EPHEDRINE SULFATE- ephedrine sulfate injection, solution
Nexus Pharmaceuticals Inc
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Forr IM, IV or SC Use
Rx only
DESCRIPTION
Ephedrine Sulfate Injection, USP is a sterile solutionn of 50 mg ephedrine sulfate in Water for Injection.
Ephedrine ooccurs as fine, white, oodorless crystals or powder and darkens on exposure to light. It is freely soluble in water and sparingly soluble in alcohol.
The chemical name of ephedrine sulfate is (C10 H15 NO)2 �H2 SO4 benzenemethanol ?-[l -- (methylamino) ethyl] - sufate (2:1) (salt). Its molecular weight is 428 .54. The structural formula is:
Structural Formula
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CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Ephedrine sulfate is a potent sympathomimetic that stimulates both ? and ? receptors and has clinical uses related to both actions. Its peripheral actions, which it owes in part to the release of norepinephrine, simulate responses that are obtained when adrenegenic nerves are stimulated. These include an increase in blood pressure, stimulation of heart muscle, constriction of arterioles, relaxation of the smooth muscle of the bronchi and gastrointestinal tract, and dilation of the pupils. In the bladder, relaxation of the detrusor muscle is not prominent, but the tone of the trigone and vesicle sphincter is increased.
Ephedrine sulfate also has a potent effect on the CNS. It stimulates the cerebral cortex and sub-cortical centers, which accounts for its use in narcolepsy.
The cardiovascular responses reported in man include moderate tachycardia, unchanged or augmened stroke volume, enhanced cardiac output, variable alterations in peripheral resistance and usually a rise in blood pressure. The action of ephedrine is more prominent on the heart than on the blood vessels. Ephedrine sulfate increases the flow of coronary, cerebral and muscle blood.
In patients with myasthenia gravis, administration of Ephedrine Sulfate Injection, USP produces a real but modest increase in motor power. The exact mechanism by which ephedrine sulfate affects skeletal muscle contractions is unknown.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Ephedrine Sulfate Injectionn, USP is indicated in the treatment of allergic disorders, such as bronchial asthma The drug has long been used as a pressor agent, particularly during spinal anesthesia when hypotensionn frequently ooccurs. In Stokes-Adams syndromeme with complete heart block, ephedrine has a value similar to that of epinephrine. It is indicated as a central nervous system stimulant in narcolepsy and depressive states. It is also used in myasthenia gravis.