Pseudoephedrine

Pseudoephedrine
Clinical data


Trade names	Afrinol, Sudafed, Sinutab(UK)
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a682619
Pregnancy category	AU: B2 US: C (Risk not ruled out)
Dependence liability	Low
Routes of administration	oral, insufflation
ATC code	R01BA02 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S3 (Pharmacist only) CA: OTC; NDS Schedule II (BTC) for single-drug products, NDS Schedule III (OTC) when part of a combination product UK: P (Pharmacy medicines) US: Behind the Counter (BTC); Rx-only in Oregon and Mississippi
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	~100%
Metabolism	hepatic (10–30%)
Biological half-life	4.3–8 hours
Excretion	43–96% renal
Identifiers
IUPAC name (S,S)-2-methylamino-1-phenylpropan-1-ol
CAS Number	90-82-4^Y
PubChem CID	7028
DrugBank	DB00852^Y
ChemSpider	6761^Y
UNII	7CUC9DDI9F
KEGG	D08449^Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:51209^Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL1590^Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.001.835
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C₁₀H₁₅NO
Molar mass	165.23
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
SMILES O[C@@H](c1ccccc1)[C@@H](NC)C
InChI InChI=1S/C10H15NO/c1-8(11-2)10(12)9-6-4-3-5-7-9/h3-8,10-12H,1-2H3/t8-,10+/m0/s1^Y Key:KWGRBVOPPLSCSI-WCBMZHEXSA-N^Y

Pseudoephedrine (/ˌsjuːdoʊ.ᵻˈfɛdrɪn/ or /ˌsjuːdoʊˈɛfᵻdriːn/; PSE) is a sympathomimetic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It may be used as a nasal/sinus decongestant, as a stimulant, or as a wakefulness-promoting agent.

The salts pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine sulfate are found in many over-the-counter preparations, either as a single ingredient or (more commonly) in combination with antihistamines, guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, and/or paracetamol (acetaminophen) or an NSAID (such as aspirin or ibuprofen).