Phenylpropanolamine (PPA)
PPA is a chemical used in over the counter and prescription medications. PPA was very common in diet drugs, nasal decongestants and cough medications. PPA might cause between 200 and 500 hemorrhagic strokes per year in patients age 18 to 49. U.S. consumers bought about 6 billion doses of PPA last year.
If you believe that a product containing PPA has injured you or a loved one consult a lawyer to learn your legal rights.
Popular PPA Products containing PPA include:
- Dexatrim Weight Control Candy and Tablets
- Acutrim Weight Control Candy and Tablets
- Permathene Mega 16 Weight Control Tablets
- Robitussin CF Cough Syrup
- Triaminic DM Cough Syrup
- Tavist D Cold, allergy and sinus tablet
On November 6, 2000, while regulators moved to take it off the market, U.S. health officials urged consumers to stop taking decongestants and diet drugs containing a key ingredient linked to cases of strokes.
The ingredient, phenylpropanolamine (PPA), is found in hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription products, including the cold medicine Dimetapp and such weight-loss drugs as Dexatrim and Acutrim. It works as a decongestant in cough and cold remedies and as an appetite suppressant in diet drugs.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has asked all drug companies to voluntarily stop marketing products containing PPA. Makers would have the option to reformulate the products with other ingredients.
The agency also is writing a proposal that will make the sale of PPA products, both prescription and over-the-counter, illegal. That process is likely to take several months. Regulators determined that PPA is linked to cases of bleeding strokes in adults under age 50.
Research pointed to a higher risk of hemorrhagic strokes, or bleeding into the brain, for women, but the FDA cautioned that men were also at risk. The strokes occurred within three days after people took the products.
Other popular products that contain PPA include some versions of Alka-Seltzer Plus, Comtrex, Coricidin, Tavist-D and Triaminic.
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