Key facts
- Active ingredient
- Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride and Triprolidine Hydrochloride
- Form
- Syrup
- Strength
- Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride 30MG/5ML; Triprolidine Hydrochloride 1.25MG/5ML
- Type
- Prescription (Rx)
- Brand or generic
- Generic
- Manufacturer
- Cenci
- Half-life
- roughly 3 to 16 hours — the label does not give one number, because the elimination half-life depends on urine pH: about 3 to 6 hours when urine pH is 5 (acidic), and about 9 to 16 hours when urine pH is 8 (alkaline) (how long it stays in your system)
- What the pharmacy pays
- ~$8.29 for 30 — not your price
- FDA application
- ANDA088283
- Availability
- Discontinued (per FDA)
How long does Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride and Triprolidine Hydrochloride stay in your body?
The elimination half-life of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and triprolidine hydrochloride is roughly 3 to 16 hours — the label does not give one number, because the elimination half-life depends on urine pH: about 3 to 6 hours when urine pH is 5 (acidic), and about 9 to 16 hours when urine pH is 8 (alkaline) — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. This is a genuinely variable half-life, not a fixed one. Pseudoephedrine is cleared mostly unchanged by the kidneys (55% to 96% of a dose appears unchanged in urine), and because it is a base, acidic urine traps and flushes it out faster while alkaline urine lets it be reabsorbed — hence the 3-6 h vs 9-16 h spread the label reports. No active metabolite to worry about: the label says less than 1% is metabolized in the liver, by N-demethylation, to an INACTIVE metabolite. It is not a prodrug. Kidney impairment: because clearance is renal, the label states pseudoephedrine "may accumulate in patients with renal impairment," and the product is to be generally avoided in these patients — expect a longer half-life, though the label does not quantify it. Liver impairment: no studies of pseudoephedrine were conducted in hepatic impairment, so the label gives no number; the product is likewise to be generally avoided. Older adults: this label gives no separate pseudoephedrine half-life for people 65+ (its geriatric pharmacokinetic data covers the antihistamine component only), but it warns that older adults are more likely to have adverse reactions to sympathomimetic amines. The half-life above is from the Clarinex-D 12 Hour label, which is where FDA-approved pseudoephedrine pharmacokinetics are published; standalone OTC pseudoephedrine products carry monograph "Drug Facts" labels that contain no pharmacokinetics section at all.
This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: CLARINEX-D 12 HOUR (desloratadine and pseudoephedrine sulfate) extended release tablets — Section 12.3 Pharmacokinetics, DailyMed.
Dosage forms
Syrup
The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.
Ways to save
Ask for the generic
Same active ingredient, far cheaper. Is there a generic? →
Request a 90-day supply
Bulk fills usually lower the per-dose price vs monthly refills.
Use copay cards
Manufacturer copay cards & patient-assistance programs — especially for brand drugs.
Compare alternatives
A same-class option may cost less. See alternatives →
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Histafed cost?
- Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $8.29 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.
- Is there a coupon or discount for Histafed?
- pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Histafed. To pay less, Histafed is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
- Who makes Histafed?
- Histafed is marketed by Cenci. You can see Cenci's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
- Is Histafed a brand-name or generic drug?
- Histafed is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride and Triprolidine Hydrochloride. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.
- Is Histafed available over the counter?
- No. Histafed is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
- What forms does Histafed come in?
- Histafed is currently marketed as syrup, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
- Is Histafed FDA-registered?
- Histafed is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA088283. You can verify this on its official FDA label.
Information is sourced from public FDA regulatory data. Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.
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