Herbal Diet Pills and arrhythmia

Posted By Ellen on January 24, 1999 at 00:34:12:







I started taking some kind of herbal diet pills designed for weight loss, they are sold over the counter in a local pharmacy.  They do seem to help control my appetite, and I have lost a few pounds.  I have had PVCs for many years, but they have been tested and found to be benign.  I had normal echo about a year ago.  I have always had episodes where the PVCs were more noticeable, but ever since becoming convinced they were not dangerous they really don't bother me, most of the time I didn't even notice them.  However, lately I have noticed that I feel the extra beats more, also my heart rate is up.  Not real high, but hovering around 100 resting pulse...it goes up much more with exercise.  I also seem to notice many more instances of shortness of breath, both with exercise and even when resting.  Occasionally, even when resting sometimes, I feel a pain in my chest toward left side under breastbone...it is not severe.  I am wondering if the diet pills could have anything to do with these symptoms....the
pills contain as one of the main ingredients mu huang (ephedra), and chromium piccolate....along with a bunch of other herbs.  Since the PVCs were already identified as benign is it safe to just ignore my sudden awareness of these increased symptoms....or is there any possibility the ephedra could be causing something to go wrong.  This morning, I woke up after sleeping all night very short of breath...I had a good day and even exercised a lot today, but tonight the pain in my chest is bothering me a good deal....it is not excruciating or anything, but it does feel somewhat painful and weird, and I feel short of breath again.  On the other hand, maybe I have just become more aware of these feelings that are probably normal.  I don't really want to tell the doc I am taking the diet pills...I asked for Meridia but he refused me since I take a lot of other meds.  I take prednisone every day and as a result have a hard time with gaining weight and find it almost impossible to lose it.  To get to my ideal weight
I would need to lose about 60 pounds....I am 40 yrs old, and female.  I know the doc would yell at me about the ephedra, but it seems to be working.  If it is unlikely that it is causing my symptoms, I want to keep taking it, as I have finally started losing weight despite still being on prednisone.  If it may be causing these symptoms, but they are benign, I will put up with the aggravation.  If however, these symptoms indicate something that could put me at risk, I will stop right away.  But I know the obesity puts me at risk too.  I hate to give up on something that seems to work.
Ellen