Ephedrine abuse

Gruber AJ, Pope HG Jr. (1998). Ephedrine abuse among 36 female weightlifters. Am J Addict. 7(4) 256-61. 

Wooten MR, Khangure MS, Murphy MJ. (1983). Intracerebral hemorrhage and vasculitis related to ephedrine abuse. Ann Neurol. 13(3) 337-40. 

Since 1997, a number of groups have lined up on each side of the ephedra battle. A non-profit group called Halt Ephedrine Abuse Today has spoken out about the dangers of ephedra. On the other side of the battle is the Ephedra Education Council, a group backed and supported by the herbal products industry and supplement manufacturers. Many of the companies that sell products containing ephedra do not want any further restrictions on the products. 

Some medical experts have testified about ephedrine s physiological side effects, which include hypertension and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. The Halt Ephedrine Abuse Today survey found that more than 60% of respondents reported feeling physiological side effects such as a rapid heartbeat, nervousness, headaches, insomnia, shortness of breath, and chest... 

Roxanas MG, Spalding J. Ephedrine abuse psychosis. Med J Aust... 

Blau JJ. Ephedrine nephrolithiasis associated with chronic ephedrine abuse. J Urol 1998 160(3 Pt 1) 825. 

Gaultieri J. Cardiomyopathy in a heavy ephedrine abuser. J Tox Clin Tox... 

Cockings 1G, Brown M. Ephedrine abuse causing acute myocardial infarction. Med J Aust 1997 167(4) 199-200. 

Ephedrine abuse has been linked to heart attacks. 

Kargin, 1996) and stroke (Stoessl et al., 1985 Yin, 1990 Bruno et al., 1993 Anonymous, 1996a,b Waluga et al., 1998) are fairly common complications of ephedrine abuse, although rarely, if ever, are these seen when the drug is taken in recommended doses. 

Martmez-Quintana E, Rodriguez-Gonzalez F, Cuba-Herrera J. Necrosis miocardica y disfundon biventricular severa en el contexto de abuso cronico de efedrina. [Myocardial necrosis and severe biventricular dysfunction in the context of chronic ephedrine abuse.] Adicdones 2010 22(1) 25-8. 

Another case of acute myocardial infarction has been attributed to ephedrine abuse in a young athlete in whom an intracoronary thrombus was found in the left anterior descending coronary artery at urgent angiography and was successfully removed there was an underlying non-obstructive atherosclerotic plaque but no evidence of plaquerupture the authors suggested that this event had been precipitated by vasoconstriction [73 ]. 

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