PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE INCREASES PLASMA CAFFEINE LEVELS
Lake CR, Rosenberg DB, Gallant S, Zaloga G, Chernow B. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1990;47:675-685
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to examine the possible pharmacokinetic interaction of concurrent theophylline and caffeine administration.
Study Population
Sixteen healthy subjects (13 men, 3 women) were included in the study. Subject caffeine consumption ranged from 20 to 1200 mg/d (mean, 251 ± 73 mg/d). Seven subjects smoked at least a half pack of cigarettes per day.
Methods
The subjects received each of the following drug combinations on a one-time basis in a double-blind, crossover fashion: 400 mg of caffeine, 400 mg of caffeine in combination with 75 mg of phenylpropanolamine, and placebo. Ten of the subjects completed all four drug combinations. One subject received three drug combinations, three subjects received two drug combinations, and two subjects received one drug combination.
Serum was collected 5 minutes before drug administration, and at
, 1, 1
, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hours after drug administration. The serum was assessed for caffeine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine levels. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured 2
and 5 minutes for drug administration and at 15-minute intervals for 5 hours after drug administration. The patients also filled out a 21-item mood and physical symptoms questionnaire 25 minutes before receiving the medication and 1
and 4 hours after its administration.
Findings
Caffeine levels after ingestion of the phenylpropanolamine-caffeine combination were significantly higher than those of the other drug combinations from 1 to 5 hours after administration.