How to Use pseudoephedrine in a Sentence

pseudoephedrine

noun
  • That is what happened with products containing pseudoephedrine, which can be used to make methamphetamine.
    — The Washington Post, AL.com, 30 Jan. 2018
  • There are two main oral decongestants in products on store shelves — phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine.
    — Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
  • As a result, buying pseudoephedrine products can be a clunky, time-consuming process.
    — Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Restrictions on access to pseudoephedrine were adopted in Australia at around the same time.
    — New Atlas, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Methamphetamine is a stimulant that has cold medicine like pseudoephedrine as a main ingredient.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Some states required a prescription for pseudoephedrine, the nasal decongestant used to make it.
    — Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2018
  • Pharmacies must also keep records of who buys pseudoephedrine for a minimum of two years after purchase.
    — Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner, 19 Oct. 2023
  • The active ingredient in meth is pseudoephedrine, found in many over-the-counter cold medications.
    — Alexis Stevens, The Seattle Times, 20 Nov. 2018
  • Drug producers normally extract meth’s main precursor, pseudoephedrine, from over-the-counter medicine for colds and flu.
    — The Economist, 5 Sep. 2019
  • The methamphetamine act banned over-the-counter sales of cold medicines that include the ingredient pseudoephedrine, commonly used to make methamphetamine.
    — Ana Faguy, USA TODAY, 13 June 2022
  • Meth cooks’ ingredient of choice was one of the most common decongestants on the market at the time, pseudoephedrine, which could be found at any drugstore.
    — Christina Jewett, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
  • Some are also combined with a decongestant, such as pseudoephedrine, to relieve nasal and sinus congestion.
    — Elizabeth Landau, CNN, 23 Mar. 2018
  • Phenylephrine has increasingly been used as a substitute for pseudoephedrine in many non-prescription cold remedies.
    — Cailley Lapara, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2023
  • There are also over-the-counter medications, like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), which can reduce milk production.
    — Cassandra Willyard, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2020
  • Court records stated Hardin was found in a national database that keeps track of individuals who purchase pseudoephedrine.
    — Evan Frank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2020
  • Purchasers would be limited to nine grams of pseudoephedrine in a 30-day period, regardless of in which state the transaction takes place.
    — Chris Lehman, oregonlive, 27 Apr. 2021
  • That means the high that users experience can last up to 24 hours, roughly twice that of formulations with ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, Church said.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
  • Although pseudoephedrine remains available without a prescription and is effective, the need to ask the pharmacist for it has deterred some customers.
    — Maggie Scales, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Doctors don’t recommend products that contain pseudoephedrine for children at all, or for adults for more than a few days in a row because the ingredient can increase heart rate and blood pressure.
    — Nina Agrawal, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024
  • But seizures of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) -- the most common chemicals used to make meth -- basically dried up.
    — Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 3 May 2021
  • What researchers have found in more recent batches of meth, starting around 2021, is that ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were swapped out for phenyl-2-propanone, Church said.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
  • Examples of over-the-counter decongestants are pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and oxymetazoline (Afrin).
    — Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Phenylephrine was substituted for pseudoephedrine in many non-prescription cold and allergy medicines after the latter was restricted amid reports of abuse.
    — Reuters, NBC News, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Many nations tried to halt meth production by choking supplies of precursors, usually ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, best known for being used in decongestant medicines.
    — Grant Peck, Anchorage Daily News, 30 May 2022
  • The Eustachian tube can be blocked by allergies or a cold, and pseudoephedrine or another decongestant is an effective treatment.
    — Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 21 July 2021
  • These both contain pseudoephedrine, which can alleviate nasal congestion, watery eyes and other symptoms caused by hay fever or seasonal allergies.
    — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Sudafed is regulated because pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in some forms of the medication, can be used to create the street drug methamphetamine, or crystal meth.
    — Michael Nedelman, CNN, 6 Oct. 2017
  • Stuffy nose Decongestants like Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and Afrin (oxymetazoline) narrow blood vessels in the nasal passages.
    — Colleen Murphy, Health, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Evidence shows that pseudoephedrine – found in certain versions of Sudafed, Advil and Mucinex – is the most reliable oral decongestant.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
  • Oregonians would no longer need a prescription to purchase cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine under a bill set for a vote Wednesday in the Oregon House.
    — Chris Lehman, oregonlive, 27 Apr. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pseudoephedrine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: