Sudafed vs. Sudafed PE: What's the Difference?

What is nasal congestion?

Nasal congestion is the blockage or inability to breathe clearly through your nose due to swelling in the lining of your nasal passages. It can be due to common cold, hay fever, upper respiratory allergies, or sinus infection.

How do Sudafed and Sudafed PE work?

Both Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and Sudafed PE (phenylephrine) work by reducing swelling and pressure in your nose through squeezing or constricting the blood vessels in your sinuses. This decrease in swelling will allow for nasal drainage and easier breathing.

Sudafed is available as 30-mg, 60-mg, 120-mg, and 240-mg tablets. Sudafed PE is available as a 10-mg tablet. Both are also available in combination drugs with other active ingredients.

What is are the active ingredients in Sudafed and Sudafed PE?

The active ingredient in Sudafed is pseudoephedrine, while the active ingredient in Sudafed PE is phenylephrine. Both are available as generics pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, respectively.

How do you get Sudafed and Sudafed PE at the pharmacy?

Sudafed PE and phenylephrine-containing products are readily available in your local pharmacy or grocery store aisles.

Sudafed and other pseudoephedrine-containing products, however, have restrictions on their sale due to their use in making the street drug known as crystal meth. For that reason, even though they don’t require a prescription in most states, they will be located behind the counter at your pharmacy. You will also be asked to present a photo ID and sign due to the Combat Methamphetamine Act.

Depending on your state, pseudoephedrine products may require a prescription from your doctor. Check out this article for more information on Sudafed and your state laws.

Sudafed is more of a hassle, but are there any advantages over Sudafed PE?

Yes. Most patients and healthcare providers will agree that Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) is more effective for congestion than its counterpart Sudafed PE (phenylephrine).

This is likely due to the fact that the intestines will absorb only about 38% of the amount of Sudafed PE in one tablet, while Sudafed is 100% absorbed. Also, the effects of Sudafed PE do not last as long. Sudafed can be taken every four to six hours while Sudafed PE needs to be taken a little bit more often—every four hours.

You can find more information here.

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