Ephedrine

SummerFun2011
SummerFun2011 Posts: 105
edited October 7 in Health and Weight Loss
With all the weight loss pill comercials and sales lately I have been going crazy:explode: :explode: . I know these do not work and I was explaining this my cousin last night and he agreed and said that it is becuase they dont work since the ephedrine is taken out. Is this true? So if someone took ephedrine they would lose weight? I am just curious what it is since I just now found out it existed :laugh: :laugh:
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Replies

  • samanthar83
    samanthar83 Posts: 7
    As far as I know Ephedrine is now illegal. Yes, it does make you lose weight, it is basically speed. Years ago I took Metabolife when it still contained ephedrine and it was awful! I felt so jittery all the time but I lost weight.
  • fink21061
    fink21061 Posts: 53 Member
    Years ago there was a perscription phen phen. Yes it worked great but the fda yanked it. You cant get it now. But it was wonderful.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    Ephedrine by itself doesn't really enhance fat loss. Only combined with caffeine was it found to enhance fat loss in peer reviewed studies.

    But it can be dangerous if abused and that was why it was taken off the market in the form of diet pills.
  • salmasy
    salmasy Posts: 15
    ephedrine is just another name for adrenaline, that stuff that is secreted by the adrenal glands in response to fast movement or fear in order to quickly boost the body into energetic mode so you have the energy to run the **** away from animals that used to eat us back when we were evolving.
    faster energy production = more calories burnt.

    so yes adrenaline works to burn calories.
    even more so if you split a workout into two, the first part for the natural adrenaline to start and then the second main part you do after injecting yourself with ephedrine.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    With all the weight loss pill comercials and sales lately I have been going crazy:explode: :explode: . I know these do not work and I was explaining this my cousin last night and he agreed and said that it is becuase they dont work since the ephedrine is taken out. Is this true? So if someone took ephedrine they would lose weight? I am just curious what it is since I just now found out it existed :laugh: :laugh:

    The ephedrine and caffeine stack is an effective tool to help with weight loss, however it isn't some magic pill that can beat a bad diet. And of course all supplements carry certain risks in using them.
  • jamezyjamez
    jamezyjamez Posts: 41
    Man...ECA (ephedrine, caff, aspirin) was the rage back in the day.

    Pretty sure ephedrine is an ingredient in meth production as well which is another reason it's now more controlled.
  • SummerFun2011
    SummerFun2011 Posts: 105
    He mentioned that people thought that if the took more than they would lose more weight and died. Which I can see why they took it out! Dumb people i guess :laugh: :laugh: But if you take the ephedrine and caffiene you would lose more eating the same calories? Or what does it do that makes it so god?
  • KEMerriman
    KEMerriman Posts: 14
    they took the ephedrine out because it isn't any good for you. Yes you can lose weight with it but it is not a good way to do it. Here are a couple of website that discuss it

    http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/weight-loss-etc/danger-of-ephedrine.htm

    http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1319.html

    http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ephedra/

    While this might sounds like a good idea it can have some serious side effects. Hope this helps!
  • eashelton53
    eashelton53 Posts: 55 Member
    This is true, When I was in the Army my weight loss peaked at 200. I purchased Metabo Life that had Ephedrine in it and with into 2 weeks I dropped down to 185 solid. My BMI was 11% I had to take it after workouts though because taking it before workouts made my heart pump way too fast and making me feel like I was going to pass out.

    I later heard of a baseball picture dying from an enlarged heart that was caused by Ephedrine so I stopped taking it. After I got out of the Army I gained weight and tried taking the Ephedrine free Metabo Life and it was a waist of time and money. it didn't work.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    ECA is effective, but as mentioned, it does have some risk, be smart and listen to your body if you do take it
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    ephedrine is a stimulant, as well as appetite suppressent. It does other things as well. It is dangerous because it causes increase in blood pressure and fast heart rate, which can lead to basically a heart attack.

    It worked for fat loss yes, since it stimulated thermogensis of adipose tissue. And yes, now it is illegal to use it in diet supplements. it is still allowed to be used in inhalers, cold medicines and allergy meds. ps..yes it is used in meth production. that is why you need to show your license/id to buy sudafed at the pharmacy.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    ECA is effective, but as mentioned, it does have some risk, be smart and listen to your body if you do take it

    Exactly! And don't take it at 10 pm :P
  • fink21061
    fink21061 Posts: 53 Member
    phen phen was basically a speed. If you took it you could not sit still. So you would really work out and lose weight. Some dumb people thought if you took more you would lose more. But you did not. It just made your heart race more and you could have a heart attack. My friend lost about 70lbs on that. But she would also spend all hours of the night cleaning her house every night top to bottom
  • dovesgate
    dovesgate Posts: 894 Member
    Ephedrine is an appetite suppressor so technically the answer is yes, if you took enough of it for long enough. However, the biggest question is would you take meth to lose weight? Meth can be made from ephedrine (which is why medication like Sudafed is locked up behind the pharmacist counter). If you wouldn't be a crackhead, don't use ephedrine for weight loss. :)
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    ephedrine is a stimulant, as well as appetite suppressent. It does other things as well. It is dangerous because it causes increase in blood pressure and fast heart rate, which can lead to basically a heart attack.

    It worked for fat loss yes, since it stimulated thermogensis of adipose tissue. And yes, now it is illegal to use it in diet supplements. it is still allowed to be used in inhalers, cold medicines and allergy meds. ps..yes it is used in meth production. that is why you need to show your license/id to buy sudafed at the pharmacy.

    Interestingly enough...

    Breum L, Pedersen JK, Ahlstrom F, and Frimodt-Moller J. "Comparison of an ephedrine/caffeine combination and dexfenfluramine in the treatment of obesity. A double-blind multi-centre trial in general practice." Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994 Feb, 18(2):99-103

    "During the last two years defined doses daily more than 9.6 million of the EC combination have been used in Denmark, but only 86 adverse drug reactions have been reported to the health authorities, of which none were cases of gastrointestinal bleeding or other kinds of haemorrhagic episodes . . . Both diastolic and systolic BP declined during treatment with both drugs"
  • chubbybunnee
    chubbybunnee Posts: 197 Member
    If you want to try a weight loss pill that helps, I wouldn't try any that are over the counter. There are a few you can get prescribed if you are desperate that will boost your energy and lower your appetite but they are highly addictive so most doctors don't prescribe them and they are only to help you get a jump start on your diet, they are not a long term solution and if your eating habits don't change, it's pointless to use them for short term and then gain the weight back so they are for when you exercise, eat right, and just need help curbing your appetite while you get used to your new eating plan. The one I know of is adipex. I have never tried it so I can't give you a review but my uncle is a doctor and has told me they work for some people. My Doctor here wouldn't write a script for me, and now I'm glad he didn't because I found out my thyroid wasn't working right and as soon as I started taking supplements, I had energy and naturally, with a change in diet, and increased exercise, I feel better.
  • chicago_dad
    chicago_dad Posts: 357
    as others have mentioned, ephedrine, caffeine, and synephedrine are central nervous stimulants. They speed everything up in your central nervous system. This can produce *short term* side-effects such as alertness, increased energy, heart palpitations, and decreased appetite. These effects diminish and one needs greater quantities to feel any effects. There are significant long-term risks associated with using these things in doses needed to see long-term weight loss. Avoid them.

    Caffein in coffee is good though, taken in the right amounts.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
    Ephedra is a natural herbal product. Like cocaine and nicotine, you know.

    If it worked, it wouldn't be the 21st century and the world is still having trouble losing weight. People would have been using it all along. It is closely related to amphetamines, sudafed, neo-synephrine, etc.

    It gives you a dry mouth, so food tastes crappy. You lose interest in your usual high fat foods, but you also lose interest in a lot of nourishing foods. If you don't change your eating habits, you'll just switch to sodas and juices and regain the weight.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    I agree, it's no magic pill, has risks and is a tool to aid in your losses. Although it's no longer in supplements in the U.S, you can legally import 3.5g per month from Canadian pharmacy's. 3.5g is quite a bit if you're cylcing it and taking a total of 50mg per day.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    As far as I know Ephedrine is now illegal. Yes, it does make you lose weight, it is basically speed. Years ago I took Metabolife when it still contained ephedrine and it was awful! I felt so jittery all the time but I lost weight.

    It's not illegal. If that were the case you wouldn't be able to buy certain medications over the counter.
  • SummerFun2011
    SummerFun2011 Posts: 105
    Ephedra is a natural herbal product. Like cocaine and nicotine, you know.

    If it worked, it wouldn't be the 21st century and the world is still having trouble losing weight. People would have been using it all along. It is closely related to amphetamines, sudafed, neo-synephrine, etc.

    It gives you a dry mouth, so food tastes crappy. You lose interest in your usual high fat foods, but you also lose interest in a lot of nourishing foods. If you don't change your eating habits, you'll just switch to sodas and juices and regain the weight.

    From what the other users have said leik Acg67 it does work, but is too risky and potentially dangerous if used wrong? I know it isn't a magic pill I was just curious abut it
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    ephedrine is a stimulant, as well as appetite suppressent. It does other things as well. It is dangerous because it causes increase in blood pressure and fast heart rate, which can lead to basically a heart attack.

    It worked for fat loss yes, since it stimulated thermogensis of adipose tissue. And yes, now it is illegal to use it in diet supplements. it is still allowed to be used in inhalers, cold medicines and allergy meds. ps..yes it is used in meth production. that is why you need to show your license/id to buy sudafed at the pharmacy.

    Interestingly enough...

    Breum L, Pedersen JK, Ahlstrom F, and Frimodt-Moller J. "Comparison of an ephedrine/caffeine combination and dexfenfluramine in the treatment of obesity. A double-blind multi-centre trial in general practice." Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994 Feb, 18(2):99-103

    "During the last two years defined doses daily more than 9.6 million of the EC combination have been used in Denmark, but only 86 adverse drug reactions have been reported to the health authorities, of which none were cases of gastrointestinal bleeding or other kinds of haemorrhagic episodes . . . Both diastolic and systolic BP declined during treatment with both drugs"


    interestingly enough also...

    It makes you hypermetabolic -- that is, it increases the metabolism, which then helps the body to produce more heat internally. As a result, your heart rate goes up and blood pressure elevates, which causes the blood vessels to constrict. It's harder to lose heat through constricted blood vessels.
    -http://www.umm.edu/features/ep_overview.htm
    univerity of maryland medical center
  • particleastro
    particleastro Posts: 68 Member
    Ephedrine is certainly controlled here in Britain. All the fat loss stuff you used to be able to get has had the 'active' ingredient removed.

    For the record, I would use ephedrine products (mostly the old SAN Tight ) before boxing matches as it would burn fat like nobodys buisness but would dry me out also. Luckly it was only amateur so I only had to last 4 rounds.

    There are plenty of diet pills on the market that do make a difference, but those that do tend to be brutal. Use with caution.

    Regards,
    J
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
    I'm in eastern Canada and trying to get Sudafed in liquid form is a huge chore. My daughter had jaw surgery and needed it to keep her sinuses clear because her mouth was wired shut. It was a special order and had to be ordered in one bottle at a time from the pharmacy (her dosage was high because she was 14 at the time and the liquid is meant for small kids). My husband was put through the third degree and they only agreed to order it after he showed them the time chart from the doctor listing all the drugs and dosages. So I know they are ridiculously tight with anything containing epherdrine here as well.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    That's exactly why they don't work. If you want ephedrine in the US you can get it behind the counter in asthma medicine in some states (for a little longer, the pharmacist told me soon it will all be illegal). In most states, VasoPro and Primatine tablets have ephedrine in them (don't bother with pseudo, it doesn't work). Taking one pill a day with caffeine and low dose aspirin helps metabolism. There is a list of states online where you can't get it at all.

    But there's another problem. It isn't a long term fix because the body develops a tolerance and you do not want to take this stuff in large doses any more than you want to take anything in large doses. So don't expect it to work for very long and you're far more likely to gain back whatever you lose when you stop taking it.

    Meanwhile, your friend is right, other diet pills are a ripoff, don't even bother. One reason I intend to move out of this idiotic country is so I can get access to herbal ephedra again. It has two other uses, and I'm in need of both. It helps control allergies and it helps with attention span. The only reason it is illegal is lobbyists for pharmaceutical companies. Oh, and morons who can't leave well enough alone making crystal meth out of it instead of just taking it as intended.

    Also, don't bother with ephedra containing products such as Mormon Tea. It's way too weak to be useful. You might be able to get the natural version online in some places still, but I had no luck when I tried several years ago and if you do get some, make sure it's not just the aerial part of the plant. Taking just the aerial part can raise blood pressure.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member

    But there's another problem. It isn't a long term fix because the body develops a tolerance and you do not want to take this stuff in large doses any more than you want to take anything in large doses. So don't expect it to work for very long and you're far more likely to gain back whatever you lose when you stop taking it.

    Incorrect, the thermogenic effects actually increase with long term usage while the ergogenic effects diminish over time, but some of that can be brought back with l-tyrosine
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    With all the weight loss pill comercials and sales lately I have been going crazy:explode: :explode: . I know these do not work and I was explaining this my cousin last night and he agreed and said that it is becuase they dont work since the ephedrine is taken out. Is this true? So if someone took ephedrine they would lose weight? I am just curious what it is since I just now found out it existed :laugh: :laugh:
    True.



    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    With all the weight loss pill comercials and sales lately I have been going crazy:explode: :explode: . I know these do not work and I was explaining this my cousin last night and he agreed and said that it is becuase they dont work since the ephedrine is taken out. Is this true? So if someone took ephedrine they would lose weight? I am just curious what it is since I just now found out it existed :laugh: :laugh:
    True

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Hyperspace
    Hyperspace Posts: 78
    The herb Ma Huang is a natural source of ephedrine. You can still buy that in health food stores. ( Just saying-- use it sanely-- if you buy it, scarf down half a bottle, and have a heart attack, don't blame me.)

    I sometimes take it to combat pollen allergies. I've never noticed any "speed effects", but then, I don't take a lot. Or I may be resistant to it because Sudafed doesn't speed me, either. I find that Ma Huang doesn't overdry my mouth like Sudafed, so I like it better for allergies.

    It's too bad that a perfectly useful medication had to be restricted because of a few idiots overdoing it and/or making meth out of it.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member

    But there's another problem. It isn't a long term fix because the body develops a tolerance and you do not want to take this stuff in large doses any more than you want to take anything in large doses. So don't expect it to work for very long and you're far more likely to gain back whatever you lose when you stop taking it.

    Incorrect, the thermogenic effects actually increase with long term usage while the ergogenic effects diminish over time, but some of that can be brought back with l-tyrosine

    Exactly this. Works better over time.

    What makes you think all the weight will come flying back on?
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