My wife had a cold . . . so of course I had cold. She recommended Mucinex to relieve chest congestion. As a man I ignored her advice for years and then finally sought help from a blister-pack. Mucinex is an expectorant . . . with the blister-pack I expect to rant. And I do!
Actually, I bought a generic version. In trying to push one of the huge pills through the blister-pack my shoulder popped with the effort. I howled in anguish, or would have if I hadn’t stopped to cough and blow my nose first. Then I used scissors and chef’s knife to cut open the blister-pack to extract 12-hour relief. A few days later I remarked to friends about the hard-time I was having with the blister-pack and two friends chimed in with complaints and similar stories.
I did some research . . . pharmaceutical companies are making the blister-packs harder to open due to illegal drug use. I’m going to pass along simple instructions to help fellow sufferers. Depending upon the size of your pills, these are the tools your will need: a knife, a large slot screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver and an empty pill bottle.
You need the empty pill bottle because you need to extract a number of pills at one time. You do not want to find yourself unable to breathe or in major pain in the middle of the night and find a thin sheet of foil is separating you from relief while you stand there helplessly unable to pop the pill.
The knife is used to cut along sides the pill. Then using the Phillips screwdriver for small round pills, or a slot screwdriver for large rectangular pills you push the pill out and through the foil membrane. Put the pills in the bottle and label it.
We ran out of generic Mucinex so, Peg went to Walgreens and returned with the real deal. I tried the blister-pack out and then stood there with my mouth open and a Mucinex tablet in the palm of my hand. If you buy Mucinex you’re safe, but if you buy generic you might have to work for the relief.
I feel your pain, Don. Packaging in the US, especially pharmaceutical packaging, is a pain. Which is why I usually have some pain killer ready before opening a new prescription. By the time I have figured out how to go about it in the easiest way, I also have swallowed some blood pressure pill, just to keep calm… 😉
Susanne,
Ah yes . . . ordeal by packaging . . . I’ve been seeking some sort of pressure relief valves for my ears so I don’t resemble too much Elmer Fudd images from old Loony Toons. Those darn waskily blistewy pack!
Well, at least, we are not alone. I’ll lay in a larger supply of Fosinopril.
Thanks for sharing (not the pills).
Don
I know I’m not alone in fighting with blister packs whatever their contents and have my own assortment of tools to do each job. From scissors, box cutters, screwdrivers and even a drill to punch through a Tylenol cap that refuses to open enabling me to use a punch to get in there and force the thing open. Then I put the pills in a small jar, so I love the idea of a pharmaceutical bottle to store them, labeled of course. What a great idea, why didn’t I think of that.
Joan,
I was so relieved when people joined in about how they had trouble with blister packs. It’s nice to see that it is a much wide group than I originally imagined. It’s like the Canadian TV character Red Green says, “We’re all in this together.” Amen
Thanks for reading and sharing.
Don
Solved the blister pack problem by waiting until the kindergarten bus stops. Then two or three of my 3.5′ tall buddies disembark before heading home next door. We have a deal. Thy pop open my saved up blister pops and I just happen to have chocolate chip cookies in the cookie jar. Win-win.
Alice,
I think that is part of the Fair-Trade Act the U.S. has been hoping for. I have long lived in fear of a chocolate chip cookie shortage or even worse a chocolate chip cookie price climb. We’ve taken to sharing one three dollar cookie from Metro Market in the Proctor District. Luckily Peggy still regularly bakes chocolate chip cookies with walnuts in them. We have since found out our boys have never liked nuts in their cookies. Life for them at home must have been hell . . . and that was before blister-packs. If there were still home we would have nothing to trade!!!
Glad your trade deal is working for you . . . I’ll each a chocolate chip cookie and think of your blister pack deals! Thanks for writing.
Don