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The manufacturers of products
containing ephedra have been aware of the
potential side effects since at least 1993, when a 44-year-old man died from
acute coronary artery thrombosis approximately 3 weeks after beginning daily
use of a dietary supplement containing ephedrine. Between December
1993-September 1995, the Bureau of Food and Drug Safety, Texas Department of
Health received approximately 500 reports of adverse events in persons who
had taken products containing ephedrine and the ephedra alkaloids
pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, and N-methylephedrine. As a reuslt, some companies even began changing their formulations or offering alternatives. For example: "Metabolife ephedra free", "Hyrdoxycut ephedra free" and "Ripped Fuel ephedra free."
The FDA issued a medical bulletin in 1994 warning consumers of the risks
associated with ephedra and ephedra alkaloids and encouraging physicians to
report any adverse reactions they may encounter to the FDA. The bulletin
included several possible side effects of ephedra, and warned that "these
reported reactions vary from the milder adverse effects known to be
associated with central nervous system stimulants - i.e., nervousness,
dizziness, tremor, alternations in blood pressure or heart rate, headache,
gastrointestinal distress to chest pain, myocardial infarction, hepatitis,
stroke, seizures, psychosis, and death.
These adverse reactions have been
reported both in young, otherwise healthy individuals and persons with
confounding or complicating conditions such as hypertension. In addition, a
stimulant 'overdose' syndrome has been reported in children and teenagers who
have used these products."
Manufacturers have also been aware of exaggerated claims about their
products, which is why the standard disclaimer of "individual results may
vary" is included in advertisements. Yet, despite these known risks and
exaggerated claims, an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission found
that nearly 40% weight-loss advertisements in the United States made at least
one representation that was almost certainly false. The study, which was
published in September 2002 and included an introduction from the U.S.
Surgeon General, also found that over half of the ads included at least one
representation that was very likely to be false or lacked adequate
substantiation of its promises. In some cases, the claim of ephedra free was misleading, as the product contained Ma Huang, a natural form of ephedrine which is just as dangerous.
False statements made by the supplement companies included the promises of
exaggerated results, claims that the product was "completely safe," and other
unsubstantiated claims. Unlike pharmaceutical companies which are required to
include a list of side effects in their advertising, makers of supplements
are not required to make any mention of the possible negative outcomes that
have been associated with the use of their products. Neither are they
required to prove that their product will work as advertised.
"False or misleading claims are common in weight-loss advertising, and, based
on our comparison of 1992 magazine ads with magazine ads for 2001, the number
of products and the amount of advertising, much of it deceptive, appears to
have increased dramatically over the last decade," the report said.
Ephedra Free? Be careful! If you are intending to take supplements, make sure that they are ephedra free. Some products that are represented by the manufacturer as being ephedra free are: metabolife ephedra free, hydroxycut ephedra free, ripped fuel ephedra free. You should consult a health professional before taking any supplements and should do detailed research to make sure that the claims of being "ephedra free" are accurate.
Please read the labels carefully since many manufacturers sell a variety of products. For example there have been many lawsuits involving Metabolife 356 and Xenadrine efx, while these manufacturers also represent products that are "ephedra free."
Do I have an ephedrine case?
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