Methheads suck!

[Tria]

Okay, I should've known better.... But I was tired, stopped up, and I just wanted some Day and Nyquil.

I get some money together because I've got a cold and damn it, I know that if I don't get SOMETHING in me to clear this up I was going to end up with an ear infection. And I don't have money for a doctor or antibiotics.

So I hit the pharmacy section. I see the beautiful giant Q! Yay for me.... I pick up a bottle of Day and Nyquil from the shelf(Should've been a BIG clue), pay for my happy purchases and go home. Before the end of the night I'd taken two suggested doses of the DayQuil.... I have no tolerance for alcohol, so I still had a blocked nose but I really wasn't caring because of the buzz(See why I don't drink).

Morning comes and guess what, I'm STILL blocked. I look at the bottle and wouldn't ya know? They changed the formula.... The wonderful stuff that once cleared me clearer than a OCD scientist's lab in the past.... Was worthless.... They took away my decongestant! The main reason I was buying it for was gone.... Well, at least I didn't open the Nyquil, just the day quil so I may be able to get an exchange, if not.... Oh well, I won't be a bitch for something I did wrong.


Sorry for ranting but I figured the off topic forum would be a good place for it.

[MadMike]

They took away the decongestant? :wtf:

It used to be great for when my allergies got really bad, now it's just another one of many worthless products.

At least I know not to buy it anymore. I wonder if they did the same thing with the store-brand equivalent?

[AFpheonix]

You can probably still get the store brand equivalent w/ decongestant behind the pharmacy counter.
As I'm sure you've heard many of the pharmacy and drug store workers ranting about these days, all PSE products are now sold from behind the counter, and each transaction is logged. You are limited to I believe 3600mg of PSE per month.
In my state and at least one other I believe, it is now prescription only.

So, a lot of companies have been cutting their losses and reformulating to either contain phenylephrine as the decongestant (not as effective, unfortunately) or removing it altogether.

So I suggest that you load up on cold medicine before you actually need it, because the pharmacy may not be open when you do actually need it, unless you have a 24 hour one nearby. You can also always make use of the nasal sprays, which honestly work better and faster than the oral decongestants anyways. Be sure to not use products like Afrin for more than 3 days consecutively or you will be clogged up worse than before.

[Rapscallion]

I personally use Olbas Oil - it's got menthol, eucalyptus, and other things in it, and it can unblock a nose fairly quickly. You don't need to shove anything up your nose to do it, either.

If that doesn't work, on with the sudafed...

Rapscallion

[Tria]

They took away the decongestant? :wtf:

It used to be great for when my allergies got really bad, now it's just another one of many worthless products.

At least I know not to buy it anymore. I wonder if they did the same thing with the store-brand equivalent?

You're welcome. :P

[ditchdj]

The problem I have about them logging people's names is that the State Boys will drop by the pharmacies from time to time unannounced and will check those lists to see if someone's buying these cold products "too often" and will start watching you because you might be a methhead. :mad:

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/08/12/100loc_a1pills001.cfm

[Barefootgirl]

And if they watch you because you might be a methhead, but you show no other signs of meth addiction apart from a streaming cold, then what?

[AFpheonix]

Chances are, if you're showing up in a lot of other pharmacies' books too, and you aren't making regular trips to the feed stores to get MSM (another ingredient), then chances are they're not gonna look at you too hard.

Coulter purchased 204 boxes of cold and allergy medicine since January at various locations, said county deputy prosecutor Adam Cornell.

Something tells me these guys either had one hell of a cold, or more likely, they were indeed smurfing.

[Cia]

To buy Claritin-D, Boyds requires your ID plus in their book they have you write in your name, address, and birthdate while they write in what you bought, the dosage, date and time. Wally World just requires your ID.

I blame everything on my cousin. In Nevada she got caught with meth and charged with possesion w/ intent to sell - jail time and parole. Then she did the same thing in South Dakota. One more strike and she's out. She's in California now and I can only hope that she will keep herself clean, for her kid's sake at least, but she certainly didn't think of them the first two times. She's just lucky the Feds didn't catch her when she did some interstate drug running. My cousin is a grade A idiot.

[Misanthropical]

I made the joke to the pharmacists that I was too fat to be a meth user, but she didn't have a sense of humor about it all. :(

[AFpheonix]

I'd just tell people that they weren't twitchy enough ;)

They're FINALLY letting us order in a few of the more popular combos now. Since July it's been RX only and I'll we've been able to get ahold of (and it was spotty at best) was the plain 30mg PSE and some claritin-D 24 hour generic. We've only just in the last month gotten some liquid PSE for the kiddies and some Drixoral showed up a few days ago.
I like the whole RX-only thing, it saves me a fair amount of time now since I don't have to deal with that freaking log book anymore.

[Seanette]

I blame everything on my cousin.
My stepfather gets a helping of blame in this one too. :rant:

[ditchdj]

And if they watch you because you might be a methhead, but you show no other signs of meth addiction apart from a streaming cold, then what?

I think what the problem is that, after 9/11, most Americans were shook up so bad that they want to be safe. That's understandable. But some take it too far and there's this "Get them before they get us" policy that they want the government to undertake. So now if there's just the slightest hint that somebody or something MIGHT hurt us in ANY way they want the government to eliminate it and they dont care how they do it. I dont think it's worth it because you can turn this nation into one huge supermax prison that's still no guarantee that you're not gonna get hurt by someone.

[blas]

This is how you fight back:

This is a family tradition (I'm sure many other people do it as well, my parents told me that this is what their grandparents did for them before they had Nyquil and Dayquil and whatnot). My dad goes to the liquor store and gets a bottle of Blackberry Brandy (I suppose any other type of firey-hot puts-hair-on-your-chest booze will work as well) and has the ailing person guzzle a glass or two. Then you put on your jammies and wrap up in two or three blankets and crank up the heat. Now, you're gonna sweat and feel really gross, but trust me, you'll feel much better the next day, and if you keep doing it, you'll be better in no time!

Well, that's how I've been fighting back........I know I'm innocent and I have nothing to hide (and from all my posts, you guys know I have no qualms about showing ID) but I just hate the feeling of being treated like a criminal. I know it's store policy and it's because of these dumbass drug addicts that things have to be documented and limited like this, but I feel embarrassed having my name written down for Sudafed and having my ID checked for Tylenol Cold and Cough!

[Zombi]

Try Vick's Vaporub. I know you can get it in Australia, but I have no idea about availability in other countries. What you do is, you rub it on your chest (it feels sort of warm, but that's normal), then you wrap up warm and go to bed. You can also dissolve it in boiling water and use it as an inhaling thing (you know, towel over the head and such). Eucalyptus and menthol, cures everything. ;) The other thing I've found that worked really well was a big glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice. I think you have to do it yourself, though, so it's about as fresh as it gets, then drink it down in one big hit. Remember your vitamins, too - as much vitamin C as you can handle, zinc, and valerian root for night time.

That's how I deal with colds - I haven't gotten sick for almost two years, though, so I presume it still works. *frantically touches wood*

[Barefootgirl]

That's what i do for my daughter, Zombi, it works rpetty well on her little-kid colds and snuffles. Vicks on the chest, olbas oil in the humidifier and she sleeps much more easily.

[ditchdj]

Best thing that I found that works is liquid Amoxycillin. My mother-in-law always has some in the refrigerator because she never takes it all and it gets rid of a sore throat in a hurry.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, I had to enter my info into the Big Who's Who Book of Iceheads last time I bought some decongestant for my daughter.

I can't really see how that is gonna prevent me from buying two, then going across to the Walgreens and buying two more, and so forth. Oh, well.

[AFpheonix]

Best thing that I found that works is liquid Amoxycillin. My mother-in-law always has some in the refrigerator because she never takes it all and it gets rid of a sore throat in a hurry.

1) not finishing an antibiotic as it is prescribed leads to resistant bacteria. Heck, taking antibiotics for something that may not be related to a bacterial infection leads to resistant bacteria. And lord knows, they're not coming up with many stronger antibiotics that don't have gnarly side effects. See the happy funness that's swirling around Ketek right now.

2) amoxicillin suspension is only effective for 10 or 14 days after it's mixed. It needs to get tossed after that.

[Crazyredhead]

When I get a cold I buy a gallon of OJ and the fixins for chili. Except I make my chili spicy and it gets my nose a running, then I can blow it, and that usually clears me up good. Not only that, but I get a full tummy too.

If that doens't help, then I go to the pharmacy and get the sudaphed.

[AFpheonix]

Is amoxicillin the thick liquid that tastes like bananas?

Depends on the strength and the manufacturer. Currently ours are made by Teva, the 250mg/5ml is a mixed berry flavor, the 400/5 is a bubblegum, and the 200/5 (made by Ranbaxy) is orange.

[Zombi]

When I get a cold I buy a gallon of OJ and the fixins for chili. Except I make my chili spicy and it gets my nose a running, then I can blow it, and that usually clears me up good. Not only that, but I get a full tummy too.

If that doens't help, then I go to the pharmacy and get the sudaphed.

Good ol' chili. :) The only time I can tolerate really spicy food is when I have a cold, and I can't taste the burning, but it works a treat.