非处方过敏药

[Knowing]

春天到了，我老不免有些过敏反应，得靠药物顶着。我老还对事实抱着半否认的态度，抗着抗着，不肯上处方药。今天发现CLARITON 吃完了，跑去补货。现在买非处方过敏药都得掏驾照记地址签字。可能以前也这样，我没过脑子. 去年情况没那么严重，开始打喷啼才吃一颗，不打就不吃，好象一共才消耗了一合CLARITON。今年不成了，反应严重的多，头脑发热昏头涨脑根本没法工作，吃了药也不再跟仙丹似的下去就管事，过好几个钟头才缓和下来。我只能每天早上都吃一颗以防万一，所以这都奔第三合了。然后我老就问：为什么得签字？一头冲天辫的小黑姑娘告诉我：这是法律。克林顿签的。治鼻子堵塞的药，非处方也得出示证件记档签名。我正想是那个克林顿？又问：为什么通堵的药就要管制呢？她看我是个天真纯洁的孩子，教导我说：你不知道吧，有的孩子，拿这个做药。我才想起来，在写METH 的文章里看到过，中西部的孩子－－也有大人，到药房大批大批买咳嗽糖浆，蒸METH 出来。看来有效成分就是通堵的那个东西？叫麻黄素好象？我小时侯堵鼻子给滴一点麻黄素滴剂很管用，鼻子简直有芝麻开门的感觉，扑通就开了。好象从来没有的到过什么飘飘欲仙的快感么。鼻子堵了N 多天很痛苦的，所以刚开的一瞬间我总是特别高兴, 满屋子乱跑到大人面前用力吸气给他们看。嗯难道这其实是药物反应造成的兴奋？不禁说：啊，我怎么吃过敏药从来没高过？她神秘的说：把药碾成粉，提炼了，吸进鼻子里。然后感到自己说的太仔细的样子，就赶紧闭嘴了。我心说：靠，这得多少药片才HIGH 一次啊。这药不便宜，十片小二十块钱呐。

[tiffany]

有一次正好看到npr讲这个meth的问题的，说meth是穷人的coke－－meth提炼起来也比coke较简单，有一阵子上瘾的特别多，最后发现原来是墨西哥啥druglord在加州开工厂，后来说是药厂买那种原料得有明确的纪录和预算，比如说我们厂今年打算做这么多片儿药，需要这么多该原料那种。
题外话，上瘾最近挺热门的，我们实验室那个中西部孩子跑去做这个了，我问他说小老鼠high了什么样儿，他说瞎跑，计量特别大了就使劲进行清洁自己的活动。

[Jun]

Claritin by itself is not restricted. You can by it without registering your name and driver's license. But many companies market a combination product. Each tablet contains both loratadine (Claritin) and pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant. It has been sold over-the-counter for decades. It's the ingredient in Sudafed and many other cold or allergy combo products. It clears your breathing. Pseudoephedrine itself is inexpensive. You can buy a bottle of 100 generic Sudafed for few bucks.

It is pseudoephedrine that, not very long ago, became the raw material of home meth labs. You can cook up your own methamphetamine in the kitchen with pseudoephedrine and some other chemicals that you can buy in bulk. It's cheap, easy, and very addictive. The meth problem has therefore exploded in recent years, especially in rural America. That's why pseudoephedrine has been moved to behind the counter, and you have to show your ID to purchase it.

Claritin is one of the least potent antihistamine drugs available. It's slightly better than sugar pills.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant. It makes the user euphoric and grandiose and feel good about themselves. It also stimulates the brain so the user can go on without sleeping for days. US military used to hand out amphetamine to soliders during WW2 and Vietnam war to boost their performance.

[Knowing]

Hmm! I looked at the box and it did say pseudoephedrine sulfate on it. That explains.
So I guess last year I was buying Claritin not Claritin-D? Damn! I just checked, Claritin is so much cheaper than Claritin-D. This is so annoying! I feel duped.
so what do rural home meth makers use now ?

[Jun]

Yup. It is a lot cheaper to buy a box of Claritin and a box of pseudoephedrine than to buy a box of Claritin-D. Even cheaper still -- because Claritin is off patent, you can buy the store brand generic loratadine rather than the brand name Claritin. Same thing. Same effect. Much less $$$.

[森林的火焰]

鼻子实在堵得慌，往鼻翼上抹一点虎标驱风油，也是扑通就开了。实在不行，抹在人中上，开得更猛。不过不是堵得太严重不要抹人中上，太剌激。

[Knowing]

Yup. It is a lot cheaper to buy a box of Claritin and a box of pseudoephedrine than to buy a box of Claritin-D. Even cheaper still -- because Claritin is off patent, you can buy the store brand generic loratadine rather than the brand name Claritin. Same thing. Same effect. Much less $$$.

That's so annoying. Is that why Durane Reade don't have both Claritin and Claritin-D on the shelf? I have the impression that when walking in, I only see different boxes of Claritin-D. I do not even need the pseudoephedrine. My nose is no longer so prone to congestion now.
Market gimmicks like these work so well on lazy consumers like me...

[tiffany]

恩，我觉得哈，在美国要想比较经济的生活的话，得是很多方面的专家，所以我觉得，还是认识很多方面的专家来得省事儿。。。

[silkworm]

还得是兄弟型的专家，嗬嗬。

[Jun]

Like, how to cook meth.

[simonsun]

我小时侯堵鼻子给滴一点麻黄素滴剂很管用，鼻子简直有芝麻开门的感觉，扑通就开了。好象从来没有的到过什么飘飘欲仙的快感么。鼻子堵了N 多天很痛苦的，所以刚开的一瞬间我总是特别高兴, 满屋子乱跑到大人面前用力吸气给他们看。

Knowing小时候经常生病么？

我小时候也三天两头感冒，麻黄素都不顶用了，只好用一个叫滴鼻净的东东――似乎比麻黄素还要厉害。那时候咳嗽，吃抗生素先锋4（头孢氨苄）吃到不管用。医生不给开先锋6（头孢拉定），说你现在吃那个，以后大病就没得救了，听得我扑通扑通冒汗

后来大学里开始锻炼身体，一年难得感冒一次，这才体会到健康的好处。身体好的时候，大多不会去想健康的重要。但是在太阳地里走着走着，突然感到身心舒畅活力充沛，真是比拿paycheck还要开心。

[simonsun]

Like, how to cook meth.

上上周数千个人类在golden gate park集体抽大麻，真是壮观底场面……

[Knowing]

Like, how to cook meth cheaply..
Man, without you girls, I don't know what to do! If I were off to cook meth myself, I would go bankrupted before getting addicted! Just to think, how many boxes of $20 Claritin-D I will have to go buy... I am far better off with less expensive addictions I have now, like, Italian designer shoes..

[Knowing]

倒不一定是感冒，我的鼻子中间的间隔是歪的，所以特别容易流鼻血，肿一点点就堵了。去年在医生的劝说下纠正了，现在就没事了。
我劝你们，deviated septum 比较严重的，还是下个狠心手术纠正吧，一了百了。白白痛苦那么多年。而且医生说，因为歪出来的一小块组织在呼吸道中间长期受干受冷，组织增生血管扩张，情况只会越来越严重。手术很简单也很普通。

[karen]

I have heard that lots of guys get into chemstry in college because they are fascinated with pyro and recreational drugs. Chemistry provides understandings for both. Well, being a medical journalist is even better.

Last year I saw some friends of mine making absinthe, the real thing using wormwood. The whole process is very geeky I have to say, involving lots of measuring and calculation. It has none of the belle epoque charm of the drink itself.

[simonsun]

If I were off to cook meth myself, I would go bankrupted before getting addicted! Just to think, how many boxes of $20 Claritin-D I will have to go buy...

You can bring some meds each time you go back to China, too. Most of them won't expire in a year :)

[Knowing]

说实在的我情愿把箱子空间用来放衣服鞋子。

[豪情]

小K你简直可以为"女人永远缺一件衣服/鞋子"做代表. 你的衣服/鞋子还不够多?

[Knowing]

我的衣服鞋子的确不多。多余的都打包捐掉了。
不过现在回国也买不到称心衣服。市面不灵，都不知道该去那里。