Get Informed: Pseudoephedrine
Active Ingredient(s)
Pseudoephedrine
What does it do?
This product is used in the treatment of nasal congestion. It works by constricting blood vessels which reduces the nasal congestion.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 5:49 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:52 PM
Other Names
- Sudafed
- Sudafed 12 Hour
- Sudafed 24 Hour
- Pseudoephedrine
- Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride
- Contac
- Afrinol
- Pediacare
- Pseudophrine
- Sudafed for Children
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- N/A
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 29 Aug 1975
- Est US Patients*
- 1,109,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- Yes
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Pseudoephedrine or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Other Resources
Recent alerts for Pseudoephedrine
There have been no alerts regarding Pseudoephedrine during the past year.
Pseudoephedrine Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Pseudoephedrine interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Pseudoephedrine used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 6,500 patients that use Pseudoephedrine (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Nasal Congestion | 59% | 
|
| Allergies | 21% | 
|
| Sinus Problems | 21% |
|
| Migraine / Headache | 10% |
|
| Other | 10% |
|
How well does Pseudoephedrine work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 6,500 users taking Pseudoephedrine (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 82%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Pseudoephedrine outweigh the bad things.
- 5%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Pseudoephedrine.
Common Side Effects of Pseudoephedrine
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 6,500 users taking Pseudoephedrine (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
44% of patients experience side-effects on Pseudoephedrine
2% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Pseudoephedrine
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Insomnia
-
Dry Mouth
-
Drowsiness
-
Dryness
-
Palpitations
-
High Blood Pressure
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Bad Breath, Loss of Appetite
Global Patient Feedback for Pseudoephedrine ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I take one 12 hour Sudafed each day to keep sinus problems under control. It works well for me but it does raise my blood pressure slightly. On the days I go to the doctor I don't take the Sudafed and my blood pressure is excellent. I also found that my ophthalmologist thought I had glaucoma because of the raised eye pressure. If I don't take the Sudafed before an appointment my eye pressure is normal. I have tested this several times and the result is consistent. I have alerted both doctors as to these results.
63 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-26 17:25:30
Question/Comment:
what happens when Sudafed 12 hour is taken with an MAOI?
52 year old Female
Posted: 2008-08-09 14:06:32
Question/Comment:
I came to this site looking for an OTC that I could take with dextroamphetamine for my congested sinuses. As a test I entered psuedoephedrine and got no interactions, not that it was safe for me to take just on hold. They are both amphetamines, taken together there is a risk of rapid heart beat and even heart attack. I do not know where they are supposed to get their information from but it does not appear that they have made use of what is already available. I just joined today and if this is the quality of information I will get from this site I will be leaving this group.
46 year old Female
Posted: 2008-07-21 14:54:41
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Yes, when taken together pseudoephedrine and dextroamphetamine may increase the risk of increased heart rate and blood pressure and the complications associated with this.
The vendor that we use to identify drug-drug interactions does not include this as an interaction, nor was it included on the drug-drug interaction programs on other websites that offer this service. Interestingly, it is not listed as a potential interaction on the prescribing information for dextroamphetamine either.
We will work with our vendor to update the interaction between these two medications.
Posted: 2008-07-23 14:50:20
Question/Comment:
I take Tripolidine/Pseudophedrine strictly for my hayfever. I was taking Actifed. But,with the recent meth incident,pseudophedrien was completely removed from Actifed,and was no longer effective.
51 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-27 11:54:15
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
4
Patient Comments about
Pseudoephedrine