Pheniramine maleate, which is a common ingredient in OTC cold products has been shown to be effective at relieving symptoms like nasal congestion and runny nose as well sneezing. A clinical trial of 200 participants found that with a single, standard dose—usually somewhere around 22.7 mg Below is an excerpt regarding the study result obtained from menur; Cold symptoms relief within reads "…Subjects who received pheniramine experienced significant releif(adjused means) in cold-like sypmptom rating scores compareed to those who took placebo(treatment difference -8. Its quick action of onset makes it the first choice for many people caught up in cold episode, seeing how well they manage the acute symptoms.
Its effectiveness is dependent on the antihistamine properties of the drug. Pheniramine maleate blocks many of the inflammatory secretion symptoms associated with colds by tying to histamin H1 receptor. This reduces how bad symptoms such as nasal discharge and watery eyes get by blocking receptors. Specific to respiratory conditions, Dr. Lisa Owens (a pharmacologist) described pheniramine maleate as having not only anti-histaminic effects but also "tying up mucus: drying secretions" thus providing complete relief of accompanying symptoms by virtue of its mild anticholinergic actions [23].
Still, its at times sedative side effects are impossible to ignore. Drowsiness affects ~30% of users and may restrict daytime use where alertness is required. That said, the trade-off is likely worth it for those looking to feel better fast — especially at night. Dr. Owens stresses that, while pheniramine maleate may be helpful for symptomatic relief as well, patients should consider taking it at bedtime in order to reduce daytime sedation effects.
In addition, pheniramine maleate is commonly used as one component of a complex pharmaceutical formulation such as in cold remedies where it may be combined with decongestants or analgesics to enhance the overall efficacy. A well-known example is pheniramine maleate and pseudoephedrine, which act together to give an antihistaminic effect even as decongestant thereby addressing both that sneeze-causing histamine release from his nose and calming down the angry nasal blood vessels. A combination of the two boiled down to a 20% reduction in cold symptoms length, as demonstrated by The Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Therefore, as those appraising the utility of pheniramine maleate uses can ascertain from this work that there is good evidence to suggest it continues to be an efficient drug in alleviating symptoms associated with colds where fast relief is required. But you should be aware of the sedative property and dose based on time. You can have more information in this subject on pheniramine maleate uses.