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Phenylephrine
Decongestant medication / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Phenylephrine, sold under the brand name Neosynephrine among numerous others, is a medication used as a decongestant for uncomplicated nasal congestion,[5] used to dilate the pupil, used to increase blood pressure (given intravenously in cases of low blood pressure), and used to relieve hemorrhoids (as a suppository).[12][14] It can be taken by mouth, as a nasal spray, given by injection into a vein or muscle, applied to the skin, or as a rectal suppository.[12][5]
Common side effects when taken by mouth or injected include nausea, vomiting, headache, and anxiety.[12] Use on hemorrhoids is generally well tolerated.[12] Severe side effects may include a slow heart rate, intestinal ischemia, chest pain, kidney failure, and tissue death at the site of injection.[12][14] It is unclear whether its use during pregnancy and breastfeeding is safe.[12] Phenylephrine is a selective α1-adrenergic receptor agonist with minimal to no β-adrenergic receptor agonist activity or induction of norepinephrine release.[5][8][15] It causes constriction of both arteries and veins.[12]
Phenylephrine was patented in 1933[16] and came into medical use in 1938.[17] It is available as a generic medication.[14][18][19] Unlike pseudoephedrine, abuse of phenylephrine is very uncommon.[20] Its effectiveness as a nasal decongestant has been questioned.[12][21][22] In 2023, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel concluded that the drug was ineffective as a nasal decongestant when taken orally.[23]