Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

science.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 613 posts

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#111

Post by ericbarrett »

hammock wrote: post #81
ericbarrett wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not get a non-motorist ID card? Every US state has these; here's Washington's: https://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/gettingidcard.html

Many Americans have difficulty obtaining ID, because they cannot afford or cannot obtain the underlying documents that are a prerequisite to obtaining government-issued photo ID card. Underlying documents required to obtain ID cost money, a significant expense for lower-income Americans. The combined cost of document fees, travel expenses and waiting time are estimated to range from $75 to $175. The travel required i…

That's true and all, but the person I was replying to already has a federal passport, which suffices for all levels of state ID.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#112

Post by exolymph »

arkades wrote: post #54
p_l wrote: post #13

The lack of availability of proper pseudoephedrine in USA led to situation where there are papers describing how to turn methamphetamine into pseudoephedrine, not the other way around. With explanation in abstract that its easier to buy meth than pseudoephedrine.

Pseudoephedrine is still available -behind the counter-. You literally just have to ask the pharmacist for it. Let’s not turn grad students having a laugh into an actual statement on public policy.

> Let's not turn grad students having a laugh into an actual statement on public policy.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but... at least this you can't stop me from doing.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#113

Post by gojomo »

arkades wrote: post #54
p_l wrote: post #13

The lack of availability of proper pseudoephedrine in USA led to situation where there are papers describing how to turn methamphetamine into pseudoephedrine, not the other way around. With explanation in abstract that its easier to buy meth than pseudoephedrine.

Pseudoephedrine is still available -behind the counter-. You literally just have to ask the pharmacist for it. Let’s not turn grad students having a laugh into an actual statement on public policy.

Which means it's not available outside of the pharmacist counter's more-limited hours. And there's often an additional line to wait in before acquiring. And, as another thread points out, extra ID requirements.

So how exactly do the costs/benefits on this "public policy" sum out?

Benefits:

• some grandstanding politicians enjoy the superficial appearance of being "tough on meth"

Costs:

• Americans waste $billions on an ineffective placebo decongestant

• Legitimate manufacturers of a working medicine, pseudoephedrine hcl, lose sales due to extra cost/effort/stigma associated with the purchase. They shift real productive resources – inputs & worker hours – to making & marketing placebos instead.

• Larger cross-border criminal organizations – of the kind that regularly murder politicians south-of-the-border – grow in market-share, sophistication, & power.

• Meth continues to be available at high volume, & low costs, unaffected by the pseudoephedrine limits.

• Recent meth formulations – likely prompted by the limits on the pseudoephedrine-process – seem to create a stronger & more-destructive addiction among abusers: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/the-new...

If we don't listen to 'grad students having a laugh' who are pointing out the wasteful absurdities of 'public policy', we'll keep such nonsense destructive rules indefinitely.

The 'serious folks' among politicians & suited 'public-policy' types are derelict in their duties.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#114

Post by fullstop »

munificent wrote: post #43

My drug of choice for colds is NyQuil. It's always been great for opening up my nasal passages enough to let me breathe easily and then knocking me the fuck out so I could sleep off most of the cold. I remember several years ago when all of a sudden NyQuil stopped doing anything useful. I had no idea why but I directly observed that it was like it had been replaced with a non-functioning placebo. Only a couple years…

This works for one or two nights with me, and then it feels like I've built up a tolerance to it and I think that it actually keeps me awake. I'll use it if I have a cough which keeps me awake, and, if I time it right, I'm pretty good at recovering within a day or two.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#115

Post by nostromo »

munificent wrote: post #43

My drug of choice for colds is NyQuil. It's always been great for opening up my nasal passages enough to let me breathe easily and then knocking me the fuck out so I could sleep off most of the cold. I remember several years ago when all of a sudden NyQuil stopped doing anything useful. I had no idea why but I directly observed that it was like it had been replaced with a non-functioning placebo. Only a couple years…

American law is so disjointed.

On one hand, we're decriminalizing drugs. Pot is widely legal now. Other states are allowing mushrooms and LSD. Cocaine and heroin are not legal, but have all but been decriminalized on the West Coast.

Meanwhile it's harder than ever to get pain killers from your doctor, even when you have a demonstrated need for them. Same with ephedrine -- a very useful drug -- it's very difficult to get even when in need. And if you mention enjoying tobacco products, you're treated as a leper.

I wish we had a self-consistent view of the issue.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#116

Post by cperciva »

Pseudoephedrine is wonderfully effective, but beware of its side effects.

I used to take it regularly due to congestion related to seasonal allergies, but at a recent medical visit I discovered that my blood pressure had jumped from its usual 120/75 up to 150/105. (My doctor was also alarmed!) I no longer take pseudoephedrine.

I'm told that the effect on blood pressure is usually mild, but based on my experience I'd recommend blood pressure monitoring to anyone planning on using it, just in case (like me) they're one of the unlucky people who experiences a dramatic increase in blood pressure.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#118

Post by coward123 »

nostromo wrote: post #115
munificent wrote: post #43

My drug of choice for colds is NyQuil. It's always been great for opening up my nasal passages enough to let me breathe easily and then knocking me the fuck out so I could sleep off most of the cold. I remember several years ago when all of a sudden NyQuil stopped doing anything useful. I had no idea why but I directly observed that it was like it had been replaced with a non-functioning placebo. Only a couple years…

American law is so disjointed. On one hand, we're decriminalizing drugs. Pot is widely legal now. Other states are allowing mushrooms and LSD. Cocaine and heroin are not legal, but have all but been decriminalized on the West Coast. Meanwhile it's harder than ever to get pain killers from your doctor, even when you have a demonstrated need for them. Same with ephedrine -- a very useful drug -- it's very difficult to…

>all but been decriminalized on the West Coast.

There's talk that WA is going to introduce a bill in the next session to completely decriminalize.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#119

Post by kevinpet »

baggy_trough wrote: post #89
Zak wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a long time, I've had the idea in the back of my mind that all laws should have expiration dates, and the maximum duration shouldn't be very long (12 or 18 years would be two or three senate terms in the US). Ideally, it would be combined with something to keep the scope of each bill narrow.

It wouldn't work because what would happen would be a mass reapproval of all regulations. What I'd like to see is a constitutional amendment that the total body of federal laws and regulations can't be any longer or more complicated than a person of average intelligence can be taught in a week.

Or simply require that they be read in the house / senate before a vote. Not "read" but actually read, word for word out loud, by the sponsor.

Re: The Uselessness of Phenylephrine

#120

Post by thrwy_918 »

nostrebored wrote: post #68
ericbarrett wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not get a non-motorist ID card? Every US state has these; here's Washington's: https://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/gettingidcard.html

But why get one? A passport/passport card is a _better_ ID document in almost every way. State non-motorist IDs should really cease to exist and we should increase access to passport cards

>State non-motorist IDs should really cease to exist

State non-motorist IDs are some of the only IDs available to non-citizens who live in the US and don't drive

Post reply on HN