Ephedra and the Heart

I(27 yr male) used to take an ephdra energy pill about 4 years ago i only took it for about 3 months and prolly about 3 times a week, My question is could my heart have been damaged during this duration? I have been experiencing some palpitations like my heart skips a beat not very often maybe 2-3 a week but they can be quite startling also sometimes at night when i lay down my heart seems like its pounding (normal pulse though) and i have some random chest pains . My BP is normal and cholesterol a little high but not high enough to warrant medication, I do work out and think it might be my muscles, but i stopped working out for a week and still random pain (not real painful just more of a nuiscence. I have had 3 EKGs over the past year and all were normal, Is this anything I should worry about? Could the ephedra have damaged my heart?

[Brooke_38]

Hello...

Based on your short term use of Ephedra and 3 normal EKG's, I would doubt that your heart sustained damage from use. You could very well have strained a muscle that is causing your discomfort.

Certainly if the pain continues you should make an appt to see your Dr to have him/her evaluate the underlying cause.

Nothing good can ever come from taking Ephedra. Furthermore, the risks that one takes using it are simply not worth it all for a boost in energy levels. The following list are just the heart related risks, never mind other major organs:

Can  cause chest tightness, irregular heart rhythms, damage to the heart muscle, high blood pressure, heart attack, inflammation of the heart, fluid retention in the lungs, breathing difficulties, dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, coronary dissection, thrombosis, or cardiac arrest.