Decongestants pulled from Carson shelves

People who rely on over-the-counter medications containing phenylpropanolamine to control cold or allergy symptoms or appetites won't find them on Carson City pharmacy shelves.

Since the Food and Drug Administration issued a Nov. 3 warning the ingredient is suspected of causing strokes, retailers have removed products containing the substance from their stock.

A pharmacist at Longs Drugs, who did not want her name published, said shoppers who still have the products could bring them back to the store where they bought them for refunds. Pharmacists at two other stores, though, said policies about refunds were uncertain because the FDA had not ordered a recall of the products, just requested the drug companies to stop marketing them so far.

Phenylpropanolamine is one of two decongestants used in over-the-counter cold and allergy products. The other is pseudoephedrine. The Longs pharmacist said people who need a decongestant should consider the many remaining products that contain pseudoephedrine.

Though the studies cited by the FDA indicated the greatest stroke risk is for women 18-45 years old, the agency recommended no one continue to use phenylpropanolamine products. Side effects of the substance include higher blood pressure, which can increase the risk of strokes.

The FDA said the risk of a phenylpropanolamine-caused stroke is very low, but the risk of irreversible damage and inability to predict who is at risk warranted its announcement. The agency's letter to drug manufacturers said the FDA intends to remove the products from other over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Another Carson City pharmacist said pseudoephedrine works in a very similar manner to phenylpropanolamine and she suspects the FDA may recommend it be removed from the market in the future. She said physicians may prescribe steroid-based nasal spray as decongestants.

Meanwhile, the manufacturers are working to replace the pulled products with versions that do not have phenylpropanolamine. The Web site for A.H. Robins, maker of Robitussin products, said reformulated replacements for its few phenylpropanolamine-based products would be shipping next week.