![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Pseudoephedrine_S%252CS_ephedrine_comparison.png/640px-Pseudoephedrine_S%252CS_ephedrine_comparison.png&w=640&q=50)
Pseudoephedrine
Pharmaceutical drug / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Pseudoephedrine?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Pseudoephedrine, sold under the brand name Sudafed among others, is a sympathomimetic medication which is used as a decongestant to treat nasal congestion.[1][13][2] It has also been used off-label for certain other indications, like treatment of low blood pressure.[14][15][16] At higher doses, it may produce various additional effects, including psychostimulant,[17][1] appetite suppressant,[18] and performance-enhancing effects.[19][20] In relation to this, non-medical use of pseudoephedrine has been encountered.[17][1][18][19][20] The medication is taken by mouth.[1][2]
![]() | |
![]() | |
Clinical data | |
---|---|
Pronunciation | /ˌsuːdoʊ.ɪˈfɛdrɪn, -ˈɛfɪdriːn/ |
Trade names | Afrinol, Sudafed, Sinutab, others |
Other names | PSE; PDE; (+)-ψ-Ephedrine; ψ-Ephedrine; d-Isoephedrine; (1S,2S)-Pseudoephedrine; d-Pseudoephedrine; (+)-Pseudoephedrine; L(+)-Pseudoephedrine; Isoephedrine; (1S,2S)-α,N-Dimethyl-β-hydroxyphenethylamine; (1S,2S)-N-Methyl-β-hydroxyamphetamine |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a682619 |
License data | |
Pregnancy category |
|
Routes of administration | By mouth[1][2] |
Drug class | Norepinephrine releasing agents; Sympathomimetics; Nasal decongestants; Psychostimulants |
ATC code | |
Legal status | |
Legal status |
|
Pharmacokinetic data | |
Bioavailability | ~100%[8] |
Protein binding | 21–29% (AGPTooltip alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, HSATooltip Human serum albumin)[9][10] |
Metabolism | Not extensively metabolized[11][1][2] |
Metabolites | • Norpseudoephedrine[1] |
Onset of action | 30 minutes[1] |
Elimination half-life | 5.4 hours (range 3–16 hours dependent on urine pH)[2][1][11] |
Duration of action | 4–12 hours[1][12] |
Excretion | Urine: 43–96% (unchanged)[1][11][2][8] |
Identifiers | |
| |
CAS Number |
|
PubChem CID | |
DrugBank |
|
ChemSpider |
|
UNII | |
KEGG |
|
ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.001.835 ![]() |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C10H15NO |
Molar mass | 165.236 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| |
| |
(verify) |
Side effects of pseudoephedrine include insomnia, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure, among others.[21][2][1][22] Rarely, pseudoephedrine has been associated with serious cardiovascular complications like heart attack and hemorrhagic stroke.[18][23][15] Some people may be more sensitive to its cardiovascular effects.[22][1] Pseudoephedrine acts as a norepinephrine releasing agent, thereby indirectly activating adrenergic receptors.[24][2][25][1] As such, it is an indirectly acting sympathomimetic.[24][2][25][1] Pseudoephedrine significantly crosses into the brain, but has some peripheral selectivity due to its hydrophilicity.[25][26] Chemically, pseudoephedrine is a substituted amphetamine and is closely related to ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, and amphetamine.[1][13][2]
Along with ephedrine, pseudoephedrine occurs naturally in ephedra, which has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine.[13][27] It was first isolated from ephedra in 1889.[27][13][28] Subsequent to its synthesis in the 1920s, pseudoephedrine was introduced for medical use as a decongestant.[13] Pseudoephedrine is widely available over-the-counter in both single-drug and combination preparations.[29][22][13][2] Availability of pseudoephedrine has been restricted starting in 2005 owing to the fact that it can be used to synthesize methamphetamine.[13][2] Phenylephrine has replaced pseudoephedrine in many over-the-counter oral decongestant products.[2] However, oral phenylephrine appears to be ineffective as a decongestant.[30][31]