Ephedrine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in the ephedra plant and structurally resembles adrenaline. It has been used in TCM, Ayurveda, and Southeast Asia for about 3000 years.
At the close of the 19th century, the company Merck wanted to find a new asthma treatment. Ephedrine was a known bronchodilator and so researchers played around with chemically manipulating it. Amphetamine and methamphetamine were born.
Before the year 2000, ephedrine was widely sold and used as an over-the-counter stimulant and weight-loss agent in the US and Europe. It was frequently combined with caffeine in the so-called EC stack in pre-workouts, appetite suppressants, and fat burners. (The addition of aspirin is stupid and makes no sense.)
However, as more and more people started to use ephedrine for the synthesis of methamphetamine, its sale was swiftly restricted. In most countries, it is currently available only on prescription or behind the counter.
Personal experience
In my early twenties, I was in Canada on a university exchange. Some of my rower friends were all using ephedrine before their workouts – ephedrine is still available over the counter in Canada and sold as a nasal decongestant in 8mg pills.
I was intrigued and took a pill before a study session. I loved it and stocked up. For the next couple of years, ephedrine was my go-to short-acting stimulant, and I used it more often than I should have. I used it occasionally for social situations (particularly when I did not feel like meeting people), dating, studying, and working.
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There were multiple reasons I liked it.
- Ephedrine is fairly balanced between reuptake inhibition and release induction.
- Ephedrine is more noradrenergic than dopaminergic (and I personally do not like overly dopaminergic stuff).
- Its duration of action is quite short (2-3 hours).
- It can be combined well with other neuropharmaceuticals.
However, even at low doses (8mg), ephedrine induces counterregulation and tolerance in the same way other stimulants do. I set a number of “rules” to use stimulants responsibly (discussed in more detail here). However, I eventually figured that I was better off without stimulants in general and stopped taking them.
How it works
Ephedrine is structurally and functionally similar to amphetamine, though more on the noradrenergic side. It blocks NET, and to a lesser degree DAT, and also induces a slight release of catecholamines.
It has more of a “body feel” due to its potent noradrenergic activity, which is also the basis for its weight loss properties as adipose tissue is heavily innervated by noradrenergic nerve endings.
Safety
During the time ephedrine was available over-the-counter, the FDA received a large number of ephedrine-related reports of adverse effects, including reports of toxic cardiovascular effects. Many people had presumably been using ephedrine at high doses, as ephedrine was widely (ab)used for weight loss.
Speculatively, if amphetamine had been available OTC, the FDA may have received many more complaints, simply because people tend to abuse the hell out of OTC drugs – for example, some people take 500mg of caffeine as a pre-workout or get high on NyQuil.
As far as I know, there is nothing specifically toxic to ephedrine, and adverse effects are mostly identical to other stimulants in the amphetamine class. Sola dosis facit venenum.
Other experience reports
For a general discussion of stimulants, and links to accounts of stimulants I have experimented with, click here.
For a full list of experience reports, including non-stimulants, click here.
Sources & further information
- Scientific review: Over a century since ephedrine discovery: an updated revisit to its pharmacological aspects, functionality and toxicity in comparison to its herbal extracts
- Scientific review: Effects of Ephedrine-Containing Products on Weight Loss and Lipid Profiles: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
- Scientific review: How ephedrine escaped regulation in the United States: a historical review of misuse and associated policy
Disclaimer
The content on this website represents the opinion and personal experience of the author and does not constitute medical advice. The author does not endorse the use of supplements, pharmaceutical drugs, or hormones without a doctor’s supervision. The content presented is exclusively for informational and entertainment purposes. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the internet.