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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by satsumas on May 23, 2008, at 14:00:19
Hi there,
After 5 years of trying medicine that hasn't really kicked the depression in the pants completely, without inducing serious side effects, I finally put 2 and 2 together and realized that perhaps the fact that I used Ephedra diet pills in college (before my first round of antidepressants) for three years may have caused some permanent damage to some system.
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge as to the long-term neurological effects of long-term ephedra use (3 years, off and on, but essentially 'on')?
What has never fully resolved for me, despite being on multiple S/NRIs, is apathy, disinterest, lack of drive. Tried Emsam, made everything very HEAVY and SERIOUS but did slightly increase drive. Had to go off of it though.
Think ephedra may have screwed up my dopamine system permanently?
Posted by bulldog2 on May 23, 2008, at 14:51:38
In reply to Long-term effects of Ephedra?, posted by satsumas on May 23, 2008, at 14:00:19
> Hi there,
>
> After 5 years of trying medicine that hasn't really kicked the depression in the pants completely, without inducing serious side effects, I finally put 2 and 2 together and realized that perhaps the fact that I used Ephedra diet pills in college (before my first round of antidepressants) for three years may have caused some permanent damage to some system.
>
> Does anyone have any experience or knowledge as to the long-term neurological effects of long-term ephedra use (3 years, off and on, but essentially 'on')?
>
> What has never fully resolved for me, despite being on multiple S/NRIs, is apathy, disinterest, lack of drive. Tried Emsam, made everything very HEAVY and SERIOUS but did slightly increase drive. Had to go off of it though.
>
> Think ephedra may have screwed up my dopamine system permanently?
>
>I don't know about permanently. But ephedra causes release of adrenaline which can cause adrenal fatigue which can seriously screw up the production of other neurotransmiters. So stay away from ephedra.
Posted by jms600 on May 23, 2008, at 17:02:52
In reply to Re: Long-term effects of Ephedra?, posted by bulldog2 on May 23, 2008, at 14:51:38
Hi
I also used Ephedra on-and-off (mostly on) over a period of a few years.
I haven't really noticed any effects on my body or mind that I didn't already experience before I took Ephedrine.
From the bit of research I have done I can't really find much on Ephedrine causing neurological damage, although that doesn't mean to say it doesn't happen. I believe it's more likely to affect the heart.
Either way I'd stay off the stuff from now..!
Posted by Phillipa on May 23, 2008, at 17:18:39
In reply to Re: Long-term effects of Ephedra?, posted by bulldog2 on May 23, 2008, at 14:51:38
Bulldog you will enjoy the link just sent to you on that topic. Love Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on May 23, 2008, at 17:20:15
In reply to Re: Long-term effects of Ephedra?, posted by jms600 on May 23, 2008, at 17:02:52
I think you are right as oldest Daughter took it and the concern I think was heart and valves? Wasn't there a law suit or was that a different diet drug? Phillipa
Posted by jms600 on May 23, 2008, at 17:53:35
In reply to Re: Long-term effects of Ephedra? » jms600, posted by Phillipa on May 23, 2008, at 17:20:15
> I think you are right as oldest Daughter took it and the concern I think was heart and valves? Wasn't there a law suit or was that a different diet drug? Phillipa
I think there was a lawsuit on it a while back and that's why it's so difficult to get hold of in its purest form, although I believe it is still available in some form or another in decongestant tablets/syrup.
Posted by Molybdenum on May 24, 2008, at 4:24:07
In reply to Long-term effects of Ephedra?, posted by satsumas on May 23, 2008, at 14:00:19
Hi satsumas,
I've never taken ephedra as such, but I used to take a lot of pseudoephedrine, which I imagine is pretty close chemically.
I took one tablet every night for at least 5 years as I had trouble breathing through my nose when I slept. You could probably add 20% to my annual consumption taking into consideration the odd cold, etc. So I used to buy it in bottles of 100. I stopped just when the pharmacies here were being told not to sell large quantities any more. I "think" it can be used as a shortcut to the creation of crack or the like.
I stopped because I went to a surgeon. He cut out all the extra bone & "turbines" in my nose so I could breathe easier. It was a hell of a place to have an operation but I wished I'd done it 6 years earlier..! It was a great success - breathing-wise.
So do I think all the pseudoephedrine affected me? Hmm......trouble is you've come to the wrong place if you want to find people without problems. ;) I've had chronic depression for most of my life but it has responded to SSRI (citalopram) for several years until it pooped out. Now I'm on venlafaxine & mirtazapine and they definitely have helped me a lot. Modafinil is a good drug for me too.
So.....my body is definitely responsive to the newer anti-depressants and stimulants. So I think it would be fair to say that I've had a hell of a lot of pseudoephedrine & that it hasn't really impacted me much at all.
Hope this info is of some help :)
Take Care
Molybdenum.
Posted by undopaminergic on May 25, 2008, at 18:29:35
In reply to Re: Long-term effects of Ephedra?, posted by Molybdenum on May 24, 2008, at 4:24:07
>
> I stopped just when the pharmacies here were being told not to sell large quantities [of pseudoephedrine] any more. I "think" it can be used as a shortcut to the creation of crack or the like.
>Pseudoephedrine is useless for creating crack cocaine, but very useful for making methamphetamine.
Did you know that a synonym for methamphetamine is desoxyephedrine? Hence the trade name Desoxyn of pharmaceutical meth in the US. Another trade name was Methedrine, whereas dextroamphetamine is sold as Dexedrine, and racemic amphetamine (D,L-amphetamine) was marketed as Benzedrine; all this helps illustrate the close chemical relationship of amphetamines and ephedrine, especially historically.
Posted by Molybdenum on May 26, 2008, at 23:49:23
In reply to Re: Long-term effects of Ephedra?, posted by undopaminergic on May 25, 2008, at 18:29:35
Thanks for that - it's all very interesting.
I've taken a lot of "speed" when I was younger. I expect it was methamphetamine.
The pseudoephedrine tabs certainly felt nothing like that. If I took a couple I just felt nauseas and a bit jittery. Stops your nose running through ;) A friend who dives a lot takes one before he goes under...!
I imagine the molecule needs quite a bit of twisting & adding on to before it becomes attractive ;)
Cheers
Mr Be Damned.
This is the end of the thread.
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