Ephedrine is a common ingredient in over-the-counter respiratory medications and is also used as a stimulant and appetite suppressant. However, its potentially fatal side effects have led to warnings against recreational use. Ephedrine HCL can be extracted from plants or synthesized in a lab and is often combined with other ingredients in medications. It works by stimulating nerve tissue and can cause side effects such as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. The FDA requires specific labeling and warning labels for diet pills containing ephedrine HCL.
Extracted from plants or created synthetically, ephedrine is an ingredient often used in over-the-counter respiratory medications. In addition to medicinal uses, non-prescription ephedrine HCL, or ephedrine hydrochloride, is often used as a stimulant, to add energy, or as an appetite suppressant, for weight loss. The potentially fatal side effects associated with ephedrine HCL led the medical community to issue warnings against recreational use. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made it illegal to manufacture the substance with improper labeling.
Common fir, seagrape, and yellow horse are some of the plants from which ephedrine alkaloids are extracted. Other common sources include the Chinese ephedra, ephedra, and the Chinese herb, ma huang. Ephedrine is often just one of the ingredients used in cold, asthma, and allergy medications. Laboratories synthesize ephedrine HCL and combine the substance with other ingredients, such as cetirizine HCL, chlorpheniramine maleate, and guaifenesin. Manufacturers sometimes refer to ephedrine as methylephedrine, norephedrine, or pseudoephedrine.
Ephedrine HCL belongs to a group of drugs known as sympathomimetics because they resemble chemicals released by the sympathetic nervous system during a “fight or flight” situation. The drug binds to alpha and beta adrenergic receptors, causing stimulation of nerve tissue similar to an adrenaline rush. This effect relieves congestion and swelling of the nasal and sinus passages, as well as dilating the bronchioles. Ephedrine is sometimes taken to replicate an adrenaline rush, improve alertness, increase energy levels, or suppress appetite.
The vasoconstrictive properties of ephedrine can produce side effects, such as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as disturbances in normal heart rhythms. People who use ephedrine frequently experience anxiety, nervousness, and insomnia. Medical professionals warn that these effects may increase the chance of heart attack, stroke, or seizures. The danger increases when the drug is combined with physical exercise or other stimulants, and if it is taken for long periods. The risk is also increased by excessive daily doses.
The FDA generally requires specific labeling of diet pills that contain ephedrine HCL. Labels must state that each dose should not contain more than 8 milligrams of ephedrine and that people should not consume more than 24 milligrams in a 24-hour period. The agency typically requires warning labels that adequately convey the drug’s potentially fatal side effects.
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