I tried to pick up distilled water for my neti pot, but they only had "purified" and I wanted to make sure what I was getting would be safe.
So, the idiot pharmacist treated me like a child when I asked if I could use the purified water and he tells me it's perfectly safe to use tap water, which I know it is NOT. I mentioned that I'd heard of cases where people had gotten amoebic infections because it crossed the blood-brain barrier (per an FDA article: "Is Rinsing Your Sinuses Safe?").
He looks at me with that "oh, you poor deluded child" look, and says to me incredulously, "ma'am, why would there be amoebas in tap water?"
The only one delusional here is him if he thinks he does not need to go back to med school! I could have understood if he didn't know, and told me he would find out for me, but to treat me like I had three heads when in fact I am correct, it just floors me. What bothered me most was his disrespectful attitude.
I'm pulling all of my prescriptions from this store, there is no way this moron is handling anything that's going into my body from now on. I wouldn't trust him to hand me a band-aid!
(If you're wondering, it's the slight, strawberry blonde gentleman). 

Sounds like you need more than a neti pot.

With your comments and your attitude in this post, it is no wonder you were treated like a "deluded child."

You need to lighten up. 

"ma'am, why would there be amoebas in tap water?"

There was a kid that died from that not that long ago in Louisiana. Hello. 

why would you drink tap water and not shoot it up your nose?

just sayin. maybe our medically inclined friends can give advice.

I use distilled water also cause that is what it says to do, but I have often wondered why I could drink that tap water, but not rinse sinuses with it. 

When you shower water tends to get in nose at times... 

You wouldn't believe the stuff in the water- I bought a house water filter, because I didn't want to even shower in it! 

Child who just died here was from water in lake he was swimming in... 

when you swim, water tends to get up your nose at times.

I always like "distilled" water cause it made me think of my bourbon. 

lol red... 

There was a kid that died from that not that long ago in Louisiana. Hello.

^yes!

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has issued a warning about improper Neti pot use, which has been linked to two deadly infections.

A 51-year-old woman from DeSoto Parish and a 20-year-old man from St. Bernard Parish, a suburb of New Orleans, died after using Neti pots containing tap water to flush their sinuses. Both became infected with Naegleria fowleri, a parasite known as the brain-eating amoeba.

"If you are irrigating, flushing or rinsing your sinuses, for example, by using a Neti pot, use distilled, sterile or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution," Louisiana State epidemiologist Dr. Raoult Ratard said in a statement. "Tap water is safe for drinking but not for irrigating your nose."

Naegleria fowleri enters the body through the nose to cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis -- a brain infection with symptoms similar to those of bacterial meningitis. Headache, fever, nausea and stiff neck swiftly give way to confusion, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. And if left untreated, the infection can cause death within one to 12 days.

"The difficulty is that Naegleria is exceedingly rare," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "It's difficult to diagnose, and once it's diagnosed, it's also difficult to treat."

Most Naegleria fowleri infections result from diving into warm, stagnant water. There were four deaths linked to the parasite last summer, including one in Louisiana.

"I had not heard of Naegleria being associated with Neti pot use, but it's perfectly biologically plausible, because tap water is not sterile," said Schaffner. "And when you inhale it directly into the sinuses, it's similar to a deep dive into brackish water."

Drinking tap water cannot cause a Naegleria fowleri infection.

The Neti pot is an ancient nasal irrigation system that looks like a gravy boat. When used properly, it can help relieve congestion associated with the common cold, the flu and allergies.

"Particularly in the winter, a lot of people get chronic sinusitis and the Neti pot offers a way for the sinuses to drain," said Schaffner. "Some patients seem to benefit; other don't."

Neti pot popularity has grown in recent years, thanks to celebrity backers like Oprah and Dr. Oz. But a 2009 study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's annual meeting suggests that Neti pot overuse could increase the risk of sinus infections.

"There's a degree of controversy about whether it should be recommended generally," said Schaffner. "It's one of those treatments that sort of grew up rather than coming to us through rigorous, evidence-based trials. But there are many people out there who swear by it."

The warning from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals highlights the risks of improper Neti pot use. But when used and cleaned properly, the Neti pot is safe, Schaffner said

"Use sterile, boiled [and cooled] or distilled water; rinse [the Neti pot] out thoroughly after use; and air-dry it," he said, adding that water left in the Neti pot after use could become a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites that feed on mucus. "You don't have to send it to an autoclave, but it does require some attention to detail."

Article 

Scout25, thank you for your post. You're right - I way overreacted to the situation. Was he wrong? Yeah, but he's human; I always wondered how doctors could possibly stay up on every new piece of information that came out, and pharmacists are probably not any better off. Would I have liked him to be more familiar with a product they sell at the store? Yeah. Was I disappointed he couldn't help me? Yeah. But you're right; I didn't need to get bent out of shape about it. I've been having a rough time lately, and this wasn't a day I had the patience to deal with it. On that note, I'm going to lock this topic since I can't edit it, and put it to bed. Thanks again.