# WTF Did I get carded buying guaifenesin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077 "2012-03-07T22:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/1 "2012-03-07T22:30:58Z")
I just bought some medicines for my cold/flu needs at the local CVS Pharmacy. I got the generic for Robitussin DM and the generic for Mucinex. Now, I totally understand that Robitussin DM has dextromethorphan in it, and is a drug of abuse. However, the pharmacy employee said specifically that I was getting carded because of the guaifenesin. As far as I can tell, guaf has no psychoactive effects, and does nothing that would be of any use to drug abusers… unless they had a cold or flu. So, was she perhaps lying or mistaken, or is there some reason to worry about guaifenesin abuse? ---
**Author:** ![industrialfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@industrialfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/industrialfish)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/2 "2012-03-07T22:45:30Z")
Some decongestants are used to make Meth. EDIT: A quick google shows that it has pseudoephedrine in it. Which is needed for methamphetamine manufacturing. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/3 "2012-03-07T22:50:06Z")
I have never heard of guaifenesin being used to make meth. It’s other components of cold medicine like pseudoephedrine that are the problem. The pharmacist/clerk was probably confused. Or maybe there’s a new drug of abuse out there that you can synthesize at home from expectorated mucus, produced by the action of guaifenesin. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/4 "2012-03-07T22:50:16Z")
> [@industrialfish](#): > > Some decongestants are used to make Meth. Patently unhelpful. I asked about guaf, and you’re thinking of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/5 "2012-03-07T22:51:41Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I have never heard of guaifenesin being used to make meth. It’s other components of cold medicine like pseudoephedrine that are the problem. The pharmacist/clerk was probably confused. This CVS doesn’t even CARRY pseudoephedrine. For that, I would have had to go to the grocery pharmacy next door. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/6 "2012-03-07T23:07:36Z")
Can you be more specific about the type of Mucinex you got? Did you get Mucinex D? Even if not, the clerk might have thought so, or the store checks no matter what, all because Mucinex D containes psuedoephedrine. ---
**Author:** ![industrialfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@industrialfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/industrialfish)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/7 "2012-03-07T23:09:25Z")
> [@Mr.Slant](#): > > Patently unhelpful. > I asked about guaf, and you’re thinking of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Take a quick look around and you’ll see guaifenesin is very often combined with other drugs, pseudoephedrine included. It may be easier for them to simply card every decongestant to avoid anything being overlooked, or they may have carried a version with codine or pseudoephedrine before and it’s still policy etc. Also as being a fellow Ohioan, of course you would know something about meth, as that is a fair problem in this area, but there are a lot of places that remain completely ignorant of that problem and wouldn’t automatically make that connection. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/8 "2012-03-07T23:11:22Z")
gary, No, I got the off-brand of Mucinex that is dextromethorphan only. I believe that would be ‘DM’ if it had been name brand. In Ohio, if it had contained pseudoephedrine it would not have been in the over-the-counter section. This was on the shelf, and clearly shelved in such a fashion that it was meant to be on the shelf. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/9 "2012-03-07T23:19:31Z")
> [@industrialfish](#): > > Take a quick look around and you’ll see guaifenesin is very often combined with other drugs, pseudoephedrine included. It may be easier for them to simply card every decongestant to avoid anything being overlooked, or they may have carried a version with codine or pseudoephedrine before and it’s still policy etc. Valid concern, and I didn’t mention that this store fails to carry pseudo at all in my OP. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/10 "2012-03-08T00:36:16Z")
According to this site ([http://www.stopmedicineabuse.org/resources/fact-sheets/teen-cough-medicine-abuse-overview/](http://www.stopmedicineabuse.org/resources/fact-sheets/teen-cough-medicine-abuse-overview/)), dextromethorphan has the potential for abuse. From just a quick glance around this site, it seems a little alarmist (won’t someone think of the CHILDREN??!). But whether the fear is valid or not, I assume this is where CVS’s policy comes from. > [@](#): > > Dextromethorphan abusers experience mild distortions of color and sound, strong visual hallucinations, “out-of-body” sensations, confusion, slurred speech, and the loss of motor control. ETA: never mind, I see you already said Dextromethorphan can be abused. I’m with you, I think the pharmacist was mixed up. Carry on. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/11 "2012-03-10T03:06:37Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > I think the pharmacist was mixed up. Now _there’s_ a comforting thought. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/12 "2012-03-10T03:33:46Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > According to this site ([http://www.stopmedicineabuse.org/resources/fact-sheets/teen-cough-medicine-abuse-overview/](http://www.stopmedicineabuse.org/resources/fact-sheets/teen-cough-medicine-abuse-overview/)), dextromethorphan has the potential for abuse. From just a quick glance around this site, it seems a little alarmist (won’t someone think of the CHILDREN??!). But whether the fear is valid or not, I assume this is where CVS’s policy comes from. > > ETA: never mind, I see you already said Dextromethorphan can be abused. I’m with you, I think the pharmacist was mixed up. Carry on. Not alarmist. It’s very very real. I know this personally and professionally. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/13 "2012-03-10T20:08:27Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Now _there’s_ a comforting thought. Who said it was the pharmacist? She should definitely know there are no restrictions on the sale of guaifenesin. The OP said “pharmacy employee”, and she was likely mistaken. Guaifenesin is not a drug of abuse. The Robitussin DM (generic or otherwise) definitely _is_ a drug of abuse, and in Florida at least the purchaser must be at least 18 and present ID if requested to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/14 "2012-03-10T20:19:57Z")
Was it the actual pharmacist or just a pharm tech? I’m thinking that the computers automatically triggered them to ask for an ID based on the DXM and when you asked about it a pharm tech just guessed that it was because of the guaifenesin. On preview I see that it was just a pharmacy employee, so that’s my guess. It was probably someone just guessing, but chances are that it’s the DXM that triggered the age verification. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-did-i-get-carded-buying-guaifenesin/615077/15 "2012-03-11T02:53:07Z")
I didn’t ask why I was being carded; I was just advised spontaneously. Not that it matters.