Stimulants Ephedrine HCL. Just wondering.

[Xxxor]

Hello,
I'm no chemist and I'm not looking to synthesize anything. I'm just a fan of the TV series Breaking Bad and heard over there that amphetamines are made out of Ephedrine.
Are they talking about ephedrine hydrochloride ? I've been googling since I find chemistry fascinating although only as a mere hobby but I found so many versions of ephedrine.
- Ephedrine Hydrochloride
- (1R,2S)-(−)-Ephedrine
- (+)-Ephedrine hemihydrate
- (−)-Ephedrine hydrochloride
- (+)-Ephedrine hydrochloride
- (1S,2R)-(+)-Ephedrine hydrochloride
- (1R,2S)-(−)-Ephedrine hydrochloride
- (1R,2S)-(−)-Ephedrine nitrate

Is it any of those that is used to make amp ? I've also seen at the local pharmacy injectable Ephedrine HCL that's used for vasoconstriction, increasing heart rate and stuff like that, maybe it's this one ?
Again sorry, it's obvious that I'm not well informed, but everyone's got to start from somewhere. I'd appreaciate any help. Thanks.

 

[tricomb]

This may be too synthy for my liking, even if your not synthesizing drugs others can use this information to accomplish just that.

Injectable ephedrine? I wasn't aware that local pharmacies / drugstores stocked ampoules of anything for injection OTC......

P.S. on breaking bad, they at least started out using pseudo, I don't remember if they ever changed that precursor to regular ephedrine although they definitely could have if they wanted to.

 

[pasha]

In the first 4 seasons they use pseudophedrine. Then in the 5th Methylamine.

I won't answer the part about the ephedrine but hydrochloride is just hydrochloridic acid with a base. Pharmaceutical companies use it to make products water soluble.

 

[sekio]

The two methods of Breaking Bad meth cooking

1, (pseudo)ephedrine, red phosphorous, iodine (hydroiodic acid reduction of alcohol)
2. reductive amination of phenylacetone with methylamine (form an imine and reduce to amine)

Ephedrine has two chiral centers, so there are actually four "ephedrines".
(+)-ephedrine
(-)-ephedrine (commonly used)
(+)-pseudoephedrine (commonly used)
(-)-pseudoephedrine

The counter ion (nitrate, hydrochloride) is simply to make the drug water soluble, as free base amines don't always dissolve well.

 

[Xxxor]

This may be too synthy for my liking, even if your not synthesizing drugs others can use this information to accomplish just that.

Injectable ephedrine? I wasn't aware that local pharmacies / drugstores stocked ampoules of anything for injection OTC......

P.S. on breaking bad, they at least started out using pseudo, I don't remember if they ever changed that precursor to regular ephedrine although they definitely could have if they wanted to.

It's not OTC. It's prescription.

The two methods of Breaking Bad meth cooking

1, (pseudo)ephedrine, red phosphorous, iodine (hydroiodic acid reduction of alcohol)
2. reductive amination of phenylacetone with methylamine (form an imine and reduce to amine)

Ephedrine has two chiral centers, so there are actually four "ephedrines".
(+)-ephedrine
(-)-ephedrine (commonly used)
(+)-pseudoephedrine (commonly used)
(-)-pseudoephedrine

The counter ion (nitrate, hydrochloride) is simply to make the drug water soluble, as free base amines don't always dissolve well.

Sekio, thank you for the information. I read one of your posts: http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/570838-Pseudo-Vs-Ephedrine?p=9626987&viewfull=1#post9626987

There you say that (+)-Ephedrine reduces to (+) amphetamine, but here you state that (-)-ephedrine is commonly used. Can you please clarify which of those end up being a decongestant and which ones end up being an active substance ? Thanks in advance.

 

[pasha]

They are mildly similar structrurally. Since they're both CNS stimulants and vasodilators they can both be used as decongestants.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

This may be too synthy for my liking

Starting to agree..