I miss ephedra

November 17, 2005 7:46 AM

I miss ephedra, and its Mazda-like "zoom zoom."

Back when Metabolife contained ephedra, my apartment was immaculate, my projects were completed ahead of schedule, my rate of speach was accelerated, etc. Suggestions for currently-available replacement supplements? Coffee doesn't do the trick and a coke habit is *so* eighties.

Seriously, some of the Metabolife substitutes seem to work by inducing nausea: not what I'm looking for. Others don't seem to do anything at all. Suggestions for where I can get my legal fix? Info about effectiveness, side-effects, cost all appreciated.

Please, no sermons about shortcuts, exercise. I know.

posted by CaptApollo to Grab Bag (43 answers total)

Adderall? Any amphetamine will give you that same effect. Meth?
posted by bonheur at 7:53 AM on November 17, 2005

This isn't a sermon about shortcuts or exercise - just a remark on ephedra and the like..

Your best bet, if you care about your long term health, is to not seek this legal fix. It will destroy your body if you keep taking ephedra / ephedra-like substances for a long period of time. In 10, 15 years, you will really regret what it has done to you.

Just a friendly suggestion - stop looking for the fix, I think that's your best choice.
posted by twiggy at 7:54 AM on November 17, 2005

You say no to coffee, but how about caffeine drinks?
posted by tetsuo at 7:57 AM on November 17, 2005

Best answer: I thought ephedra was legal again?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 7:57 AM on November 17, 2005

Sounds like you're looking for a speed high.

See if you can get a prescription for some amphetamine-based adult ADD treatment.

Seriously, some of the Metabolife substitutes seem to work by inducing nausea: not what I'm looking for.

Yeah, definitely. I tried the Ephedra substitutes and they actually made me depressed, probably from the just-so-slightly-ill feeling I had all day, but I think it messed up my brain chemicals. I felt truly horrible, and it took me like a week to realize that it was the pills. I went off them and felt fine. Ephedra never got me 'high' but it didn't have any side-effects that I noticed.
posted by delmoi at 7:59 AM on November 17, 2005

I thought ephedra was legal again?

I heard that too, but I havn't seen it for sale anywhere.
posted by delmoi at 7:59 AM on November 17, 2005

Here's a froogle link to some places that are selling ephedra today.

Looks like you're in luck!
posted by delmoi at 8:01 AM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: Neat-o! I didn't know about ephedra being legal again.

ADD meds remind me of that early Desperate Housewives episode where Lynette steals her neighbor's kids' speed. Her house sure was clean.

I do appreciate your advice Twiggy, and realise this is a pretty tacky topic.

Thanks all for the pointers so far. Anybody have thoughts on the popular non-ephedra cocktails? Xenadrine and the ilk...
posted by CaptApollo at 8:10 AM on November 17, 2005

Have you considered Colon cleansing?
posted by cdcello at 8:31 AM on November 17, 2005

nothing else (OTC) works. I took the stacker 3's for over a year to stay awake with my son during the day and hold down a nighttime warehouse job. I lost it not long after ephedra was banned. Probably best for my health, not so good for everything else. I have the odd feeling that I've never been quite the same after that year and may have developed a bit of REAL ADD.
It's nearly impossible for an adult to get prescribed a decent (Adderol) ADD drug. Doctors and psychiatrists are well aware of the abuse potential and can be audited if it's found they've been a bit too free with the stuff.
posted by IronLizard at 8:41 AM on November 17, 2005

I'm kind of sad that so many people are happily posting "here! continue your habit!" links to where you can get ephedra... :-\

Anyway, best of luck to you, CatpApollo.. I sincerely hope that in the long term you do not remain dependent...
posted by twiggy at 8:48 AM on November 17, 2005

Just pick it up from 1fast400 or buy a box of Bronkaid tablets from your local CVS or Walgreens drugstore.

It's still perfectly legal as an asthma remedy, it just cant be marketed as a dietary supplement / weight loss product.
posted by mrbill at 8:53 AM on November 17, 2005

You should seriously consider that colon cleanse stuff. With ginsyng, green tea and the occasional Red Bull you'll be a freaking machine. One that won't have a heart attack and/or a complete mental break down.
posted by dobie at 8:56 AM on November 17, 2005

Best answer: Also, to get the same result you got from Metabolife, you'll want to create a proper ECA (Ephedrine/Caffeine/Aspirin) "stack". So, take a NoDoz (200mg caffeine) and an aspirin with each ephedrine/ephedra dose. The caffeine will greatly increase the "kick".
posted by mrbill at 9:00 AM on November 17, 2005

So is ephedrine as interesting as meth? What's the appeal of it?
posted by cmonkey at 9:03 AM on November 17, 2005

ephedrine != ephedra. Ephedrine is one of the possible precursors to meth.
posted by IronLizard at 9:05 AM on November 17, 2005

I thought ephedrine was the actual chemical, while ephedra was the plat wherein one FOUND ephedrine?
posted by antifuse at 9:16 AM on November 17, 2005

mrbill, both those ephedrine products you list contain large doses of guaifenesin, a nasty expectorant that decoagulates phlegm. Take a lot of it and you will begin to feel nauseous. Too much and it will result in rather persistent and gloopy vomiting. That could really spoil any "buzz".
posted by meehawl at 9:17 AM on November 17, 2005

antifuse: "Ephedrine (EPH) is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a decongestant. Chemically, it is an alkaloid derived from various plants in the genus Ephedra (family Ephedraceae)."

IronLizard: Ephedrine is just the extract of the Ephedra plant (aka Ma Huang, etc).
posted by mrbill at 9:41 AM on November 17, 2005

meehawl: back when I was taking (the recommended dosage of) Bronkaid every day, I never had any problems or nausea.

If you're taking enough for the guaifenesin to be a problem, you're definitely taking way too much ephedrine!
posted by mrbill at 9:44 AM on November 17, 2005

Best answer: Try phentermine.
posted by necessitas at 9:47 AM on November 17, 2005

Ephedrine is just the extract of the Ephedra plant (aka Ma Huang, etc).

Yes. Hence the !=. A derivative meaning chemically altered extract. There are several other interesting alkaloids present in ephedra plants.
posted by IronLizard at 9:55 AM on November 17, 2005

I'll second the Adderall, one of my roommates is a total stoner, and he had all of his hw done, exercised, and managed to clean the apartment while high, so he was chilled and hyper at the same time... anything that will get him to keep the apartment clean is ok in my book.
posted by mhuckaba at 9:58 AM on November 17, 2005

Excuse me, I'm misinformed. It's not altered. More here.

The plant containd both Psuedo-E and Ephedra. The plant's effects are noticeably different from either extract alone (from personal experience).
posted by IronLizard at 9:59 AM on November 17, 2005

The problem with adderol is it's legality. Seriously, do you want to be buying up some kids medicine? It can also be a problem for those who have random/regular drug tests at work, if I'm not mistaken.
posted by IronLizard at 10:02 AM on November 17, 2005

I'm kind of sad that so many people are happily posting "here! continue your habit!" links to where you can get ephedra... :-\

Not an answer, but how come when someone posts a drug-related question with the statement 'spare me the sermons' or the like, there's always someone who can't help themselves? He said he knows already. Leave your self-righteous morality out of it and just answer the question, or not. The man wants to take ephedra, doesn't mean he's a drug addict.

/rant.
posted by BorgLove at 10:38 AM on November 17, 2005

Best answer: I'm pro-Adderall, and have just started on Modafinal, and have had excellent results so far. Clear, sharp, able to efficiently handle massive amounts of work.

As far as legality goes, I get it all from my doctor, and if you're considering this, so should you.
posted by I Love Tacos at 10:38 AM on November 17, 2005

The problem with adderol is it's legality. Seriously, do you want to be buying up some kids medicine? It can also be a problem for those who have random/regular drug tests at work, if I'm not mistaken.

Its not hard to convince a doctor you have ADD. You just have to find one who believes Adderol is the drug of choice for treatment. Don't abuse it though, I had a female friend in highschool that did, and while she made excellent grades, she got extremely thin and looked crackheadish, because she was on too high of a dose.
posted by mhuckaba at 10:49 AM on November 17, 2005

Humans have used this plant for thousands of years and all of a sudden people started dying, If you use aspartamine then I would not recommend ephedra.Just a suspicion I have.
posted by hortense at 10:52 AM on November 17, 2005

BorgLove: There was nothing MORAL about my statement, it was entirely about his long term health.

Never did I say "doing drugs makes you a bad person", or "doing drugs is a sin"... I say do whatever the hell you want with your body... but in the interest of the greater good of humanity, I don't think a health tip is unwarranted.

The original poster took kindly to my sentiments - you're the only one irritated.
posted by twiggy at 11:04 AM on November 17, 2005

Twiggy, I'm not irritated. I just don't see why you have to add the 2 cent sermon when he clearly stated he didn't want one. But, well, whatever. Sorry for the derailment.
posted by BorgLove at 11:14 AM on November 17, 2005

It's definitely possible to get Ritalin and Adderall as an adult, but only if you're ADD.

Anyway, Ephedra is an addictive substance that gives you false energy wherein you feel energetic even if your body is running down. Every time you take it you're doing yourself harm. By a few years from now your brain will work differently and your health will be worse. It's really, definitely not worth the buzz.
posted by abcde at 11:52 AM on November 17, 2005

The reason it's still appropriate to give a sermon is because this is like saying "I like to punch hard things for the rush; anyone have any tips?" The correct response is not to help that person with it, for sure, and since ephedra is also inevitably destructive and almost always contrary even to the goals of the user, the same policy should apply here.
posted by abcde at 11:57 AM on November 17, 2005

But it looks like CaptApollo doesn't mind comments on health effects, anyway.
posted by abcde at 12:02 PM on November 17, 2005

I used ephedra for about a month after starting a new job. I had been unemployed for awhile and was having a hard time waking up and staying focused. Unfortunately, I built up an tolerancy to it after a couple weeks, then developed fibroids in my breasts. Yay! I just stick with the coffee now.
posted by lunalaguna at 12:33 PM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: I don't mind the comments, abcde, but they don't answer my question. Coffee/caffeine is addictive, dehydrates you, makes you cranky, disrupts your sleep, and gives you the jitters, but is commonly used as a performance enhancer. Ritalin and Adderall also have their negative side effects. So do meth and coke. Trust me, I am under no illusions that I am asking a pro-health question here.

Going with your 'hitting things' analogy, it may assuage your conscience to pretend we're talking about Pro Boxing advice. It's certainly not a great plan to hit things (and get hit) for a living, but people do it.

I am asking people for their experiences with, and knowledge of, various performance and metabolism enhancers. If you have specific information about such substances, including potential effects both positive and negative, I am interested to hear it. Thank you to those who have answered so far, especially those with info about ephedra substitutes.
posted by CaptApollo at 12:49 PM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: Ugh, re-reading, bad analogy above... I am not planning on making "speed junky" a career or passtime.
posted by CaptApollo at 12:53 PM on November 17, 2005

If you're taking enough for the guaifenesin to be a problem, you're definitely taking way too much ephedrine!

I thought the "point" of this exercise was to take more ephedrine than the therapeutic bronchodilatory dosage and get into billy whizz territory. That will deliver quite a lot of guaifenesin. This adulterant also affects a lot of people wishing to robo out on DXM.
posted by meehawl at 12:58 PM on November 17, 2005

I thought the "point" of this exercise was to take more ephedrine than the therapeutic bronchodilatory dosage and get into billy whizz territory.

When I was taking it (along with caffeine) I got a good enough "get things done" buzz going on the normal recommended dose. There wasn't any need to OD.

I actually started taking it for asthma, then realized that it helped my energy and alertness levels as well.
posted by mrbill at 1:34 PM on November 17, 2005

Caffeine is much milder in all of its effects, to the point where a comparison isn't useful.
posted by abcde at 1:39 PM on November 17, 2005

abcde - have you actually taken ephedrine? The effect is much cleaner and far more useful - none of the jitters, constant peeing, and runs I get from caffeine. Taking ephedrine at the recommended dose is completely harmless. If you make a lifestyle out of it, or take far more than the reccomended dose, you are probably asking for trouble.
posted by sid at 1:56 PM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: Sid is right. I received ivy league honors on my thesis on really dry network theory as applied to LWR nuclear technology--I have to thank ephedrine for at least some of my ability to focus on such exquisitely academic trivialities.

Coffee is nifty, but you have to watch our for Mr. Coffee Nerves!
posted by CaptApollo at 2:11 PM on November 17, 2005

This thread is giving me nostalgia for Traditional Medicinal's
breathe easy tea. That sadly no longer contains ephedra,gee, that was some good tea. I miss it.
posted by hortense at 11:26 PM on November 17, 2005 [1 favorite]