Ephedra Finally and Fully Banned
Ephedra-based diet supplements have finally been completely and fully banned. The last 18 months has been a series of mixed messages.
Here is where things stand:
- February 2004 - FDA prohibited sales of diet supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids.
- In April 2005 a judge in Utah struck down the FDA ban
- Later in 2005 supplement makers began making pills with a 10mg dose of the ephedra alkaloid. This made things very confusing and left many wondering whether ephedra was legal or not.
- Aug 17 2006, the FDA has upheld their original ban (effectively reversing the Utah court decision).
The Last Word
From the FDA:
No dosage of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids is safe and the sale of these products in the United States is illegal and subject to FDA enforcement action.
More like this in Diet Pills
99 Comments
Add Your Comment
ADVERTISING
New
- FROM DIET BLOG
- On-Off Fasting: Does It Work?
- 400 Calorie Fix
- 5 Factor World Diet
- Quick Giveaway: Powerhouse Weight Loss Game
- FORUM
- Low Carb Atkins Diet- Tips to Cut the Carbs.
- How Can I Gain a Healthy Weight and Keep it?
- How Do I Eat Healthy at University?
- Starving Myself and Exercising, But Not Losing an Ounce?
Categories
| Body Image Celebrities Diet Pills Diets Exercise |
Fast Food Funny Stuff Success Stories Teens and Kids Tips and Tools |
RSS Feed
Follow @DietBlog on Twitter
It amazes me how so much the American public is brainwashed by the B.S. the FDA puts out under the guise of "public safety". How convenient is it to ban an HERB that has been used safely for thousands of years because they claim they can attribute 5 deaths to it. 5 Deaths! are you kidding me? How many people has Vicodin killed, yet it is legal to buy as long as you have a "prescription"! It is just a matter of time before a major pharmaceutical company comes out with a perscription drug containing ephedra (in the same way that industry is trying to come up with a pill containing marijuana - that other herb that has been used for thousands of years.) The real issue for the FDA is not how safe is it, it's how can we prevent people from self-medicating? I mean if people self-medicate, how will pharmaceutical companies make their money?
ReplyJust to add to what Karesa said. I think whether or not the govenment can tax and make money off of a drug has a lot to do with what is legal and what is not.
ReplyThe reason this drug was banned was to cut down on the amount methamphetamine. Ephedrine is used to make meth, and it is not possible to have meth without it. Users are known for buying sudaphed boxes by the hundreds to make meth, and the start to minimizing meth is to ban any medicine with ephedra in it.
As was said, the proper way to lose weight is to exercise. Coffee is a laxative, as well as an energy boost, there is no reason to rely on ephedrine based drugs to loose weight. Loosing weight by starving yourself is the process in which the body retains water.
Replymany people take diff..types of suplements for some it works and for others nothing I'm fedup of hearing that certain drugs are bad and will kill you and others will say that they are okay and so on just like all of you are pointing out. i found that efedrine is not a drug but has effects as a drug would do. (doesnt mean it is...) but i want to know how to use it correctly with my days i work out. i found efedra and bought 3 packs with 50mg tablets in side and want to know how much caff and asprine to use. i will only do it once a day 4 times a week anyway for just a month or 2. so if anyone can help me please do.
ReplyEphredra, the herb was used by indigenous folk usually as a herbal infusion - which is why it was safe used in that way.
Enter the marketers from the health food industry, who standardized/concentrated the herb to a powder in capsule form and suddenly it was available in a form that could easily be abused.
It was never meant to be taken that way. Ephredra the herb, is not dangerous...the concentrated capsules were the problem and overzealous users.
ReplyLori, this got overlooked? If you are still reading this, I'm so sorry for your loss.
I think Spanish Patricia is right. Many herbs used in the way that they've been used traditionally are safe, but when concentrated or otherwise used in other ways, then they can be dangerous.
ReplyI forgot to mention that in TCM (trad. Chinese medicine) ephedra is known as ma huang and was used primarily for respiratory problems such as bronchial or asthmatic as well as some circulatory problems and more.
The whole herb works synergetically and so the alkaloids it contains, in proper dosage and term of use were never a problem.
Both the indigenous folk of some areas of S. America as well as some American natives used it this way. It was never meant to be used long term and to my memory from my herbal studies, was never used by these folk for weight loss.
That came about in its isolated chemical derivative of ephedra - ephedrine (sp?)...a side effect was weight loss and appetite suppression and a general feeling of euphoria...and a plethora of other side effects. And so a new 'product' of concentrated herb was created...going beyond the medicinal uses for ephedrine (bronchial dilator etc.).
It is a little like caffeine or coffee. A cup of coffee will not hurt you...but a cup of caffeine?
ReplyLet's NOT lose sight of the topic at hand, which is:
Why does the FDA pick and choose?
There are thousands of legal products which will kill you if you overindulge.
Remember the one a few months ago about water poisoning in California?
It's a fact that more people die each year from allergic reaction to PEANUTS, than died from Ephedra each year.
Per year,
- 5 million die worldwide from tobacco related causes.
- 250,000 die (U.S. alone) from prescription "medication."
- 140,000 die (U.S. alone) from alcohol "related."
They "think" they can link about 85 deaths to "misuse" of Ephedra over a 25-year study - less than four per year, and don't forget about "misuse."
Something's going on. Could it possibly be PROFIT POTENTIAL for the pharmaceutical companies? They're still allowed to widely sell pseudoephedrine (meth base) in their decongestants, nose sprays and cough syrups, but no one else can.
And natural Ephedra is safer and easier metabolized by the body than pseudoephedrine is, but they can't "patent" the natural version, you see...?
So they (and our pathetic media) focus on the four "misuse" deaths per year and don't talk about the 250K dead from all the foul prescription medication.
Oh, so you say "But what about those people who are "helped" by the small percentage of necessary prescriptions?"
Well same should go for Ephedra because it used to "help" millions of people:
- Get more active
- Experience an increase in energy
- Metabolism increase
- Breathe better
- Appetite suppression
Now people are simply turning to deadly levels of caffeine, which - believe it or not, as a central nervous stimulant, is more dangerous and less beneficial than Ephedra could EVER be.
Get more informed, people! Ban PEANUTS, I suppose!
ReplyIf someone marketed a drug that contained enough caffiene to be toxic, then I think those sales would be shut down. I'd be interested in evidence to the contrary, though.
ReplyI was kidding about the peanuts, obviously.
There are literally hundreds of prescription meds on the markets which are toxic.
This one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torcetrapib
recently got shut down (much to Phizer's dismay) because it killed MORE than 1% during their clinical - that's right, it KILLED 82 of 7500 people who tried it first.
Lipitor "only" killed 52 in its clincal study, so I guess (+ or -) 1% is their watermark for approval.
Interesting thing here is that nodody actually dies from high cholesterol, but they can die from the drugs used to treat it.
I'm really not a cynic either.
ReplyThe facts are simply the facts.
the ECA stack your talking about is 25mg ephedrine HCL 200 mg Caffeine and 125mg ASA make sure its ASA (asprin) or your not gettin the full synergistic value of the stack and u should take it 3 time a day morning after noon late afternoon/early evening
ReplyI am taking ephedra diet pills and I follow the directions which say to take one to two a day. If you use them responsibly you will be fine. It only causes problems when you take too many a day. Also a lot of the addiction etc is made up in people's minds. People trick themselves into believing they need them etc so they become dependent on them which is when things take a bad turn. I suggest using it for only one month and seeing how things go. Combined with healthy eating and exercise your weight loss potential increases to 4.5 kgs more then the average person who does not take ephedra.
ReplyIt's working fine for me.
Replyive been on ephedrine for 1 month now and ive lost a few inches (mainly targeting fat) but the main thing is i feel great.
i used 1 tablet of 50mg efed.. 2-3 Teaspoons of coffee (make the coffe) 1 Asprin. I have this every morning once a day and i only did it four times a week.
i did the min.. just to make sure. when i dont use it i still feel good because my stamina, strength went up.
i tested it and stayed off it for about 3 weeks and i pushed the same and still felt good.
im going to try it again for another month but try to do the 5 days out of the week and split the efed..tablit so that its 25mg and take it twice aday.i read and found a guy that studied this and said that 25mg is just enough if going to take it twice, which is better.but not more. half in the morning and half in the afternoon 1 hour before gym.
i dont want to go more than 50mg just in case and realy i dont beleive you will need more because just that one kept me going on all day.
ill keep you posted.
I sell it.Ephedra only works when you squezze the root an wah-la,you get the alkaloids.So if the label does not say ephedrine alkaloids in mgs an only says EPHEDRA it is a scam,don't buy it.Ephedra in my opinion,an that
Replyhas been my bizz for 25 years, has the best track record of any herb ever.So follow the directions an enjoy.RI.
Rick's
do you have a web site for your bizz. i got ef.. but it doesnt say alkaloids on at all. but it did have an effect but not as much as i expected. but i am being very carefull and taking min.. of ephedra and not every day.
ReplyWhere on earth are you getting these diet pills? No one sells them around where I am in NC-USA. I checked everywhere. Let us know, there are many of us who would like to get back to using those.
Personally, I had used Stacker 2 for many years without issue. I took 2 per day, some days 1 and sometimes I stopped when I felt my weight was at a level I was happy with. My weight, my waist size, my stamina, glucose, cholestoral and body-fat were all perfect. My concentration and general mental state were all great. I directly attribute that Stacker 2 product with assisting me in changing my eating habits, quantity and patterns. I went from 245lbs/42in waist to 165lbs/32in waist within 2 years and maintained that until 2005 when they stopped selling it where I live.
Since 2005 when it was first banned, about 2yrs and 4months now, I have gone back to 215lbs/36in waist. I havent changed anything EXCEPT not being able to take those 2 pills per day. I simply have a propensity to store fat and its all coming back. I still drink water, plenty of it, exercise and yet I dont get any real benefit from it as I did with Stacker 2.
Where do you get your ephedra diet pills??? I would love to get some. Internet, local? My God, I have been looking for 2 years!!
ReplyCan anyone tell us where to get the Ephedra that is mentioned above?
Thanks!
ReplyMike
I agree with Moe. Alcohol kills more people on the road than Ephedra ever thougth about. Cigarettes have given more people cancer and killed them, than Ephedra ever did. If you listen to a guy named Kevin Trudeau (Could be spelled wrong) talk, he basically talks about how the FDA doesnt want any form of cures for anything. Why? because they cant make money off of a cure. I seriously feel that ephedra works and people are losing weight, but yet once the weight is off, people stop using is thus, causing these companies to lose money. If the FDA bans Ephedra, then these companies can continue to sell BS products that DONT work, in order to make profits.
ReplyPLease give me a website of wherE i can buy original stacker 3 with Ephedra!!! I lost 80 lbs when I used it and have gained some back since I have stopped using in a year ago!!! I can't find it anywhere. I bought some but they just aren't the same as the ones I use to buy, please help!!!
Replyfda will be banned by pharma companies in recent years
ReplyECA - rulezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyIt is a giant hypocritical thing i see to take a drug that kills five and leave tobaccoo and alchohol which kill thousands of people each year. Taking drugs off the market IS NOT FOR THE PUBLICS SAFETY... its for the governments benefit... You can't say one drug is worse than the other because death is the ultimate side effect.... IF YOU WANT TO KILL YOURSELF GO AHEAD... but after a few years maybe the populous that takes drugs will die down and leave the ultimate race that does no crime has no wars and is all beneficial but this is all concocted from the human's mind.. not in any other animal.... ALL DRUGS SHOULD BE LEGAL AND ONLY IF AFFECTING ANOTHER PERSON WHILE ON IT SHOULD BE PROSECUTED... if they feel the drug is ruining their life it is their fault and someone should sit down with them and talk about it but by no means shoudl the government make it illegal
ReplyEphedra is unhealthy if used wrong. And certainly fatal if used for the wrong purposes.
Asthma is the prime purpose of its use. Is is used for that mainly? Nah.
I've seen a lot of posts regarding alertness and whatnot. I personally don't think it aids with alertness. If anything it makes you more "jittery." To each his own.
I find it to be helpful with allergies but I've found "Mucus Relief DM" from walgreen's to equally effective. But I find I have to take much more than the recommended dose in order to achieve the same results. It also has a ill-effect making me jittery and have pains. It's also twice the price.
I'm glad they have Ephedrine legal simply because 1-2 pills in the morning, 1-2 in the afternoon, and one when I wake up from congestion in the middle of the night does wonders. It almost eliminates my sinus headaches, enables a decent night sleep, and it doesn't cause discomforts in my chest and throat as other alternatives.
I prefer getting a shot every 3 months but it's not exactly in the budget anymore since they raised the price 250%!
ReplyI have been taking the over-the-counter ephedrine for over 10 years now. Not the ephedra-caffeine-mix you are all talking about; just the stuff that has 25mg of HCI ephedrine and 200mg Guaifensin per tablet. Anyway, I used to just buy it at any gas station, but since the ban it is harder to get-some places don't sell it at all and some regulate it like crazy. (You can get like a 4-pack every 48 hours or something). Anyway, they DO still sell it some places because like one of you has already mentioned, for patients who need it for asthma and bronchial reasons. But they regulate it heavily because people were buying it it mass quantities to make meth in their homemade drug labs.
However, you can still buy just the ephedrine I described online- www.netnutri.com is one site, as well as many others-just google it. But they will only allow you like 12 boxes (24 count per box) in a 30 month time period, and some of them will sell you less than that in a months time.
I am just wanting to give you this information- but, now for my story, and I would appreciate any advice anyone has for me on this....
Like I said I've been taking this stuff (compulsively, I should add) for over 10 years. I started out taking the recommended dosage, but as my body got used to it, I took more and more to "feel" the same. It's never been about the weight loss for me- I have always been relatively thin and run about 5 times a week, and work out too. But what it does do is give me mental focus, clarity and motivation. Now, when I try and not take it for a few days I feel really "off", like I'm in slow motion, fatigued, and sometimes even depressed. I'm worried that I'm addicted to it, and worse yet, I'm worried that I am ruining my body by taking it in such high doses- even though for me I don't think its like over-dosing, because it was done gradually over a long period of time, and my body has adjusted to it and built up a really high tolerance for it.
I'm scared that when I go off it my body will be screwed up somehow, or that I may have messed up my own natural metabolism. I will have to eventually go off this, and probobly soon- my husband and I are planning to try and start a family soon- and I know I can't be taking this stuff while pregnant, for sure!
Am I just making myself crazy, or do I have nothing to worry about? Anyone at all ever been addicted to this stuff?
Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!
Replynetnutri is a scam company promoting ephedra extract. Ephedra extract is similar to chemically produced Ephedrine HCL. Neither stimulate the CNS anywhere near the original ephedra with alkaloids.
ReplyI am confused. I just watched a repeat of 7th heaven. They said it real dangerous. A lot deaths has been caused by this use. What is even more confusing is if you have Asthma it will help. According to the show it will make your heart race, hands shake, you will have a burst of energy and it will keep your awake.
When some people have Asthma attacks their heart races. So, how come taking something like Ephedra will help if your heart is already racing?
I did see this show when it first came on and the producers also told a tv magazine that when the show talks about Ephedra and it effects that it is based on actual information and not made up information.
ReplyYour comments are full of inaccuracies. Please read a book. If you get your news from ET, please slit your wrists. Look up how many death ephedra or ephedrine have caused. Then look up how many deaths ANY OTC drug or prescription drug have caused.
ReplyWeight loss supplements are a big business, when something comes along that actually works (ephedra), they must be crushed to allow the diet cash cow to continue.
I'm sure that more people die of lung cancer from smoking each year than have ever died of using Ephedra products. Funny, I don't see the Gov't banning Cigarettes...? yet...
ReplyI TAKE EPHEDRA ALL THE TIME IT'S GREAT
ReplyEphedra is not the problem. Those who abuse it are the problem, and those who abuse it ruin it for those who don't.
I'm getting a little tired of having to go through red tape in order to use a decongestant that works because some ignorant kid is making meth with pseudoephedrine. I'm also tired of not being able to use a fat burner and energy stimulant containing ephedra or Ma-Huang because some ignorant kid wants to look like Keira Knightley.
Not everyone abuses these drugs, therefore, not everyone who uses them correctly should suffer for those that abuse them.
Put them behind the counter and take my driver's license and monitor my use . . . that's fine . . . but don't make them illegal for me to buy just because some drug addict wants to get high.
ReplyIn addition . . . I do realize it's not only kids abusing these products, but they seem to be the vast majority. Free country? With all the bans on perfectly safe products if used the way they were intended and no bans on the really harmful ones . . . I'm beginning to wonder . . .
ReplyI think people are confusing pseudoephedrine and ephedra. One is a decongestant. The other is used for energy, weight-loss, and appetite surpressant. (Though Ma-Huang Extract has been used in China for respiratory disorders, as well).
ReplyI agree, Victoria. It is those that abuse the herb that make it bad for the rest of us that use it properly. I've used Ma-huang/Ephedra Sinica for workouts to keep me energized to stay on the treadmill that extra mile, and I've never had a problem.
I think it's about time people started taking responsibility for their own actions and stop putting blame on anyone but themselves for misuse of products. Get educated about what you're putting in your body and there wouldn't be a problem.
No drug is 100% safe, and herbs can be abused as well. The fault lies within ourselves if a drug is abused.
I do not feel it is anyone's right but my own to tell me what I should and should not consume if I am educated and doing things right. The Chinese have used this herb for over 5,000 years. I think big brother wants control. Not only of what we do, but where the money for this multi-billion dollar industry is going. They weren't getting it. They wanted it. Thus, the ban.
ReplyThe last death, of the athlete, which was publicized right before the ban, had the information that he'd taken something like 40-43 pills that said 2 was the maximum dosage to be taken at once, if I'm not mistaken (this is an old discussion). If you take 43 aspirin, Tylenol, no-doze caffeine pills, or anything else like that, you can expect death.
I suppose if ephedra hadn't been banned, Alli wouldn't be making the money it is now making.
ReplyI took Xenadrine for several years, never taking more than 1 or 2 a day at the most. I went from 250 to 215lbs. It was the only time in my life that I had six pack abs. It was great while it lasted. I have always been healthy, and worked out on a regular basis. If used in moderation, ephedra is perfectly safe, and has been used for thousands of years. The FDA went way overboard with this ban. Sure you'll get into trouble if you're overweight, take too much, and exercise in 100 degree weather. Just like you'll get into trouble if you drink 12 beers and drive your car.
ReplyI've sold and ephedra products for more than a decade. They don't hurt anyone. The problem is manufacturers started putting too much caffeine in them. But they (big pharma) won't ban Starbucks. will they?
ReplySo how can we get this ban overturned? Our WONDERFUL government is made up of elected people, who can we FIRE for this crap? Its BS like this, like global warming, and everything else that they try to hold over our head in the name of FEAR that has to be stopped.
Has our government forgotten how it got its start?? REVOLUTION. What buffoons.
How can we get this overturned and the folks responsible investigated? I am SURE they arent squeaky clean in this matter...... FDA = big $ and corruption is rampant there.
ReplyNo matter what happens...we should fight for our rights!!!!!
ReplyYour rights are dead. If you live in the USA, right now, your rights have died.... The only think to get them back would be a revolution. And once Obama is elected, that is what we will probably have.
ReplyI very much miss Ephedra...I took the supplements begining in 2002 thru 2005 when they were banned. I began at 220 lbs and at my lowest got down to 120..lost half my body weight! to be honest tho, i didnt like myself that skinny, and packed back on 10lbs respectfully..(like a bit of curve, know what i'm sayin?) and felt better than i had in years! I had always been an athletic healthy child/teenager but with the miscarriage of my first pregnancy my second pregnancy left me no choice but be bed ridden at the advice of my doctor, which made me gain over 80lbs alone! the weight just never came off and kept creeping up with the pregnancy of one more child..and years of just being used to being a fattie mommie *winks* I never really had low self esteem and just didnt realize how big i really was! saw stacker 2 in the stores and gave it a try, wanted it mainly for energy due to excessive fatigue, never thought it would actually work for weight loss..didnt really care about that to be honest..took it as directed, beginning with one then two per dose..and it worked WONDERS for me, improving even adhd issues i had always suffered with sharpening my focus, attention, and comprehension, as well as giving me energy to make it thru days and days of hectic mania life!
since 05 when they took it off the market my life has declined..im now 175 lbs to 180 lbs (depending) and i'm now having to take adderall again for my adhd issues just to make it thru each day and feel some semblance of normal again! i havent had to take adderall since i was a kid! as i recall then, it was a pretty harsh drug..hope i can handle it this time as an adult. so far, i'm not sleeping at night tho!
so...i'm going long winded here, but to those who say that ephedra is abused by the "fatties" who need to learn how to diet and exercise..well you can kiss my big ass! the only time i sat around and did nothing was to save the life of my first live born child (as well as possibly myself)! otherwise this big momma runs around everywhere..working hard day by day over 40hours a week in a warehouse on my feet the entire time but for a half hour lunch..only to come home to clean house, do laundry, maintain the yard....screw this! i don't have to explain myself! obesity is a problem for people for different reasons..heredity, health issues *ie tyroid, glandular, heart, diabetes etc*, slowed metabolism, compromised immune systems, mental issues *ie eating disorders, depression, bi polar for which anti depressants are prescribed causing weight gain*, and gross inactivity/overeating..the latter not ALWAYS being the cause..too often i hear an insensitivity to a largely growing population of obese people. it's a real epidemic, and to take something off the market that not only helped me but countless others is a travesty! and totally unfair! It's a shame that the FDA decided to take it off the market, and an even worse shame that the deaths that came from the use of the drug had to come at the hands of people who were careless with the drug in the first place..my heart goes out to them, but my understanding is that they were responsible for their lives, not the ephedra.
ReplyIve used (not abused) Ephedra for 12 years. It makes me sick that a few idiots have ruined it for those who benefit from it.
Though I originally took it for weight loss, I found out almost immediately that it is EXCELLENT for ADD.
I specifically remember the first time I took it, and had an uncanny ability to focus.
As with any herb, your body reacts positively only if it something it needs. If you are getting the jitters you are either taking too much or you dont need it at all.
I completely agree with the first post I read on this thread - big pharma companies have the $$ it takes to influence many regulatory bodies and the general public - and why WOULDN'T they try to take down an inexpensive source of a remedy that (at the time ) was totally unregulated??? Its no different from any business trying to take down a competitor.In fact, thats ALL it is...
Reply