Actifed

Actifed is a registered trademark for a combination antihistamine and nasal decongestant medication used for cold and allergy symptoms. Developed in 1958 by Burroughs Wellcome & Company (now part of GlaxoSmithKline), the medication is now manufactured by Pfizer.

Actifed was included in the standard medical kit aboard the United States Apollo missions, and was used during Apollo 7 and Apollo 12 when crew members developed head cold symptoms. When Actifed was made available over-the-counter, former astronauts from the Apollo missions appeared in commercials promoting the product.

The original formula for Actifed contained pseudoephedrine hydrochloride 60mg as the nasal decongestant and triprolidine hydrochloride 2.5mg as the antihistamine. However, in response to widespread laws requiring products containing pseudoephedrine to be kept behind the pharmacy counter, Pfizer changed Actifed's formula in late 2006 to contain chlorpheniramine maleate 4mg as the antihistamine and phenylephrine HCl 10mg as the nasal decongestant. Many users of the old formula have complained that the new formula is not as effective at relieving their symptoms.

The old version of Actifed is still available behind the pharmacy counter in some states, as well as in some foreign markets, including Canada.