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Health

The good stuff

After suffering through several days of a bad cold this week, I finally decided to seek out medication.

I remember years ago using Codral Day And Night to get through it… but then a little later, having no success with what appeared to be the same medicine.

Turns out there’s “New” Codral, which does little for me, and “Original” Codral, which works. The Original has Pseudoephedrine in it… the New has Phenylephrine Hydrochloride instead.

A little research (particularly this extensive online discussion) showed that the Original stuff is still available, but you have to ask for it specifically, and they’ll register your purchase. This is because Pseudoephedrine can be used by Bad Guys to make methamphetamine, and apparently they’ve had to crack down on purchases to avoid people doing this.

This is why one local chemist has a “Pseudo Watch” sign on their door. I used to think it was some kind of security company sticker, which implied they don’t do a very good job of keeping an eye on the place.

You know it must be good stuff if the druggies are after it, right?

Sure enough when I went to my local chemist, they gave me New by default, but when I asked for Original, they were willing to sell it to me ($19, a bargain to make me feel better) but asked me for ID and registered the purchase.

Maybe, despite having not shaved for a couple of days while at home unwell, I have a trusting face.

And yes, it really does seem to work for me.

Viva la Pseudoephedrine!

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

10 replies on “The good stuff”

I’m exactly the same Daniel. Virtually any Pseudo-ephedrine based cold and flu tablet works wonders (although it can also make me feel like I’ve drank too much coffee), but all the new Phenylephrine Hydrochloride versions do nothing. Well, the Paracetemol in them makes my aching muscles a little better, but its no better than Panadol which is vastly cheaper and always in my cupboard.

Same here. Phenylephrine does diddly squat, and it’s a real shame they act as if you’re going to sell their firstborn into slavery if you want the stuff that actually works.

This seems like a joke. Why bother even selling a drug which is obviously ineffective ?

I remember when they banned carbon tetrachloride and replaced it with something else for spot stain removal that was 100% ineffective.

After taking pseudo for a prolonged period, I can’t consume it any more. My heart races, I feel dizzy… so yeah. I ask for non-pseudo cold and flu stuff. Guess I don’t need to ask anymore.

OMG, Codral Cold & Flu works wonders but likewise found it doesn’t seem to work well anymore – had no idea there were now two versions bugger!

Another OMG. I feel exactly the same as you. The new stuff must be a placebo, I say! Only original Codral works for me. Brought the”placebo” last Friday after feeling a little off all week. Didn’t work. Got the original one on Monday, feeling much better and returned to work today. I am starting to think you are my twin. Born in 1970 like me too. lol!

Thanks for posting this. I was unaware that the medicine that actually works is still available. I’ve bought some for my next cold. With three young kids that’ll be any day now.

I *did* know they’d changed the formula. I used the “real” medication for a long time in almost overdose quantities to make use of a particular side effect that was beneficial to me as a paraplegic. When “they” took out the pseudo ephedrine, the usefulness for me disappeared and I had to get a different medication.

As for the “bad guys”, remember that one used to be able to buy Codral Cold and Flu tablets in boxes of 90 and more than one box at a time (if you could afford it). The point was that the BG types *could* afford it – because they made such huge profits from their end product – and they typically worked in gangs of forty or fifty. That’s an awful lot of Meth!

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