Phenylephrine is a powerful vasoconstrictor that is used as a nasal spray to constrict nasal blood vessels to relieve nasal congestion. In a much, much larger dose, phenylephrine is also used for patients in shock with severely decreased blood pressure. This medication could potentially be dangerous for someone with coronary artery disease if it is absorbed into the systemic circulation because it could further limit coronary blood flow at areas of established atherosclerotic plaques. Thus, you should check with your cardiologist before using this medication or any over the counter medications like Sudafed or Dimetapp. I hope you find this information useful.
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Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem. Information contained within this forum is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.