Pheniramine

Pheniramine

Systematic (IUPAC) name
N,N-dimethyl-3-phenyl-3-pyridin-2-yl-propan-1-amine
Clinical data
Trade names	Tussionexpennkinetic
AHFS/Drugs.com	International Drug Names
MedlinePlus	a606008
Pregnancy cat.	A
Legal status	?
Routes	Oral ; Injection { as intramuscular or slow intravenous } ; Topical { as opthalmic solution }
Pharmacokinetic data
Metabolism	Hepatic hydroxylation, demethylation and glucuronidation
Excretion	Renal
Identifiers
CAS number	86-21-5 Y
ATC code	R06AB05
PubChem	CID 4761
DrugBank	DB01620
ChemSpider	4597 Y
UNII	134FM9ZZ6M Y
KEGG	D08355 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL1193 Y
Chemical data
Formula	C16H20N2
Mol. mass	240.343 g/mol
SMILES	eMolecules & PubChem
InChI InChI=1S/C16H20N2/c1-18(2)13-11-15(14-8-4-3-5-9-14)16-10-6-7-12-17-16/h3-10,12,15H,11,13H2,1-2H3 Y Key:IJHNSHDBIRRJRN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
Y(what is this?)  (verify)

Pheniramine (Avil) is an antihistamine with anticholinergic properties used to treat allergic conditions such as hay fever or urticaria. It has relatively strong sedative effects, and may sometimes be used off-label as an over-the-counter sleeping pill in a similar manner to other sedating antihistamines such as diphenhydramine.

Pheniramine is generally sold in combination with other medications, rather than as a stand-alone drug, although some formulations are available containing pheniramine by itself. As an example, Neo Citran contains pheniramine.

Chemical relatives

Derivatives of pheniramine include chlorpheniramine, dexchlorpheniramine, dexbrompheniramine, deschlorpheniramine, triprolidine, and brompheniramine. Two other halogenated derivatives, iodopheniramine and fluorpheniramine, are currently in use for research on combination therapies for malaria and some cancers. The halogenation of pheniramine increases its potency by 20-fold.

Side effects

Avil may cause drowsiness, bradycardia and over-dosage may lead to sleep disorders. Overdose may lead to seizures, especially in combination with alcohol. People combining with cortisol in the long term should avoid Avil as it may cause lowered levels of adrenaline which may lead to loss of consciousness.

External links

• Leaflet on Avil by The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners