Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Robitussin)

Photograph of Pseudoephedrine
 under the microscope.

Pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic (an agent that mimics stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system) that acts predominantly on the alpha receptors but has little or no effect on beta receptors. This allows pseudoephedrine to relieve nasal congestion with little or no central nervous system stimulation, which is why this drug has become so popular in over-the-counter cold remedies. Side effects include convulsions, hallucinations, irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath.

© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Last modification: Monday, Jul 02, 2018 at 04:22 PM
Access Count Since March 28, 1998: 99634