Phenylpropanolamine, or PPA, is an ingredient used in over the counter (OTC) and prescription cold, sinus, allergy, and cough drugs; diet medications; and appetite suppressants. For decades, thousands of innocent consumers have suffered strokes, heart attacks, and even died from taking popular drugs and trusted medications containing PPA. Over 400 well-known household products that contained PPA were withdrawn from sale in November 2000 such as Robitussin, Triaminic, Dimetapp, Dexatrim, Alka-Selzer and more. This withdrawal was a result of an FDA alert to consumers based on continued reports to the FDA of the occurrence of stroke, and the results of the five-year Yale University School of Medicine study that linked PPA with hemorrhagic stroke.
It is estimated that PPA has caused up to 500 strokes per year
since 1936, according to the Yale study. Recent statistics indicate
that there have been approximately 6 billion doses of PPA sold in
this country each year. Risk of incidence was highest when PPA
was consumed in larger dosages -- greater than 75 milligrams
daily. Since the 1980’s, evidence has been mounting against PPA.
In the courts over the last two decades, PPA makers faced more
than two dozen PPA lawsuits, but the cases were not widely
publicized because they were settled confidentially.
