Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0042373 (vascular disease)
 17,070 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In 1949, amphetamine sulfate was replaced by propylhexedrine in the nasal decongestant agent Benzedrex because of psychosis, sudden death, and widespread abuse. Propylhexedrine is not without risks, and reported cases of psychosis, myocardial infarction, pulmonary vascular disease and pulmonary hypertension, and sudden death are well documented in the medical literature. We are reporting 2 cases of definite brainstem dysfunction and 5 cases of transient diplopia secondary to IV abuse of Benzedrex. This widely abused drug is prepared by heating Benzedrex and hydrochloric acid, and the resulting crystals are dissolved in water for injection. This agent is called "stove-top speed". All 7 patients had transient diplopia, within seconds after injection. One patient had evidence of a right-internuclear ophthalmoplegia, and another had a depressed right gag reflex and paralysis of the right half of the tongue. The deficits in these two patients, persisted for many months. In young adults with history of drug abuse, the IV use of Benzedrex should be considered in the differential diagnosis of transient or permanent focal brainstem deficits.
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PMID:Intravenous abuse of propylhexedrine (Benzedrex) and the risk of brainstem dysfunction in young adults. 287 25

In 1949, propylhexedrine replaced amphetamine sulfate as the active ingredient in over the counter Benzedrex due to reports of widespread abuse, psychosis and sudden death. Since its introduction, cases of psychosis, myocardial infarction, pulmonary vascular disease, pulmonary hypertension, and sudden death attributed to propylhexedrine abuse have been well documented, usually in the form of single case reports. Although growing concerns during the 1980's regarding its abuse potential and its use as a precursor in the manufacture of compounds of even higher abuse potential caused propylhexedrine to be reviewed by the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, no formal studies of the dependence potential of propylhexedrine exists to date. The following is a case of propylhexedrine dependence, with some of its history, revisited.
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PMID:Propylhexedrine: a vintage drug of abuse, rediscovered. 2306 29