Posted by Rocket Jackson on April 29, 2003, at 16:27:18
In reply to Re: Ephedra + SSRI okay?, posted by Stacey fu on April 29, 2003, at 3:37:46
> > Has anyone tried this combo with any kind of success? Of course, that is assuming it has been used in someone in good health with no heart or other vascular abnormalities. I would think Ephedra's sympathomimetic properties shouldn't interact with the SSRIs. On a temporary basis, something like Ephedra just may help alleviate the weight gain in a patient in good health (can I stress good health enough?)
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> Ahhhh!!! Noo! This is not a good thing at all. Even in people in good health who have no heart problems, ephedra should NOT be used alone, let alone in combination with an SSRI. Just reading your post gave me palpitations. Are you out of your mind? (sorry to sound rude, but you should know better!) Ephedra, as you know is a CNS stimulant, an adrenergic, constantly putting your body and heart in a state of the "fight or flight" response causing increased heart rate, blood pressure, tremors, and anxiety, among other things. You will also experience decreased appetite, probably the only desirable side effect you'll get along with euphoria, because you're basically ingesting over the counter speed. *I was taking this stuff for a while, so listen carefully, because I know what I'm talking about.* I would take it every day, in the morning. It was great at first, it gave me the energy to go about my day, and I didn't want to eat. But after about 1-2 weeks of taking it, (25-50 mg. a day) I didn't even like it anymore. I felt weird all the time. Very strange. Like something was going to happen. I started getting panic attacks. I would wake up in cold sweats. I would walk as slowly as I could up the stairs, and my heart would pound like crazy. But, I was losing weight, so I kept on. After about 2 months, I got scared. I was laying in my bed, shaking, my chest was tight, and I felt like I was drugged. I had to be at school in a few hours (I was a senior in high school) "I can't do this anymore, I'm going to die" I told myself. So I threw those damn pills in the garbage and that was that. I still continued to have bouts with them whenever I was feeling "fat" from time to time. And you want to mix them with antidepressants? If you want a nice visit to your nearest ER, go right ahead. But if you want to be safe, then do it the old fashioned way, and don't put crap into your body. Okay. I'm done lecturing now. *sorry!*
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>Hi Stacey fu,
Don't worry, I know exactly how you feel. I've been on Ephedra off and on for a couple of years, and I hate how it makes me feel. I feel great for a couple of hours and then just really worried, anxious, and irritable. With this comorbid OCD, I seem to feel like I need to be within a certain weight range, and if I go just above it, I pop an Ephedra for a day or two and it brings me back down. Messed up I know, but it sure does do the trick!
My main concern was with any specific interactions between the Ephedra and Zoloft. I consulted all of my medical programs and textbooks (I just finished medical school), and I couldn't find anything, so I wanted to consult the real experts here on this board. :) The problem is, I'm not overweight at all, but I'm worried about putting on a few pounds now that I've started Zoloft. Hopefully my routine exercise will help stave that off.
Nevertheless, I do appreciate your input. These drugs definitely work differently in all of us!
Good luck,
Rocket
poster:Rocket Jackson
thread:223067
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030429/msgs/223208.html