Products Containing Ephedra
Products containing ephedra are being pulled off of the counters because ephedra was banned from the United States in August, 2006. There have been petitions filed to try to get ephedra back on the market but so far they have had no luck. Products which contained ephedra is a stimulant herb or synthetic which was causing heart attacks and strokes and other side effects as well as death in some users. Other side effects experienced by some users of the ephedra products were high blood pressure, rapid heart beat or irregular heart beats, tremors, seizures, nervousness, insomnia, and possible other side effects. There were over 800 people suffered from a serious side effect or death from the use of the ephedra products since 1994 according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Some of the products which contained ephedra were Trimspa, Metabolife, Metabolite, Xenadrine, Diet Fuel, Shape-Fast, Plus, Ultimate Orange, Ripped Fuel, and Ripped Force, Nature’s Treat Energy Plus, Megapro, and MuscleTech Hydroxycut. It has been reported that at least 17 people died from products which contained ephedra. Ephedra was used in products to treat asthma, common colds, congested bronchial tubes, and coughs. It was also used in energy boosters, sports enhancers, and as a weight loss products.
Ephedra is an herbal stimulant found in the ephedra plant or is a manmade synthetic. The plant is found in arid areas around the world and is known by many names. The other names for ephedra are Mormon Tea, Squaw Tea, Herbal Ecstasy, and Ma Huang. If you see any supplements with any of these names in the list of ingredients on the labels you will know what it is so beware. It is likely that there are products being sold online which contain the ephedra and may be shipped to this country illegally. The ephedra is dangerous to use even in small doses. The first time ephedra was banned from use in the United States it was for large amounts, then it was discovered even small amounts as small as 8 mg. Had also caused strokes and heart attacks in some people. Another problem was that there was no way of knowing how much ephedra was in the products. The amounts stated on the labels of the bottles was very often wrong. Sometimes they contained no ephedra at all and others contained more than was stated on the bottles. If you suspect that you have gotten seriously ill while taking a product with ephedra or have a problem with any natural supplement, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. You can also contact the FDA Consumer hotline at 800-532-4440 and also contact your local health department.
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