Phenazone phenazon, antipyrine (USAN

United States Adopted Name

United States Adopted Names are unique nonproprietary names assigned to pharmaceuticals marketed in the United States. Each name is assigned by the USAN Council, which is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association , the United States Pharmacopeial Convention , and the American Pharmacists...

), or analgesine is an analgesic

Analgesic

An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....

 and antipyretic

Antipyretic

Antipyretics ; an-tee-pahy-ret-iks; from the Greek anti, against, and pyreticus, are drugs or herbs that reduce fever. Normally, they will not lower body temperature if one does not have a fever. Antipyretics cause the hypothalamus to override an interleukin-induced increase in temperature...

. It was first synthesized by Ludwig Knorr

Ludwig Knorr

Ludwig Knorr was a German chemist. Together with Carl Paal, he discovered the Paal-Knorr synthesis, and the Knorr quinoline synthesis and Knorr pyrrole synthesis are also named after him. The synthesis in 1883 of the analgesic drug Antipyrin, now called Phenazone, was a commercial success...

 in 1883. It is formed by reducing diortho- dinitrodiphenyl with sodium amalgam

Sodium amalgam

Sodium amalgam, commonly denoted Na, is an alloy of mercury and sodium. The term amalgam is used for alloys, intermetallic compounds, and solutions involving mercury as a major component. Sodium amalgam is often used in reactions as strong reducing agents with better handling properties compared...

 and methyl alcohol, or by heating diphenylene-ortho-dihydrazine with hydrochloric acid

Hydrochloric acid

Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....

 to 150 °C. It crystal

Crystal

A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...

lizes in needles which melt at 156 °C. Potassium permanganate

Potassium permanganate

Potassium permanganate is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula KMnO4. It is a salt consisting of K+ and MnO4− ions. Formerly known as permanganate of potash or Condy's crystals, it is a strong oxidizing agent. It dissolves in water to give intensely purple solutions, the...

 oxidizes it to pyridazine tetracarboxylic acid. Phenazone has an elimination half life of about 12 hours.

Adverse effects

Possible adverse effects include:

• Allergy
  Allergy
  An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
  
   to pyrazolone
  Pyrazolone
  Pyrazolone, a five-membered-ring lactam, is a derivative of pyrazole that has an additional keto group.It has a molecular formula of C3H4N2O.Examples of derivatives include:* Ampyrone* Metamizole* Phenazone-External links:* *...
  
  s
• Nausea
  Nausea
  Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
  
  
• Agranulocytosis
  Agranulocytosis
  Granulopenia, also known as Agranulosis or Agranulocytosis, is an acute condition involving a severe and dangerous leukopenia , most commonly of neutrophils causing a neutropenia in the circulating blood. It represents a severe lack of one major class of infection-fighting white blood cells...
  
  
• Hepatotoxicity
  Hepatotoxicity
  Hepatotoxicity implies chemical-driven liver damage.The liver plays a central role in transforming and clearing chemicals and is susceptible to the toxicity from these agents. Certain medicinal agents, when taken in overdoses and sometimes even when introduced within therapeutic ranges, may injure...
  
  

See also

• Propyphenazone
  Propyphenazone
  Propyphenazone is a derivative of phenazone with similar analgesic and antipyretic effects....
  
  
• A/B Otic Drops, ear drops combined with benzocaine
  Benzocaine
  Benzocaine is a local anesthetic commonly used as a topical pain reliever, or in cough drops. It is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter anesthetic ointments...
  
   to relieve pain and remove cerumen