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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by heaven help me on May 27, 2006, at 16:00:17
I may be in the wrong place for this, so sorry....but my daughter is leaving for New Zealand for a 2 month mission trip and they have energy drinks over there with Ephedra in them. She thinks they are cool and plans to drink them. I want to convince her otherwise. Can you help?
blessings
mary
Posted by Racer on May 27, 2006, at 17:12:40
In reply to Can you convince teen daughter NOT to take EPHEDRA, posted by heaven help me on May 27, 2006, at 16:00:17
You mean besides telling her they kill you? Talking about sudden death? Pointing out that there's no good reason to take it, since it isn't guaranteed to kill you right away, so it doesn't work for suicide, and it doesn't give you any benefit, so there's no reason to take it for any life affirming purpose?
Good luck. That's a hard one, and I do wish you the best of luck. You might also tell her that the cardiac effects it can have might leave her fat and virtually immobile in the not long term. Think about having to sit in one place, while everyone around you is off having fun? Having to watch, instead of do? And let her know that that sort of effect can happen faster than she would believe.
Best luck to you.
Posted by Phillipa on May 27, 2006, at 21:44:55
In reply to Re: Can you convince teen daughter NOT to take EPH » heaven help me, posted by Racer on May 27, 2006, at 17:12:40
Why does New Zealand allow it in drinks? That makes no sence. Love Phillipa
Posted by ed_uk on May 28, 2006, at 12:31:15
In reply to Re: Can you convince teen daughter NOT to take EPH, posted by Phillipa on May 27, 2006, at 21:44:55
Perhaps there's only a tiny bit in the drinks? I don't know.
You can buy ephedrine-containing products OTC in the UK but most pharmacies don't sell them anymore. You can also get ephedrine on prescription for the treatment of asthma but very few people still take it.
Ed xx
Posted by heaven help me on May 28, 2006, at 17:17:51
In reply to Re: Can you convince teen daughter NOT to take EPH » Phillipa, posted by ed_uk on May 28, 2006, at 12:31:15
nm
Posted by alohashirt on May 28, 2006, at 21:27:55
In reply to Can you convince teen daughter NOT to take EPHEDRA, posted by heaven help me on May 27, 2006, at 16:00:17
Often drug related messages are couched in moralistic or alarmist messages that are not believable.
Research suggests that ephedra is 20 more dangerous than amphetamines. Research also suggests that ibuprofen, aspirin & tylenol is many, many times more dangerous than ephedra.
It's hard to suggest that you explain to your daughter that she would be safer taking amphetamine than ephedra!
> I may be in the wrong place for this, so sorry....but my daughter is leaving for New Zealand for a 2 month mission trip and they have energy drinks over there with Ephedra in them. She thinks they are cool and plans to drink them. I want to convince her otherwise. Can you help?
> blessings
> mary
Posted by linkadge on May 29, 2006, at 20:06:38
In reply to Out there suggestion (, posted by alohashirt on May 28, 2006, at 21:27:55
If in doubt, use reverse psychology. "Say, fine, use it then, I don't care, its your brain not mine."
If my parents said that to me, I'd start to question ephedra.
Linkadge
Posted by yxibow on May 30, 2006, at 23:27:58
In reply to Out there suggestion (, posted by alohashirt on May 28, 2006, at 21:27:55
> Research suggests that ephedra is 20 more dangerous than amphetamines. Research also suggests that ibuprofen, aspirin & tylenol is many, many times more dangerous than ephedra.
That goes out on a bit of a limb... aspirin has been in use for 107 years, not to mention willow bark for about 2500 years. It also carries risks of overdose but its therapeutic window is wider than Tylenol. It also is used in low dose therapy to prevent stroke and heart attack for those who don't need warfarin regimes.
Tylenol is another question -- it is a frequent (please don't do this as it is awful) method of suicide in England (paracetamol) and other countries. If you dont survive with gastric lavage, you have to have a liver transplant. It is a drug that has a safe but narrow therapeutic index, more so in adults than children.It is an important drug, as it is the only other generally available antipyretic other than aspirin for fevers and does not carry the risk of Reye's syndrome for children and teenagers with high fevers. There are no other antipyretics that I am aware of besides aspirin and acetaminophen. Other NSAIDs provide little antipyretic activity compared to the prior.
Ibuprofen has the lowest incidence of gastrointestinal problems of all the NSAIDs, however long term use of any COX inhibitors has shown the infamous problems with certain recent COX targeted medications. Nonetheless, under about 1.2 grams a day, ibuprofen is relatively harmless, at least in the short term. It has only been around for about 35 years or so, so we don't know completely what NSAIDs do over a lifetime.Ephedra on the other hand, especially in a minor's body has dangerous consequences, being far more stimulative and dangerous to the heart than pseudoephedrine and linked to heart attacks and strokes, the exact opposite of aspirin and warfarin therapy.
This is the end of the thread.
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