Why don't they just take Sudafed off the market?

Post Reply New Topic

The Sudafed here has phenylephrine instead. They got rid of the pseudoephedrine without getting rid of the product.

I can't tell the difference. Maybe it's just a placebo effect, but it seems to work.

Sudo won't really "unclog" sinuses. All it does it dry you out. What you want to do is combine sudo with a tussin mucus thinner. I used to think that was the most messed up idea until a doc explained it to me. I couldn't understand the logic of taking a drug that will INCREASE the snot, much less taking two drugs that counteract each other.

Sudo will stop the runny nose, but it won't do anything for what collects in your sinuses. All that's going to happen is the snot in your sinuses will get thicker and increase the likelihood of infection. You need Robitussin or Mucinex to thin out the mucus output that sudo doesn't take care of. Sudo kills the runny nose, Mucinex keeps you from drying out. You also want a NSAID to take care of the inflammation--sudo doesn't do anything about that, either. I like Tylenol, myself. You can also go to a doc for an antibiotic prescrip (sorry, no way you're getting that OTC). What that does is get rid of all the bacteria to reduce the likelihood of a secondary bacterial infection. The cold itself is viral, but it makes you more susceptible to bacterial infection. I usually don't go for antibiotics unless it's REALLY necessary. But those four things in combination will ease your cold symptoms and reduce your chances of sinusitis. You should be better in 3 days.

Something that happens to me is I get really revved up when the sudo starts wearing off. I also go through a few hours where I feel MUCH worse after I stop taking it. Once the drug is out of my system, though, all my symptoms are gone. I might have a lingering stuffy nose or a "chest cold," but those are usually tolerable.

I don't know about the other symptoms you're having. Are you sure you're taking sudo? If you're getting it OTC, you might be getting phenylephrine instead. It's a poor substitute for sudo, and it's known for increasing your heart rate. The jury is still out on whether any benefits it has are due to a placebo effect.

Rest, breathe deeply, take *one* shot of alcohol.

Usually works for me.

mmmmmm...alcohol....[mouth waters]

I quit drinking back in September. I still have dreams of endless pools of beer. Every now and then I'll open my bottle of Glenlivet just to enjoy the smell.

A little alcohol is ok if you have a cold. Can't speak for tachycardia... Just go easy on it if you're taking Tylenol. I usually end up feeling a lot worse when I have a cold and decide to booze it up.

"The swimmin' hole was full of rum,
I tried to find out why -
All I learned was this, my friends:
You've got to swim before you fly."

I took Sudafed a few years ago. I get really sore ears on plane journeys and my doc advised me to take some, for a few days before my flight. I took one dose and never slept for 3 nights. I thought I was going mad. Terrible experience.

I only took half a pill but it caused me a LOT of problems.

Then don't take the other half.

ruveyn