Ephedrine as an allergy reliever?

March 27, 2006 7:11 AM

Ephedrine as an allergy reliever?

I am interested in finding a product that contains a smallish amount of ephedrine to relieve my allergies.

Most of the ephedrine-based products out there are marketed toward those interested in weight loss. I am not interested in that aspect at all. I tried an ephedrine product with 25 units of ephedrine once and I thought I would have a heart attack.

I suffer severe allergies, and the worst symptom is a major overproduction of mucus, which causes sleep apnea among other things. I have actually slept much better after taking a very small amount of ephedrine and it is the most effective medication I have ever found for my problems.

So...I am looking to use it the "right" way...not as a stimulant, not for weight loss...just a tablet with a very smallish amount to counteract my allergy symptoms. Surely there is a product like this...but everything I have found has high amounts.

posted by titans13 to health & fitness (7 comments total)

Doesn't sutafed "classic" still have it?
I know in NY they keep it behind the pharmacy counter (since it's used to make meth), but you don't need a script.

On the perscription end, Allegra D does as well.

If they're too high why not get a pill crusher and take half, or a quarter dose, at a time?

(and I'll agree, ephedrine or even psudoephedrine is the best thing for my killer seasonal allergies).
posted by Kellydamnit at 7:19 AM on March 27, 2006

Uhhh.... is not pseudoephedrine in almost every allergy/decongestant drug ever made?

Nowadays some are being reformulated and some are behind the counter because of crystal meth abuse, but at least in my pharmacy, anything with the word "decongestant" on the label has about a 85% chance of having pseudoephedrine in it. What's the problem again?

The adult dose is 60mg. If that's too much, you can buy children's formulations or break the pill or buy the liquid products and take less liquid.
posted by jellicle at 7:47 AM on March 27, 2006

Assuming pseudoephedrine does the same thing for you, as it likely should, get some sort of medication with it. I'd also recommend going to a doctor since a lot of environmental allergies can be well-treated now with a combination of allergy drugs like Claritin (over the counter), Allegra, or Zirtek (prescription only) and some sort of decongestant and/or antihistamine. There are versions of at least the first two drugs I mentioned with pseudoephedrine built in.

If pseudoephedrine isn't working as ephedrine does, I would ask your doctor why. The two should have nearly the same effect as far as they work as decongestants.
posted by mikeh at 8:23 AM on March 27, 2006

Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant. It primarily works by constricting the blood vessels, which shrinks mucus membrane tissues such as those found in your nose and sinuses. This allows for drainage of the gunk that's caught up inside as well.

Ephedrine works in the same way.

If you have severe allergic rhinitis, you should be treated for it. Treatment doesn't merely involve dealing with the symptoms: it should also include some modality of symptom prevention. Put simply: take an antihistamine and treat the allergies, and not just a decongestant for the symptoms. There are a bunch of different drugs out there that can help you, including antihistamines and nasal sprays.

Antihistamines include benadryl, chlorpheniramine, Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec. The first three are generic and can be purchased over the counter. The first two are sedating (Zyrtec is sedating in some people as well). Benadryl is still the most effective antihistamine of the bunch, but not necessarily the best as it makes people tired.

Each of the above can be found in combination with a decongestant. Whether or not you require a combination pill is up to you and your doctor-- most people don't, after the allergies are controlled with the antihistamine.


Nasal sprays include steroids, mast cell stabilizers and decongestants. Steroid sprays are prescription-only, and include Flonase, Rhinocort and Nasacort. These are anti-inflammatory sprays that work to decrease the amount mucus membranes ramp up an immune response when triggered by an allergen. They typically require a couple of weeks of daily use before effects are noted, though some people claim relief of symptoms beginning as soon as several days. Honestly, these sprays are a godsend for a lot of people. If you are prescribed this, be sure you pay attention to spray technique; read the instructions carefully.

Mast cell stabilizers include Nasalcrom. You can buy this OTC. They suck rocks, IMHO. You'll get superior results with other meds.

Spray decongestants, including Afrin, are to be avoided for allergic rhinitis. Use of them for more than three days will result in rebound congestion, where the sinus tissues become enflamed in the absence of the drug. Additionally, for people with allergies, decongestant sprays may make symptoms much worse, as you're effectively clearing out the sinus passages of the snot that's trapping and preventing the allergens from reaching the tissues in the first place.



Here's what I'd do, assuming you had no allergies:
1. call up your doctor and make an appointment
2. buy some OTC benadryl and pseudoephedrine
3. take 1 benadryl and 2 pseudoephedrine tabs (that's benadryl 25mg x 1, pseudoephedrine 30mg x 2) at dinnertime and at bedtime
3a. substitute generic OTC Claritin-D for the above if the benadryl zonks you out, and take either once or twice daily, depending on formulation
4. get some steroid spray.

If you've got bona fide sleep apnea, you're already boning your heart. Do yourself a favor and skip the ephedrine.
posted by herrdoktor at 8:52 AM on March 27, 2006

If pseudoephedrine isn't working as ephedrine does, I would ask your doctor why. The two should have nearly the same effect as far as they work as decongestants.

They don't, though. Pseudoephedrine is great, but I've had the same experience as titans13 -- nothing worked like ephedrine in small doses.

Titans13, I used to buy those ephedrine-based pills marketing at gas stations for 'energy boost' (but labeled on the back as a bronchodilator) and cut them in half, but while they still say ephedrine on the (admittedly dodgy) label, I think they've reformulated them. Don't bother.

Now that I have health insurance, a combination of Allegra-D and Nasalcort keeps my allergies mostly under control.
posted by desuetude at 9:21 AM on March 27, 2006

4. get some steroid spray.

In my, and my doctor's, experience, stay away from Astelin, as it always seemed like I was on the sugar-pill end of the drug-testing. I've had equally satisfying results with the others mentioned by herrdoktor, but since he didn't mention Astelin, I thought I'd bring it up.
posted by thanotopsis at 10:21 AM on March 27, 2006

If a doctor visit is out of the question, you might want to try talking to a pharmacist. They know their stuff about what they sell (at least they're supposed to.)
posted by Opposite George at 8:39 PM on March 27, 2006