Ephedrine, the active ingredient found in popular diet pills, over-the-counter allergy medications, herbal energy boosters, sport drinks and herbal asthma remedies, has been linked with serious side effects and injuries including, stroke, heart attack and death. Originating from the Ephedra plant, ephedrine has been advertised as a time-tested Chinese herb (ma huang) that will relieve asthma and allergy symptoms, as well as enhance athletic performance and weight loss. More recently, the ma huang/ephedrine herb has been identified as a dangerous ingredient in many well-known household medications.
For decades, ephedra has been used by millions of American consumers with no knowledge of its serious side effects. As an over the counter herbal supplement, ephedrine is not regulated by the FDA. However, over the past six years, the FDA has made recommendations to consumers that the maximum daily dosage of ephedrine not exceed 24 milligrams, that ephedrine not be consumed for more than one week, and that ephedrine supplements contain less than 8 milligrams per serving.
To date, the FDA has reported over 100 deaths and over 1000
serious side effects linked to Ephedra. Ephedrine has been
frequently linked to episodes of anxiety, fever, vomiting,
sleeplessness, migraines, memory loss, muscle injury, and high
blood pressure. More serious ephedra side effects include
seizures, paranoid psychosis, convulsions, comas, heart
arrhythmias heart attacks, intracranial bleeding, kidney disease,
strokes and death.
