Johnson and Johnson, together with SAHPRA, recently released a safety advisory for medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Commonly used for symptomatic management of conditions such as sinusitis, the common cold and allergic rhinitis, pseudoephedrine has been associated with two serious conditions affecting the cerebral blood vessels: posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RVCS).

Symptoms can include sudden onset severe headache, visual disturbances, nausea, confusion and transient neurologic deficits. The risk of these adverse effects is increased in the presence of uncontrolled hypertension and severe kidney disease.

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