[MichaelDickens]

> It's not even available behind the counter anymore, presumably because they can make more money from morons buying the placebos.

What do you mean "morons"? Say I'm a normal person who doesn't habitually read magazine articles about drug effectiveness. How am I supposed to know that phenylephrine doesn't work? It's in the drug store and they're selling it as a decongestant; I have good reason to believe it will decongest my nose.

[jollyllama]

You don't need to know anything about the new stuff. You used to be able to get Sudafed; it worked. It was moved behind the counter for $REASONS. You've got enough to guess that the new stuff is some kind of inferior substitute and that you're only going to be able to get the real thing during pharmacy hours.

[Izkata]

That was 20 years ago. Plenty of people never experienced the good Sudafed and have no idea it moved.

[jollyllama]

Then it's also been enough time to think about bringing it back again. That's my whole complaint about this article, is that it fails to reach the correct conclusion.

[voxic11]

They also sell homeopathic drugs at that same store. So that at least should tip you off that not everything for sale can be trusted to be effective.

[xtiansimon]

> “Say I'm a normal person… How am I supposed to know that phenylephrine doesn't work?”

After using it and you experience zero relief, unfortunately. Sniffle. It’s infuriating when you’re ill.

I wonder how anyone learns of the good stuff if they didn’t grow up prior to Sudafed being moved behind the counter.

When I’m sick and standing in that isle I long for the day when there were just two on the market: Sudafed during the day, and Actifed at night.

[fl4regun]

I've bought allergy medication at the drug store before and they don't work for me. Is this the same thing as phenylephrine, which literally doesn't do anything? or is it different because my particular allergies did not respond to this medication? I don't think these two are the same thing, and it makes far more sense that if there is a medication added to a drug, being sold in a drug store, for treating a particular symptom, it should have actual clinical evidence it treats that symptom.

Or am I just suppose to try the dozen different gobbledegook ingredients on the shelf before figuring which one isn't bullshit while wasting my time on half of them?

[xtiansimon]

Sorry you're having allergy problems. I only experience mild symptoms, so can't provide any more information than you've prolly found for yourself.

> "...suppose to try the dozen different gobbledegook ingredients on the shelf before figuring which one isn't bullshit..."

When you say "on the shelf" i presume you're specifically referring to OTC medication and not prescription medication, right? A common sense question deserves a common sense answer. Yes. Companies will happily take your money and sell you snake oil (nominally, so long as the consequences are near zero). Caveat emptor. Phenylephrine as the non-regulated version of pseudoephedrine is the perfect example.

IMHO the only way to buy OTC medication (or food for that matter) is to read the labels and understand the ingredients. (I hate palm oil and sugar. yuck)

[fl4regun]

I don't think caveat emptor means that companies should be able to sell products they know do not work.