I would pay anything to feel better....

[daisylu]

unfortunately, thanks to meth heads I cannot.

Sinusitis & strep - doc gave me antibiotics and suggested I keep taking cold & sinus otc meds and add Claritin D to dry it up. Too bad the government will not allow me to buy them both.

How do people with allergies/sinus issues get their meds?

[Deleted]

I asked my doctor about the same thing, he wrote out a prescription for the claritin d 24. insurance doesn't cover it but as a prescription item it wasn't subject to the same limitations (able to get 30 day supply at once) also no sales tax because of the prescription.

[Apple]

I cross the border and buy Advil Cold and Sinus. I haven't made it to WA for a while but next time I do I need to stock up.

[Deleted]

I buy mine from meth heads.

[illinicheme]

Good lord I hate the pseudoephedrine rules.

Can you buy regular Claritin and regular pseudoephedrine and then just take them together? It may be that you can't buy Claritin-D (claritin + pseudoephedrine) and pseudoephedrine together because the total quantity of pseudoephedrine in the purchase goes over the limited amount.

(How many times can you say pseudoephedrine in one sentence?)

[bean29]

DH and I have disussed this, cold medicine just does not seem to be effective anymore.

So everyone can be sick and unproducive so that we can prevent people from manufacturing and purchasing one type of drug. And there are no other drugs that they can substitute?

[thyme4change]

I bet if you would really pay "anything" there is some crazy doctor out there that has some crazy scheme - like pumping in additional oxygen and warm steam, putting you on heavy sedatives, and wiping your nose for you as you slept through the recovery period. If there is one thing we have learned from Michael Jackson - it is that money can buy all sorts of things that normal people have never even imagined.

[illinicheme]

Mar 24, 2011 10:57:34 GMT -5 bean29 said:

DH and I have disussed this, cold medicine just does not seem to be effective anymore.

So everyone can be sick and unproducive so that we can prevent people from manufacturing and purchasing one type of drug. And there are no other drugs that they can substitute?

You have to read the packaging. Phenylephrine ("Sudafed PE") is worthless. The cough suppressant, mucus thinners, etc that are in combo cold medicine pills are still the same, but you no longer get the same decongestant action.

You have to buy pseudoephedrine ("regular" Sudafed) separately. Many (most?) states now limit the amount you can buy at one time, and you have to show a driver's license to get it.

(California, in its infinite wisdom, makes you show a driver's license to check out with any cold medication, even stuff that contains no potential chemical precursors to meth.)

[DVM gone riding]

the feds limit the amount of psuedophedrine you can buy. Some states (OR) have decided to ban it completely and some retailers have as well but you should still in most states be able to walk up to the pharamcy counter and purchase it by showing ID and signing your life away. Costco last I checked only sold Claratin-D and didn't sell psuedophedrine by itself at all.

[midjd]

My state has an enormous meth problem, so I think we were one of the first to institute the draconian 1-box-per-person-per-week rule - and that was for the pseudo-Sudafed that doesn't even work. When I moved to NY I was shocked that they were still selling REAL Sudafed and you didn't even need to sign for it! That policy has since changed, but whenever my BIL would visit he would buy about 20 boxes to take home with him (he has terrible allergies year-round).

Sorry I don't have much advice, other than enlisting non-allergy-addled friends/relatives to buy some meds for you. My sis and BIL both buy a box a week, every week, so that they usually have a stockpile for when BIL's allergies are especially bad.

[thyme4change]

This is a perfect example of drugs addicts ruining it for the rest of us. Can't we just kill 'em all and get the effective drugs back? Seriously - are they really of any benefit to society?

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

Interesting.... I've bought cold medicine to use during the very rare times I have a bad head or chest cold.
What is very thought provoking is that the pharmacy required me to show an id, from which they recorded my DL #, name, etc., and I had to sign my signature.

What is humorous is that sometime ago there was a long discussion on voters having to show state/govt issued IDs in order to vote, and everyone was losing a lung over it.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2011 11:42:01 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

This is a perfect example of drugs addicts ruining it for the rest of us. Can't we just kill 'em all and get the effective drugs back? Seriously - are they really of any benefit to society?

How about we just legalize and regulate meth and let people buy all of the dimetapp or whatever they want?

[thyme4change]

I think voting is a "right" but buying Actifed isn't - so, showing ID to vote impinges your "rights."

But, yes, I agree that the irony is pretty disturbing.

Arch - that seems better than the systematic, government blessed murder of a whole bunch of people.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

How about we just legalize and regulate meth and let people buy all of the dimetapp or whatever they want?

I vote that we legalise prostitution.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

You can buy pseudoephedrine in OR, but it requires a doctor's prescription. You cannot buy it OTC like you can in the rest of the states (with a driver's license and quantity restrictions). KY is trying to institute a policy like this due to the meth problem there.

For the OP, I'd call the doctor back and ask for a prescription for the Claritin D.

[Frappuccino]

Did these hassles solve the meth manufacturing problem?

[thyme4change]

LOL Rebecca - great question.

Probably not. It just makes life a PIA for the rest of us.

[daisylu]

The doc is calling in the script, thank you. I had no idea that they could do that, but it bothers me that the doc did not think of that while I was in there.

Did these hassles solve the meth manufacturing problem?

Nope.


Wonder how many 18-20yo are buying cold meds for the above 21 crowd in exchange for the over 21 crowd buying them alcohol.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I think voting is a "right" but buying Actifed isn't - so, showing ID to vote impinges your "rights."

How is proving you're you before voting impinging on your rights?

[Urban Chicago]

Did these hassles solve the meth manufacturing problem?

To a degree, it did. The regulations severely curtailed meth labs in several states. However, it did not stop Meth use as now most of it is smuggled from south of the border, not manufactured here.

Personally, I still think the laws are worthwhile as meth labs are INSANELY dangerous and OFTEN kill or injure people who are not involved in production, they are merely unfortunate neighbors or visitors.

National Geographic did a special about this that supports my statements, I think it's called "World's Most Dangerous Drug".

[thyme4change]

How is proving you're you before voting impinging on your rights?

I have absolutely no idea. I never had a problem with the rule - but I do remember there were a lot of people who thought it was an inappropriate law for some reason. I guess we have the right not carry identification, and the right to vote.

[TheOtherMe]

None of the cold meds that you can buy OTC that do not contain pseudoephedrine do nothing to help me feel better.

[Sum Dum Gai]

The only argument I really remember was that it isn't free to get ID, so it was in effect a poll tax, or something like that.

It seemed like a stretch to me.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

The strange, silly reality is that cold and allergy medications are notoriously hard to purchase in our (California) city, but there are medical marijuana dispensaries all over the place. Go figure.

[resolution]

Mar 24, 2011 12:33:22 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

How is proving you're you before voting impinging on your rights?

I don't believe that it infringes, but generally the argument is that certain minority groups are less likely to have the required type of id, so it impacts some minority groups more than the majority. For example the last election I voted in I had moved and my driver's license had an old address, so I needed a utility bill with my name and address in addition to photo id (I used my passport). The passport and driver's license together weren't enough because I had moved. If you have a group that moves around a lot or has multiple families sharing a living space they may have more trouble getting together the required proof of address. Personally I don't think that is too much of a burden for someone to take a little time and get their proof together but the disparate impact is the argument I have seen against it.

[sil]

"I vote that we legalise prostitution. "

Now that's an interesting remedy for a sinus infection

Get well soon, daisylu!

[thyme4change]

The only argument I really remember was that it isn't free to get ID, so it was in effect a poll tax, or something like that.

I think my seperate-but-not-equal DMV policy can solve this. Have a "high service" DMV that charges quite a bit, but has small locations conviently located, where you can make an appointment and come in on-time with little to no wait. You can pay 3 or 4 times what you would have to pay at the DMV now. Use the excess profits from that organization to subsidize free ID's and the "regular" DMV where prices stay low, but there are scuzzy conditions and long waits. You, as the consumer, can decide if you want to pay for service, or save money, but get what you pay for.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I thought we already had that system, except the nice DMVs charge the same amount as the crappy ones. It's based entirely on population though. If you live out in the middle of nowhere you have a small local DMV that's never busy. If you live in the city you're stuck with the dirty crowded one. It's a great system!

[wvugurl26]

My grandma got a new doctor who took her off her hormones at one point. Boy was that ever a fun weekend. Thankfully she went back on them. The family decided the next doctor to suggest that could live with her for a week and then rethink their decision.