Dexbrompheniramine/pseudoephedrine (trade name Drixoral) is a combination medication that contains the

antihistamine Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provide ...

dexbrompheniramine maleate and the

decongestant A decongestant, or nasal decongestant, is a type of pharmaceutical drug that is used to relieve nasal congestion in the upper respiratory tract. The active ingredient in most decongestants is either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine (the latter ...

pseudoephedrine sulfate. It was used to treat symptoms associated with allergies and colds such as itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, nasal and sinus congestion, and sneezing. Because it contains pseudoephedrine, its purchase in the United States was severely restricted by the

Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 (CMEA) is federal legislation enacted in the United States on March 9, 2006, to regulate, among other things, retail over-the-counter sales of following products because of their use in the manufact ...

over fears that any product containing pseudoephedrine can be used to make

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Meth ...

Availability

As of 2008, Drixoral was removed from the US market by manufacturer Merck. The company's updated website attributes "changing heirmanufacturing location" for the supply disruption and currently states "it is unlikely product will be available in 2010". However, the trade name Drixoral is now used in Canada for an

oxymetazoline Oxymetazoline, sold under the brand name Afrin among others, is a topical decongestant and vasoconstrictor medication. It is available over-the-counter as a nasal spray to treat nasal congestion and nosebleeds, as eyedrops to treat eye red ...

hydrochloride nasal spray.

Commercials

Drixoral was a very popular cold relief medicine advertised on U.S. television in the 1980s. Many of their commercials were narrated by the late

Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...

References

{{Antihistamines Decongestants H1 receptor antagonists Combination drugs