https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Tcanimorphexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-29T06:12:21ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1618:_Cold_Medicine&diff=1072041618: Cold Medicine2015-12-18T05:20:50Z<p>Tcanimorph: /* Explanation */ I'm not sure how you guys usually format this but I totally know what this is about!</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1618<br />
| date = December 18, 2015<br />
| title = Cold Medicine<br />
| image = cold_medicine.png<br />
| titletext = Seriously considering buying some illegal drugs to try to turn them back into cold medicine.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete}}<br />
This comic is referring to how, in the USA, cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine are kept behind the counter and IDs purchasing them are monitored, because pseudoephedrine can be used to make illegal drugs. However, it is also an extremely effective decongestant, much more so than the common substitute, phenylephrine. The alt text seems to be suggesting, humorously, purchasing the illegal drugs in order to turn them back into pseudoephedrine.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
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{{comic discussion}}</div>Tcanimorph