Need Alternative To Sudafed 12 Hour

[cleung]

Just got back from Walmart (here in Canada). Turns out that one really has to read the labels. Only Reactine and Claratin has 12 hour formulations that include both a decongestant (120 mg pseudoephedrine) and an antihistamine. Right beside them are the Walmart store brands but these do not have any decongestant ingredient at all as only the antihistamine is the active medicinal ingredient. These are all on the top rows of the shelves. Good thing I checked.

What's left of any Sudafed formulations are the short acting ones but still contain 60 mg of pseudoephedrine plus acetominphen. They are now on the bottom row.

So I bought a pack of the Reactine Allergy & Sinus to test out.

 

[fmerkel]

I won't buy any medication without reading the label, looking up the ingredients, and understanding what it does.

Since you "have chronic allergies all year round" you probably should have been taking a non-sedating antihistamine like CETIRIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE or CLARITIN anyway. If those don't do anything, which is possible, you likely have [basic motor rhinitis].

I STRONGLY suggest you add a steroid nasal spray like [Flonase]. into the treatment plan. With antihistamine+Flonase you'll be treating the problem, instead of dealing with the symptoms.

 

[cleung]

I took allergy shots when I was young for about ten years and they took me to about 75% improvement then plateaued out. Allergy meds do help me but most of the year I just don't bother and now I'm pretty used to living day to day with some congestion. But for scuba diving, I quickly realized that my status quo was not sufficient to equalize my ears.

So I have to take something in order to dive as well as maybe several days per allergy season when it's really bad here. But that's about it as the rest of the year I just live with it.

Sudafed 12 hour, as well as a generic I previously found called Eltor, worked like a charm when I had access to it. Now I'll just have to hope that Reactine will work well enough just to get me through my dives.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I can still get Eltor by asking my pharmacist for it. She assured me that it is the same as the Sudafed 12 hour.

However,when I needed it in January, it just didn't seem that effective. An American on the boat with us, gave me a couple of the Sudafed 12 hour and I believed there was a significant difference. Perhaps there was a placebo effect due to my belief that Sudafed is the superior product or perhaps it was merely timing.

I don't know but darn it all, I want Sudafed 12 hour.

 

[Steve_C]

I can still get Eltor by asking my pharmacist for it. She assured me that it is the same as the Sudafed 12 hour.

However,when I needed it in January, it just didn't seem that effective. An American on the boat with us, gave me a couple of the Sudafed 12 hour and I believed there was a significant difference. Perhaps there was a placebo effect due to my belief that Sudafed is the superior product or perhaps it was merely timing.

I don't know but darn it all, I want Sudafed 12 hour.

Buy me a plane ticket to a place with nice coral reefs plus lodging and presto you have pseudophed 12 hour. I will even pay for my own dives.

Either that or you fly to Miami and go diving in Key largo. There is a CVS in Key Largo.

 

[uncfnp]

Chilly. I have no idea the law regarding sending OTC drugs from here to there, maybe the pharmacist will jump in, but if legal I would be happy to send you some Sudafed 12.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Thanks uncfnp! I don't know either but getting to the point where I'm inclined to find out. In the meantime, my cousins are visiting Phoenix and I have my order in. If that doesn't work out for some reason, I may be in touch.

Steve_C, thanks for your kind offer, though I'm sure you'll understand that if it comes to that, I'll be the one using the flight ticket.

 

[DandyDon]

Chilly. I have no idea the law regarding sending OTC drugs from here to there, maybe the pharmacist will jump in, but if legal I would be happy to send you some Sudafed 12.

One time years ago when generic Actifed suddenly became unavailable, I shopped for it online and bought a supply from a Candian site. I think they actually came from Canada altho those sites often drop ship from India, Turkey, etc. It cost too much, but I got what I needed.

If you google search buy Eltor or buy Sudafed 12 hour online, you should get some options.

• Check the ingredients for Pseudoephedrine and be sure it's the good stuff;
• It may or may not be legal - do your research;
• The supplier may or may not be trustworthy;
• And it may cost more than it should.

 

[maj2]

Personal importation into Canada of over the counter meds looks to be permitted as follows:

"Individuals are permitted to import a single course of treatment or a 90-day supply based on the directions for use, whichever is less, of an Over the Counter Drug.
The drug must be for the individual’s own personal use or for the use of a person for whom they are responsible and with whom they are travelling.
The drug must be shipped/carried in one of the following:

• Hospital or pharmacy dispensed packaging;
• Original retail packaging; or
• have the original label affixed to it which clearly indicates what the health product is and what it contains."

ref: Guidance Document on the Import Requirements for Health Products under the Food and Drugs Act and its Regulations (GUI-0084) [Health Canada, 2010]

If considering personal importation of pseudoephdrine products, note that bringing in large quantities may get you undue attention if it is found by Customs. Pseudephedrine products can be used as precursors in the manufacture of methamhetamine, and were put behind the counter to make the acquisition of large quantities more difficult. Small quantities for person use should be fine.

 

[BRT]

We live next to the Canadian border and I get my allergy medicine there since it is so hard to get in the States. I was nervous about crossing the border with Pseudoephedrine at first but I tell the customs agents I bought allergy medicine and they seem to go out of their way not to ask questions.