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Pressyn: Full Drug Profile

Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026

Pressyn - General Information

Antidiuretic hormone, also known as vasopressin, is a nine amino acid peptide secreted from the posterior pituitary. Antidiuretic hormone binds to receptors in the distal or collecting tubules of the kidney and promotes reabsorbtion of water back into the circulation

 

Pharmacology of Pressyn

Pressyn is an antidiuretic hormone indicated for the prevention and treatment of postoperative abdominal distention, in abdominal roentgenography to dispel interfering gas shadows, and in diabetes insipidus. Pressyn can cause contraction of smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract and of all parts of the vascular bed, especially the capillaries, small arterioles and venules. It has less effect on the smooth musculature of the large veins. Pressyn may also be used to control bleeding in some forms of von Willebrand disease and to treat extreme cases of bed wetting in children. It may also play a role in memory formation although the mechanism is unknown.

 

Pressyn for patients

Side effects such as blanching of skin, abdominal cramps, and nausea may be reduced by taking 1 or 2 glasses of water at the time of vasopressin administration. These side effects are usually not serious and probably will disappear within a few minutes.

 

Pressyn Interactions

  1. The following drugs may potentiate the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin when used concurrently: carbamazepine; chlorpropamide; clofibrate; urea; fludrocortisone; tricyclic antidepressants.
  2. The following drugs may decrease the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin when used concurrently: demeclocyline; norepinephrine; lithium; heparin, alcohol.
  3. Ganglionic blocking agents may produce a marked increase in sensitivity to the pressor effects of vasopressin.

 

Pressyn Contraindications

Anaphylaxis or hypersensitivity to the drug or its components.

 

Additional information about Pressyn

Pressyn Indication

For the treatment of enuresis, polyuria, diabetes insipidus, polydipsia and oesophageal varices with bleeding

Mechanism Of Action
Pressyn acts on three different receptors, vasopressin receptor V1a (which initiates vasoconstriction, liver gluconeogenesis, platelet aggregation and release of factor VIII), vasopressin receptor V1b (which mediates corticotrophin secretion from the pituitary) and vasopressin receptor V2 which controls free water reabsorption in the renal medullar. The binding of vasopressin to the V2 receptor activates adenylate cyclase which causes the release of aquaporin 2 channels into the cells lining the renal medullar duct. This allows water to be reabsorbed down an osmotic gradient so the urine is more concentrated.
Generic Name
Vasopressin
Synonyms
3-Isoleucyl vasopressin; Arginine oxytocin; Arginine vasotocin; Argiprestocin; Pitressin tannate; Vasopressin, isoleucyl; Vasopressin, non-mammalian; Vasotocin
Drug Category
Antidiuretics; Vasoconstrictor Agents
Drug Type
Biotech; Approved
Other Brand Names containing Vasopressin
Pitressin; Pressyn;
Protein Binding
1%
Biotransformation
The majority of a dose of vasopressin is metabolized and rapidly destroyed in the liver and kidneys.
Half Life
10-20 minutes
Dosage Forms of Pressyn
Liquid Intramuscular
Chemical IUPAC Name
1-[19-amino-7-(2-amino-2-oxoethyl)-10-(3-amino-3-oxopropyl)-13-butan-2-yl-16-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-6,9,12,15,18-pentaoxo1,2-dithia-5,8,11,14,17-pentazacycloicosane-4-carbonyl]-N-[1-[(2-amino-2-oxoethyl)amino]-5-(diaminomethylideneamino)-1-oxopentan-2-yl]pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide
Chemical Formula
C43H67N15O12S2
Organisms Affected
Humans and other mammals