The side effects of ephedrine have federal lawmakers concerned right
now, and thats a good thing, said a veteran UNMC College of Pharmacy faculty
member.
I wouldnt recommend taking ephedrine. The risks are significantly
higher than any potential gain that you might get from the drug, said
Jeff Baldwin, Pharm.D., an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at
UNMC.
Ephedrine and its dangers have been in the national spotlight for the
past few years. The drug has played a role in the deaths of college football
players Rashidi Wheeler of Northwestern, Eraste Autin of Florida and Devaughn
Darling of Florida State; Minnesota Viking lineman Korey Stringer; and,
most recently, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler. Each athlete died
during a workout, reportedly after taking ephedrine. The drug, a stimulant,
reportedly gives athletes an extra boost, or edge, during performance.
Theres no middle ground for some athletes using ephedrine; they reason
that if one is good, four or five must be better. Theres a tendency to
take too much, Dr. Baldwin said. Some people take ephedrine to get a
high or feeling of wellbeing.
The herbal stimulant ephedra (or ma huang), which contains ephedrine
as a major ingredient, has been used in China to treat bronchial asthma
for more than 5,000 years. In the last 20 years, however, ephedrine has
ceased being prescribed for asthma as less toxic and more effective therapies
have become available. Still, ephedrine found a new niche in nutritional
supplements and in the illicit drug market.
The fact that ephedrine and its close relative, pseudoephedrine, a decongestant
found in medications such as Sudafed, are used to make amphetamines, is
one of Dr. Baldwins concerns.
For some people, it may be a gateway drug to substances such as methamphetamine,
Dr. Baldwin said. Ive run into recovering methamphetamine addicts who
started on ephedrine, then graduated to meth.
He said that even though customers are supposed to be able to buy, at
one time, a very limited amount of medications containing pseudoephedrine,
the principal precursor in the production of methamphetamine, there are
numerous ways around this, such as shopping in multiple pharmacies; multiple
customers purchasing the product; theft; and, especially, importation from
countries such as Mexico. And, diet supplements containing ephedrine can
still be sold legally, even though attempts to curtail their use in Nebraska
began more than five years ago. In Nebraska, the substance can be sold,
but only for weight loss. It technically cant be used to improve athletic
performance or to get high.
Besides the propensity of users to graduate to an illegal and more devastating
drug, ephedrine should be outlawed because of its side effects, Dr. Baldwin
said.
Normally, users may lose 8 or 9 pounds with the drug, but they run
the risk of increasing their blood pressure and other complications.
Obese people tend to already have high blood pressure, Dr. Baldwin
said. One reason people taking ephedrine are dying is that they are having
heart attacks and strokes. There are betters ways to lose weight, such
as proper diet and exercise.
Those who insist on using ephedrine for weight loss, Dr. Baldwin said,
should stay within the recommended dosage and check with their physician
before they begin taking the drug.