Vent about limits on buying Sudafed

[doxdogy]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/etc/updmexico.html

As lab seizures and restrictions on sales of products containing pseudoephedrine dry up meth production in parts of the United States, law enforcement officials are becoming increasingly concerned that the void is being filled by the Mexican meth trade

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 65 percent of all meth consumed in the United States now comes from Mexican drug cartels: 53 percent from superlabs in Mexico itself, and 12 percent from Mexican-run superlabs within the U.S.

 

[disneymom3]

The decongestant they replaced Sudafed with is essentially worthless. It doesn't do a darn thing for most people. What upsets me even more than the OTC issue is that many prescription products also did away with pseudoephedrine and replaced it with phenylephrine, so those prescription meds are now ineffective.

Steve--is that what happened to Zyrtec? I used it one year it was fabulous and then last year, it did NOTHING for me at all. I ended up with OTC benadryl.

 

[Mkrop]

Steve--is that what happened to Zyrtec? I used it one year it was fabulous and then last year, it did NOTHING for me at all. I ended up with OTC benadryl.

I thought Zyrtec was prescripiton only still. DS9 is on the liquid and we need an RX for it. And it does not have the same ingriedents as far as I know.

 

[disneymom3]

I thought Zyrtec was prescripiton only still. DS9 is on the liquid and we need an RX for it. And it does not have the same ingriedents as far as I know.

Yep, Zyrtec is prescription. I don't know what is in it, that is why I asked in relation to some prescription products changing their ingredients. I just know it used to work for me and now it doesn't. It could very well be me!

 

[fan_of_small_world]

OK, so if the law has indeed eliminated some meth labs, has it made any impact on the number of meth USERS?

Because if it hasn't, then is the law really doing enough for society to make it worthwhile?

FTR, I personally hate this law. If it is sold in different dosages for different ages, I should at least be able to buy one of each dosage in one purchase.

 

[Keli]

I think it's possible that this law has affected WHERE meth users are if it has not reduced the number overall. Maybe the mexican drug cartels supply urban areas better than rural ones.
I say that because I live in a very rural area. Although I couldn't honestly say there a 'huge' meth problem here it was definitely the drug of choice. I guess that was because so many were cooking it themselves rather than buying other drugs.
Since this law has gone into effect the number of meth labs discovered in trailers, houses, CARS, and old shacks in the woods has decreased tremendously.
Also, although this is absolutely antidotal evidence, I'm not even beginning to imply it's empirical, the number of folks I know using meth has dropped tremendously.
The sad thing was most of these folks were my age or OLDER! Of course that's the people I have more contact with, grew up with, etc. And you can't hide a long time meth user.
The effects on their bodies is so universal that unfortunately I have no problems telling what drug they've been using for the last 2-4 years. People more or less my age looking old enough to be my grandma and it's not because I'm some spring chicken.

 

[disneysteve]

Steve--is that what happened to Zyrtec? I used it one year it was fabulous and then last year, it did NOTHING for me at all. I ended up with OTC benadryl.

No. Zyrtec is exactly the same as it was. The Zyrtec-D formulation is also the same. If it didn't work for you, it was just your body being different.

 

[disneysteve]

OK, so if the law has indeed eliminated some meth labs, has it made any impact on the number of meth USERS?

Because if it hasn't, then is the law really doing enough for society to make it worthwhile?

Yes, eliminating meth labs does help society. Why? Because meth labs are dangerous, as someone pointed out earlier. The pose a major safety hazard to the neighborhood, police and firefighters as the stuff is highly explosive. Also, part of the problem with sudafed was that many addicts were stealing it, which, of course, was a financial and safety problem for the stores that kept getting robbed.

Much better for the addicts to buy the stuff already made from Mexico than to be producing it in the basement of the house next door to you after robbing the local Walgreen's at gunpoint to get the supplies.

 

[peachgirl]

Actually, one of the new trends is to use semi trucks as mobile meth labs so that the neighbors don't smell anything. It's very effective, especially in the rural areas and on the interstates.

DH works for poison control and deals with meth a lot.

And while that's not good, it beats the heck out of having the labs in their house where their children live and where neighbors are close by.

as far as I know there are no regulations in Texas limiting the number of times you can purchase it per month

The federal law has those regulations and I'm pretty sure Texas is required to follow them.

The federal law is not nearly as restrictive as some state laws, including my state and there's a direct link in statistics to show that those states who have the more restrictive laws have the better rates of decline of meth labs.

 

[disneymom3]

No. Zyrtec is exactly the same as it was. The Zyrtec-D formulation is also the same. If it didn't work for you, it was just your body being different.

Well, bummer. I thought I had found the answer to my confusion. Oh well. I better figure out something soon as allergy season is coming up quick!

 

[disneysteve]

Well, bummer. I thought I had found the answer to my confusion. Oh well. I better figure out something soon as allergy season is coming up quick!

Give the Zyrtec another try. It may work fine this time.

 

[#1MMFan]

Steve, just come over here - we can buy pseudoephedrine easily in the UK. Also we can prescribe it too (but it's cheaper over the counter). I'm a physician too. Am not aware that the meth problem has got out of hand over here. It's more of a cocaine and heroin problem here I believe.

 

[disneysteve]

Am not aware that the meth problem has got out of hand over here. It's more of a cocaine and heroin problem here I believe.

Same here. In my area, coke is the drug of choice by far. I do a lot of drug testing and 98% of my positives are for cocaine. I have never had a positive for amphetamines.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Yes, eliminating meth labs does help society. Why? Because meth labs are dangerous, as someone pointed out earlier. The pose a major safety hazard to the neighborhood, police and firefighters as the stuff is highly explosive. Also, part of the problem with sudafed was that many addicts were stealing it, which, of course, was a financial and safety problem for the stores that kept getting robbed.

Much better for the addicts to buy the stuff already made from Mexico than to be producing it in the basement of the house next door to you after robbing the local Walgreen's at gunpoint to get the supplies.

And how exactly is meth made in Mexico? If it's as dangerous to make it there as it is here, then aren't we just moving the danger of meth labs from the US to Mexico? Is that morally right?

Wouldn't money be better spent on reducing the numbers of users, which would thereby reduce the number of meth producers?

As I said before, I think the law should allow for more than one package to be purchased at the same time, if the dosage for each is different (i.e., child, and adult).

 

[EthansMom]

I have two young kids with viral-induced asthma. We use a lot of decongestant between the four of us. First, the new federal law requiring a limit to pseudoephedrine didn't include the institution of federal monitoring. The monitoring is done in each store... so a person intent on getting pseudoephedrine could stop in RiteAid and buy some, stop in WalMart and buy some more, stop in Target and get even more, etc....

Second, the biggest impact I've personally noticed regarding the new limits is that many of our favorite medications have been reformulated to phenylephrine, which frankly isn't working as well for my family's decongestant needs. Certainly, DD (who has the worst asthma/bronchitis issues) has had an increase in sinus infections this year. I believe I'll be asking our pediatrician if she can write a scrip for pseudoephedrine & expectorant for the kids since I just can't find it OTC for them any longer.

 

[Becky2005]

It is hard!!! We have 5 kids but, only 4 still at home. And two of those would take adult does!!!

DH says he is waiting for a knock on the door......

I have 4 kids and I had to try and figure that one out last year especially since my kids do the liquid and I guess it's easier to extract the whatever it is from the liquid so you are only allowed 1. That was fun! I wanted a daytime & nightime version. In the long-run that did save me money because I found nighttime one at home already that I forgot about but UGH.

As long as they don't start limiting Tylenol for some odd reason we are OK. I thought for sure the time I had to go buy 3 different versions of Tylenol they were thinking something weird was going on -- infants, children's & Juniors due to the ages of my kids!

You know now that I think about it, THAT explains why the stuff I just bought didn't work today for DD. I loved Sudafed before the law because it WORKED. DD has a cold & I went last night to get some since we were going into the city today & didn't want her to be miserable all stuffed up but the pharmacy was closed so I just bought a generic version that was on the shelf and thought we would try it & see. I know she said it "hasn't kicked in yet" quite a while after taking it and I didn't put it together until reading this thread. That could be WHY it didn't kick in, it just doesn't work as well.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

I saw this thread yesterday and didn't respond. But today----I'm mad and I'm responding.
For weeks I haven't been able to breathe thanks to my allergies and stuffed up nose. So I decide to go to the pharmacy today while I'm at Walmart to try some Clairitin D (actually the off brand)........I get there. The pharmacy is closed for Memorial Day. I ask a worker if someone can go behind the counter and get some for me---nope. So I had to tromp across town to find a Walgreens that was open, spent $4 more for their brand then the Walmart brand.
Sorry for the vent, but yes-----I'm venting too about limits on Sudafed. And I agree--the new OTC Sudafed is JUNK.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

For the love of Pete. I thought we were talking about Sudafed and now I read people are slamming each other. Sheesh.

 

[Nancy]

For the love of Pete. I thought we were talking about Sudafed and now I read people are slamming each other. Sheesh.

I know it's a good way to get a thread locked.

Back to the OP.

I was pretty pleased with the result I got from the Sudafed PE today. Usually with the old formula I had to double the dose, today I just took 1 and it worked ok. I'm guessing people react differently to the new formulas based on what ingredient you really needed.

 

[Pam]

Yep, Zyrtec is prescription. I don't know what is in it, that is why I asked in relation to some prescription products changing their ingredients. I just know it used to work for me and now it doesn't. It could very well be me!

The same thing happened to my son - Zyrtec worked great for him for 2 years and then zippo....