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The Lowdown on Ephedrine: The Bad

The date was February 17, 2003. It was a warm, sunny day in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Orioles were in their first week of spring training, and Steve, a talented young pitcher was especially excited. It was early in his career, and he was looking forward to a new season with a promising team, the Baltimore Orioles. However, without warning, Steve Bechler suddenly collapsed dead on the field. He was 23 years old.

A powerful drug

Ephedrine has a lot of powerful qualities. But sometimes this power is a bit more than the human body should be subjected to. For that reason, the drug has been under a lot of scrutiny, engendered a lot of controversy, and claimed a few casualties. According to research, Steve Bechler’s tragic death was due to his use of ephedra as a weight-loss supplement. The ugly truth highlights the fact that despite its medical advantages, including its aid as a weight-loss formula, it has negative side effects.

Negative side effects

Though not all of these negative side effects are present whenever anyone uses ephedrine, they have nonetheless presented themselves as potential dangers for some users.

Heart complications include extremely rapid heart rate (tachycardia), unusual heart rhythms, sharp heart pain, and constriction of the blood vessels. Painful breathing, shortness of breath, nausea, excessive sweating, increased acne, and flushed skin are among some of the other bodily changes that ephedrine has produces.

More common are the attitudinal effects on the body. Although it helps to stimulate the mind for enhanced acuteness, response, and concentration, it also causes confusion, insomnia, hallucinations, paranoia, panic, disorientation, and unusual acts of hostility.

Regulations on Ephedrine

Because of the illicit usage of ephedrine and its abuse as a stimulant, the government now controls the distribution of the drug. Ephedrine alkaloids are banned, unless marketed as medicines for the treatment of asthma, allergies, hay fever, and cold symptoms.  Mild forms of medical ephedrine are available over-the-counter. Ephedrine is available in limited dosages as a dietary supplement since it is an herb. The synthetic form of ephedrine is under closer regulation.

Because of the dramatic power and potential harmful side effects of ephedrine, anyone considering using it should be aware of these side effects, use it in limitation with extreme caution, and only under the supervision of a qualified medical professional.

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