Better stock up on chicken soup, tissues and vitamin C, because easy access to cold meds may be a thing of the past.

Don't worry -- you'll live. You're better off anyway without these commonly overused drugs, which come with far more risks and side effects than most people realize.

But don't thank the FDA -- they're not the ones looking out for you, as usual. Nope -- it's local lawmakers around the country, and even they're not all that concerned about your health.

The real story here is that cold meds with pseudoephedrine are popular among drug dealers, who convert them into a street drug called methamphetamine. Anyone who's watched the TV show "COPS" has probably seen a few basement meth lab busts.

The problem's so bad that several states are considering laws to turn pseudoephedrine drugs back into prescription- only meds. One state -- Oregon -- already did it, and saw the number of meth-lab busts go from 473 to 20 in the first year alone, according to USA Today.

In Mississippi, cops and prosecutors are urging lawmakers to take action soon, before the meth problem gets too hard to control.

Don't you just love the irony of this? A bunch of junkies and their relentless hunt for the next big high might accidentally do what the FDA should have done: keep dangerous drugs off store shelves.

There's a thought that makes Big Pharma executives sick... and they're already fighting back by installing drug- tracking systems. In many places, you need to show ID to buy a pseudoephedrine med. That puts your name and purchase into a database.

These systems are supposed to make it harder for a meth maker to stock up on enough pseudoephedrine for his lab. But, on the other hand, they're tracking everyone's purchases.

That's right -- Big Brother's not the only one watching... Big Pharma is right there with him.

But you don't need to sacrifice privacy for cold relief. After all, these drugs come loaded with side effects that would be the envy of any junkie, including dizziness, hallucinations and even psychosis.

Despite all those problems, many people mistake these meds for a cure. Instead of loading up on vitamins and chicken soup and heading back to bed, these snifflers and sneezers take a drug and head back to work. But think about that for a minute... -- when someone comes to work sick, do you really want them sitting next to you?

Trust me -- your colleagues feel the same way about you.

Stay home instead. Get the rest your body's screaming for and work on boosting your immune system. Some great immune system nutrients include vitamins C, D and E, the mineral zinc, Echinacea and fish oil.

Don't let up when the cold passes -- keep your immune system strong all year round and you may avoid many viral illnesses altogether.

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