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methyldopa

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EntityQ412621· pop 30· linked from 1,801 articles

methyldopa

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Also known as Aldomet®, Aldoril®, Dopamet®, L-α-Methyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, alpha-Methyldopa, alpha-Methyl dopa, alpha-Methyl-beta-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-L-alanine, (S)-(-)-alpha-Methyldopa

Methyldopa, also known as α-methyl-L-DOPA and sold under the brand name Aldomet among others, is a medication used for high blood pressure. It is one of the preferred treatments for high blood pressure in pregnancy. For other types of high blood pressure including very high blood pressure resulting in symptoms other medications are typically preferred. It can be given by mouth or injection into a vein. Onset of effects is around 5 hours and they last about a day.

Chemical data

Formula
C10H13NO4
Molecular weight
211.21 g/mol
IUPAC name
(2S)-2-azaniumyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methylpropanoate
SMILES
C[C@](CC1=CC(=C(C=C1)O)O)(C(=O)[O-])[NH3+]
InChIKey
CJCSPKMFHVPWAR-JTQLQIEISA-N
XLogP
-2.8
Polar surface area
108 Ų
H-bond donors
3
H-bond acceptors
4
Formal charge
0

via PubChem

Research

7,501 papers

via PubMed

~6 min read

Encyclopedic overview

9 sections
Contents
  • Medical uses
  • Side effects
  • Withdrawal
  • Mechanism of action
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • History
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Methyldopa, also known as α-methyl-L-DOPA and sold under the brand name Aldomet among others, is a medication used for high blood pressure. It is one of the preferred treatments for high blood pressure in pregnancy. For other types of high blood pressure including very high blood pressure resulting in symptoms other medications are typically preferred. It can be given by mouth or injection into a vein. Onset of effects is around 5 hours and they last about a day.

Common side effects include sleepiness. More severe side effects include red blood cell breakdown, liver problems, and allergic reactions. Methyldopa is in the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist family of medication. It works by stimulating the brain to decrease the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “methyldopa” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.