WP: Allergy Season OTC Switch: Some Say New Formulations Don't Work Well

[DeepModem Mom]

Allergy Season Switch
Some Say New Formulations Don't Work Well
By Francesca Lunzer Kritz
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Page HE01

It could be a tough fall allergy season, and not just because of the ragweed count. Another problem, say some experts, is an ingredient many drug companies have begun putting in nonprescription decongestants in place of pseudoephedrine.

The active ingredient in Sudafed and other oral decongestants, pseudoephedrine will be subject to new federal sales restrictions starting Saturday. Officials hope the limits -- which require that all pseudoephedrine products be kept behind store counters or in locked cases and that buyers show an ID and have their purchases logged and limited to a few each month -- will curb illegal production of crystal methamphetamine, an addictive drug that is commonly made with pseudoephedrine.

But decongestant manufacturers aren't willing to gamble that millions of people with allergies and colds -- who together spend more than $400 million a year on oral decongestants -- will put up with such inconveniences at the sales counter. So drug companies have been taking the pseudoephedrine out of many over-the-counter products and replacing it with an older ingredient, phenylephrine.

Call it a step up for phenylephrine, which previously had been relegated mostly to shorter-acting decongestant nasal sprays, such as some Neo-Synephrine and Vicks Sinex products....(P)henylephrine may not have the punch of the star performer it is replacing. Writing in a prominent allergy journal, two University of Florida research pharmacists recently questioned the effectiveness of the 10 mg dose and the clinical evidence offered in support of the review panel's decision....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/25/AR2006092500926.html

[aquart]

1. It's crap.

And I don't appreciate not being able to buy a medicine that works safely and effectively because gov't hasn't a clue how to prevent its use in meth labs.

This, to me, is another case of banning the toiletries. Hysterical overreaction.

[woodsprite]

2. I hate it. Sudafed doesn't work anymore, unless you get the

old formula and I hate having to sign for it. My daughter gets sick to her stomach in the morning from sinus drip if she doesn't have something that works well. So far, the doc doesn't want to prescribe something because he said the script stuff is even stronger. This means we're relegated to buying the product from behind the counter.

I'm wondering what their cutoff is. I mean, I have to buy the stuff for my daughter (a dose a day), a different stuff for myself (which I limit because I don't want to buy too much), I prefer to keep something that works on hand for my 6yo son (I try to use over-the-counter stuff first), I keep Nyquil on hand for myself or DH if we develop cold/cough symptoms (the old formula - not the new stuff which doesn't have the decongestant), and DH has an allergy script for Allegra.

I swear it makes you paranoid to go to the pharmacy. I love what America used to be - but more is happening each day to change my mind about it now. The problem is, where to go that would be better OR best of all, how to reclaim our Country from the Repub Christo-fundie-facists so we can fix the mess from the last 6 years and discover America all over again.

That is all....

[LynneSin]

4. One thing I did this summer when I wasn't sick

was to stock up on the products I might need when I get sick.

I understand the concepts as to why these things are behind the counter AND I have read many reports where this is having affect on areas where meth is a problem. Sure, you can get your meth from some mass meth-lab producer, but hopefully this will eliminate the homemade meth labs which are extremely toxic, very explosive and creating a great risk for all of those who live near the home with the meth lab.

BTW one thing that has worked real well for me is the saline nasal sprays. It's kinda nasty to use but it really helps clean out my sinuses!

[LostinVA]

8. The sprays work some for the SO, but nada for me

[harpboy_ak]

24. 3.6 grams per day or 9 grams per month

3.6 grams per day or 9 grams per month is what they can sell you, and you have to sign for it. 3.6 grams is 120 30 mg tablets, or 5 packages of 24. The most they can sell without having you sign for it is 60 mg, two of the standard red tabs.

see http://www.ncbop.org/PDF/DEA_Guidance_Combat_Meth.pdf

I was having great luck with the 24 hr Claritin-D or its Costco clone, with an occasional boost from an additional 30 mg tab or 2, but Costco took both off the shelf almost a year ago, and before that limited quantity to one package. These combo doses were *never* targeted by meth makers, but since they had pseudophedrin in them, they were pulled by image-conscious corporate zealots. So now I have to take a morning 24 hr Claritin, a couple of Sudafeds, and then remember to take Sudies every 6 hrs during the day.

I have also found bromelain & quercetin from the health food store to be helpful at the worst of the season. Like another poster, I have been exposed to fungal infections (from working in moldy areas, not knowing I should have worn protection) and had to have a round of antifungals to clear it out of my sinuses, but they are now very sensitive to almost any possible allergen, and the only thing that stops the drainage is Sudafed. I tried steroid sprays for a year, but eventually they had little effect, and I found that I slept better if I wasn't taking them.

I manage 2 mobile home parks and 10 apartment buildings, and our staff has been trained to watch for meth lab signs, including empty bottles (impossible to find now) or blister packs. I find it ironic to sign for the same stuff that our staff is monitoring, knowing that our local cops will indeed be checking the logbooks at all the retailers in the area. At the same time, I know that several former tenants are probably very upset now that they'll have to sign for it, and that the law probably will help reduce the number of small time labs, since it's likely, according to cops, that imported meth and imported ephedra for making it will continue to flow in from Mexico.

[truedelphi]

29. Have you heard of Nettles? Great remedy

I discovered Nettles about three years ago.

You get it in bulk at a health food store. My local health food store did not
have it - but they ordered it.
It's like 19 cents or something an ounce.
Boil up some water and put the nettles in a tea strainer or tea ball and
make a tea. I make it so the color is a medium green - not too light not too dark.

Sip on it. Consume 2 to 3 eight ounce mugs over a ten hour span and do this for
two or three days.

You will have relief for over three months from your usual allergies. Just that one three day
tea sipping ritual and you will feel much better than ever. (There is the possibility that you could be allergic to it - but most people are not. However, you might try just a tablespoon
or two the first time you try and see if you have a bad reaction.)

WArning: it does taste like horse piss or something - do not know if you'll get your daughter
to use it. But I have never knwn such relief. ALso if you use it an additional day or two a week, it wil purge the cellulite right from your bod!

Carol

[LostinVA]

7. Agreed -- it doesn't work at all

And, meth makers aren't buying 2-3 packs a month at CVS. It's stupid. Per the new restrictions, I can only buy 20 days worth at a time -- there's at least 30 days in a month, last I heard.

[SpiralHawk]

3. Just Say No -- to Big Pharma

All their crap drugs just screw up your system.

Get thee with herbs -- the natural way...

[aquart]

5. Natural poisons are still poison.

Ephedra tea gave me panic attacks. Now I check every damn thing I take for herbal/drug interactions. And I would never touch an herb without knowing all its possible effects.

[LostinVA]

9. I'd rather be poisoned and able to semi-function

Than be able to do nothing outside, and feel headachey, nauseous, and lethargic most of the time.

[Megahurtz]

10. Agreed.

None of the OTC works stuff for me anyway, and antibiotics just make fungal infections worse.
I think Big Pharma just keeps putting out shit products so that the public keeps coming back for more.

[Lance_Boyle]

11. yikes - antibiotics are not for fungal infections

Antifungals are for fungal infections.

[Megahurtz]

15. So true,

but try convincing a Doctor these days that you have a Fungal Sinus Infection,
and they will deny that anyone gets them "except for people with immune-compromised systems"
like people who have AIDS. So in my experience, they will only give out antibiotics, or steroids,
and both of them are hard on the body if used repeatedly.

Almost all Doctors I've been to don't even believe in Fungal Infections.:shrug:

What a bunch of Quacks! That's why I'd rather go the herbal route.

[LostinVA]

20. Lance is right -- never use antibiotics for fungal infections

Antibiotics are truly a wonder drug -- so many would die from seemingly minor things if not for this category of drugs.

[LostinVA]

6. I'm only able to buy 20 days worth a month

[slackmaster]

12. Pseudoephedrine has never worked for me

Loratidine (e.g. Claritin) works well, but not the time-release capsules (which are loaded with pseudoephedrine and pass through my digestive tract in far less time than it takes them to dissolve).

Call it a step up for phenylephrine, which previously had been relegated mostly to shorter-acting decongestant nasal sprays, such as some Neo-Synephrine and Vicks Sinex products....

Phenylephrine is the active ingredient in Preparation H.

:patriot:

[Kali]

18. That's what I'm using along with a few snorts a day of nasalchrom.

I'm pretty happy unless the wind kicks up.

[LiberalHeart]

13. Pharmacists have told me to take two pills instead of the one I was taking

...they say it's the same thing I was taking in one pill, but if so, explain why the combo doesn't work. I've found a place that'll sell me three boxes of the old stuff (a distributor), but I don't know if that'll still be the case after the weekend. Hate this new law.

Meth labs shouldn't be all that difficult to find. They stink. How about going after the criminals instead of making life worse for allergy sufferers.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Um.

Pharmacists often say to take two pills instead of one because a certain amount of any given drug is going to be broken down by the body and more is needed to have the desired effect.

Be wary of pharmaceutical companies, not pharmacists.

[Dogmudgeon]

16. Consider the Grossan nasal irrigation method

His website is schlocky, but his method is sound (i.e., Peer-Reviewed™).

http://www.ent-consult.com/

Basically, it's an "appliance" -- a plastic gadget for a Water-Pik or a specially-designed irrigation reservoir -- that you stick in your nose. Warm saline water (table salt plus baking soda to adjust the pH) then washes through your sinuses, cleans out all the garbage, and makes the nasal cilia healthy.

It only sounds awful. In reality, it's fairly pleasant, especially if you have ongoing infections. And you can use cool water if you're having a lot of discomfort.

The ayurvedic Net Pot works in a similar way, but most people find Grossan's method far superior. Most insurance plans will cover the cost ($20 for the "appliance" and $20-100 for the pump).

Take it from someone who has had life-long ear and sinus problems from a rare cancer that left chronic infection and pain in its wake: it is well worth looking into.

--p!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

17. Thanks for the tip!

I never could use plain sudafed...I had to get the "non-drying" formula, with guaifenesin, and even that didn't always do the trick.

I'm going to try this. :hi:

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

26. Or you can try a product called Simply Saline

It is just Saline in an aerosol can. Put it up your nose and spray a very fine mist of saline. Gets WAYYY back into your sinuses if you have your head tilted correctly. I love it, it cleans me right out and keeps my sinuses from getting too dry.

Sorry to the squeamish.

[High Plains]

19. You all are collateral damage in the war on drugs here.

The restrictions are going into effect in an effort to stop people from cooking methamphetamine using pseudoephedrine, one of the more popular recipes. It appears similar restrictions at the state level have had some effect--meth lab busts are down in states with these laws. Of course, meth use isn't down. There's plenty of meth these days, most of it coming from Mexican superlabs. It's better quality than the home-cooked stuff. I like to call laws like this "Mexican Meth Market Share Enhancement Acts."

So, the tweaker can still get his speed, but you can't get a decent cold remedy. Welcome to the war on drugs.

Maybe they ought to just let methamphetamine users just buy the stuff at the drug store. It is a Schedule II drug. The brand name is Desoxyn. And then you could have your Sudafed, too.

[Dogmudgeon]

22. Don't I know it

I'm a chronic pain patient. I recently had to discontinue taking pseudoephedrine because of high blood pressure, but I also take schedule II meds -- oxycodone, and possibly hydromorphone (Dilaudid) in the near future.

Naturally, it's a major annoyance having to get a written prescription each time I need a refill, and it really hammers home the paternalism of the medical/pharmaceutical/state complex.

I understand that for practical purposes, narcotics can't be sold over the counter like safe drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. But with each new "drug scandal", they make it just a little more expensive and difficult to part with just a little more of one's money.

And if you're a pain patient, you'll understand, it's not street candy, it's "now-I-can-think-clearly-again-for-two-to-six-hours". (At this hour of the evening, it's "half-a-night-of-sleep".)

--p!

[William Bloode]

27. Ohhhh, don't even get me started.

I am on disability, have to have my pain meds just to function at times. Sadly it can be rough. I have to hear lectures from the Dr.'s, and the damn Pharmacists, etc. I have to go back to the doc, at a pain management center just to get my meds. It costs me out the whazuu, but they tell me i have to. All of this because of the "big scare" before meth, which was oxycontin abuse.

Some how the dopers still have no trouble getting them, but i do! I have to jump through hoops, yet the addicts get them as regular as ever.

[benEzra]

28. The irony...

I understand that for practical purposes, narcotics can't be sold over the counter like safe drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. But with each new "drug scandal", they make it just a little more expensive and difficult to part with just a little more of one's money.

Alcohol and tobacco aren't the safe drugs, just the politically correct drugs. Alcohol is rather dangerous from a pharmaceutical standpoint; the spread between the effective psychoactive dose and the lethal dose is surprisingly small (unlike, say, the cannabinoids).

The CDC guesstimates 100,000 deaths/yr from alcohol and 400,000/yr from tobacco, which are probably inflated by a factor of two or three, but they still probably kill 100 times as many people as all the other drugs put together.

Given the reactionary way in which politicians and the DEA respond to the drug scare du jour, if I were in chronic pain, I'd probably be scared to death that effective pain meds were going to be put out of my reach.


BTW (regarding the OP), my wife is now afraid to buy Sudafed--we both need it, but here in NC, if we mess up and buy two boxes per pay period, for two pay periods in a row (28 days), then we're criminals. So I do the Sudafed buying for our household.

[DumpDavisHogg]

21. Don't you just LOVE living in a free country?

The government makes us buy crap instead of stuff that actually works.

Anyone who supported this new law ought to be impeached this instant.

[ecoalex]

23. Horse radish and mustard Vits. A ,C, E ,Zink Garlic ,Rest, low stress

[JCMach1]

25. Pseudoephedrine has always worked for me

the formulated crap they are peddling is crap. Thank God I can still get Advil Cold and Sinus here... Advil is also (Still) the most effective drug I have ever taken for my arthritis in my reconstructed foot. So,the cheap medicine kills two birds.