Methyldopa

Methyldopa
Clinical data
Trade names	Aldomet, Aldoril, Dopamet, others
Other names	L-α-Methyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a682242
License data	US DailyMed: Methyldopa;
Pregnancy; category	AU: A; ;
Routes of; administration	By mouth, intravenous
ATC code	C02AB01 (WHO) ; C02AB02 (WHO) (racemic);
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only); CA: ℞-only; UK: POM (Prescription only); US: ℞-only;
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	approximately 50%
Metabolism	Liver
Onset of action	4 to 6 hrs
Elimination half-life	105 minutes
Duration of action	10 to 48 hrs
Excretion	Kidney for metabolites
Identifiers
	IUPAC name (S)-2-amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methyl-propanoic acid;
CAS Number	41372-08-1 ; anhydrous: 555-30-6 ;
PubChem CID	38853; anhydrous: 40175;
IUPHAR/BPS	5217;
DrugBank	DB00968 ;
ChemSpider	35562 ;
UNII	56LH93261Y; anhydrous: M4R0H12F6M ;
KEGG	D00405;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL459 ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID5023295 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.008.264
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C10H13NO4
Molar mass	211.217 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES C[C@](N)(Cc1ccc(O)c(O)c1)C(=O)O;
	InChI InChI=1S/C10H13NO4/c1-10(11,9(14)15)5-6-2-3-7(12)8(13)4-6/h2-4,12-13H,5,11H2,1H3,(H,14,15)/t10-/m0/s1 ; Key:CJCSPKMFHVPWAR-JTQLQIEISA-N ;
	(what is this?) (verify)

Methyldopa, sold under the brand name Aldomet among others, is a medication used for high blood pressure.^[1] It is one of the preferred treatments for high blood pressure in pregnancy.^[1] For other types of high blood pressure including very high blood pressure resulting in symptoms other medications are typically preferred.^[1] It can be given by mouth or injection into a vein.^[1] Onset of effects is around 5 hours and they last about a day.^[1]

Common side effects include sleepiness.^[1] More severe side effects include red blood cell breakdown, liver problems, and allergic reactions.^[1] 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.^[1]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "Methyldopa". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
^ Walker RS (2012). Trends and Changes in Drug Research and Development. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 109. ISBN 9789400926592. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14.
^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.