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Higher doses (overdose)
-can cause restlessness and anxiety, dizziness, insomnia, tremor, rapid
-pulse, sweating, respiratory difficulties, confusion, hallucinations,
-delerium, and (very inf
requently) convulsions. The most dangerous symptoms
-of overdose are abnormally high blood pressure and rapid, irregular
-heartbeat. A dose of ephedrine only two to three times the theraputic
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Tea is a stimulant beverage with an ancient history of use. Coffee is another. Another is ephedra, which the Chinese call ma huang. Like coffee and tea, it has been brewed into a beverage for thousand
s of years and consumed for its stimulant effects. Cola nuts, which contain caffeine, are used to make the stimulant beverage, Coke. Legally we classify these stimulant beverages as foods.
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Ephedra's main active medical ingredients are the alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The ephedras also contain various tannins and related chemicals.The stem contains 1-3% total alkaloids, with
ephedrine accounting for 30-90% of this total. The concentrations of these alkaloids depends upon the particular species of ephedra used.
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Ephedrine is a naturally occuring central nervous system stimulant obtained
-from the plant _Ephedra equisetina_. It is now also produced by chemical
-synthesis, the synthetic product being mark
eted in the form of its salt,
-ephedrine sulfate; it occurs as a white crystalline powder with a bitter
-taste, soluble in water and very soluble in alcohol. Ephedrine is closely
-related in
structure to methamphetamine, although its CNS actions are much
-less potent and also longer-acting than those of the amphetamines. Its
-peripheral stimulant actions are similar to but less powe
rful than those of
-epinephrine (also called adrenaline), a hormone produced in the body by the
-adrenal glands.
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Ephedrine act as stimulants that can cause rapid or irregular heartbeats (heart arrhythmias) Ephedrines act in a similar way as that of adrenaline. It dilates the bronchial muscles, contacts the nasal
mucosa, raises the blood pressure and is a cardiac stimulant. Further these compounds often cause psychological side effects such as depression, nervousness, insomnia, and rapid heart rate. When take
n in combination with caffeine, ephedrine can over-stimulate the central nervous system, leading to potentially life-threatening results.
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Ephedrine is the active ingredient in many diet pills and supplements. Many use the name "thermo", "lean" or "fat burner." Brand names include, Metabolife, MeTrim, Herbalife, Adiphen, Thermalean, Lipo
drene, Zymax, Genicil, Patent Lean, Thermoslim, Ultra Lipo Lean, Trim Life, Hydroxy Cut, Xenadrine, Herbal Phen-Fen, Shapefast, Thermoburn, Thyro-slim, Trim Spa, Natural Trim, Thermo-Lift and many oth
ers.
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