Sport X Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a medication and stimulant.[5] It is often used to prevent low blood pressure during spinal anesthesia.[5] It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred treatment.[5] It is of unclear benefit in nasal congestion.[5] It can be taken by mouth or by injection into a muscle, vein, or just under the skin.[5] Onset with intravenous use is fast, while injection into a muscle can take 20 minutes, and by mouth can take an hour for effect.[5] When given by injection it lasts about an hour and when taken by mouth it can last up to four hours.[5]
Common side effects include trouble sleeping, anxiety, headache, hallucinations, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, loss of appetite, and inability to urinate.[5] Serious side effects include stroke and heart attack.[5] While likely safe in pregnancy, its use in this population is poorly studied.[6][7] Use during breastfeeding is not recommended.[7] Ephedrine works by increasing the activity of the α and β adrenergic receptors.[5]
Ephedrine was first isolated in 1885 and came into commercial use in 1926.[8][9] It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.[10] It is available as a generic medication.[5] It can normally be found in plants of the Ephedra type.[5] Dietary supplements containing ephedrine are illegal in the United States,[5] with the exception of those used in traditional Chinese medicine, where its presence is noted by má huáng.[5]