oral ephedrine

• Ephedrine directly stimulates alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors and increases the release of norepinephrine.
• Its actions include relaxation ofbronchioles, increasedheartrate and contractility, and increased blood pressure.
• It also causes blood vessels in the nasal passages to shrink (vasoconstrict). Vasoconstriction reducesnasal congestionby preventing fluid from draining from blood vessels into the lining of the nasal passages.
• Ephedrine is also a central nervous system stimulant used illegally for weight loss and for performance enhancementdietsupplements.

Yes

No

• Dietary supplement forweight loss
• Bronchospasm due toasthma
• Nasalcongestion

Common side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tremor
• Headache
• Dizziness

Possible serious side effects include:

• High blood pressure
• Palpitations
• Fast heart beat
• Seizures
• Death

• A dose of 12.5 to 25 mg orally every 4 hours, not to exceed 150 mg in 24 hour has be used for treating bronchospasm.
• The dose for treating nasal congestion in adults is 25 to 50 mg every 6 hours.

• Ephedrine should not be combined withmonoamine oxidase inhibitors(MAOIs). Combining MAOIs with ephedrine can cause an acute hypertensive episode. Examples of MAOIs includerasagiline(Azilect),selegiline(Eldepryl, Zelapar), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)

What preparations of oral ephedrine are available?

• Tablet

How should I keep oral ephedrine stored?

• Ephedrine tablets should be stored at room temperature.

• Ephedrine has not been adequately studied inpregnantwomen or in women who arebreastfeeding.