Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with drugs

Over or under the counter down under and elsewhere?

RandlePatrickMcMurphy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:40:34 -0800

Is there a site where you can find out if a particular drug is sold over the counter or only by prescription or not at all in a particular country? I visualize a chart with countries on one axis, names of medications on the other, symbols at the intersections. Or a database where you search by drug and country.

Unfortunately any google search for anything that has to do with prescription drugs is immediately swamped by online pharmacies and the like.

Adderal addict wants to go straight

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:12:46 -0800

How willing would a doctor be to overlooking my illegal use of prescription medication in prescribing it for me? I've been taking study-aid drugs since freshmen year of college. Living in a dorm being surrounded by people prescribed Adderal and Concerta made it hard to resist. At the worst I took it around once a week for about a month. I never got any 'high' from my use.

Now in my Sophomore year, I'd like very much to be properly prescribed for some medicine, as I feel that the extreme procrastination I had experienced for the past many years is an indication of myself having ADD.

I liken my use of Adderal to when I first wore glasses and I felt amazed that 'everyone else saw like this'.

However, I fear of addiction and already feel as though I am building a tolerance, and in more recent usages I noticed an uncomfortable lack of circulation in my extremities, requiring me to shake my fingers, arms, and legs every so often.

Will this drug kill my cat?

Braeog — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:20:22 -0800

Will the drug that my vet prescribed kill my cat? It's unapproved for use in the US. I have a cat that was prescribed Metacam 1.5 mg/mL oral suspension for post surgery pain after three tooth extractions. I've been reading online that Metacam in oral suspension is not approved for use in cats. I've read a lot of horror stories, and some studies saying it might not be safe for cats, notably in this dosage. Does anyone have any experience with this drug with their cats, or any evidence to support or alleviate these concerns?

There has been no blood work done to determine if there are any preexisting kidney issues, which the manufacturer's website warns against. The cats were adopted a year ago when they were about 6, so there's a fair bit of history unknown, though there have been no visible symptoms of kidney issues apparent.

"Ah, yes, the subtle tannic notes tell me this is an early Medellin."

fairytale of los angeles — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:56:31 -0800

So, does cocaine have terroir? Wine and cigars and other such indulgences are said to have terroir-- subtle differences in flavors, aroma, etc. brought on by soil type, climates, topographies, whatever.

What about coke? Is it possible to tell a nice Colombian from an equivalent Bolivian, or what have you?

(This came up in a friend of mine's extremely weird dream last night, and now I'm curious. I'm not going to run around becoming the Snorty Traveler or something.)

Am I dumb to think I can use speed safely?

Weng — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:30:12 -0800

Any positive (or at least relatively benign) experiences with short-term usage of non-prescribed dex-amphetamine as a study aid and appetite suppressant? I've done a lot of research and read a few horror stories about withdrawal from the drug, rapidly escalating tolerance, screwed-up metabolisms, severe depression and so on. So I'm fully aware of the potential adverse effects of abuse & also the questionable morality (or whatever) of using a drug not prescribed to me, etc etc.

What I'm curious about is whether anyone has "successfully" used it for a short period (say, a couple of months) to help them study, focus, complete a project, lose a small amount of weight, or some other 'non-medical' purpose? ... 'successful' in the sense that you have managed to avoid creating a major drug dependency, ruining your metabolism for life, giving yourself chronic depression...

Am I a fool to think I can avoid these scenarios? Is there any safe use of this drug by a relatively healthy 25yo female? Are there ways to maintain the efficacy of the drug's effects while staying healthy & sane?

Further info: I've been taking between 5 and 15 mg per day, 6 days per week, for around 2.5 weeks. So far it has been an excellent help in keeping me focused, alert all day, sticking to my diet, going running instead of falling asleep after work etc. My tolerance has remained fairly low. Thinking of continuing similar / slightly higher dose for next 2 months or so, until my prescription runs out. Have been trying to ensure I get enough sleep, have a day's break from the drugs - plus I was planning to taper down withdrawal rather than stopping suddenly.

Thanks to anyone who can offer their advice & experience... By the way, I have searched Google and Erowid already, but mainly seems to be horror stories... of course, this may well be because that's all there is! So your help in confirming or denying this, would be much appreciated!

Statistics on Overdose

zouhair — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:12:33 -0800

I am looking for statistics about accidents and deaths due to overdose on prescribed drugs vs overdose on Illegal drugs.

Is Dr. Drew a friggin' quack?

Bathtub Bobsled — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:24:04 -0800

Is Dr. Drew a dumbass, or am I? In this article he claims caffeine "is not actually a stimulant". I understand his reasoning: caffeine is an adenosine antagonist and this results in the brain increasing the levels of other neurotransmitters and turning up the adrenal glands in response, or something to that effect. Basically, its initial action depresses one part of the CNS.

But my understanding is that a drug is classified not by its initial action, but rather on what effect the drug has on the entire system. Thus, caffeine is a fucking stimulant.

Or am I waaaayyy off?

Latin American Geopolitics

symbollocks — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:02:22 -0800

Help me learn more about recent/current Latin American geopolitical turmoil. Books, documentaries, good online articles, etc. etc.

Specific Topics: free trade agreements, revolutionary groups/movements, the oil trade, the drug trade, economic downturns in specific countries, poverty, US involvement, etc. etc.

I'm not totally clueless, but want to improve my knowledge of the situation and get a general picture of what forces are at work in the region.

How can I stop my brother's drug habits?

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:02:41 -0800

How can I confront my brother on his (illegal) drug habits in a way that will make him actually change them; and not just hide his habits from me/lose his trust in me. I am 21 and my little brother is 17. My parents have been divorced since I was 16 and he was 12. I was little affected by it as it was all in all a good thing from my point of view (my parents fought every time they were in the same room as long as I can remember). After the divorce my brother moved in with our mom and I with our dad, but while I could drive and see whomever I wanted, he was confined to my mom's house and saw our very busy dad very very little.

Now that he is 17 and has grown up with practically no father figure in his life, he spends 90% of his time with his friends, and the rest of his time working out or at school. The problem is this- all of his friends and him are very habitual drug users, this includes coke, ecstasy, shrooms, acid, and of course lots and lots of alcohol. I know this because I used to do drugs on occasion (not anymore since seeing a lot of friends go down dark paths), and we used to talk about what we'd do. I was never habitual about any of it- I run a small business, go to school, get my work done, and have never been in trouble with any authority.

Last month he got a DUI after passing out at the wheel on the freeway and crashing into a sidewall at 3 AM (going 5 MPH with no passengers, but still far too stupid). He blew a .24, and he told me he was on ecstasy at the time as well. This means he will not have his license for a year at least, but he hasn't been to court yet so we're not sure about the final consequences. A week later he was arrested for being drunk underage at a rap concert. He has been looking for a job for forever but has not found one, does not seem to do anything productive with his time, and is still partying all the time with his friends.

My mom has no control over him, nor me, we never quite took her seriously because she yells about almost everything. My dad is good at keeping control but he is remarried and lives about an hour away and doesn't want to deal with my brother, I'm pretty sure he just wants him to turn 18 so he doesn't have to deal with him anymore. My brother is not an idiot, most of his friends are, but he just seems to have a twisted worldview when it comes to goals and authority. I know if I tell him to simply stop doing it I'll just become another authoritative enemy to him. so MeFi- how should I confront him?

Best drug to silence 'inner critic'?

dinkyday — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:46:59 -0800

What drug most effectively silences your 'inner critic'? I don't mean drugs that make you think that every little thing you do/say/create is great but something that allows you to 'postpone judgement' for a few hours while you're working. For the purpose of this question I don't care whether these drugs are legal/illegal or healthy/unhealthy. Personal experiences/anecdotes (positive AND negative) from (song)writers, designers, artists etc. are most welcome...

This is a bad idea, right?

furiousxgeorge — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:59:36 -0800

What are the health risks of moldy pot? Would such a substance be safe to smoke?

The Crack Is Thisaway. Deals!

radgardener — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:02:29 -0800

I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Very recently, this week or so, a crackhouse moved in next door to my apartment. My neighbourhood is otherwise quite nice. I have nice neighbours. All the houses are well-kept. It's a lower-middle class neighbourhood. We live in an apartment in the top floor of a two-story home. What should we do? I'm wondering what kind of things I can do besides call the cops? Last night some pimp-looking guy got his head bashed on the curb multiple times. I'm wondering if some sort of neighbourhood response is in order? When something like that happens, try and get as many people out of their houses watching it and yelling stop, or something like that.

But, I don't want to be a target.

Help.

Central Asian green chew that gets you high?

metajc — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:10:55 -0800

Anybody heard of a Central Asian drug that's green and gets you high when you chew it? When I was at the border in Turkmenbashy, Turkmenistan, there were these soldiers in this back-room that tried (for hours) to get me to give them a bribe. They were stoned out of their minds on this bright green powder they were chewing and/or snorting. It was all over their gums. They had it in a little plastic bag. They offered me some but I didn't try it.

I thought maybe it was heroin ... but isn't heroin brown?

Wierd Reefer?

raildr — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:28:33 -0800

I saw a girl slice a cigar lengthwise, poke it with what looked like a syringe and proceed to roll it back up into a thin 'joint'. Whether any pot went side I do not know, anybody have a clue what she was doing?

ADHD Meds for a Child

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:18:43 -0800

Choosing between ADHD meds for a child. Have you given your child ADHD drugs? I need to choose between Concerta, Vyvanse, Strattera and Focalin XR. The child is nine. What side effects have you experienced when giving (any of) these drugs to your child, and what would you advise against or for? The need is without doubt. The question is which to choose between the 4. I saw previous questions but they weren't geared toward kids.

If you'd rather send an email, I set one up adhdkidstuff [at) gmail.

Pregnancy after a youth of drink and drugs?

londongeezer — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:05:34 -0800

Assuming a woman has given up alcohol, to which she was strongly attached for 15 years, and has also given up cocaine and ecstasy (MDMA), which she used regularly, and she is now drink and drug free: could this past of substance-abuse affect her pregnancy in any way? And if so, what could she do to minimise the effects? For clarity: she's not pregnant at the moment, but would like to have a baby. (Everything I turn up on Google relates to the use of alcohol and drugs during pregnancy, not before.)

Is there a generic form of the sleep aid medicine Restoril (temazepam)?

isopropyl — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:32:04 -0800

My prescription is ourageous for brand name temazepam and my pharmacy doesn't offer any generics of it. Why would one pharmacy carry it and others not? Where can I find it.

Songs about drug addiction

lunit — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:35:06 -0800

Looking for songs about overdosing on drugs and drug addiction. A friend of mine passed away from a drug overdose last week, and a few more friends of mine are struggling with nasty drug addictions. I'm looking for some good songs to help me deal (and I'm open to pretty much any genre).

Thanks.

Claritin + Benadryl

Raichle — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:11:09 -0800

Is it safe to mix 24 hour Loratadine (Claritin) with 25-50 Diphenhydramin HCl (Benadryl)? My allergies are killing me and the loratadine does not seem to be doing the job.

the vice grip

plexi — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:10:15 -0800

How can I avoid debilitating paranoia when smoking marijuana? After time goes by things are nice, but the first 30 to 45 minutes are excruciating. I tried drinking but I'd rather not drink.

The Boss and concert stuff....

griffey — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:31:54 -0800

What was Bruce Springsteen taking during the show in Atlanta? My wife and I just saw Springsteen play in Atlanta (freaking amazing) and were seated behind the stage. Because of the vantage point, we could see a number of "backstage" sorts of things happening, one of which was that at 3-4 points or so during the concert, Bruce would come back to an area beside Max on the drumset and take/swig/squeeze something into his mouth. The procedure looked like this:

Take a drink of water.
Pick up what looked like a tube of something, squeeze some on his finger, and rub it around his gums.
Take the tube, put the tip in his mouth, and squeeze more directly in.
Take another drink of water, head back to the microphone.

My wife noticed that it sometimes coincided with playing the harmonica, and her theory is something like Ambesol for pain. I can see how playing would be hell if you had a sore...but he was putting a TON of whatever it was on, and it seemed to me a completely numb mouth would be bad for, you know, singing.

So: singers out there, or anyone with a clue: WTF was he doing/taking?

Who can tell me some specific things about Wicca?

TrueVox — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:02:37 -0800

Looking to learn more about Wicca in general, and about a particular ritual specifically. OK, a girl who I've been seeing for the last month (exactly as of today, actually) is Wiccan. Fine, not a problem. However, since it's important to her, I want to learn more about it, and I'm kind of at a loss of where to begin (there's A LOT of information out there). Also, specifically, she's made mention of a purification ritual that's based on the Blood Moon (somehow) that I want to know more about, as she claims she's giving up drinking and sex for the duration (which is fine, but an odd thing if you know her), and I am curious if she's just pulling my leg, or if there really is such a thing.

I'm new to Wicca, and she's not much more experienced then I, but refuses to tell me too much about it unless I want to become one (I'm not ready to give up my current beliefs yet). I think even the mention of the Blood Moon was a slip of the tongue. At any rate, any advice on either of the two parts to this question would make me mighty thankful. I really care for her (which is strange after so short of a time but what ever), and want her to know that what's important to her is to me too.

P.S.: I'll try to be on and off all day if you need any further clarifications!

elusive photos and article

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:11:26 -0800

Where can I find an article from 1971 Life magazine? (if it exists) In my research, I've found that Life magazine was hanging around Lawrence, KS taking photos of a major drug bust done by Vern Miller on Feb. 26 1971. The fact that there was a photographer from Life was mentioned in pretty much every single article abotu this event that I have read. However, when I went to look at March 1971 Life magazines, neither the photos nor an article about the topic were to be found.

I don't know if there are several Life magazines or if this article was never published or what, but if anyone has any leads, I would appreciate it.

Ow! I need a good painkiller!

Reverend John — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:02:17 -0800

Can I get codeine without a prescription in the northern Chicago suburbs? I fractured my 5th metatarsal yesterday, I visited the doctor this morning, she took x-rays and found the break. I didn't make a big deal out of my pain because it didn't seem so unbearable at the time, and I wasn't really sure if I had broken anything or just hurt stuff real bad. She recommended three Motrin, 3 times a day.

I just called the orthopedist that she recommended and I have an appointment on Wednesday.

Now, however, I've taken the Motrin and it hasn't helped much, and the thought of having this pain for at least the next two days is making it a lot harder to bear than when I was just trying to figure out what was going on and assuming I was in the process of getting it fixed. So I vaguely remembered that under some circumstances you can get small amounts of Codeine in the US without a prescription. A few google searches indicated that this was true, but it varied by state law.

Does anyone know if its possible to do this in Illinois, and if theres any pharmacies that I could visit in the northern Chicago suburbs (or far southern Wisconsin, I'm not far from the border) where I could get just a little codeine to take away the pain?

Or should I just try calling my doc and seeing if she'll write me a prescription?

Guide to Prescription Drugs?

jammy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:20:40 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good guide to prescription drugs? I am looking for a guide book for a person with no internet access. They are currently on a regimen that they have little control over, but they want to be able to at least understand what they're taking.

It should be accessible to the layperson - the more current, the better - bonus points for covering drug interactions.