Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and sympathomimetic agent that is often used to prevent low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred treatment. It is of unclear benefit in nasal congestion. It can be taken by mouth or by injection into a muscle, vein, or just under the skin. Onset with intravenous use is fast, while injection into a muscle can take 20 minutes, and by mouth can take an hour for effect. When given by injection, it lasts about an hour, and when taken by mouth, it can last up to four hours.
Gonadorelin is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist which is used in fertility medicine and to treat amenorrhea and hypogonadism. It is also used in veterinary medicine. The medication is a form of the endogenous GnRH and is identical to it in chemical structure. It is given by injection into a blood vessel or fat or as a nasal spray.
Isoprenaline, also known as isoproterenol and sold under the brand name Isuprel among others, is a sympathomimetic medication which is used in the treatment of acute bradycardia, heart block, and rarely for asthma, among other indications. It is used by injection into a vein, muscle, fat, or the heart, by inhalation, and in the past under the tongue or into the rectum.
Dipivefrine, or dipivefrin, also known as epinephrine pivalate and sold under the brand name Propine among others, is a sympathomimetic medication which is used in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. It is available as a 0.1% ophthalmic solution.
Metaraminol, also known as metaradrine and sold under the brand names Aramine and Pressonex among others, is a sympathomimetic medication which is used in the prevention and treatment of hypotension, particularly as a complication of anesthesia. It is given by intramuscular or intravenous administration.
Corbadrine, sold under the brand name Neo-Cobefrine and also known as levonordefrin and α-methylnorepinephrine, is a catecholamine sympathomimetic used as a topical nasal decongestant and vasoconstrictor in dentistry in the United States. It is usually used in a pre-mixed solution with local anesthetics, such as mepivacaine.
Methoxamine, sold under the brand names Vasoxine, Vasoxyl, and Vasylox among others, is a sympathomimetic medication used as an antihypotensive agent. It has mostly or entirely been discontinued.
Gepefrine, also known as 3-hydroxyamphetamine or α-methyl-meta-tyramine and sold under the brand names Pressionorm and Wintonin, is a sympathomimetic medication used as an antihypotensive agent which has been marketed in Germany.
Norfenefrine, also known as meta-octopamine or norphenylephrine and sold under the brand name Novadral among others, is a sympathomimetic medication which is used in the treatment of hypotension. Along with its structural isomer p-octopamine and the tyramines, norfenefrine is a naturally occurring endogenous trace amine and plays a role as a minor neurotransmitter in the brain.
Etilefrine, sold under the brand name Effortil among others, is a sympathomimetic medication used as an antihypotensive agent to treat orthostatic hypotension. It is usually used by mouth, but is also available as an injectable.
Etafedrine, sold under the brand name Nethaprin among others and also known as N-ethylephedrine, is a sympathomimetic agent used as a bronchodilator to treat asthma. It was previously commercially available as both the free base and as the hydrochloride salt from Sanofi-Aventis but is now no longer marketed.
Amidephrine, or amidefrine, sold under the brand name Fentrinol among others, is a selective α1-adrenergic receptor agonist which is described as an adrenergic or sympathomimetic, vasoconstrictor, and topical nasal decongestant used to treat allergic rhinitis. It is used as the mesylate salt, which has the generic names amidefrine mesilate and amidephrine mesylate. The drug is a substituted phenethylamine derivative and is also known as 3-methylsulfonamidyl-β-hydroxy-N-methylphenethylamine. As of 2000, it remained marketed only in Austria.
Octodrine, also known as dimethylhexylamine (DMHA) and sold under the brand name Vaporpac among others, is a sympathomimetic and stimulant medication that was formerly used in the treatment of hypotension.
Racepinefrine, or racepinephrine, sold under the brand name Vaponefrin among others, is a sympathomimetic medication described as a vasoconstrictor, bronchodilator, cardiostimulant, mydriatic, and antiglaucoma agent. It is the racemic form of epinephrine (adrenaline) and is also known as dl-epinephrine and (±)-epinephrine. The drug is used pharmaceutically as the hydrochloride salt. It has been marketed in the United States and Canada.
Metaterol, also known as isofenefrine, isopropylnoradrianol, and 3,β-dihydroxy-N-isopropylphenethylamine, is a sympathomimetic and bronchodilator of the phenethylamine family that was never marketed. It is structurally related to norfenefrine, phenylephrine, and etilefrine.
Methylephedrine, sold under the brand name Metheph among others, is a sympathomimetic medication described as an antiasthmatic agent and used to treat coughing and nasal congestion. It is reported to be used in various over-the-counter cough and cold preparations throughout the world, including Japan.
Cinnamedrine, also known as N-cinnamylephedrine, is a sympathomimetic drug with similar effects relative to those of ephedrine. It also has some local anesthetic activity. Cinnamedrine was previously used, in combination with analgesics, as an antispasmodic to treat dysmenorrhea in the over-the-counter drug Midol in the 1980s. There is a case series of the drug being abused as a psychostimulant.
Dioxethedrin, or dioxethedrine, also known as 3,4-dihydroxy-N-ethylnorephedrine, is a sympathomimetic medication. It was a component of the antitussive syrup Bexol. It is an ephedrine derivative and is described as a bronchodilator and β-adrenergic receptor agonist. Analogues of dioxethedrin include dioxifedrine, corbadrine, and α-methyldopamine.
Bufenadrine, also known as 2-tert-butyldiphenhydramine, is a drug described as an antiemetic, antihistamine, anticholinergic, and antiparkinsonian agent which was never marketed. It is the 2-tert-butyl analogue of diphenhydramine. The drug was found to produce stereoselective hepatotoxicity in animals and this led to the discontinuation of its development. Bufenadrine was first described in the literature by 1967. Its INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name suffix "-drine" is generally for sympathomimetics but bufenadrine itself is not actually a sympathomimetic or related agent.
Soterenol, also known as soterenol hydrochloride in the case of the hydrochloride salt, is a drug of the phenethylamine family described as an adrenergic, bronchodilator, and antiasthmatic which was never marketed. It is an analogue of salbutamol and acts as a β-adrenergic receptor agonist. The drug was first developed in 1964 and was first described in the literature by 1967.
