Long-term Side-effects of Amphetamine Usage

[Zuras]

I guess I have a couple questions:

Is ephedrine considered an amphetamine? Would a doctor say such?

What are some of the long-term effects that could come from long term usage?

Over the last 4-5 years(used ephedrine for over a year, previously), I've had some serious side-effects, totally life altering side-effects. These include but not limited to:

Irregular heartbeat
Seizures
Paranoia
Mental lethargy
Physical lethargy
Severe loss of short-term memory
Black outs or "near" black outs(fainting)
Circulation problems(feet/hands)

Basically, I feel like an 80 year old man with Alzheimer with a little paranoia thrown in.... I had none of the problems prior to my usage of the drug.

Did these all just "happen" or could they have been related to my tenure of taking ephedrine??

If this could have been due to ephedrine usage, I would love to find any medical studies that say this or suggest it. Please let me know of any information anyone has or where I could look.

[OxyDout]

HELLO!!!! STOP TAKING THEM, sorry i don't mean to be rude, but come on, you had no problems before taking them and now........... its not a hard decision.  I take ephedrine all the time, i'm in the gym 6 days a week and i have used them just as much as you have, but i have had no problems, but its obviously not working well with your body, so yes, stop taking them! Non of us ever pay attention to what the "warning" on the bottle says, and that the drug is not FDA approved, but when your having issues like you are, then stop immediately.  Its not like your going to die from taking all of them, but that could happen if you continue........ i don't see how you could be addicted to them, are you? let me know, hope all is well, or atleast better.

GWH

[Zuras]

No. I was somewhat addicted when I was taking them. I stopped taking them over 4 years ago. As soon as I had my first serious side-effect when I was taking epherine(labeled as ephedra on the product), which was when I passed out during work, that's when I stopped taking them. I've never touched them again since, but the side effects have still remained. Even if they ARE side-effects.. which is what I'm truly wondering.

[OxyDout]

ok, so whos the jackass? ah yes, thats me, I'm sorry i miss understood, now I get it.  Well, rereading your post on all that you have experienced, I fined it very hard to believe that this was all caused because of ephedrine, have you consulted a Dr.?

[Zuras]

Since I don't have insurance, I've tried to keep my doctor visits rare. But in such extreme cases, I've been in and out of the doctors quite a few times, they 've ran numerous blood work ups and such. Even recently , they did an MRI(nice 10K bill for that). They have no answers. I never told them about my year of taking ephedrine 4-5 years ago, though. I just mentioned "herbal" stuff I had tried and they didn't question me further.

[OxyDout]

I wish I had an answer for you, but unfortunately, I don't............ but I do stick to what I said before, I definitely don't think it was due to the ephedrine, there is just no way........... is there anything else it might be, how old are you?

[Zuras]

I'm 24. Never had any serious health problems my entire life.

[OxyDout]

****, i really don't know, but hopefully someone else has some more experience...............

[Witchywoman]

I hate to tell you this, but my best guess is that your symptoms could be associated with the long term ephredine use.  Even the natural herb ephedra is an amphetamine, and all long term use of amphetamines can cause major side effects and symptoms, some of which fit the list you describe. Here at the psychiatry clinic I work at, we see people coming in with these kinds of effects after using speed for too long.

I don't know for sure if this is the case, but it is possible.

Is there any way you can get to a doctor and tell them exactly what you took and for how long, to see if they know how to help you? I know you don't have health insurance, but I do worry for how you must be feeling.

I wish I had more info for you. I'll do a web search and see if I find anything.

good luck,
WW

[OxyDout]

WW I think we finally found something that we disagree on........ haha, anyway, i disagree with your statement, although physicians ,hospitals etc. make ephedrine as "nasty" as speed I do not agree.  I myself have taken ephedrine for a LONG period of time, i know many others that have done the same.  The only time I have seen ephedrine effect someone that badly is when the person has a PRE-EXISTING MED. issue, or when they combine ephedrine with speed, alcohol or other drugs..... I have NEVER seen anyone have a side effect from straight ephedrine, and multiple 12 to 15 year studys have shown no major side affects, I have done many hours of research over the last year...............  

Zuras, I still agree 100% with what I initially stated, but as WW recommended, if you can get to a Dr. it can't hurt....... and you obviously need to see someone, so go get looked at if its possible.

GWH

[spint]

Ephedrine is not an amphetamine.  It does however act in the same way and Yes you can react to it as you have and Yes it is addicting.  Do an interent search on ephedrine side effects, You will see all of the bad things that can happen to you because  of its use, even death.  

[joe beyers]

I took ephedrine from age 19 to 21,  and I believe it has changed my life forever. It made me feel great! I'm now 33 and I still think about it on almost a daily basis. I had all of the side effects you mentioned accept for the short term memory loss. I was consuming large amounts of caffeine at the time, as well as alcohol, and I believe the mixing of these together was the real cause of my adverse side effects.

[Richo]

Hi this is Rich, I know alot about ephredine, I used it for about 10 yrs, no serious side effects, however, i only took 3 pills per week.  I had to stop taking it because, I experimented with Salvia Diviorumn, it did something to my central nervous system, where I can't take any kind of speedy susbstances anymore, not even coffee.  My suggestion to u guys, if u take it in small amounts, without any strenous activities, it shouldn't cause any problems. Unless, u have a serious health condition prior to usage.  

[paulandsabrina]

ephedrine is in the same family as amphetamine sulphate le speed so the 80 year old man feeling is for real dude your body is all worn out stop now before you die please for yourself

[paulandsabrina]

ephedrine is in the same family as amphetamine sulphate le speed so the 80 year old man feeling is for real dude your body is all worn out stop now before you die please for yourself

[paulandsabrina]

ephedrine is in the same family as amphetamine sulphate le speed so the 80 year old man feeling is for real dude your body is all worn out stop now before you die please for yourself

[beckalou]

I have never used epehdrine but was on some diet pills called phentermine and tenuate dospan a few years ago. Had many of the side effects you mention here after taking them for a year including depression, paranoia, panic attacks etc and increased heartbeat. I would say that your symptoms are definitely linked to epehdrine use as side effects can take years to disappear completely whether you are still taking them or not.

[Alli3388]

This is a really old on-going discussion! Anyway, I don't think the OP was experiencing side-effects from ephedrine. The side-effects wouldn't have gone on for that long. I also hope the guy finally 1) got health insurance, and 2) started telling his doctors the truth! Geez!

I have limited experience with ephedrine - at one point last year I tried taking Hydro-Lean (obtained under the counter), and then messed me up even on less that the full dose. I felt sick and uncomfortable, felt heart palpitations and kind of a weakness in the arms. So of course I didn't carry on with that for very long! But now I take just straight ephedrine and regular caffeine pills, and while I certainly notice that it gives me a lot of extra energy, it doesn't make me feel sick or anything like that. I take it 3 times a day, about 4 hours apart - started with 2 ephedrine and one caffeine pill, and am now up to 3 ephedrine and 2 caffeine pills - it sure makes my workouts better, that is for sure! I have no plans to take it any longer than 4 to 6 months at a shot though (and really, I hope to never feel a desire to use it again, since that would mean I didn't manage to maintain any improvements I see!).

I've been told by bodybuilders/sellers of these kinds of supplements, that some people have a very negative reaction to ephedrine, while others have none at all. I figure it just depends who you are, just like with any other substance... i.e. some people can hold their booze, and others can't!

[Prospero73]

I'm interested to see a discussion about ephedrine, which you don't hear much about.  I took it for nasal congestion for several years, and it helped somewhat.  It had a mild speed-like effect which was not unpleasant, but no more potent than coffee.  I stopped taking it when it wasn't OTC any more, and had no ill effects.

But the one who really had a history with it was my grandfather.  He broke his nose playing football in college, which gave him chronic sinusitis, and a doctor prescribed an ephedrine treatment sometime in the 30s, which he took 2 or 3 times a day for nearly 30 years.  It was in liquid form, and he got gallon jugs of it from a pharmacy.  His "treatment" was a notable event in the household.  He lay on his back on the bed, pumped several ounces into his nostrils, and circulated it with some kind of hand pump with a rubber bulb.  After this, he would charge down the hallway to the bathroom to spit it out, and woe to the small boy who may be occupying the toilet at that moment!  He swore by its good effects, and claimed that he never felt like himself until he'd had his treatment.  Years later, another doctor told him it was a bad drug and he was addicted to it, so he gave it up.  As far as I know, he had no ill effects from withdrawal.  He did have a stroke some years later, in his 70s, and died in a rest home, but it would be far-fetched to attribute that to the ephedrine.

[leeisgettingclean]

hey man i was a five year IV user of crystal meth. Let me warn you now to leave it alone! man all your stuff......
Irregular heartbeat
Seizures
Paranoia
Mental lethargy
Physical lethargy
Severe loss of short-term memory
Black outs or "near" black outs(fainting)
Circulation problems(feet/hands
is directly related to your using! this stuff will kill you, i have seen peoples lives destroyed, I seen a lady sign her baby over to her abusive ex because she sould not go to court because of needle marks( not just arms...man she would go for veins ANYWERE!!, , i  lived in an apartment and we put signs up all around about a sale we were having....we let people come in and buy the sh@t in our homes, cloths right out our closet, food out our pantry, we sold a 3000$ bedroom suite for 50$...we were normal average people before meeting this drug and within one year of meeting meth we were 100% at bottom, this stuff gets you fast and hard. The only good thing is the w/ds are not to severe, nothing compared to opoites, but the success rate of STAYIN clean from meth long about 1% because people miss the whole lifestye with it. Get your self sraight before you see yourself on one of those before and after meth bill boards

[bmdad]

Is ephedrine the same as meth or just have the same effects? Just kinda curious. Thanks!

[leeisgettingclean]

not the same, but its used in the making of meth, pretty much main thing in it( also with a bunch of other deadly explosive things) , it does not give same feeling. it keeps you up for about 7 or 8 hours with no high, meth keeps you up weeks with lots of high! most, if not all states highly controll the sale of ephedrine, you can only buy 2 boxes every 24 hours(still alot if not making meth) and you have to log in a book, mainly sold at truck stops

[bmdad]

I use to take ephedrine in high school before football games. I thought they put a ban on that stuff everywhere here because of the many deaths associated with it. Or, was that ephedra? Or is there even a difference?

[leeisgettingclean]

you know  what i am not 100% sure which of the two i am thinkin about that you can still buy at truckstops...i just know its used in meth, and now they actually turned it into liquid form so its harder to turn to meth

[madtram]

Ephidrine was the only nasal congestant that has ever worked for my chronic sinusitis & it has been illegal in Australia since the dealers starting highjacking it to make speed.  It has been replaced in sinus formulations by a similar chemical which has no CNS effects but no decongestant effects either, (not just my opinion but established in medical studies).

For all that my blocked up sinuses seriously miss it, it was very tempting to take it regularly for the energy boost & there's no doubt that constant nervous system stimulation will burn out your adrenal function to some extent eventually.  Used occasionally in moderate doses, it's fine for most people & the Ephedra herb has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries without many reports of major adverse effects.

[tanner1153]

My husband takes these like candy, I've seen him take 4 within 30 minutes.  He uses them for energy and to stay awake.  He's been doing this for almost 3 years and after reading some of these posts I wonder if he's addicted, he also drinks beer with them as well.

He has a hard time keeping food down, (vomits) and gets angry a lot too.  Seems to be turning narcisstic and I wonder if long term use of this can cause these problems too.

[carockwell2002]

I currently have a problem with taking too many of amphetamine pills and its a real struggle to get off these pills.  They are highly addicting if you dont take what you should.  I made that mistake one day and took ! more then I should and now 3 years later I usuall take 3 more then I should.  Its a very hard drug to kick bc your brain is soo used to being wired and when you think your coming down on the pills your imediate thought is to take another pill.  Thats at least what I go through.  Also you said yur husband drinks beer too when on them, well I also drink beer too.  The reason why he does drink on them is prolly because it takes the edgy feeling away and you usually cannot get drunk when your on the pills.  I wish I never got on these stupid pills bc they are running my life and I just want to be able to be normal.  Feel fre to ask me anything if you got any questions

[tanner1153]

Thanks for answering some of my questions.  He can and does get drunk even taking these but he probably drinks a lot more than you do.