles and notice that ‘acetaminophen’ is the primary ingredient in all of them and realize you’ve been on 'em every few hours for a couple days, well, you could be killing your liver building up the drug in your system. Especially if combined w/ alcohol. OK that’s all. Sorry this is probably common knowledge, but I wouldn’t know.

[Finagle]

@Habanero

A good idea to avoid being sick in the first place is a healthy diet. If you’re into reading labels, then check out the ingredient lists on some of your food. A lot of the stuff they stuff you with is nothing but health degeneration.

An interesting theory which has nothing to do with the OP and which doesn’t make a tremendous amount of sense given what we know about viruses and disease propagation. I don’t care how much granola and yogurt you’re eating – it isn’t going to help you if you sit down and use a keyboard that some Typhoid Mary with a bad cold just sneezed over.

[Q.E.D]

@Mr2001

Don’t blame the meth-heads, blame the idiot legislators who think making it (slightly) harder to produce illegal drugs is so important that it merits taking away a perfectly good cold medication.

Yeah, those meth-heads are just trying to make a living like anyone else. :rolleyes:

[Mr2001]

@Q.E.D.

Yeah, those meth-heads are just trying to make a living like anyone else. :rolleyes:

They’re not the ones overreacting by restricting the sales of cold medicine.

[Cornelius_Tuggerson]

@Q.E.D.

Yeah, those meth-heads are just trying to make a living like anyone else. :rolleyes:

Hey man don’t dis the meth-heads, if there was a hostage crisis I’d take one of those over two vans of SWAT any day.

[Q.E.D]

@Mr2001

They’re not the ones overreacting by restricting the sales of cold medicine.

Well, sure, 'cause Og knows meth is harmless. Much better to sit back and do nothing, innit? And it’s too bad that no one anywhere in the whole world is working on a substitute for pseudophedrine.

[bouv]

As long as NyQil still has DXM in it, it’s good enough for me.

(I still (vaguely) remember the time I ahd the flur and downed almsot an entire bottle of dayQil in a two hour period, Fun times.)

[Q.E.D]

@bouv

(I still (vaguely) remember the time I ahd the flur and downed almsot an entire bottle of dayQil in a two hour period, Fun times.)*

You’re on it right now, aren’t you?

*Emphasis added.

[Podkayne]

@Q.E.D.

Well, sure, 'cause Og knows meth is harmless.

Yeah, it’s so weird that everyone in this thread is saying that! Oh, wait. They’re not. If you oppose one particular anti-meth-manufacture law, you must think meth is just great, eh? Is that your actual argument?

Much better to sit back and do nothing, innit?

Yes, and it’s so tragic those are our only alternatives. Place stringent restrictions one component used in meth manufacture which is used for legitimate purposes by millions of consumers, or do nothing. Nothing else could possibly be done.

And it’s too bad that no one anywhere in the whole world is working on a substitute for pseudophedrine.

It’d be nice if the page you linked to had any mention of such a substitute. This supposed substitute is equally safe, equally effective, and is on shelves now, yes? Otherwise, it’s not really relevant.

In crafting drug legislation, our representatives always have to balance the danger posed by drug abuse in our society to the problems drug laws cause to law-abiding citizens. I think in this case, they’ve failed to strike that balance. It’s not just a matter of the inconvenience of having to go to the pharmacy counter and show I.D., and not being able to purchase the quantity you might want. Because of these new laws, many retailers are cutting back on the range of products that they carry, and some retailers (like convience stores which are the only source of medication in some towns late at night) have stopped carrying pseudoephedrine at all. There are other ways to address the problem of meth manufacture that don’t restrict people from getting the medicines they need.

[Q.E.D]

@Podkayne

s that your actual argument?

Nope, but thanks for putting words in my mouth. I’d like to see some alternatives from the naysayer(s), rather than merely pooh-poohing the status quo. It’s easy to SAY the legislation is useless, but I don’t see a lot of corroborating data being proferred here. You got any, I’d love to see it.

@Podkayne

Yes, and it’s so tragic those are our only alternatives.

See above. My stance is that the current solution is just fine. What’s your alternative?

@Podkayne

It’d be nice if the page you linked to had any mention of such a substitute. This supposed substitute is equally safe, equally effective, and is on shelves now, yes? Otherwise, it’s not really relevant.

The point is that it is being developed. If we gotta put up with stuffy noses for a couple years, well boo freaking hoo. Nobody ever died from the sniffles.

@Podkayne

There are other ways to address the problem of meth manufacture that don’t restrict people from getting the medicines they need.

Great, what are they? I’m open to better ideas.

[Podkayne]

@Q.E.D.

Nope, but thanks for putting words in my mouth.

Just returning the favor. Nobody said that meth is harmless, but that’s the argument you were sarcastically rebutting.

It’s easy to SAY the legislation is useless, but I don’t see a lot of corroborating data being proferred here. You got any, I’d love to see it.

Oh, there’s plenty of evidence that is effective. In Iowa, for example, meth lab busts and other meth-related crimes are down since the new law. However, while having the police be able to search house to house without a warrant in neighborhoods with crack problems would certainly be effective in reducing illegal drug possession, that doesn’t make it good legislation.

The point is that it is being developed.

Is it? You haven’t provided a cite for that.

If we gotta put up with stuffy noses for a couple years, well boo freaking hoo. Nobody ever died from the sniffles.

Living day-in, day-out for months out of the year or all year around with a runny, stuffy nose is something that a lot of allergy sufferers have to go through. I assume that neither you nor someone you love goes through that, or you wouldn’t dismiss it. My hubsand has sleep apnea. When his nose is stuffed, he cannot use his CPAP machine because it requires a clear nasal airway. At best, when he’s stuffed up, he gets a rotten night’s rest and is groggy the next day. At worst, he has a very small risk of suffocating to death in his sleep. Taking a single pill once a day solves the problem. Sinus congestion can cause painful sinus headaches that can vary from annoying to debilitating. For many with a cold people, being able to take an effective non-drowsy decongestant makes the difference between getting a good night’s sleep and going to work and being productive, and being miserable and staying home with fatigue and a stuffed-up nose. So, no, it’s not life-and-death, it’s just improved productivity and quality of life for millions of people. And, obviously, since pseudoephedrine isn’t banned (yet) they aren’t being stopped from getting the medication at all (in most cases), but the added inconvenience in obtaining pseudoephedrine affects a lot of people.

Great, what are they? I’m open to better ideas.

Methods that are already being employed hand-in-hand with pseudoephedrine restrictions include increasing law-enforcement resources to find and bust meth labs, controlling access to other components of meth manufacture such as anhydrous ammonia, and also reducing demand through anti-meth education and prosecution and rehabilitation of meth abusers. No one method, including pseudoephedrine restriction, is a silver bullet. (Cites in Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri.)

But, unlike restricting pseudoephedrine, which shifts the burden to retailers and consumers, the other methods require more tax dollars. Pseudoephedrine restrictions are very effective, cheap to the government, and very visible, so that they give the impression that Our Elected Representatives are Tough On Drugs. They also have the unfortunate side effect that they inconvenience millions of people who haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t think that the ends justify the means in this case, though that’s a personal judgement. Reasonable people could disagree.

However, my main point in the context of the thread is that if you don’t like the pseudoephedrine restrictions, your beef is with the legislators who pass them, not the meth cooks. They create the problem, but we have choices in how we deal with that problem.

[Q.E.D]

@Podkayne

Just returning the favor. Nobody said that meth is harmless, but that’s the argument you were sarcastically rebutting.

Mr2001’s comment that legislators were “overreacting” carries the implication that meth (and by extension, meth labs) is not a problem, or at least not a significant one. I was merely pointing out the absurdity of that.

@Podkayne

Oh, there’s plenty of evidence that is effective. In Iowa, for example, meth lab busts and other meth-related crimes are down since the new law. However, while having the police be able to search house to house without a warrant in neighborhoods with crack problems would certainly be effective in reducing illegal drug possession, that doesn’t make it good legislation.

Illegal searches and seizures are unconstitutional. Controlling the availability of OTC medications is not, ergo, your comparison is invalid. Your point, however, is a valid one, although I’m not sure I agree with it.

@Podkayne

Is it? You haven’t provided a cite for that.

I didn’t? From my link:

Pfizer Inc., the manufacturer of Sudafed and other leading pseudoephedrine products, plans by January to reformulate up to half of them with phenylephrine.

Leiner Health Products, which supplies generic cold and allergy drugs to retail chains such as Costco, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart, began shipping new products containing phenylephrine in June.

Seems like the issue is being worked on to ME.

@Podkayne

I assume that neither you nor someone you love goes through that, or you wouldn’t dismiss it.

You assume wrong. Sure, it can be annoying and uncomfortable but it’s not something I can’t live with. I just blow my nose a lot more.

@Podkayne

But, unlike restricting pseudoephedrine, which shifts the burden to retailers and consumers, the other methods require more tax dollars.

People don’t like paying more taxes. Just try getting the populace to vote for a measure, however necessary, which requires more tax dollars and it’s bound to fail. Yes, you and I know that we end up paying for it one way or the other, but try explaining THAT to John Q. Public.

@Podkayne

However, my main point in the context of the thread is that if you don’t like the pseudoephedrine restrictions, your beef is with the legislators who pass them, not the meth cooks. They create the problem, but we have choices in how we deal with that problem.

Without the meth cooks, there would BE no need for legislation. No solution is going to please everyone–you don’t blame the people trying to solve the problem, you blame the people who created the problem in the first place. If you don’t like the solution, well, you have a voice with which to tell the legislators so and to suggest alternatives. But, as I said, I have no problem with current solution, which, as you’ve said yourself is already demonstrably effective.

But, all of this should probably be in Great Debates, so I’m going to end my part in this hijack here, with apologies to the OP.

[Audrey_Levins]

FTR, the one time my local convenience store was out of Nyquil, I bought the generic knock-off version (called “Nite Time” or something like that) and it worked even better than Nyquil. I have looked for that brand (in vain) ever since.

I bought some allergy meds the other day and had to take the little plastic card to the pharmacy and sign for it and show my ID, etc., for the first time. It was mildly irritating. I don’t go through enough cold/allergy/flu medication for it to seriously cramp my style or anything, but it does strike me as a bit over-the-top.

However, Nyquil is still my Happy Medication in times of need. Within half an hour, my symptoms are magically vanquished and I feel that lovely, almost frightening, medicinal langor overtake me. “Must…go…to…sleeeeep…”

I’ve never found a “non-drowsy daytime formula” that works worth beans if you compare it to Nyquil.

[Podkayne]

@Q.E.D.

I didn’t? From my link:

Pfizer Inc., the manufacturer of Sudafed and other leading pseudoephedrine products, plans by January to reformulate up to half of them with phenylephrine.

Leiner Health Products, which supplies generic cold and allergy drugs to retail chains such as Costco, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart, began shipping new products containing phenylephrine in June.

From what link? Both the links in your post go to this url, and neither one contains the sentences you quote. Maybe this is the article you meant to link to?

And, unfortunately, my voice doesn’t count much in this debate. My state doesn’t have any anti-pseudoephedrine laws (despite having a meth lab problem), but the store where we buy my husband’s allergy medicine is a national chain that has insitituted the same policies nationwide. Their store brand Claritin-D is the cheapest thing going, and shopping elsewhere would mean paying 50% more, so I put up with the inconvenience. I’m more concerned with consumers in small towns who don’t have as many options, but if they’re willing to put up with it in exchange for shutting down meth labs, well, that’s democracy, I guess.

[Q.E.D]

@Podkayne

From what link? Both the links in your post go to this url, and neither one contains the sentences you quote. Maybe this is the article you meant to link to?

:smack:

Yeah, sorry 'bout that.