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Comment by 0x8BADF00D | Hacker News Reader

As a matter of caution, I always keep psychostimulants handy. Particularly: ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and amphetamine salts. Also keep some other beta receptor agonists, like Ventolin. You never know when it can save your life.

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Are those medicines actually advisable for covid?

I'm failing to find a list of recommended OTC drugs for covid19. All I'm finding is a generic statement that OTC drugs may help with symptom management.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/ca...

Ventolin is an inhaler. It opens up the airways during asthma attacks or similar. Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant.

The article under discussion indicates the author was given an inhaler and cough medicine at the ER and states they helped marginally.

Amphetamine salts are apparently used to treat ADHD. Some people use them illegally to concentrate for mid terms and finals at college or similar. I'm not personally aware of any valid reason to think they are appropriate for covid19.

Epinephrine is used to treat potentially deadly allergic reactions. You might know it better as "an epi pen."

It is contraindicated for a long list of things, including several heart issues that are potentially similar to the heart distress covid19 is causing in some patients. I'm guessing epinephrine would be a really bad idea to use with Covid19 without a really compelling reason, especially without medical supervision.

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-146863/epinephrine-hcl-pf...

I used my Ventolin inhaler like a starving person given water and bread about two months ago. From "as needed, about once a month" to "max dosage for two weeks". Didn't get tested, but I can say the inhaler helped, but I still had trouble breathing.

> Amphetamine salts are apparently used to treat ADHD. Some people use them illegally to concentrate for mid terms and finals at college or similar. I'm not personally aware of any valid reason to think they are appropriate for covid19.

There is a study that shows in vitro, it helps fight the flu: https://covid19data.com/2020/03/06/meth-may-fight-flu-virus-...

There are also many reports from meth users that they almost never get sick.

Huh, interesting. I wonder if ADHD amphetamine users get sick less often than others.

It's just a personal anecodte, but whenever I get sick, I take amphetamine salts. It absolutely lets me power through the day and relieves symptoms (mostly stuffy nose), but I don't know if it's sustainable for something as long lasting as c19.

Ephedrine is a key ingredient of many cold and flu drugs, or was until the War on Drugs caused it to be banned for being an amphetamine precursor. I wonder if any amphetamine metabolites have similar effects to ephedrine?

https://xkcd.com/1217/

.. apart from all the meth side effects??

For what it's worth, amphetamines work as a decongestant as well. I'm not sure I'd say it's a good choice, but it is a choice.

Amphetamines are also known as speed and, among other things, they raise your heart rate. Coronavirus is apparently also raising the heart rate and doing damage to the heart for some people.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20170210/...

I would guess this is probably not something you want to take if Coronavirus is already elevating your heart rate.

I did say it wasn't a good choice, all I said it did is work as a decongestant. Nobody is making claims that you should take amphetamines (let alone street amphetamines), sick or otherwise.

It wasn't intended to attack you or your points. Just adding a little more info. That's all.

They aren't life-saving. None of them treat pneumonia, which is what actually requires hospital care. It's possible they might keep a few marginal cases out of the hospital system, and it's not unlikely they'll make managing the disease more tolerable. They... probably wouldn't hurt.

I don't think the person was referring to COVID-19 specifically but just other ailments that could be treated with those? /shrug

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