Ephedra/Ephedrine

hey guys, Is anyone taking Ephedra or Ephedrine?  A friend of mine (not a WLS patient) was telling me some pretty incredible stories about this supplement. Anyone have any personal experience with it? Does it really give you energy?

I'm not sure, but I thought it had been banned in the US...maybe it's back on the market?? At any rate, I used it years ago and it gave me irregular heart beats!  Not something I want to experience again!!! C

Hi Cindy, How long did you take it for?

A few weeks but the arrthymias got so bad I finally went off of it...it didn't make me lose weight. I suffered with arrythmias on and off for years afterwards, no more since losing weight though...and my pulse rate had dropped  to around 69 for a resting rate!  Quite a change from the near 100 I used to run all the time! C

I had a few friends who dook ephedrine when it was on the market back in the 90s...i think it's back on the market again.  Yes it does seem to help with weight loss..as long as you diet with it.  It gives you like a caffine type buzz....and crash.    Does it help with long term weight loss?  No, as soon as you stop it...you gain all the weight back plus some. Scott

It was removed from the market. I think we all tried it. It made my heart race. I watch the discussion in the health food store industry as the "it's bad" or "it's harmless" discussion goes back 'n forth.

Based on most ppl's experience, I'd avoid it. There are other things you can take that might boost your energy that are safe. Protein supplements that are not meal replacments; something like Amino Shooters (has caffeine and/or creatine--comes 3 ways); keeping yourvit D, B12 and iron levels up, not just "fine", but REALLY GOOD; and of course, keeping up with your water, as in water.

Hello Vita Lady,
I am needing some information.

I was wondering if there is a protein pill. If not there sure should be one. . Sometimes I get tired of drinking the protein.

I am taking a Centrum Silver vitiman once a day. Is that enough? I have my blood checked once a year at my surgeon's office, and it has been fine.

Thank you for all your help.

Tena

OK, my non-medical opinion on the vitamins, but facts on protein pills.

Yes, there are pills or were. Vegetable protein which is not as well absorbed, and they were 3 pills = 1g. So, o get 60g net, you'd have to eat 180 pills per day. the ones I had way back when tasted like alfalfa. No all bad, but not 180 pills worth of nummy, for sure.

So, let's look at whey proteins. It takes 1/3 to 1/3 cup of whey protein powder to be equal to about 30g protein. If you had one with no flavor, no adders, like ProCel, it'd be much closer to 1/3 cup. If you had one of the tastier fluffier ones, closer to 1/2 cup POWDER. Many of these will shake up in 4 oz of wtaer.

I'm not sure which ones you've tried, but I do 180g protein in supplement per day. So, since I do so many on the run, Iput 30g powder into dry water bottles. As I go, I add 4-8 oz of water (can't always measure), shake, glug and go. If I must add warm car water (been rolling around all day), it's a very SHORT drink. Literaly, 3 glugs. If I can get COLD water, I'll make them a little more generously.

On the vites, my non-medical opinion is HECK NO, one multi isn't even CLOSE!

They apparently are not running the full set of labs or they would not be "fine". And annually is never good enough. Things change for us too fast. As you're reading about calcium, vit D, and iron deficiencies, that is YOU, just tomorrow. I'm guessing the labs they run include maybe a CBC only, which will not alert you to the WLS-specific issues -EVER. WE need a pile of vites levels run, and if my insurance would pay, every 3 months, but I have to settle for every 6 months.

With that, I can tweak my levels before they get too low (enough to start causing pemanent damage) or too high. Like THAT'S going to happen! LOL

If you write to me privately, I can send you a list of labs to have run, add more if you think.

A hearty AMEN from me to everything Michelle just posted regarding the labs and vitamin deficiencies.  Get the FULL lab panels drawn every 6 months that we post-ops need, and stay on top of those levels.  I was doing great, and even with my supplementing more than my surgeon told me to; my calcium, Vit D and iron dropped dangerously low - and pretty quickly.   Now I have osteoporosis and just had the iron infusion last week to help get my iron up.   All this and I was taking extra calcium with D, I was taking iron supplements in addition to my multi vitamins every day!  I just wasn't taking enough for me, to keep my lab levels up, because I had not been checking all of my lab levels every 6 months like I should have been - or else I would have caught them when they were starting to go down.    For the past year now, I have been going faithfully every 6 months and getting my labs done; but I could possibly have avoided some of what I'm going through had I been checking everything every 6 months and adjusting my supplements to my labs. 

Will the insurance co's allow us to have them done every six months?

Tena