Rehab for A Sudafed Junkie- OTC Speed
Written: Nov 21 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: None
Cons: You may end up a speed junkie
|
|
|
| Sanglikeabird's Full Review: Sudafed 24 Hour Tablets 10 Tablets |
It all started about 15 years ago with a bad cold and a stuffy nose. I got over the bad cold but the stuffy nose drove me nuts. So I started using Afrin nose spray. A few hits here and a few hits there and I was clear for the next four hours. I became and Afrin nose spray junkie in no time flat. Out of Afrin at 2 AM? No problem hop in the car and find an open 7-11. I needed that darn Afrin. Blizzard, no problem drive the car as far as you could go, leave it stuck on the side of the road, hop out and hike it to the the nearest store. I needed the AFRIN! Middle of a meeting? Walk out hit the ladies room and have some Afrin. I would have, I swear, held up a store at gun point to get Afrin. After a few years I realized that I had become a nose spray junkie. This was not a good thing and I had to break the Afrin nose spray problem. The solution? Ha, ha, SUDAFED. That is right I quit Afrin in no time flat and started taking Sudafed. I was pretty proud of myself. That was about 10 years ago.
My Sudafed habit soon crept up to about 10 Sudafed a day. Somedays I took even more of it. Two pills every 4 hours and it adds up fast. If I forgot to take the Sudafed, instant stuffy head. Such a reminder. Sort of like a sober drunk with the DTs, I was. What I did not realize was that this Sudafed is much like speed. I just thought I felt pretty good when I was taking it and not so good when I was not. I was always able to put my head on the pillow at night and pass out cold so I did not associate it with being a speed type drug. Of course if you spent the whole day speeding you would be pretty exhausted by bed time also. I never had the feeling I needed to hold the store up at gun point to get Sudafed but I made sure I always had some. They are in every one of my purses, coat pockets, glove compartments,kitchen drawers and bathroom drawers. I own two houses and there is an ample supply at both. I even have them in friends cars and relatives houses. Sudafed, I didn't leave home without it and had a stash every place, just in case. I had become in essence a speed junkie.
I did not think I had any problems. Life was happy and everyone around me is happy. I have many friends and get along well with MOST people. I am not crazed. I am well dressed, well mannered and not a bum on skid row or a junkie in the street.
This year when I turned 40 I went on a let's get healthy kick. I ski, swim, ride my bike and take part in many different sports. I however have neglected having a good general physical in the last 10 years. (Sure I visit the OB/GYNs yearly but that is in the front door, out the back door, hello you are fine goodbye.) The doctor first interviewed me about health and habits which I passed with flying colors. Then he asked me about which medications I take and how much. I told him Sudafed and honestly told him how much I take. No big deal, I did not have anything to hide, it was just Sudafed.
Eeee gads! The doctor was horrified. He told me I was basically a speed junkie. Oh well. I was sort of dumb founded and really in a HURRY to get out of there, I had so much too do. What did he say? I asked him to run that by me again. He explained the whole thing. Sudafed causes much the same reactions in our bodies that speed does. Take a speed pill, take a Sudafed same end result. Well how do I stop this? Use some Afrin? NO thanks! You stop it by just stop doing it. SO, I have just stopped taking taking the Sudafed. We replaced it with some good safe Allegra (I am allergic to a slew of things). Quitting being a speed junkie is not easy but it can be done with a one step program. JUST STOP TAKING IT. The first week is hard because you feel tired. So take a nap. After that it gets easier!
I thought others should know what can happen when you overuse an OTC drug. After living the 1970s and 1980s I never much cared for drugs or drinking, I had enough back then. I was pretty mortified to find myself the neighborhood junkie.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Sanglikeabird
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Ms. M
Location: Danbury, CT
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 13 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.