Ephedrine
See alsoMa Huang
Pronunciation:e-FED-rin (also pronounced EF-uh-dreen)
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:299-42-3. (Hydrochloride form 50-
98-6; sulfate form 134-72-5)
Formal Names:Broncholate Syrup, Elsinore, Kie Syrup, Letigen, Marax, Pretz-D,
Primatene, Rynatuss
Informal Names:Chinese Speed, Herbal Ecstasy, Herbal XTC
Type:Stimulant (amphetamine class).Seepage 12
Federal Schedule Listing:Unlisted
USA Availability:Varies by state and by product formulation
Pregnancy Category:C
Uses.Although natural products containing the drug have a long history,
ephedrine was not isolated fromma huanguntil the 1880s. Ephedrine is found
in other plants as well. It can be refined from plants or synthesized in a lab-
oratory. Despite ma huang’s familiar use as a medicinal herb, Western med-
icine did not accept ephedrine until the 1920s. Ephedrine has found usage in
standard medicine, alternative medicine, and recreation. Responding to a sur-
vey, 14 companies reported they sold the equivalent of 425 million individual
doses in 1995, 976 million in 1997, and 3 billion in 1999.
Some early uses have since become outmoded, such as against leprosy and
whooping cough. Weight loss experiments have found ephedrine, alone or in
combination withcaffeineor aspirin, to be more effective than placebos and
also more effective than dexfenfluramine (seefenfluramine). A study found
ephedrine useful in helping heavy smokers to reduce the number of cigarettes
they consume. Standard medicine has also exploited ephedrine’s urinary re-
tention effect to help incontinent persons. The drug has been employed against
asthma, runny noses, narcolepsy, painful menstruation, and depression.
In alternative medicine ephedrine is marketed for losing weight, increasing
muscle mass, facilitating intellectual concentration, and promoting vigor. A
scientific study found that ephedrine in combination with caffeine (but not by
itself) significantly improves endurance in physical exercise. Many sports or-
ganizations ban use of ephedrine by athletes.
Although not a true amphetamine, ephedrine has qualities reminiscent of
that stimulant class and has been commonly used to manufacture illicitmeth-