My sinuses a casualty of the drug war

OPINION

Sunday, September 11, 2005

My breathing is becoming a problem for my wife. Yes, the inhalation of air for the benefit of my lungs has become an annoyance, especially at night when she's trying to sleep.

The problem is with the decibel level of my breathing, which is loud because my nasal passages are generally blocked. I'm an allergy guy. Breathing through my nose is not something I take for granted.

It takes effort to keep the duct work clear. For decades that effort, along with seeing doctors and getting allergy shots, has consisted of buying and taking over-the-counter medicine.

I'm what you call a cold medicine regular. I belly up to the cold medicine counter every few weeks. I know all the brands and the difference between an antihistamine and a decongestant. Over the years, I've found the make and model that works best for me.

But over the past couple of years, keeping myself supplied has required more energy. You see, I'm a casualty in the war on drugs. I suppose my becoming a casualty would be due to friendly fire because I'm not the enemy. I'm a guy with sniffles.

Methamphetamine manufacturers are the enemy. Meth, a very dangerous and popular drug, can be made in home labs using one of the ingredients from my allergy medicine, pseudoephedrine. The government has tried to keep this ingredient out of the hands of meth makers by adding restrictions.

First, my allergy medicine disappeared from convenience stores and was sold only at pharmacies. Then there was a restriction on how many packages could be purchased; no more than two, I believe. And then, the hard balls began.

The local pharmacy where I usually get my allergy medicine suddenly didn't have any in stock. It had been recalled because there were too many pills (20) in the box. The product never did return to the shelves. It was moved behind the counter to keep it out of the hands of meth manufacturers, according to a pharmacy worker. And since behind-the-counter sales were low, the pharmacy discontinued it.

Luckily, the grocery store where I shop has a pharmacy and they still stock the medicine, behind locked glass. I had quit buying my medicine there due to the hoops.

The last time I bought the medicine there I had to get a pharmacist's attention, so she could unlock the cabinet and retrieve it. But first I had to sign a registry, confessing that I was buying cold medicine. Then she checked my ID. Then, rather than handing the medicine to me, she carried the medicine to the checkout lane where I, feeling a little like I was in the principal's office, paid for it. Unlike every other product in the store, including lighter fluid and booze, I couldn't touch the medicine until I owned it. And once I owned it I felt like running out of there before the clerk had second thoughts, except my bronchitis has been acting up due to my allergies and, well, I didn't run.

The grocery store is just trying earnestly to abide by the law and prevent the product from falling into the wrong hands. The problem is, mine are the right hands, and they are starting to feel a little wrong.

At least 30 states have restrictions on selling cold and allergy medicine. Oklahoma has pushed the medicine behind the counter. Oregon now requires people to get a prescription to buy "over-the-counter" cold medicine. And the U.S. Senate is expected to pass a law soon that will put cold medicines in locked cabinets behind pharmacy counters nationwide and require sellers to keep a registry of buyers.

I understand the danger of meth, yet I feel like I'm trying to buy yellow cake uranium from Niger. I can fly on an airplane without being added to a "suspicious" registry.

And I fear momentum could swing restrictions toward the ridiculous. Perhaps they'll require background checks and a three-day waiting period, as is the case when buying firearms. You know, a .357 Magnum, Dristan, pretty much the same deal. As the allergy-triggered hives take over my body, I'll finally receive the OK to buy more medicine.

It may soon be easier to buy my allergy medicine off the streets. The meth folks might find another market, selling cold medicine to desperate allergy sufferers.

In the meantime, my wife is probably in for some more sleepless nights. And I'll try to keep my breathing to a minimum.

Tom Martin is editor of The Register-Mail. Contact him at tmartin@register-mail.com or 343-7181, Ext. 250.