Pseudoephedrine

Category: stimulant

Aliases: Sudafed

Pharmacological Mechanism

Stereoisomer of ephedrine; weaker β2 / cardiovascular activity but retained α-adrenergic vasoconstriction. OTC nasal decongestant; precursor to illicit methamphetamine drives behind-the-counter restrictions.

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 5h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 60 mg (Range: 30–60 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• cardiovascular

Pathways It Modulates

• Adrenergic receptor signaling (activator) — α1 + β1/β2 (mixed; releases NE)

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 7028
• Formula: C10H15NO
• Molecular weight: 165.23 g/mol
• InChIKey: KWGRBVOPPLSCSI-WCBMZHEXSA-N
• SMILES: C[C@@H]([C@H](C1=CC=CC=C1)O)NC