I noticed that cocaine and ecstacy are referred to as cocaine hydrochloride and MDMA hydrochloride. I have allergy medication in my cabinet that is diphenhydramine hydrochloride.
What’s a hydrochloride and why is it part of a lot of drugs?
In: Chemistry
These are just the *salts* (in the chemistry sense of the product of an acid-base reaction) formed by the addition of HC*l* to the compound.
The 3 compounds all have amine group with a nitrogen that is *basic*. So just like how ammonia NH3 can react with HC*l* to form ammonium chloride (“ammonia hydrochloride) by NH3 + HC*l* -> NH4C*l* (or the salt [NH4]^+ C*l*^- ), each of the compounds can undergo a similar acid-base reaction to form their hydrochloride salts.
The salt form is more water-soluble, which changes (compared to the free base “non-salt” form) how fast it is absorbed, how fast it starts acting, etc. The salt form is also typically more shelf-stable and may be easier to manufacture, which is why many are the standard forms used.
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