New cold drugs harder to turn into meth, but less effective

You could face a challenge this coming cold and flu season as restrictions aimed at curbing methamphetamine abuse make it harder to stock up on over-the-counter remedies.

But even as Congress considers requiring prescriptions for some cold medications, similar to restrictions already in place in Washington, drug makers are scurrying to get reformulated remedies onto store shelves.

The newer cold medications — expected to hit the market this fall — are slightly less effective than most products now available. Still, they could replace many of the medications consumers have used for decades because their ingredients can't easily be used to make methamphetamine.

One product, Sudafed PE, is already available, and as many as half a dozen others are expected soon. They will not contain pseudoephedrine, a popular decongestant used in many cold and allergy medications such as NyQuil, Tylenol Flu and Claritin-D. Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in producing methamphetamine when it's boiled and mixed with household ingredients.

Some drug companies such as Pfizer, which manufactures Sudafed, plan to continue offering both versions of their products indefinitely while others, including Procter & Gamble, which makes NyQuil and DayQuil, said they would phase out all medications containing pseudoephedrine this year.

In recent years, abuse of methamphetamine has grown, and among the states, Washington ranks close to the top in number of meth labs raided every year.

Store clerks in this state must ask anyone buying pseudoephedrine products to display a photo ID to prove they are older than 18. No customer can purchase more than two packages of a pseudoephedrine drug in a 24-hour period. And in January, stores will be required to keep a log of who has bought such drugs in order to help police find people buying them in large quantities.

Congress is considering legislation that would require similar restrictions in addition to listing pseudoephedrine as a Schedule 5 narcotic to be sold only by a pharmacist.

The newer medications use a different decongestant, phenylephrine, which is considerably more difficult and expensive to convert into methamphetamine. The drawback is that the medications are slightly less effective in treating colds and allergies in some people, manufacturers and doctors say.

Though the decongestant has been used in a small number of products such as Alka-Seltzer cold medicine for years and is considered safe, it hasn't been very popular because it works for only about four hours.

Phenylephrine also has different side effects. It "can slightly increase people's blood pressure or a feeling of jumpiness more than other medications," said Dr. Robert Eitches, a Los Angeles otolaryngologist. Eitches suggests people who frequently use cold and allergy medications discuss the products with their doctor before switching.

Another concern about medications containing phenylephrine is that people may take more than the recommended dose for stronger effect, which worries Eitches.

"There is a reason we ask people to follow the instructions on the label," he said. "People who take more can have serious side effects."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Correction: This article says Congress is considering legislation that would require prescriptions for some cold medications. Although Oregon will soon require a prescription for drugs containing the decongestant pseudoephedrine, Congress is not considering such legislation. It is, however, considering a proposal that would require retailers to put such drugs behind the counter.