What Over the Counter Medicines Contain Pseudoephedrine?
Over the counter medicines that contain pseudoephedrine include the brands Sudafed, Entex, SudoGest, Codimal, Comtrex and Dristan. Theraflu, Tylenol Cold and maximum strength Contac Cold & Flu medicine are also known to contain significant amounts of the controversial decongestant, so say the experts at Drugs.com.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, pseudoephedrine is used to relieve sinus and nasal congestion caused by hay fever, sinusitis, allergies and the common cold. The effective decongestant can also be used for the illegal manufacture of methamphetamines. For this reason, over-the-counter medications that contain pseudoephedrine are required to be kept under lock and key.
When then-president George W. Bush signed the so-called “Patriot Act” into law in 2006, the new rules included the “Combat Methamphetamine Act” of 2005. From that moment onward, American sales of cold remedies and other over-the-counter medications containing pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine and ephedrine have been severely limited. Persons who wish to purchase OTC meds containing pseudoephedrine are required to show identification as well as sign for the product.
Since the enactment of the 2006 law, several companies have changed the formulas used to make their cold and flu treatment products. For instance, original Sudafed contains a significant amount of pseudoephedrine. A newer product, Sudafed PE, effectively eliminated phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine and replaced it with phenylephrine
