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PPA or Phenylpropanolamine Lawyers

San Francisco, Sacramento,
and Chico, California

When we buy a drug in our local drug store or grocery store, we like to believe that the drug is safe and will not cause any harmful side effects. Sadly, however, that is not always the case. There are some over-the-counter medications that we have learned are so dangerous and are even used for illegal activities, that they are held behind the counter and can only be dispensed by the pharmacist.

People involved in illegal drug activity are even using cough and cold remedies to make highly dangerous and addictive drugs, such as crystal methamphetamine. In some pharmacies you can only buy one box of certain cough and cold remedies, because buying more than one may cause suspicion.

What is PPA?

But despite using drugs in an illegal fashion, using them legally and as prescribed can be just as lethal. PPA stands for Phenylpropanolamine. PPA is an ingredient in many cough and cold remedies that are sold over-the-counter. PPA is also found in appetite suppressants and some decongestants, available by prescription only. It is now believed that PPA increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, especially in young women.

PPA is the ingredient in these drugs that acts as a nasal decongestant and relieves stuffy nose or sinus congestion. PPA acts to suppress one’s appetite in over-the-counter weight control drug products. Nine years ago, in May of 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with scientists from Yale University School of Medicine, conducted a study that showed an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain) in people taking PPA.

The Yale study helped to prove that the number of people having strokes while taking PPA was much greater than the number of people having strokes who never took PPA. While the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is low, the FDA, for good reason, has very significant concerns because of the seriousness of the stroke and the inability to predict who may be at risk.

If you or a loved one has taken drugs containing PPA and has suffered any serious side effects, such as hemorrhagic stroke, please contact the pharmaceutical litigation attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers, LLC today for your confidential consultation. We serve clients in and around the Southern California area.