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What is Reserpine
Reserpine, an antihypertensive, is a rauwolfia alkaloid derived from the root of Rauwolfia serpentina, a shrub native to India.
Rauwolfia alkaloids were first used for the treatment of hypertension and psychoses in India during the 1930s but were not used in Western medicine until the 1950s.
Reserpine was approved by the FDA in 1953. Reserpine was the first drug found to interfere with the human sympathetic nervous system, and it initiated the effective pharmacotherapeutic control of hypertension.
Recently, the use of reserpine as an antihypertensive agent has diminished due its adverse CNS effects and the advent of newer antihypertensive drugs that are equally effective and much better tolerated.
Use of rauwolfia alkaloids in patients with psychotic disorders has been replaced by treatment with other, more effective agents.
Indications
- hypertension
Side Effects
- anorexia
- anxiety
- arrhythmia exacerbation
- bradycardia
- breast enlargement
- conjunctivitis
- depression
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- dyspnea
- dysuria
- ejaculation dysfunction
- epistaxis
- gynecomastia
- headache
- hearing loss
- heart failure
- hyperprolactinemia
- hypotension
- impotence (erectile dysfunction)
- libido decrease
- miosis
- musculoskeletal pain
- nasal congestion
- nausea
- nightmares
- optic atrophy
- pruritus
- pseudoparkinsonism
- purpura
- rash
- syncope
- uveitis
- vomiting
- weight gain
- xerostomia
Monitoring Parameters
- blood pressure
- heart rate
Contraindications
- breast-feeding
- cardiac arrhythmias
- cardiac disease
- children
- cholelithiasis
- depression
- diabetes mellitus
- electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- geriatric
- hepatic disease
- infants
- MAOI therapy
- Parkinson’s disease
- peptic ulcer disease
- pheochromocytoma
- pregnancy
- rauwolfia alkaloid hypersensitivity
- renal disease
- salicylate hypersensitivity
- seizure disorder
- suicidal ideation
- tartrazine dye hypersensitivity
- ulcerative colitis
Interactions
- Acarbose
- Acebutolol
- Acetaminophen; Butalbital
- Acetaminophen; Butalbital; Caffeine
- Acetaminophen; Butalbital; Caffeine; Codeine
- Acetaminophen; Chlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Phenylephrine
- Acetaminophen; Chlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Acetaminophen; Chlorpheniramine; Phenylephrine; Phenyltoloxamine
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan; Phenylephrine
- Acetaminophen; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Acetaminophen; Dichloralphenazone; Isometheptene
- Acetaminophen; Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Acetaminophen; Pseudoephedrine
- Acetazolamide
- Acetohexamide
- Acrivastine; Pseudoephedrine
- Albiglutide
- Aldesleukin, IL-2
- Alemtuzumab
- Alogliptin
- Alogliptin; Metformin
- Alogliptin; Pioglitazone
- Alpha-glucosidase Inhibitors
- Alprostadil
- Amifostine
- Amitriptyline
- Amitriptyline; Chlordiazepoxide
- Amlodipine; Celecoxib
- Amobarbital
- Amoxapine
- Amphetamine; Dextroamphetamine Salts
- Amyl Nitrite
- Apomorphine
- Apraclonidine
- Aripiprazole
- Articaine; Epinephrine
- Asenapine
- Aspirin, ASA; Butalbital; Caffeine
- Aspirin, ASA; Butalbital; Caffeine; Codeine
- Atenolol
- Atenolol; Chlorthalidone
- Atropine; Hyoscyamine; Phenobarbital; Scopolamine
- Baclofen
- Barbiturates
- Belladonna Alkaloids; Ergotamine; Phenobarbital
- Bendroflumethiazide; Nadolol
- Benzphetamine
- Beta-adrenergic blockers
- Betaxolol
- Bisoprolol
- Bisoprolol; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Bortezomib
- Bosentan
- Brimonidine; Timolol
- Brompheniramine; Carbetapentane; Phenylephrine
- Brompheniramine; Hydrocodone; Pseudoephedrine
- Brompheniramine; Pseudoephedrine
- Butabarbital
- Cabergoline
- Canagliflozin
- Canagliflozin; Metformin
- Carbetapentane; Chlorpheniramine; Phenylephrine
- Carbetapentane; Diphenhydramine; Phenylephrine
- Carbetapentane; Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Carbetapentane; Phenylephrine
- Carbetapentane; Phenylephrine; Pyrilamine
- Carbetapentane; Pseudoephedrine
- Carbidopa; Levodopa
- Carbidopa; Levodopa; Entacapone
- Carbinoxamine; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Carbinoxamine; Hydrocodone; Phenylephrine
- Carbinoxamine; Hydrocodone; Pseudoephedrine
- Carbinoxamine; Phenylephrine
- Carbinoxamine; Pseudoephedrine
- Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
- Cardiac glycosides
- Cariprazine
- Carteolol
- Carvedilol
- Celecoxib
- Cetirizine; Pseudoephedrine
- Chlophedianol; Dexchlorpheniramine; Pseudoephedrine
- Chlophedianol; Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Chloroprocaine
- Chlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Phenylephrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Dihydrocodeine; Phenylephrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Dihydrocodeine; Pseudoephedrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Guaifenesin; Hydrocodone; Pseudoephedrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Hydrocodone; Phenylephrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Hydrocodone; Pseudoephedrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Phenylephrine
- Chlorpheniramine; Pseudoephedrine
- Chlorpropamide
- Clomipramine
- Clozapine
- Co-Enzyme Q10, Ubiquinone
- Cocaine
- Codeine; Phenylephrine; Promethazine
- Conivaptan
- Dapagliflozin
- Dapagliflozin; Metformin
- Dapagliflozin; Saxagliptin
- Desipramine
- Desloratadine; Pseudoephedrine
- Deutetrabenazine
- Dexchlorpheniramine; Dextromethorphan; Pseudoephedrine
- Dexmethylphenidate
- Dextromethorphan; Diphenhydramine; Phenylephrine
- Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Dextromethorphan; Guaifenesin; Pseudoephedrine
- Dextromethorphan; Quinidine
- Diazoxide
- Diclofenac
- Diclofenac; Misoprostol
- Diethylpropion
- Diflunisal
- Dihydrocodeine; Guaifenesin; Pseudoephedrine
- Diphenhydramine; Hydrocodone; Phenylephrine
- Diphenhydramine; Ibuprofen
- Diphenhydramine; Naproxen
- Diphenhydramine; Phenylephrine
- Dobutamine
- Dopamine
- Dorzolamide; Timolol
- Doxepin
- Drospirenone; Ethinyl Estradiol
- Drospirenone; Ethinyl Estradiol; Levomefolate
- Dulaglutide
- Duloxetine
- Eletriptan
- Empagliflozin
- Empagliflozin; Linagliptin
- Empagliflozin; Linagliptin; Metformin
- Empagliflozin; Metformin
- Enflurane
- Ephedrine
- Epinephrine
- Epoprostenol
- Ertugliflozin; Metformin
- Ertugliflozin; Sitagliptin
- Esmolol
- Esomeprazole; Naproxen
- Estradiol
- Estradiol Cypionate; Medroxyprogesterone
- Ethinyl Estradiol
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Desogestrel
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Ethynodiol Diacetate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Etonogestrel
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Levonorgestrel
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Levonorgestrel; Ferrous bisglycinate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Levonorgestrel; Folic Acid; Levomefolate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norelgestromin
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone Acetate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone Acetate; Ferrous fumarate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone; Ferrous fumarate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norgestimate
- Ethinyl Estradiol; Norgestrel
- Etodolac
- Etomidate
- Exenatide
- Famotidine; Ibuprofen
- Fenoprofen
- Fexofenadine; Pseudoephedrine
- Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Dietary Supplements)
- Fluoxetine; Olanzapine
- Flurbiprofen
- Fospropofol
- General anesthetics
- Glimepiride
- Glimepiride; Pioglitazone
- Glimepiride; Rosiglitazone
- Glipizide
- Glipizide; Metformin
- Glyburide
- Glyburide; Metformin
- Goserelin
- Guaifenesin; Hydrocodone; Pseudoephedrine
- Guaifenesin; Phenylephrine
- Guaifenesin; Pseudoephedrine
- Haloperidol
- Halothane
- Histrelin
- Hydralazine; Isosorbide Dinitrate, ISDN
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Metoprolol
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Propranolol
- Hydrocodone; Ibuprofen
- Hydrocodone; Phenylephrine
- Hydrocodone; Potassium Guaiacolsulfonate; Pseudoephedrine
- Hydrocodone; Pseudoephedrine
- Ibuprofen
- Ibuprofen; Oxycodone
- Ibuprofen; Pseudoephedrine
- Iloperidone
- Iloprost
- Imipramine
- Incretin Mimetics
- Indomethacin
- Insulin Degludec; Liraglutide
- Insulin Glargine; Lixisenatide
- Insulins
- Intravenous Lipid Emulsions
- Iobenguane I 131
- Isocarboxazid
- Isoflurane
- Isoproterenol
- Isosorbide Dinitrate, ISDN
- Isosorbide Mononitrate
- Ketamine
- Ketoprofen
- Ketorolac
- Labetalol
- Lansoprazole; Naproxen
- Leuprolide
- Leuprolide; Norethindrone
- Levobetaxolol
- Levobunolol
- Levodopa
- Linagliptin
- Linagliptin; Metformin
- Linezolid
- Liraglutide
- Lisdexamfetamine
- Lixisenatide
- Loratadine; Pseudoephedrine
- Lovastatin; Niacin
- Lurasidone
- Maprotiline
- Mecamylamine
- Meclofenamate Sodium
- Mefenamic Acid
- Meglitinides
- Meloxicam
- Mephobarbital
- Mestranol; Norethindrone
- Metformin
- Metformin; Pioglitazone
- Metformin; Repaglinide
- Metformin; Rosiglitazone
- Metformin; Saxagliptin
- Metformin; Sitagliptin
- Methamphetamine
- Methazolamide
- Methohexital
- Methylphenidate
- Metoprolol
- Midodrine
- Miglitol
- Milrinone
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
- Nabumetone
- Nadolol
- Naproxen
- Naproxen; Pseudoephedrine
- Naproxen; Sumatriptan
- Nateglinide
- Nebivolol
- Nebivolol; Valsartan
- Nefazodone
- Nesiritide, BNP
- Niacin, Niacinamide
- Niacin; Simvastatin
- Nitrates
- Nitroglycerin
- Nitroprusside
- Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
- Nortriptyline
- Olanzapine
- Oxaprozin
- Oxymetazoline
- Paliperidone
- Penbutolol
- Pentobarbital
- Pentoxifylline
- Perphenazine; Amitriptyline
- Phendimetrazine
- Phenelzine
- Phenobarbital
- Phentermine
- Phentermine; Topiramate
- Phenylephrine
- Phenylephrine; Promethazine
- Pindolol
- Pioglitazone
- Piroxicam
- Pramlintide
- Prazosin
- Prilocaine; Epinephrine
- Primidone
- Procainamide
- Procaine
- Procarbazine
- Propofol
- Propranolol
- Protriptyline
- Pseudoephedrine
- Quinidine
- Rasagiline
- Repaglinide
- Risperidone
- Ritodrine
- Rofecoxib
- Rosiglitazone
- Saxagliptin
- Secobarbital
- Segesterone Acetate; Ethinyl Estradiol
- Selegiline
- Semaglutide
- Sevoflurane
- Silodosin
- Simvastatin; Sitagliptin
- Sitagliptin
- Sotalol
- Sulfonylureas
- Sulindac
- Tetrabenazine
- Tetracaine
- Thalidomide
- Thiazolidinediones
- Thiopental
- Thiothixene
- Timolol
- Tizanidine
- Tolazamide
- Tolbutamide
- Tolmetin
- Tranylcypromine
- Trazodone
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Trimipramine
- Triptorelin
- Valdecoxib
- Yohimbine
- Ziprasidone