A Look at Ephedra Use

The over-the-counter sale of ephedrine was banned in 2004. Until that time, many people used it on a regular basis for various reasons. Some used it for weight loss, some for energy and alertness, and some used it to help them breathe better. They FDA made the choice to ban ephedrine not because of its benefits, but because it can have potentially deadly side effects.

When I was still quite young, I had my own personal experience with ephedra, in the form of pills containing ephedrine; a chemical found in ephedra. I worked the evening shift in a factory at the time. I would work up to 80 hours a week, all but 8 hours of that time was mandatory. I worked on an assembly line where speed was a must. I would find myself slowing down and getting very tired about halfway through my shift. I drank soda pop like it was going out of style, just to try to stay alert. A co-worker introduced me to ephedrine pills. The first time, I only took one pill because I was afraid it would keep me up well after my shift was over, and I knew I needed to rest that night.

Once the ephedrine got into my system, about 30 minutes after I took the pill, I felt so energetic and awake. I was able to stay very alert, and I was able to not only keep up with the fast moving assembly line, I was able to get ahead. I went from having to have help to get caught up to staying ahead in a very short amount of time. That was it, I was hooked.

I began to take ephedrine pills each night at work. I would take one before the start of my shift, and one at lunch, to begin with. Later, I progressed to taking two before y shift and two at lunch time. I was able to stay awake at work, I was able to stay ahead of the assembly line, which enabled me to help others, and when I went home, I still had enough energy to cook a meal and clean my house before going to bed.

At that time, I was also over-weight, and very self-conscious about my body. I began to notice that my pants were getting bigger, and I was not very hungry. I didn't think much of it though. I figured that my pants were getting bigger because I was on my feet working so many hours each week. I attributed the lack of hunger to not having the time to eat much. I was happy to finally be losing weight, and I didn't care if it was due to the pills or work. Whatever it was, it was working for me.

One night, I took two pills during my last break of the night. I felt I needed a boost, and didn't think that only one pill would do it. I remember going home, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, and then going to bed. I remember lying in bed, unable to sleep, and feeling like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. My mind was telling me to go to sleep, but my body just would not let me. I was becoming scared because of the way my heart was pounding in my chest. I tossed and turned for quite a while before I finally got to sleep.

After that night, I didn't take the pills as much, but I did still take them. I went from the factory job to waiting tables in a little restaurant, still working ridiculously long hours.

I noticed that I was very moody. I found myself snapping at every little thing, and getting irritated very easily. It seemed to be the worst when I didn't take the pills. I was really not liking who I felt I was becoming.

At that point, I thought about it, long and hard. I knew that the pills were helping me to stay awake, and I knew that I was losing weight and feeling better about myself, but I also knew that I was becoming unbearable to my family and friends. I figures that I could keep the weight off without the aid of the pills, and I would just have to find another way to stay awake, maybe I needed to quit working so many hours, maybe I just needed more rest. I made the choice to stop taking the pills altogether.

It was hard at first. I would get tired and really want that boost. I fought off the urge to go out and buy more, and nobody I knew was still taking them either. It made it easier for me to fight the urge to take them. I slowly began to feel more like myself. I wasn't so irritable and snippy with my friends and family. I no longer had boundless energy, but I did sleep better at night. I gained a bit of the weight back, but not much because I really watched what I ate and how much I ate. If there was one thing I didn't want, it was to gain weight again. From that point on, I have never taken ephedrine pills again.

For me, the benefits of taking the pills were wonderful. I'd be lying if I said that I don't think about taking them again from time to time. I just don't do it. The night I felt my heart pounding in my chest scared me enough to slow down my intake, but it wasn't until I noticed personality changes in myself that I finally stopped taking them. I stopped not because they were harmful to me, but because I didn't like myself after being on them for so long.

Since my experience with ephedrine, the benefits, as well as the risks of taking it have been studied by researchers. Now that I have shared my personal experience of the ephedrine, let's look at what researchers have to say.

Ephedra contains the alkaloids known as ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine. Both of these alkaloids are known to cause a nervous system response, bronchodilation, and constriction of the vascular system. When used with caffeine, ephedrine has been shown to cause weight loss. It has also been proven to be effective in managing bronchoconstriction experienced with asthma, and has also helped with hypotension.

Ephedra can cause an almost euphoric feeling in a person. It makes a person feel awake, and energetic. The person's heart rate increases, it is easier to take deep breaths; these things can cause a person to feel better in general. They feel like they are getting more oxygen into their body, and that their circulation is better.

When a person is over-weight, or feels they are over-weight, ephedrine; a chemical found in ephedrine, along with caffeine, helps them eat less. The combination of feeling less hungry, along with the feeling of being energetic, can help a person who normally does not exercise much do a lot more. It has been used in many weight loss pills.

Pseudo-ephedrine, another chemical found in ephedrine, has been used in over-the-counter cold and sinus medications for many years. It has been used to help relieve the nasal congestion and often times, shortness of breath that can accompany a cold or allergies.

There are many potentially deadly side effects that ephedrine use can cause.Ephedra, being used to help treat hypotension; low blood pressure, can actually cause hypertension; high blood pressure. It can also cause tachycardia; rapid heart beat, arrhythmia; irregular heart beat, central nervous system excitation; changes to the central nervous system, heart attack, as well as stroke. Many deaths have occurred due to ephedrine overdose.