Unfortunately, non-prescription Sudafed doesn't have pseudoephedrine in it any more. At least, not in the UK.
It's got something clinically indistinguishable from a placebo instead. Fucking joke.

It's the same with cough syrup -- it was Codeine Linctus, which worked dead well ... but ZOMG ITS GOT OPIATES IN IT, so now it's Pholcodeine Linctus, which does fuck all.
(EvilTerran rearranged his letters on, Sun 1 Jul 2012, 12:01, 1 reply)

Prescription?
No, you can get *real* Sudafed without prescription but you do need to ask a pharmacist for it; it's not on the open shelves in the main area of Boots
(MartinB9999, Sun 1 Jul 2012, 14:08, closed)

also
The sudafed tablets now have an ooey-gooey binding agent in them so it's not a straightforward wash rinse and evaporate to get your pseudo ephedrine. You could always grow some ephedra grass and extract from that I guess.
(unclestinky, Sun 1 Jul 2012, 15:02, closed)

Ooey Gooey
Wouldn't the filter paper stage of the OP fix that?
(MartinB9999, Sun 1 Jul 2012, 20:13, closed)

no first hand experience
All the sites with guides say no. I guess the binder is also soluble so it slides through the filter and messes with the kitchen chemist by contaminating during evaporation.
(unclestinky, Sun 1 Jul 2012, 21:10, closed)