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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Irreversible, nonselective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors have been reported adversely to interact with indirectly acting sympathomimetic amines present in many cough and cold medicines. This study investigated the safety and tolerability of concomitant administration to 12 healthy subjects of both genders (aged 19-36 years) of ephedrine and moclobemide, a reversible MAO-A inhibitor. A 2-day, randomized, crossover administration of placebo or ephedrine (two doses of 50 mg with a 4-h interval) was followed by 9 days open-label dosing with moclobemide, 300 mg b.i.d.. On the last 2 days of moclobemide dosing, the randomized crossover treatment of ephedrine and placebo was repeated. No subject was withdrawn from the study for tolerability reasons. Moclobemide treatment, however, increased the incidence of adverse events elicited by ephedrine, particularly palpitations and headache. The pharmacodynamic interaction between the two drugs was quantified by calculation of the area under the effect-time course (AUE) for systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR). The difference in AUE between monotreatment with ephedrine and placebo was statistically significant for all three vital signs. Moclobemide potentiated the effect of ephedrine by a median factor of 3.2 for SBP, 3.8 for DBP, and 0.6 for HR. Ephedrine had no significant influence on the plasma concentrations of moclobemide or its metabolites. In conclusion, the combined use of moclobemide and high doses of sympathomimetic drugs should be approached with caution.
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PMID:Modification of the cardiovascular effects of ephedrine by the reversible monoamine oxidase A-inhibitor moclobemide. 896 Oct 85

Most of the lower limb surgeries are done under spinal anesthesia. This 21 year-old male had undergone open reduction with interlocking nail for his right femoral fracture and was scheduled for removal of interlocking nail. Spinal anesthesia was performed and a sensory block up to T8 level was achieved. During removing of the nail, the patient complained of chest pain, dyspnea and headache. Consequently, tachycardia and hypotension were observed. Then he coughed up pink frothy sputum. Ephedrine 5 mg was given to raise his blood pressure. About 3 min later, he recovered from the hypotension. Arterial blood gas analysis showed hypoxemia and hypercapnia. After endotracheal intubation, he was sent to surgical intensive care unit. In surgical intensive care unit, fat globules in urine, anemia and thrombocytopenia were noted. Chest roentgenogram showed patchy pulmonary infiltrates in the left lower lobe. A pulmonary artery catheter was inserted for pulmonary measurement, which read pulmonary artery pressure 45/28 mmHg, wedge pressure 14 mmHg, and cardiac output was 5-34 L/min. Supportive treatment which included steroid therapy, and O2 therapy with positive end-expiratory pressure was initiated under the impression of pulmonary embolism. The course in surgical ICU was uneventful and he left there three days later and was discharged on the fifth hospitalization day.
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PMID:[Removal of femoral interlocking nail-induced pulmonary embolism under spinal anesthesia--a case report]. 908 55

Ephedrine is a sympathicomimetic agent that stimulates the central nervous and cardiovascular systems and causes bronchodilatation. It is one of the alkaloids in the herb Ephedra which is the basis of several over-the-counter herbal products, among which a number of popular weight-loss products. The Dutch Inspectorate for Health Care has received reports of adverse reactions presumably associated with Ephedra-containing weight-loss products. These adverse reactions comprised mainly palpitations, stress, headache and insomnia. The Ministry of Health in Canada has recently requested a market recall of some ephedrine-containing herbal products in response to a large number of adverse reactions reported in association with these products. The adverse reactions included stroke, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, seizures and psychotic disorders. The voluntary recall concerns especially products that were marketed without approval and contain Ephedra in combination with caffeine or other stimulants. In the Netherlands, the status of Ephedra-containing products is currently reconsidered.
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PMID:[Ephedrine and ephedra in weight loss products and other preparations]. 1214 23

Ninety seven women undergoing elective lower segment caesarean section were randomly divided into two groups, group 1 received spinal anaesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine and group 2 received mepivacaine 20 mg/ml with adrenaline 5 microg/ml via an epidural catheter. All patients were given a preload of Ringer acetate and Macrodex prior to onset of anaesthesia. Ephedrine 5 mg was given if the systolic blood pressure fell below 100 mmHg. There was a small (<30%) but significant (P<0.01) fall in blood pressure in both groups of women. Six women in the epidural group required supplemental analgesics during the operation compared to only 1 patient in the spinal group (P<0.01). Muscle relaxation was judged to be inadequate in 3 patients in the spinal group and in 5 patients in the epidural group. One patient in the spinal group had a characteristic post-spinal headache lasting 3 days. The injection-delivery time was shorter (P<0.01) in the spinal group compared to the epidural group. The Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min were similar in both groups. The results from our study suggest that spinal anaesthesia is a good alternative to epidural anaesthesia for elective caesarean section. A fall in blood pressure, which is equally possible in both groups of patients, should be prevented by adequate fluid preload and treated immediately by intravenous ephedrine.
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PMID:Spinal or epidural anaesthesia for elective caesarean section? A Swedish experience. 1563 13

Ephedrine decongestant products are widely used. Common side effects include palpitations, nervousness, and headache. More severe adverse reactions include cardiomyopathy and vasospasm. We report the case of an otherwise healthy 37-year-old woman who presented with acute-onset quadriplegia and heart failure. She had a normal chest radiograph on admission, but developed marked pulmonary edema and bilateral effusions the next day. Echocardiography revealed a left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.18 and no obvious intrinsic pathologic condition such as foramen narrowing on spinal imaging. Laboratory screening was positive for methamphetamines in the urine, and the patient admitted to having used, over the past several weeks, multiple ephedrine-containing products for allergy-symptom relief. She was ultimately diagnosed with an acute catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy and spinal artery vasospasm consequential to excessive use of decongestants. Her symptoms resolved completely with supportive care and appropriate heart-failure management. An echocardiogram 2 weeks after admission showed improvement of the left ventricular ejection fraction to 0.33. Ten months after the event, the patient was entirely asymptomatic and showed further improvement of her ejection fraction to 0.45. To our knowledge, ours is the first report of spinal artery vasospasm resulting in quadriplegia in a human being after ephedrine ingestion.
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PMID:Transient Cardiomyopathy and Quadriplegia Induced by Ephedrine Decongestant. 2666 16