Follow-Ups to Answer from Expert Dr. Renee

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Anonymous wrote at 2006-11-16 19:55:43
Hello,



I to have used ephedra based products to help control ADD.  I was an average high school student, but with the aid of ephedra I was able to concentrate and focus.  I hope it will remain available to the public.



B.S Management

M.B.A Information Systems

Current PhD Student



25yo

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Dr. Renee wrote at 2006-11-18 12:01:22
You aren't alone. Unfortunately, I believe that ephedra isn't available in most states any longer. I know for certain it was banned in California and multiple other states before 2006. The relative few people that abused this medication (with albeit catastrophic consequence), once again, ruined it for the remainder. Should the FDA ban ANYTHING that people can abuse and hurt themselves with? With most U.S. citizens apparently unable to be responsible for themselves, (as evidenced by our rising rates of litigation and settlements) I suppose it's the natural response of the FDA. I've disabused myself of the notion, however, that the F.D.A. does most things in the interest of protecting our health.  

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Doc G wrote at 2007-09-25 04:53:23
I'm not a qualified doctor but I have a Ph. D in Exercise Biochemistry. I have been involved in metabolic studies using ephedrine and resistance training. When conducting these studies I had to present the protocol to a very strict ethics comittee. Without going into the legal issues related to the removal of Ephedrine from the shelves in the US and Australia or going to deep into the science I can tell you that the No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level(NOAEL) for ephedrine is approximately 90mg per day. Of course you should always consult your doctor about using things like ephedrine.

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LL wrote at 2010-01-31 00:31:04
I was also diagnosed with adult ADD in my 20's and prescribed Adderall. It works absolute wonders and allows me to function so much better and look back and wonder how I lived my life in the past. However without health insurance this year I've had to go a few weeks without my adderall.... then I remembered when I was in college & working as a waitress, I would take ephedrine and it would really help me be on point and focus. So, I have been using ephedrine for about a week now... it helps... but adderall is much more helpful.

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Xochi wrote at 2010-03-09 16:09:04
The answer above suggests that taking ephedra is similar to taking meth. In one aspect that is entirely correct, in that methamphetamine (prescribed for ADD under the name Desoxyn), amphetamine, ritalin, and ephedra all perform similar action on the body.



Ritalin is a precursor to amphetamine, and breaks down into amphetamine in the body. Adderall is "mixed amphetamine salts", and dexamphetamine (also prescribed for ADD) is an isolated amphetamine salt.



Which should partially answer your question right there.  Yes, ADHD medication will work similar to ephedra.  But no, it won't necessarily be "better" (keep readind!)

Now, without going into great detail, I would recommend dextroamphetamine over adderal or ritalin, simply because it has a lesser effect on the PNS (peripheral nervous system) and is therefore less likely to cause muscle tremors, has a lesser effect on raising blood pressure and heartrate, and is less likely to cause cardiac issues.



Among the prescription options for ADD, in fact, Ritalin is the one I would recommend the least.  



Now, for ephedra -- it's far better to take the whole herb (ephedra sinica or Ma Huang Fen) than to take isolated ephedrine.  For one thing, the whole herb is said to lower blood pressure, where ephedrine raises blood pressure. And the herb is cheaper than getting a prescription, too. Also herbal "suppliment" diet pills using isolates of ephedrine aren't fully regulated and can have all sorts of issues.



With any of these treatments, it's important to make sure that you don't have or develop a magnesium deficiency.  And long term use of any of these stimulants can cause a magnesium deficiency.  So I would also recommend some form of magnesium as an additional supplement, either magnesium rich foods or a pill. In pill form, I recommend Magnesium Taurate.  It is one of the more difficult forms to come by, you will probably need to order it online.  It's also protective of the heart in some ways, and you'll probably find it by "Cardiovascular Research"

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James L wrote at 2011-03-29 21:58:31
I'm in my last year of high school and I have found a huge increase in motivation and concentration while taking ephedrine. I've just started taking it and before taking it I found myself sluggish and my thoughts weren't as deep as I thought they could be.



From what I know, if you're looking at what's best for school; I'd 100% go with ephedrine (at relatively low doses).

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