Ephedrine

Podcast with Jeff Dess - http://www.cobbk12.org/~mabry/podcast_enclosures/JeffDessPodcast.mp3

With the recent death of another Professional sports star, Ephedrine is coming under even closer scrutiny - or has it been under scrutiny and nobody was listening?  Below are some links and text that will shed some light on Ephedrine.  Get to know the slang names and effects it has on the body.  Imagine if the primary cooling process of the human body - sweating - was significantly shunted.  Ephedrine and caffeine are vasoconstrictors and pull blood away from the skin where it flows to be cooled by sweat evaporation from the skin.  Coaches are already worried about heat and heat stroke, talk to your athletes about ephedrine.

FDA statement on street drugs containing botanical ephedrine

FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or consume ephedrine-containing dietary supplements with labels that often portray the products as apparent alternatives to illegal street drugs such as "ecstasy." Possible adverse effects of ephedrine range from clinically significant effects such as heart attack, stroke, seizures, psychosis, and death, to clinically less significant effects that may indicate the potential for more serious effects (for example, dizziness, headache, gastrointestinal distress, irregular heartbeat, and heart palpitations). Ingredient panels on these products may list ma huang, Chinese ephedra, ma huang extract, ephedra, Ephedra sinica, ephedra extract, ephedra herb powder, or epitonin, all of which indicate a source of ephedrine.

The latest and best information from the FDA.

Where does Ephedrine come from?

Information for athletes.

A link to good information about Ephedrine (by some Lawyers looking to make some money.)

DRUG TESTING

Ephedrine added to NCA year-round testing program

Effective in August, ephedrine will be tested as part of the year-round drug-testing program for NCAA Divisions I and II institutions.

Ephedrine, also known as ephedra and ma huang, is a heart stimulant that is used as a performance enhancer, energy booster and weight-loss agent. A 2001 NCAA study of substance use habits of student-athletes revealed that 3.9 percent of responding student-athletes said they had used ephedrine in the previous 12 months.

Ephedrine may be present in various nutritional supplements or cold medications. Any student-athlete should check with his or her team physician or athletic trainer before using such products.

The year-round testing program currently seeks to identify anabolic agents, diuretics and other "masking agents." The penalty for a positive test is a minimum one-year suspension and one year of eligibility.

Excerpts from the World Health Organization

Ephedrine in food supplements - prohibition of sale

Argentina. The Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Technologia Medica (ANMAT) has issued a provision prohibiting the sale of food supplements containing ephedrine because of adverse reactions associated with its use. Moreover, the sale of these preparations as food supplements has resulted in their supply without clear information concerning their indications, and in their promotion as enhancers of athletic performance; as such they have been offered for sale to young people, including those under the age of 18 years, in whom the use of ephedrine is not approved.

The ephedrine-containing preparations concerned include those sold under the names Ma Huang, Ephedra China, extract of Ma Huang, Ephedra, Ephedra Sinica, extract of Ephedra, Ephedra herb powder, or "epitonin".

[See also Pharmaceuticals Newsletter Nos. 5/6, May/June 1996]

Reference: Boletín oficial No. 28.588 1° section, 18 February 1997, Provision 785/97, Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Technologia Medica (ANMAT), Buenos Aires.

Ephedrine alkaloids in food supplements - revised maximum levels

USA. The Food and Drug Administration has proposed:

- to restrict the maximum levels of ephedrine alkaloids in a dietary supplement to 8 mg per serving.

- to require that the label states : "Do not use this product for more than 7 days" if the labelling suggests or recommends conditions of use that would result in an intake of 8 mg or more in a 6-hour period or a total daily intake of 24 mg or more of ephedrine alkaloids.

- to prohibit the use of ephedrine alkaloids with ingredients that have a known stimulant effect (e.g. caffeine or yohimbine) which may interact with ephedrine alkaloids.

- to prohibit labelling claims that require long-term intake to achieve the purported effect (e.g. weight loss and body building).

- to require a statement in conjunction with claims that encourage short-term excessive intake to enhance the purported effect (e.g. energy) that "Taking more than the recommended serving may result in heart attack, stroke, seizure or death".

- to require specific warning statements to appear on product labels.

The FDA is proposing these actions in response to serious illnesses and injuries, including multiple deaths, associated with the use of dietary supplement products that contain ephedrine alkaloids and the agency's investigations and analyses of these illnesses and injuries.

[See also Pharmaceuticals Newsletter Nos. 5/6, May/June 1996]

Reference: Federal Register 62(107) : 30678-30724 (1997).

Ephedrine in herbal products - warning

Canada. Health Canada has issued a warning to consumers not to use products containing the herb Ephedra, also known as Ma Huang, unless the product label carries an eight-digit Drug Identification Number preceded by the letters DIN or GP.

Preparations containing this herb or its active constituent have caused close to 20 deaths in the United States over the last few years and many adverse reactions. In Canada, products containing ephedrine are regulated as drugs and are only authorized for sale after a review of the product's safety and efficacy. Preparations containing ephedrine are safe and effective only when used for the authorized conditions. Currently, the only approved non-prescription use is in a nasal decongestant, and dosage directions and precautions should be strictly followed. Such products are only recommended for use for short periods of time.

Health Canada is aware of the increasing use of ephedrine-containing preparations that are not approved for sale in Canada and are being used for weight loss, increased energy and body building. The label may list ma huang, Chinese ephedra, ma huang extract, ephedra, Ephedra sinica, ephedra extract, ephedra herb powder or "epitonin", all of which indicate a source of ephedrine. A wide variety of adverse reactions has been reported in association with these products which suggest a potential for more serious effects, and range from dizziness, tremors, headache, irregularities in the heart rate to seizures, heart attack, stroke and death.

Health Canada urges all individuals who may have these products to stop consuming them and to consult their doctor immediately if they experience any adverse effects.

[See also Pharmaceuticals Newsletter Nos. 5/6, May/June 1996]

Reference: Press Release 1997-38, Health Canada, 5 June 1997.