Ephedra is back !!

Judge strikes down FDA ban on ephedra
Weight-loss supplement linked to at least 155 deaths
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:53 p.m. ET April 14, 2005

SALT LAKE CITY - A federal judge Thursday struck down the FDA ban on ephedra, the once-popular weight-loss aid that was yanked from the market after it was linked to dozens of deaths — including that of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler.

The judge ruled in favor of a Utah company that challenged the Food and Drug Administration’s ban. Utah-based Nutraceutical claimed in its lawsuit that ephedra “has been safely consumed” for hundreds of years.

Supplements that included ephedra have been widely used for weight loss and bodybuilding, but have been linked to 155 deaths. The FDA ordered the substance off the market in April 2004.

Judge Tena Campbell’s ruling sends the matter back to the FDA “for further rulemaking consistent with the court’s opinion” and keeps the agency from enforcement action against the companies.

FDA officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Company president Bruce Hough said the decision is about “protecting the public’s access to safe and effective dietary supplements.”

Bechler was 23 when he died after a spring training workout on Feb. 17, 2003, sent his body temperature to 108 degrees.

The medical examiner who performed the autopsy said the pitcher had a history of borderline high blood pressure and an abnormal liver. The medical examiner also said that ephedrine — the active substance in the plant ephedra — played a major role in the pitcher’s death.

In an effort to quickly shed the weight he gained during the offseason, Bechler took over-the-counter diet pills containing ephedra. The drug had been banned by the NCAA, NFL and International Olympic Committee, but not by Major League Baseball.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnb … com/id/7504443/

I thought this was pretty interesting

789

Ephedra allowed again? Thanks 789, this restores my confidence in the FDA for its commitment to ensuring consumer safety.

huff,

The FDA didn’t allow it, a freakin federal judge did. The judge now want’s the FDA to follow his all knowing guide lines.

Question for the pharmacologically minded - Is Ephedra the same substance as MaHuang? I know MaHuang (Chinese yellow hemp?) had similar effects, and was banned. I remember years and years ago, there was this concoction beverage with all kinds of herbs in it and MaHuang was one of them. A friend and I drank down a bottle of it in middle school, and I have never felt higher in my life. It was an “I feel no pain!” kinda day, catagorized by extreme hyperness. Haha, the dumb things of one’s youth.

So, does this mean we will be able to buy this stuff again in Texas or will we have to drive to Utah?

The point is that they never proved that the supplement was really the cause of the deaths. The FDA made a sweeping motion to ban it. The same is with pro hormones. They claim they banned it because kids were using it, even if they were thats no justification to disallow it for adults. Bush has stakes in baseball and seems he has a vendetta against baseball players and “cheating”.

I’ve used ephedra, some eye twitching so I quit several times, huge withdrawals. I don’t think its really the cause of deaths though. Most people will know when their heart rate is too high and will just rest. It’s something to be used while not excercising in my opinion.

I read not too long ago that aspirin kills more people per year and yet the government doesnt ban that.

The FDA is expert in the field, and the judge likely isn’t! So what’s this? Was the drug company able to convince him it’s safe enough to be legal? I suppose it’ll just have a warning. Like guns. They’ve been linked to a lot of deaths, too. Accidental deaths, mind you. But it’s strange to have drugs sold under the pretense that they will help you — not kill you. This is an interesting issue.

Tip of the cap to the Utah company. Can’t be easy to beat the FDA in court. Although, with some of these wacko judges.. Supposedly its safe to take if you do so according to the directions.

I took ephedra off and on for a number of years with only the desired effects except that I did have pretty noticable withdrawals when I weined myself off when it got banned.

“But it’s strange to have drugs sold under the pretense that they will help you — not kill you. “

I think most drugs are sold because they will help you…

Some people are allergic to penicillin, but you don’t see that getting banned…

It is a naturally occuring herb. Foods have to be proven by the FDA to be in fact dangerous. Drugs have to be proven by the manufacturer to be safe for consumption. The FDA did not prove their case. Herbal Ephedra is still a food.

Ephedra DOES make you lose weight. It could help thousands of overweight people and increase the life expectancy of the nation if it is used properly. The FDA would have to prove that the deaths were not borne from the carelessness of the drug recipient. Overdosing is the fault of the user. Excercising with too high a heart rate or temperature is the fault of the user.

Gprent is correct about the aspirin death rates, but it is probably due to the greater proliferation of the drug. There should be a death per use ratio. As it stands though there hasn’t been a proven case that ephedra kills if used properly.

If the government is so anal about drugs like these, they should be banning nicotine or eventually they’ll get to caffeine soon. (slippery slope argument) They don’t do the nicotine probably because the government gets paid too well from tobacco use.

All the meth labs should be pleased.

^^^ It is actually harder to make meth out of ephedrine than it is psuedo-ephedrine.

The whole time it was banned you could still get ephedrine hcl, which is marketed as an asthma medication. The hcl has much cleaner effects than the herbal extract anyhow.

Even though ephedra is illegal you can still get ephedrine which is the main ingredient in ephedra. Ephedrine is used to temporarily relieve asthma symptoms but it works the same as ephedra. A lot of weightlifters use it and stack it with caffeine and i guess it works well for weight loss if used properly.

You can get ephedrine hear: http://www.1fas … ?products_id=50