Phenacetin Powder

Usage :
Analgesic, antipyretic. Component of APC tablets, analgesic mixture also containing aspirin and caffeine. Phenacetin is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen; analgesic mixtures containing Phenacetin are listed as known human carcinogens.

Phenacetin is an analgesic, once widely used; its use has declined because of its adverse effects, some of which are described in the following. Its analgesic effects are due to its actions on the sensory tracts of the spinal cord. In addition, phenacetin has a depressant action on the heart, where it acts as a negative inotrope. It is an antipyretic, acting on the brain to decrease the temperature set point. It is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (subacute type) and intercostal neuralgia.

The painkiller phenacetin was the worlds first synthetic pharmaceutical drug. It was developed by an American chemist and began distribution in 1887. Phenacetin was often accompanied by aspirin and caffeine in what were called APC pills, which were widely distributed during and after World War II. The use of phenacetin in the U.S. was discontinued in the 1980s because of links to cancer and other adverse side effects, but it remains available in some countries.

Phenacetin is a white crystalline powder with the chemical composition C10H13NO2. It was first developed by Harmon Northrop Morse in 1878. In addition to its pain-reducing properties, it also has been used as a fever-reducer, a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and a treatment for intercostal neuralgia, a rare disorder that causes pain in the nerves around the ribs. It was one of the first painkillers that was not derived from opium while at the same time being absent of anti-inflammatory qualities.