Ephedra or ephedrine which is better

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Can vaping help you quit smoking? Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Ephedrine is a drug derived from the plant Ephedra equisetina.

It has been used for hundreds of years as both a stimulant and decongestant. In , the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA banned the sale of supplements containing ephedrine after a number of deaths and cases of adverse effects related to their use were reported.

That said, ephedrine can be legally obtained for certain medical purposes where the benefits are believed to outweigh the risks. Ephedrine has long been found in many diet pills and sports supplements and embraced by athletes and non-athletes alike for its reported benefits, including:.

Despite the widespread popularity of ephedrine in sports and diet supplements, a review showed that the benefits of their use are questionable. Ephedrine is among the list of banned substances issued by the International Olympics Committee and practically every other major professional or amateur athletics association.

The dangers of ephedra were first reported in when a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that a number of people had died of cardiac arrest after taking an ephedra-containing product.

By , more than 40 such deaths had been reported including that of Steve Bechler, a pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles. While ephedrine is banned in diet and sports supplements, it still is commonly used to treat allergic disorders such as bronchial asthma.

For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. Any other print or online reproduction is subject to AMA approval.

Ephedra and Ephedrine. Coronavirus Resource Center. Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to use our site, or clicking "Continue," you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy Continue. Save Preferences. Privacy Policy Terms of Use. Twitter Facebook. This Issue. Citations 0. View Metrics. Five pairs of treatment regimens were compared:. The use of ephedrine, ephedrine plus caffeine, or dietary supplements containing ephedra and herbs with caffeine was associated with a statistically significant increase in weight loss over a relatively short time.

Both ephedrine plus caffeine and ephedra plus herbs containing caffeine were somewhat more effective than ephedrine alone in promoting weight loss. Only one study compared ephedra plus other herbs but without caffeine with a placebo. The ephedra-containing product was associated with a weight loss of 1. No studies assessed the long-term effects on weight loss; the longest published follow-up was 6 months.

No studies assessed the effect of dietary supplements containing ephedra with or without herbs containing caffeine on athletic performance. The effects of ephedrine on athletic performance have not been well studied; RAND identified 8 published controlled trials of the effects of synthetic ephedrine on athletic performance, all but 1 of which also included caffeine. These trials were not appropriate for a pooled analysis because they used a wide variety of interventions.

A few studies assessed the effect of ephedrine on athletic performance in small samples for short times hours after a single dose and showed a modest effect of ephedrine plus caffeine on very-short-term athletic performance in a highly selected physically fit population.

This use does not reflect that of the general population. No studies assessed the sustained use of ephedrine on performance. RAND reviewed adverse events reported in 52 published randomized controlled clinical trials. However, evidence from the trials was sufficient to support the conclusion that the use of ephedrine, ephedrine plus caffeine, or ephedra plus caffeine is associated with times the risk of nausea, vomiting, psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and change in mood, autonomic hyperactivity, and palpitations.

The contribution of caffeine to these symptoms cannot be determined. RAND also reviewed 71 cases reported in the published medical literature, case reports provided by FDA, and more than 18, consumer complaints reported to a manufacturer of ephedra-containing dietary supplements.

Most of the cases were not well documented so decisions could not be made about the potential relationship between the use of ephedra-containing dietary supplements or ephedrine and the adverse event. A total of 65 cases from the published literature, cases from FDA, and 43 cases from a manufacturer of ephedra-containing dietary supplements were included in the adverse event analysis.

About half of the sentinel events occurred in individuals 30 years of age or younger. An additional 43 cases were identified as possible sentinel events with prior ephedra consumption and an additional 7 cases were identified as possible sentinel events with prior ephedrine consumption. This fact sheet by the Office of Dietary Supplements provides information that should not take the place of medical advice.

We encourage you to talk to your healthcare providers doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc. Any mention in this publication of a specific brand name is not an endorsement of the product.