I found ephedra tablets at Genesis in Vancouver (see Shopping/BC) which surprised me, they are not part of a formula, just pure ephedra. 100 25mg tablets for $13. Some use ephedra combined with caffine as part of "stacking" to boost the metabolism. This is a bit controversial though. To learn more about stacking, check http://www.drumlib.com

Wa'il

I've found both of them in Health Food Stores, usually listed or displayed under Decongestants and/or Herbal Decongestants (ephedrine, pseudoephedrine are VERY common in decongestants)... though once the Decongestant (ephedrine 25mg) was shelved right next to the 'bodybuilding' supplements.

I checked out the link on your ephedra post, Wa'il, and now I'm curious. I know I was a bit skeptical when we talked about it at Stepho's, but what the hey, a girl can do some research! Now I know they've been using it in Europe for years with few or no ill effects, which piques my curiosity even more.

I have a couple of questions for anyone with any experience with this stuff:

-Would you recommend ephedra for weight loss and/or increased energy?

-I thought caffeine was supposed to be a 'no no' on Atkins (I drink a couple of cups a day anyway). So if caffeine is 'bad,' how come ephedra + caffeine is 'good'?

-If one strong cup of coffee is 100 mg of caffeine, could one take 20 mg of ephedra with 2 cups of coffee, first thing in the morning, say, and not use caffeine tablets?

-Is the aspirin really necessary? (your info link, Wa'il, says no)

-I have depressed energy and daytime fatigue/drowsiness in the winter months (a mild case of SAD, I think). Would the use of ephedra/caffeine increase my energy levels so I can function better in the winter?

I realize none of you can prescribe medical advice, but some educated opinions would be useful.

Thanks!
Rachel

The combination definitly energizes your body. Some take it to increase their performace in workout etc. I've tried it, and the above was true. Side effects, though, included reduced apetite and nausia. I you want to try it, start with half a dose and see what it's like. I had it with strong espresso, and could just feel the energy. This is no placebo, and you'll notice it. No weight loss for me though, but most people who tried it did lose.

Wa'il

Just for information sake, but the two are *different*.

Ephedra sinica, or ma huang, is a natural herbal supplement, that's been used in Chinese tradition for thousands of years, safely and effectively. Mostly for asthma/bronchitis, allergies and as a heart stimulant. It contains many alkaloids which are synergistic to one another, icluding ephedrINE and others.

EphedrINE is a highly purified derivative from ma huang, isolated from the other alkaloids. It is a potent bronchodilator, but without the other alkaloids can cause serious side effects. Even in regular medicine, it is rarely used alone anymore (you'll notice cold and allergy meds have it combined with something else, usually pseudoephedrine). Pseudoephedrine, by the way, is one of the other alkaloids found in natural ephedra. Mother Nature knows best I guess.

I have no personal experience with either of these, but I know a number of others who have. Some have good success, others had to quit because of side effects, jitters and high blood pressure. Guess it's a case of YMMV.

If you want to give it a go, I say buy the smallest size package to try. If it's not helpful, at least you're not out a lot of money.

good luck
Doreen

OK, I walked up to Genesis and bought some (a 20-minute walk each way, good exercise, even if I don't get anything else out of it!) The brand is "Ultra X-Plode" (sounds x-rated! and a weird name for a decongestant, which is what the label identifies it as, obviously due to some sort of labelling regulation) and it's 90 caps for $14.89. It's ephedra only, Ma Huang, with 8% ephedrine (24 mg/cap). The brand Wa'il was mentioning up above is straight ephedrine, which from your last post, Doreen, isn't as good.

I went into the pharmacy and got some gel caps (empty) so I can split each capsule into two doses.

I'm going to check the whole topic out some more before I actually try it.

I'm hoping it'll provide a little extra lift for those SAD days; any weight loss will be a bonus. If nothing else, I threw out my decongestant caps, since they contain that drug they're now saying causes strokes; suppose the ephedra can't be any worse than that!

Well, we'll see. I'll do more research, and keep you posted!

Rachel