Sympathomimetics

Sympathomimetics are a class of drugswhose properties mimic those of a stimulated sympathetic nervous system. As such they increase cardiac output, dilate bronchioles, and usually produce constriction of blood vessels. Sympathomimetics include the naturally occurring substances adrenaline (epinephrine), noradrenaline (norepinephrine), and other catecholaminessuch as dopamine, as well as the synthetic drugs pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, and phenylpropanolamine. In medicine, they are commonly prescribed in cardiac emergenciesincluding shockand anaphylaxis, in some cases for weight loss, and in cold remedies, where they shrink swollen membranes in the upper respiratory tract.

In recent years, phenylpropanolaminehas been removed from over-the-counter cold formulations after it was implicated in causing an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

See also

• Parasympathomimeticsfr:Sympathicomimétique

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathomimetics Wikipedia article Sympathomimetics.