epherda????

[thenewme]

Hi...I have a question to this forum... I have a freind at work who is really thin and hardly eats... we were talking today and she told me she was taking these pills that they sell at a nutrition place and they have epherda.... she says there great... they take away your appetite... I was interested in them and she told me what store to go to she even showed me the bottle and gave me two to try out for tommorow. Well I got in my car and started telling my husband.,.. he threw a major fit and told me they are legal speed and how people are dying from them and he grabbed them from me and threw them out the window.... he said he better not ever catch me taking them cus I can die from that... now this is my question... my husband is very dramatic and has been sabbotaging my diet from day one. So please has or does anyone out there take this or have you heard of this drug. Just want the truth,.... thanks for your help.

[fishfish]

Ephedra is widely recognized as having caused or contributed to numerous serious health problems, including cardiac arrest & stroke. Some high profile incidents have involved athletes who have died in the heat while taking ephedra. The FDA has issued warnings about ephedra, and there are efforts underway to ban it entirely.

[peckish]

Ephedra is a supplement (originally derived from a chinese herb, ma huang) that has been shown to have a thermogenic (i.e. increasing heat/energy generated by your body) effect, especially when combined with caffeine. I have read articles that state that it "mimics" the action of your body's natural adrenaline, which would explain why some people who take it describe feeling 'edgy' or 'jittery', and some complain of palpitations - it 'revvs you up', no question. As fishfish pointed out, it has gotten quite a bit of negative press lately, but there have been some legitimate studies in the past showing modest weight loss when using it. Use your best judgement.

[Natrushka]

As fishfish pointed out, it has gotten quite a bit of negative press lately, but there have been some legitimate studies in the past showing modest weight loss when using it. Use your best judgement. Definitely, do your homework and use your judgement. There is a very comprehensive thread on this subject in the General Exercise sticky of "hot links!" - lots of information, both pro and con.

While ephedra based products have received a lot of negative press in recent months there has also be a lot of misinformation involved. Statstically more people have died from complications taking over the counter medicines (i.e., asprin) than have with this type of supplement. When directions are followed and not abused this supplement does work quite safely - unfortunately people like your friend are not doing this.

HTH
-Nat

[gawdess]

I have used Ephedra in the past and found that what the government is reporting to us is not 100% correct. For example they say you cant sweat on it which is totally untrue.Your husband is correct, Ephedra is infact a legal form of speed. I wouldnt recommend taking it for weight loss at all, as it is not the natural way to go and long term Ephedra use is bad. I can recall having increased heart palpitations on the stuff but no worse than if I had drank too much coffee. Should you decide to use Ephedra, as with any drug be sure to educate yourself on it before taking.

[thenewme]

Thanks so much for your responses..... I did alot of research on this pill.... I typed in the word and went on a search engine and of course my husband was more than helpful showing me web sites on it... and OMG that could be a deadly drug. I am so grateful to him and you guys for giving me advanced warning. I am concerned over my friend now who I will bring that up to her on Monday. I would rather lose weight safely than endanger my life and leave my family wifeless/motherless. Thank you guys again.

[Natrushka]

... I typed in the word and went on a search engine and of course my husband was more than helpful showing me web sites on it... and OMG that could be a deadly drug. I'll hazzard that these are not sites you happened upon ;)

http://www.drumlib.com/dp/000027.htm
http://www.ephedrafacts.com/
http://www.drumlib.com/dp/000006.htm

[ImHere]

I personally took an ephedra based stacker ... Hydroxycut... for a period of 3 months as recommended and supervised by my personal trainer/nutritionist about 3 years ago. It worked well for me during that time as I was attempting to get back into shape and drop some weight that I had gained following an illness and long period of inactivity.

One thing is I did not follow the instructions on increasing the dosage to recommended levels because I did not like the side effects , dry mouth, irritability, and let down in the evenings when my dosage was increased. I stayed at beginning level dosage and did fine. I also took a lot of supplements and remained well hydrated as the effects of the hydroxycut require it.

I can understand, like anything else, people who have medical conditions, or are not able to follow recommendations, who are unaware of their body's signals, or who are unsupervised should not use such methods. I feel that much of the negative publicity about ephedra has been the result of people's inappropriate use of this herb. As is recommended, with any other weight loss, dietary changes, or exercise program everyone should have a physical check-up and visit to their doctor. This is not a drug for desperate people looking for a quick fix.

[thenewme]

Hi Natrushka
Thanks so much for your help on those sites. They were very helpful. I believe that before starting any herb/drug program check with your doctor and use your better judgement. Some things can be good when used in moderation. Thanks again for your insight. P.S. I would give you a smiley face wink too but dont know where to get em :-).