Phenindamine

Phenindamine

Systematic (IUPAC) name
2-methyl-9-phenyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-indeno[2,1-c]pyridine
Clinical data
AHFS/Drugs.com	Micromedex Detailed Consumer Information
Pregnancy cat.	?
Legal status	?
Identifiers
CAS number	82-88-2 Y
ATC code	R06AX04
PubChem	CID 11291
DrugBank	DB01619
ChemSpider	10817 N
UNII	772BQ8KSST Y
KEGG	D08353 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL278398 N
Chemical data
Formula	C19H19N
Mol. mass	261.361 g/mol
N (what is this?)  (verify)

Phenindamine (Nolahist, Thephorin) is an antihistamine and anticholinergic closely related to cyproheptadine which is used to treat symptoms of the common cold and allergies, such as sneezing, itching, rashes, and hives. Its efficacy against some symptoms of opioid withdrawal was researched in the 1950s and 1960s in a number of countries; William S. Burroughs' book Junky mentions this technique (although in this case he claims to intravenously administer this drug, as the brand Thephorin, to his wife Joan to alleviate her withdrawal from chronic & excessive use of amphetamine,which she obtained from then freely available Benzedrine inhalers). Like many other first-generation antihistamines, phenindamine has useful potentiating effects on many narcotic analgesics and is even more useful with those opioids which release histamine when in the body.

Nolahist was originally manufactured in the USA by Carnrick Laboratories, and later by Amarin Pharmaceuticals. When that company ceased its American operations, its product line was acquired by Valeant, but they declined to resume manufacturing Nolahist. The last produced lot bore an expiration date of 10/2005, and the product is no longer available.

See also

• Cyproheptadine