Earlier quoted context omitted.
You already need to show ID for most medicine! This is such a weird discussion.
Name an over the counter medicine you need to show ID for.
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The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
261–270 of 350 posts
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#262Earlier quoted context omitted.
In addition to at least your full legal name, birthday, gender, home address, driver's license number, telephone number, location(s) you've been to buy medication, and possibly email address.
You do not in fact provide an email address to buy Sudafed. The rest of that information is for most people already a public record. I'm not saying that makes it OK to assemble into a database, and I think the point about amassing PII is well taken, but I think people are probably overestimating the value/hazardousness of this particular data set.
It’s an attractive nuisance which seems to provide zero practical value overall, let alone for it’s stated reason to exist.
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#263Earlier quoted context omitted.
You already need to show ID for most medicine! This is such a weird discussion.
Name an over the counter medicine you need to show ID for.
Sudafed isn't an OTC medicine; it's a BTC medicine. Most medicines aren't OTC. But there are, obviously, OTC products that require ID; for instance, every alcoholic beverage.
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#264It's never worked for me and I didn't understand why people bought these products.
If the pharmacy counter is closed, something that maybe might work is better than nothing.
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#265Earlier quoted context omitted.
Dextromethorphan is one of the other “scientifically proven ineffective” OTC products mentioned by the authors. Once when I had a quite severe cough I did some (highly motivated) research and my conclusion was that there is no such thing as an effective cough suppressant. At least, none that isn’t also a consciousness suppressant.
Low dose codeine is notoriously efficient.
High dose codeine too. Permanently cures coughing!
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#266Earlier quoted context omitted.
You already need to show ID for most medicine! This is such a weird discussion.
It's weird to me that we've completely normalized having to present ID to buy any medicine at all, especially one that has an excellent safety and efficacy record that I was buying without an ID for a decade. Why should I have to ask the government's permission to cure a runny nose?
The problem with Sudafed isn't that it's ineffective or unsafe for its users; it's that it has the same or higher abuse potential as codeine cough drops did. We took codeine completely off the market, but you can just go buy Sudafed whenever you want.
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#267Earlier quoted context omitted.
You do not in fact provide an email address to buy Sudafed. The rest of that information is for most people already a public record. I'm not saying that makes it OK to assemble into a database, and I think the point about amassing PII is well taken, but I think people are probably overestimating the value/hazardousness of this particular data set.
It’s an attractive nuisance which seems to provide zero practical value overall, let alone for it’s stated reason to exist.
It decreases the number of backyard meth labs, which are a danger to their surroundings. Despite the availability of overseas industrial meth, meth labs would make a comeback if you could simply buy pseudo-meth at the drug store to shake-and-bake in your garage.
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#268Public service announcement: sinus rinse (e.g. NeilMed) works. Available in every drug store with no prescription or pharmacist involvement necessary. It's gross, though. Do it in private.
Since I have seen a number of recommendations for sinus rinse in this thread but haven't (yet) noticed this specifically mentioned: It is important to use sterile water if you are using water for the rinse. Water directly from the tap apparently may not be safe for that purpose (there was a case earlier this year where a person died from a brain eating bacteria - they were apparently infected from using unboiled tap…
Brain Eating Ameoba!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53302773
Yes, it was in Florida.
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#269Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can buy 6 boxes of sudafed per month (24 doses each). Isn’t that more than the recommended (and probably safe) daily limit? I dont doubt your intentions but I don’t think you actually need 6 boxes per month + a stash.
The point is more to not be in a position to have to go out and buy some when I'm feeling cruddy. Since it's controlled, I can't just have some shipped to my door when I'm laying in bed sick. I just got in the habit of picking it up periodically to ensure that it's on hand when I need it.
So why buy 1 every 6 months? Just go buy 6. This sounded like you were trying to avoid the limits:
> Indeed. I've known that phenylepherine is worthless for a long while, and just make it a point to buy a pack of the real stuff every 6 months or so, so that I always have it on hand when I need it. In my state, it's controlled - you have to get it from a pharmacist (though you can do so without a prescription) - they take your driver's license and don't allow you to purchase it too often.
Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine (2022)
#270Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Suggestible You" by Erik Vance explores this phenomenon, and really turned me around on placebos. I'm, generally speaking, not particularly susceptible to placebo effects, and always kind of (arrogantly) chalked placebo effects up to people just being gullible and wanting to see something that wasn't there. It turns out there are actually genes that might be responsible for the physical impact of the placebo effect…
Is the COMT gene stuff discussed in "Suggestible You"? I recently learned I have the AA variation and from what I understand so far, it seems like it might be an explanation (or at least part of one) for why I am so sensitive to a number of vitamins and medications. I hadn't heard about the placebo related thing. But anyway, I am interested in continuing to learn more about it (it has been somewhat difficult for me t…
Yup, it's discussed extensively, predominantly as "val/val" (GG) and "met/met" (AA).