What drug class is pseudoephedrine?

Pseudoephedrine is in a class of medications called nasal decongestants. It works by causing narrowing of the blood vessels in the nasal passages.

Does pseudoephedrine act as a stimulant?

It acts as a stimulant. This causes some people to begin to abuse it in order to be awake and get a rush of energy. It’s true that pseudoephedrine is a stimulant. But, medically, it is commonly used to shrink mucous membranes that often become inflamed due to allergies or a cold.

How similar is pseudoephedrine to amphetamine?

Pseudoephedrine is a drug commonly prescribed as a nasal decongestant and bronchodilator and is also available in over the counter cold remedy medications. The chemical structure of pseudoephedrine is similar to that of the psychostimulant amphetamine and both are classified as sympathomimetic drugs [1].

Is Ephedrine the same as pseudoephedrine?

By convention, the pair of enantiomers with the stereochemistry (1R,2S) and (1S,2R) is designated ephedrine, while the pair of enantiomers with the stereochemistry (1R,2R) and (1S,2S) is called pseudoephedrine. Ephedrine is a substituted amphetamine and a structural methamphetamine analogue.

What is another name for pseudoephedrine?

Pseudoephedrine also temporarily relieves sinus congestion and pressure. Pseudoephedrine is available under the following different brand names: Sudafed, Nexafed, and Zephrex-D.

Why pseudoephedrine is banned?

Background. Pseudoephedrine (PSE), a sympathomimetic drug, commonly used in nasal decongestants, is currently banned in sports by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as its stimulant activity is claimed to enhance performance. This meta-analysis described the effects of PSE on factors relating to sport performance.

Does pseudoephedrine release serotonin?

[A10896] This agonism of adrenergic receptors produces vasoconstriction which is used as a decongestant 2 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 and as a treatment of priapism. Pseudoephedrine is also an inhibitor of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin transporters.

Does pseudoephedrine release dopamine?

Consequently, it was suggested that the action of pseudoephedrine is mediated via dopamine release and it’s activation of D1 dopamine receptors.

Will pseudoephedrine keep me awake?

Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine) relieves stuffy nose, but it could keep you up at night.

Does pseudoephedrine help ADHD?

I can say that pseudoephedrine is unlikely to have any significant benefit in adult ADHD. I think she would benefit from seeing a provider to find the right diagnosis and treatment for her nasal complaints and to determine whether she does have ADHD or another condition requiring treatment.

Is pseudoephedrine better than phenylephrine?

Studies have shown that pseudoephedrine is a much more effective decongestant than phenylephrine. Phenylephrine’s decongestant effects may not be significantly different from that of a placebo. The effects of both drugs may be augmented with concurrent use of other products that affect rhinitis, such as antihistamines.

Is Bronkaid sold over-the-counter?

Bronkaid is a bronchodilator that is used to relieve symptoms of mild intermittent asthma. Bronkaid works by opening your airways. The expectorant in Bronkaid then helps to loosen phlegm or mucus and thin bronchial secretions. Bronkaid can be purchased as an over-the-counter medicine or with a prescription.

What drug contains ephedrine?

Ephedrine is available over-the-counter (OTC) as an oral medication in combination with the expectorant guaifenesin, and comes in the form of tablets, caplets, or syrup. … Common brands containing ephedrine:

Is Sudafed ephedra?

Ephedra is plant-derived and contains other potent substances, including ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

Why do athletes use ephedrine?

Because ephedrine is a sympathomimetic and a central nervous system stimulant, it is commonly used as an energy enhancer. Ma huang-containing products are marketed and used to improve aerobic performance and endurance, reduce fatigue, increase alertness, improve reaction time, and even increase strength.

Is pseudoephedrine in Benadryl?

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and Sudafed (pseudoephedrine HCI) are used to treat nasal congestion due to allergies. Benadryl is also an antihistamine used to treat other allergy symptoms (including hives, itching, watery eyes), insomnia, motion sickness, and mild cases of Parkinsonism.

Is pseudoephedrine a Tylenol?

ACETAMINOPHEN; PSEUDOEPHEDRINE (a set a MEE noe fen; soo doe e FED rin) is a combination of a pain reliever and a decongestant. It is used to treat symptoms of the common cold and other sinus congestion with pain or fever.

Does Zyrtec contain pseudoephedrine?

ZYRTEC-Dcontains pseudoephedrine, which relieves nasal congestion. So it relieves all the same symptoms as ZYRTEC, plus it also has a powerful decongestant.

Why does pseudoephedrine make you feel good?

Pseudoephedrine belongs to a group of medicines that act as decongestants by constricting small blood vessels in the nasal passages. Thus, less inflammation and congestion as the sinus tissue settles down a bit. It may improve thinking by improving breathing and sleep.

Is taking pseudoephedrine safe?

The FDA says that pseudoephedrine is safe when taken as directed. Indeed, millions of people use it each year without any dire consequences.

Is Sudafed safe to take every day?

Is it safe to take for a long time? Decongestants should only be used for a short time, usually less than 10 days. If you take them for longer, you’re more likely to get side effects. Only take pseudoephedrine for longer than 10 days if a doctor has said it’s OK.

Is pseudoephedrine a sedative?

It is one of a few antihistamines that do not cause sedation. Pseudoephedrine decongests tissues by causing blood vessels to constrict.

Does Sudafed make your heart race?

Many over-the-counter decongestants have pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine. These ingredients can cause heart palpitations or raise your blood pressure.

Does pseudoephedrine show up on drug screen?

Used for sinus and nasal congestion, pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) can be the cause of false positive tests for amphetamine or methamphetamine.

Why do hockey players take Sudafed?

An amphetamine-like stimulant, ephedrine makes the heart beat faster and increases blood pressure, allowing athletes to avoid fatigue and increase their performances during bursts of powerful effort.

Can pseudoephedrine cause psychosis?

Manic episodes with/without psychotic properties, psychotic attacks, and chronic psychosis triggered by ephedrine and pseudoephedrine have been reported in the literature.

Is it OK to take Sudafed at night?

You might be wondering, does Sudafed keep you awake? If you take these types of medications, you may want to try a nighttime version, such as Sudafed Nighttime. However, other research has found that pseudoephedrine doesn’t negatively impact sleep quality (17).

Is it OK to take Sudafed before bed?

To help prevent trouble in sleeping, take the last dose of pseudoephedrine for each day a few hours before bedtime. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.

Does pseudoephedrine make you lose weight?

Discussion: We conclude that further studies with low-dose PPA for weight loss are indicated, that pseudoephedrine is not effective for weight loss, and that adding benzocaine to phenylpropanolamine increases adverse effects without increasing weight loss.