Pseudoephedrine is back – when should you buy it?

What is pseudoephedrine?

Pseudoephedrine helps relieve congestion and was made a prescription-only medicine in 2011 because it was being used to make the Class A drug methamphetamine.

In April this year, 11 products from brands such as Sudafed and Demazin that contain pseudoephedrine were approved by Medsafe following legislation changes. This month they became available to buy over the counter, but you will need to have a consultation with a pharmacist. The pharmacist has to record your name and address and will check if there’s a clinical reason you shouldn’t take them.

Who can’t take it?

Rhys Ponton, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Pharmacy, said those with high blood pressure or heart disease, who were pregnant or taking certain antidepressants were likely to be told they shouldn’t take pseudoephedrine.

How does pseudoephedrine differ from other medications?

Dr Ponton explained pseudoephedrine tablets will help if you’ve got a stuffy or dripping nose. When pseudoephedrine was taken off shelves, we were left with decongestant nasal sprays and tablets containing other ingredients.

Dr Ponton said while the nasal sprays provide relief, they can usually only be used for 3 days before potentially causing “rebound congestion”, which is when your congestion symptoms return after using a spray for prolonged periods.

The decongestant tablets that have been available in New Zealand usually contain the drug phenylephrine, but last year the US Food and Drug Administration concluded it’s ineffective.

“So not only had we removed pseudoephedrine from the New Zealand market because of the concern over the conversion to methamphetamine, the product we were left with basically doesn’t work,” Dr Ponton said.

Pseudoephedrine usually provides relief in about 45 minutes, he said, and if you need to get back on your feet quickly it is your best chance.

However, he didn’t recommend having some in the first aid kit at home as it can be expensive, and you might end up not needing it before it expires. Your health circumstances could also have changed by the time you end up needing it.

“There’s no substitute for having a full check over from a health professional, as will be done when you consult with a pharmacist, immediately before you take it,” Dr Ponton said.

Pseudoephedrine medicine can also contain paracetamol so make sure you don’t double up by also taking paracetamol tablets.