Methyldopa

Methyldopa
Skeletal formula of methyldopa
Ball-and-stick model of the methyldopa molecule
Clinical data
Trade namesAldomet, Aldoril, Dopamet, others
Other namesα-Methyl-L-DOPA; α-Methyl-levodopa; α-Methyl-DOPA; L-α-Methyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa682242
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: A
Routes of
administration		By mouth, intravenous
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailabilityapproximately 50%
MetabolismLiver
Onset of action4 to 6 hrs[1]
Elimination half-life105 minutes
Duration of action10 to 48 hrs[1]
ExcretionKidney for metabolites
Identifiers
  • (S)-2-amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-methyl-propanoic acid
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.008.264 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC10H13NO4
Molar mass211.217 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • C[C@](N)(Cc1ccc(O)c(O)c1)C(=O)O
  • 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 ☒N
  • Key:CJCSPKMFHVPWAR-JTQLQIEISA-N ☒N
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Methyldopa, also known as α-methyl-L-DOPA and 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]

Methyldopa was discovered in 1960.[2] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[3]

  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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.