Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Oct 2014
Review Case Reports Meta AnalysisIntracerebral hemorrhage associated with oral phenylephrine use: a case report and review of the literature.
Prior reports have linked both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke to use of sympathomimetic drugs including phenylephrine. The purpose of this study is to describe the first case, to our knowledge of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after oral use of phenylephrine and to systematically review the literature on phenylephrine and acute stroke. ⋯ It is scientifically plausible that phenylephrine may cause strokes, consistent with the pharmacologic properties and adverse event profiles of similar amphetamine-like sympathomimetics. As RCVS has been well described in association with over-the-counter sympathomimetics, a likely, although not definitive, causal relationship between phenylephrine and ICH is proposed.