Dextromethorphan hydrobromide (125-69-9)

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What is Dextromethorphan hydrobromide

Dextromethorphan hydrobromide is the hydrobromide salt of the antitussive drug dextromethorphan. It occurs as a white powder in its pure form. It exhibits cough suppressant properties by affecting the signals in the brain that trigger cough reflex. However, It does not treat chronic cough or cough caused due to smoking, emphysema, and asthma.

It was patented in 1949 and approved for medical use in 1953. It is available as an over-the-counter medication and is sold in syrup, tablet, spray, and lozenge forms.

Uses

• Dextromethorphan is primarily used as a Cough suppressant to relieve cough produced by minor throat and bronchial irritation (such as that which typically occurs with the flu and common cold), as well as cough induced by inhaled particle irritants.
• The combination medication dextromethorphan/quinidine was approved by the FDA in 2010 for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (uncontrollable laughing/crying).
• Dextromethorphan was proven to improve the overall severity and length of withdrawal symptoms associated with Opioid use disorder in a randomised clinical trial conducted in 2013.
• Axsome Therapeutics is conducting clinical trials for major depressive disorder with the combination drug Dextromethorphan/bupropion, which received FDA fast track designation in 2017. In phase 2 and 3 clinical studies, the combination produced positive effects.

Side effects

Common side effects of Dextromethorphan include:

• Body rash/itching
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Sedation
• Confusion
• Nervousness
• Closed-eye hallucination

Respiratory depression is a rare adverse effect.

FAQs

Q. Does Dextromethorphan hydrobromide make you sleepy?

Dextromethorphan has a slight sedative effect and thus can make you feel sleepy.

Q. What is the difference between Dextromethorphan polistirex and Dextromethorphan hydrobromide?

Dextromethorphan hydrobromide and Dextromethorphan polistirex (Delsym) are available as cough syrups to treat acute cough (<2 weeks) associated with upper respiratory tract infections. DXM HBr cough syrup is an immediate-release formulation, but DXM Polistirex is a sustained-release formulation, meaning that a single 30mg dose of DXM Polistirex gives plasma concentrations comparable to two 15mg doses of DXM HBr.

Q. Is dextromethorphan hydrobromide safe during pregnancy?

Dextromethorphan hydrobromide is available as an over-the-counter cough suppressant. It is thought to be relatively safe to use during pregnancy.