Toff
Well-known member
- Awards
- 1
Wow so after looking for many over the counter less effective but possibly safer alternatives to ephedra, I read the examine.com safety profile of ephedrine.
It seems a beer binge out with the lads is more harmful??!
Struggling to see the safety issues here unless abused??
Read for yourself:
Safety and Toxicity within Recommended Dosage Range
Ephedrine, paired with caffeine, appears to be a safe supplement for adolescents (16 years average, 14-17) given adequate supervision.[1]
Some reviews note that interventions are no different from placebo[67] (although said meta-analysis established CI's ranging from 2-3.5[68]) and that the benefits of fat loss outweigh the costs.[67]
No clinically significant withdrawal symptoms are seen from usage of 20mg/200mg ephedrine/caffeine three times daily for 24 weeks.[69][70]
9.2. Case studies
As a foreward, a large registry based case-crossover study comparing naive and habitual ephedrine/caffeine users found no difference in adverse effects between groups, and found no overall relation with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.[71] Additionally, a meta-analysis of 50 studies and 284 case reports reported to the FDA (out of 18,000) noted that there was an association with ephedrine/ephedra and heart palpitations/autonomic side effects, but that case reports are the data are insufficient to draw conclusions about a rate less than 1 per thousand.[68] More dramatic side-effects are seen when reviewing FDA 'reports of adverse events'[72] but these tend to be associated with social panic; said meta-analysis[68] found only 284 out of 18,000 acceptable when controlling for temporal relations (ephedrine consumed 24 hours prior to report) and no other confounds were present. This suggests that 98.5% of non-medical cases were due to hypochondria, although by no means excludes possible harm.
Ephedrine has been associated with stroke in unknown dosages in persons with a history of drug abuse[73]
At least one case of human heart damage has been reported in a 44 year old male, but this was confounded with usage of a wide variety of compounds.[74] Another case study noted usage of Ephedrea, Xenadrine, and Hydroxycut for 2 years resulting in coronary artery aneurysm[75] which may be related to the Xenadrine formulation without Ephedrine.[76][77]
One study notes ephedrine associated with kidney stones, but takes an overly dramatic approach in the abstract.[78] Ephedrine alkaloids were found to comprise 95% of a kidney stone by weight in a person on 4 medications with a single kidney who suffered from kidney failure in the past. However, contacts of the author noted "over 200" other cases of kidney stones containing Ephedra Alkaloids. The supplement used by the case subject contained 170mg Ephedra (6% ephedrine).[78]
Ephedrine has, at least once, been used to commit suicide. The exact oral dose was unknown, but was well beyond the highest recommended therapeutic dosages.[78]
9.3. Legality
Many countries place restrictions on the sale of bulk ephedrine in order to prevent mass methamphetamine production, as ephedrine is a substrate for meth.[79]
In 2004 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a ruling prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedra, citing an unreasonable risk of illness or injury.[80] In addition to the FDA ban on sales, laws governing the sale, use, and possession of ephedra products have been established at the state and local level. If you are considering the use of ephedra, be sure to check first whether doing so complies with all national/local laws in your region.
It seems a beer binge out with the lads is more harmful??!
Struggling to see the safety issues here unless abused??
Read for yourself:
Safety and Toxicity within Recommended Dosage Range
Ephedrine, paired with caffeine, appears to be a safe supplement for adolescents (16 years average, 14-17) given adequate supervision.[1]
Some reviews note that interventions are no different from placebo[67] (although said meta-analysis established CI's ranging from 2-3.5[68]) and that the benefits of fat loss outweigh the costs.[67]
No clinically significant withdrawal symptoms are seen from usage of 20mg/200mg ephedrine/caffeine three times daily for 24 weeks.[69][70]
9.2. Case studies
As a foreward, a large registry based case-crossover study comparing naive and habitual ephedrine/caffeine users found no difference in adverse effects between groups, and found no overall relation with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.[71] Additionally, a meta-analysis of 50 studies and 284 case reports reported to the FDA (out of 18,000) noted that there was an association with ephedrine/ephedra and heart palpitations/autonomic side effects, but that case reports are the data are insufficient to draw conclusions about a rate less than 1 per thousand.[68] More dramatic side-effects are seen when reviewing FDA 'reports of adverse events'[72] but these tend to be associated with social panic; said meta-analysis[68] found only 284 out of 18,000 acceptable when controlling for temporal relations (ephedrine consumed 24 hours prior to report) and no other confounds were present. This suggests that 98.5% of non-medical cases were due to hypochondria, although by no means excludes possible harm.
Ephedrine has been associated with stroke in unknown dosages in persons with a history of drug abuse[73]
At least one case of human heart damage has been reported in a 44 year old male, but this was confounded with usage of a wide variety of compounds.[74] Another case study noted usage of Ephedrea, Xenadrine, and Hydroxycut for 2 years resulting in coronary artery aneurysm[75] which may be related to the Xenadrine formulation without Ephedrine.[76][77]
One study notes ephedrine associated with kidney stones, but takes an overly dramatic approach in the abstract.[78] Ephedrine alkaloids were found to comprise 95% of a kidney stone by weight in a person on 4 medications with a single kidney who suffered from kidney failure in the past. However, contacts of the author noted "over 200" other cases of kidney stones containing Ephedra Alkaloids. The supplement used by the case subject contained 170mg Ephedra (6% ephedrine).[78]
Ephedrine has, at least once, been used to commit suicide. The exact oral dose was unknown, but was well beyond the highest recommended therapeutic dosages.[78]
9.3. Legality
Many countries place restrictions on the sale of bulk ephedrine in order to prevent mass methamphetamine production, as ephedrine is a substrate for meth.[79]
In 2004 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a ruling prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedra, citing an unreasonable risk of illness or injury.[80] In addition to the FDA ban on sales, laws governing the sale, use, and possession of ephedra products have been established at the state and local level. If you are considering the use of ephedra, be sure to check first whether doing so complies with all national/local laws in your region.
