Postpartum Phenylpropanolamine-Induced Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Phenylpropanolamine-induced vasculitis and related intracerebral hemorrhage has moved from the spotlight it occupied following its withdrawal from the market at the end of 2000 after the Food and Drug Administration ruled that it was not safe and effective, but the risk from medicines purchased prior to that time and still in the possession of the public can still pose a health hazard. We present the case of a patient who developed intracerebral hemorrhage following phenylpropanolamine ingestion post-partum 4 years following the recall, as well as her difficult recovery process. This case emphasizes the point that physicians should consider phenylpropanolamine when evaluating young females with few risk factors for stroke.