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Err, (pseudo)ephedrine FAQ?

Ahh, the speed that isn't! I'd like to read an FAQ on this stuff. Every time i get a cold I'll take some medication with this in it and be fascinated by how speedy the side effects are. Especially in the absence of any speediness.
 
The main reason I am interested in collecting material on this stuff is that I love it, it does wonders for me, and seemingly others find it ridiculously ineffective for anything except nasal decongestion. *sigh* Are there any other souls out there that like the stuff?
 
Isnt pseudo also called phenylpropanolamine? If so I dont think it so recreational as the ephedrine/caffeine/aspirin stack.
 
Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine are chemically very close. They can be regarded almost the same from a recreational use standpoint, AFAIK (I'm reading a lot right now, but haven't seen any articles examining differences).

They're both effective as adrenergics (sort of 'fake adrenaline' (which is also called epinephrine)), and belong to this class of stimulants.

Caffeine apparently works differently by inhibiting Adenosine (I will be reading up on that in a moment).

Aspirin is not a stimulant at all, and is totally unrelated.
 
(Psedo)ephedrine FAQ v1.0

(Pseudo)ephedrine FAQ v1.0

Names
ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine sulfate, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride.
The above are referred to as (pseudo)ephedrine for the rest of this document.

Effects
(Pseudo)ephedrine is classed as a sympathomimetic (adrenergic), meaning that its effects on the central nervous system are similar to adrenaline (epinephrine). Adrenaline is a hormone naturally produced by your body when in danger, in order to generate 'fight or flight' reactions. Since ephedrine's isolation from Ephedra sinica, (pseudo)ephedrine has been used widely in the west for relief from colds, asthma symptoms & low blood pressure, as well as for weight loss and body building.

Ephedra sinica (Chinese name 'ma huang'; literally "yellow trouble") has a 5000 year history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Some of the related Ephedra plants, such as species native to North America, contain pseudoephedrine instead of ephedrine.

Pseudoephedrine is said to have less undesirable effects than ephedrine, though they remain very similar:

  • Moderately increases heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Affects blood flow, notably decreasing blood flow to the kidneys.
  • Clears and relaxes the breathing passages ('bronchodilator')
  • Causes the release of the hormone norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
  • Increases glycogenolysis (the conversion of glycogen to glucose) in the liver.
  • Increases lipolysis (the conversion of fats to fatty acids) in adipose (fat) tissue.
  • Increases metabolic rate.
  • Increases oxygen consumption.
  • Suppression of appetite.

Comparisons with other drugs
Compared to adrenaline, (pseudo)ephedrine is approximately 250 times less potent, however it has longer-lasting effects. Additionally, it is more fat-soluble. (Pseudo)ephedrine is not metabolised, and is excreted unchanged.

Compared to amphetamines, with which (pseudo)ephedrine is closely related in chemical structure, (pseudo)ephedrine is less potent in its effects on the central nervous system and is longer acting.

Dosage
Standard daily dosage for legal use is around 30-60mg, taken orally, three to four times per day. When used clinically on adults, ephedrine is administered intravenously or intramuscularly in doses of up to 50mg, usually with an initial dose of 5mg.

Tablets containing (pseudo)ephedrine typically contain around 25-30mg per tablet, and will be labelled appropriately.

I mostly take 30mg, though once 60mg, and always feel energised. I have read reports of people taking 110-150mg at once. The 150mg report was labelled 'too much' and the 110mg did not sound as positive as my exprience. Choose your own dosage - start small. (Personally I would not take over 100mg.) See also: Warning, below.

Duration & Administration
(Pseudo)ephedrine's duration will mostly depend upon method of administration and the individual. (Pseudo)ephedrine is rapidly and completely absorbed orally, and pharmacologic effects should be evident within one hour. Duration is another matter. As some ephedrine-containing pills sold over the counter are especially designed for 'slow release', their employment will affect duration significantly. Additionally, individual considerations can effect duration (see Dietary considerations below). In standard cases, without slow release pills, symptoms usually disappear within six hours.

Legality
Due to the use of (pseudo)ephedrine as an ingredient for the production of methamphetamine, many countries have laws prohibiting the procurement or possession of large quantities of over the counter products containing the drug.

Tolerance
Tolerance develops for (pseudo)ephedrine's main effects, but sensitivity can be restored by abstaining from administration for some time. One theory is that tolerance to (pseudo)ephedrine's effects on heart rate and blood pressure is caused by depletion of norepinephrine (noradrenalin) stores. However, this is not the cause of tolerance to (pseudo)ephedrine's breathing related effects.

Dietary considerations
Foods that acidify the urine (eggs, peanuts, meat, chicken, vitamin C (greater than 5 grams per day), wheat-containing foods, etc.) may increase the elimination of ephedrine from the body, potentially reducing the action of the drug.

Foods that alkalinize the urine (dairy products, nuts, vegetables (except corn and lentils), most fruits, etc.) may slow the elimination of ephedrine from the body, potentially increasing the actions and side effects of the drug.

Tannin-containing herbs such as green tea, black tea, uva ursi, black walnut, red raspberry, oak, and witch hazel reduce (pseudo)ephedrine absorption.

Combinations with other drugs
Combinations with any other stimulant (caffeine, cocaine, methamphetamines, etc.) is likely to be dangerous.

Warnings
High doses of (pseudo)ephedrine carry risk of hemorrhage, rapid and irregular pulse, anxiety, dizziness, insomnia, tremor, respiratory difficulties, confusion, hallucinations, delerium, and infrequently can lead to convulsion or psychosis. Death is also possible, particularly in eldery people, due to increased blood pressure.

At least one case of hypersensitivity to other drugs has been reported after using pseudoephedrine, however such reactions are very rare.

References

To do list
  • Add index of common OTC names and combinations.
  • Get someone with a proper medical background to read the FAQ over.
  • Find more pure (pseudo)ephedrine reports with feedback on dosage.
  • More research on combination warnings.
 
Re: (Psedo)ephedrine FAQ v1.0

missing_one said:
Names
ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine sulfate, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride.
The above are referred to as (pseudo)ephedrine for the rest of this document.
Click to expand...
Um pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine are three different things. They share some similarities (especially ephedrine and pseudoephedrine), but are completely different chemicals. I strongly dissagree with the stament that ephedrine and pseudo "can be regarded almost the same from a recreational use standpoint". Ephedrine is much more stimulating than pseudo, and it's cardiovascular effects are more pronounced. I think that neither is recreational, but that's just my opinion.
 
Good point. I have not personally had ephedrine, only pseudoephedrine. However, the fact that the effects are described similarly in medical and informal sources, the fact that no comparison or differentiation documents seem to exist and the fact that the Chinese translation for both is the same leads me to believe that they are very similar in effect and can be clumped together.

Perhaps the statement further down, "Pseudoephedrine is said to have less undesirable effects than ephedrine, though they remain very similar:" should be refined and made bold in order to clarify that differences do exist.
 
phenylpropanolamine should be dropped. I guess I didnt read whatever it was correctly that I came up with on google before throwing it in the same box. Oops. Definitely need someone medical to check this thing :) I'm just glad it got started. I really love PE.
 
How could someone love psuedoephedrine? It's just about as recreational as Tylenol, okay so Tylenol might be a little more recreational. I hate amphetamine precursors that just produce the side effects without the high. Psuedoephedrine couldn't keep me awake through a Matt Damon movie, but that's not saying much...

Out of curiousity, what attracts you to this drug? What effects does it have on you? I'm not dissing you, cuz to each their own ya know, but I would just like to know..
 
Well, it's a nice concise bit of info about pseudo, I'll check it over and move it into the Pharaceuticals section of the new php system.
 
I've done both pseudoeffedrine and effedrine. I was introduced to pseudoeffedrine as a kid because it's a nasal decongestant and used it exclusively that way for a long time. I never noticed any sort of speedy effect from it when used this way (ie. when using the correct dosage).

In the raver days, my friends and I heard about effedrine. Word was that it had a speedy effect and was good for keeping you up all night and giving you energy for dancing but without the sketchiness the next day that was experienced with e or crystal. It was available at health food stores so we tried it out.... The first time I did it, I did 8 x the regular dosage (rather accidently... i meant to do more than the recommended but I did not realise that the recommended was 1/2 pill every 8 hours unlike pseudoeffedrine which is one pill every 4 hours). Anyway, I got quite a nice rush from that and it was an enjoyable high but I couldn't sleep at all. I spent the whole night listening to my heart beat which was extremely unpleasant. Actually my heart beat felt so strong that it felt like it was going to explode or something. Reminded me of doing too much coke. I also felt sketchy the next day. So, speedy effect, yes, sketchy yes. Verdict: might as well do crystal.

After this experience I tried it numerous times in smaller doses. Everytime I had the same heart beating problem so eventually I discontinued using it because I was afraid that it was really hard on the heart. Around the same time we realised that pseudoeffedrine was similar to effedrine. We understood that it was the chemically synthesized version of effedra (which we understood was a plant) and was supposed to have fewer side effects. So I tried sudafed at higher than the recommended dose. It wasn't as speedy as effedrine. No real rush and I'm not sure it really kept me awake so I haven't really used it as a recreational drug much. I still use it as a decongestant though. Ironically I've been noticing lately that it makes me feel sleepy and a bit spacey. I have no idea why I should be getting this effect from it. It works wonders for sinus/pressure headaches though.
 
Butterfly: I can't say I have experienced any of the negative effects that you have had. I would assume that you took quite a heap of milligrams. If you said eight-times standard dosage, and the pills in my area are all 30mg, that would be 240mg .. well over the existing 150mg report I found on erowid labelled 'too much'.

Also, if you are using (pseudo)ephedrine when you are sick, perhaps it will make you feel tired due to circulatory changes, etc. Otherwise, if you say you get no effect from it and have tried many times, why would you take it when you are healthy? Afraid I can't quite understand where you're coming from here.

As a note, I had been more than four months off other drugs when I tried pseudoephedrine. It's quite possible that if you were going out raving and doing other things, (pseudo)ephedrine might not have done you as much good in the energy department... noradrenaline stores can be released by other drugs too.

You are right that Ephedra is the name of a group of plants.

I also feel a little bit spacey when I take it, but it is a slight effect.
 
Missing_one:

Well the first time I got extremely negative effects I took way more than the recommended dose... so that could explain it that time. On other occasions, however I've gotten the same feeling from considerably less. I've had a similar feeling (pounding heart beat is the only way I can think to describe it) when I've done too much coke... which is why I inferred that it probably wasn't very good for you. It's mainly because I can't stand not being able to sleep but feeling like your heart's going to explode that I don't really do effedrine anymore though. I guess the high's just not good enough to be worth the side effects for me.

As for the pseudoephedrine, although I got no effect from small doses I tried using it at double and triple the dose because I was told it was similar to effedrine but without the pouding heart side effect. Anyway, although it doesn't seem to have the same side effects as ephedrin, it doesn't have the same kick either (for me anyway). I think that was the intent of the pharmaceutical company that created it.
 
Last edited:
Butterfly: I have only used psuedo so I don't feel I'm missing anything. Have done various amphetamines though, I agree the high is 'weaker', but it is also different... I feel quite myself of psuedoephedrine.
 
lol, I've done my fair share of it accidentally over the years. I bet anyone who has taken DXM has grabbed a cough and cold before. It gave me a great rush, especially when it was combined with DXM. Instead of just getting fucked up, I was wide awake and aware of it. Usually I was so out of it I would pass out, but not with the "cold" part.
 
(Pseudo)ephedrine FAQ v1.1

(Pseudo)ephedrine FAQ v1.1

Names
ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine sulfate, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride.
The above are referred to as (pseudo)ephedrine for the rest of this document.

Effects
(Pseudo)ephedrine is classed as a sympathomimetic (adrenergic), meaning that its effects on the central nervous system are similar to adrenaline (epinephrine). Adrenaline is a hormone naturally released by your body when in danger, inducing a 'fight or flight' reaction.

Since ephedrine's isolation from Ephedra sinica, (pseudo)ephedrine has been used widely in the west for relief from colds, asthma symptoms & low blood pressure, as well as for weight loss and body building.

Ephedra sinica (Chinese name 'ma huang'; literally "yellow trouble") has a 5000 year history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Some of the related Ephedra plants, such as species native to North America, contain pseudoephedrine instead of ephedrine.

Pseudoephedrine is said to have less undesirable effects than ephedrine, though they remain very similar:

  • Moderately increases heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Affects blood flow, notably decreasing blood flow to the kidneys.
  • Clears and relaxes the breathing passages ('bronchodilator')
  • Causes the release of the hormone norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
  • Increases glycogenolysis (the conversion of glycogen to glucose) in the liver.
  • Increases lipolysis (the conversion of fats to fatty acids) in adipose (fat) tissue.
  • Increases metabolic rate.
  • Increases oxygen consumption.
  • Suppression of appetite.

Comparisons with other drugs
Compared to adrenaline, (pseudo)ephedrine is approximately 250 times less potent, however it has longer-lasting effects. Additionally, it is more fat-soluble. (Pseudo)ephedrine is not metabolised, and is excreted unchanged.

Compared to amphetamines, with which (pseudo)ephedrine is closely related in chemical structure, (pseudo)ephedrine is less potent in its effects on the central nervous system and is longer acting.

Dosage
Standard daily dosage for legal use is around 30-60mg, taken orally, three to four times per day. When used clinically on adults, ephedrine is administered intravenously or intramuscularly in doses of up to 50mg, usually with an initial dose of 5mg.

Tablets containing (pseudo)ephedrine typically contain around 25-30mg per tablet, and will be labelled appropriately.

I mostly take 30mg, though once 60mg, and always feel energised. I have read reports of people taking 110-150mg at once. The 150mg report was labelled 'too much' and the 110mg did not sound as positive as my exprience. Choose your own dosage - start small. (Personally I would not take over 100mg.) See also: Warnings, below.

Duration & Administration
(Pseudo)ephedrine's duration will mostly depend upon method of administration and the individual. (Pseudo)ephedrine is rapidly and completely absorbed orally, and pharmacologic effects should be evident within one hour. Duration is another matter. As some (pseudo)ephedrine-containing pills sold over the counter are especially designed for 'slow release', their employment will affect duration significantly. Additionally, individual considerations can effect duration (see Dietary considerations below). In standard cases, without slow release pills, symptoms usually disappear within six hours.

Legality
Due to the use of (pseudo)ephedrine as an ingredient for the production of methamphetamine, many countries have laws prohibiting the procurement or possession of large quantities of over the counter products containing the drug.

Tolerance
Tolerance develops for (pseudo)ephedrine's main effects, but sensitivity can be restored by abstaining from administration for some time. One theory is that tolerance to (pseudo)ephedrine's effects on heart rate and blood pressure is caused by depletion of norepinephrine (noradrenalin) stores. However, this is not the cause of tolerance to (pseudo)ephedrine's breathing related effects.

Dietary considerations
Foods that acidify the urine (eggs, peanuts, meat, chicken, vitamin C (greater than 5 grams per day), wheat-containing foods, etc.) may increase the elimination of ephedrine from the body, potentially reducing the action of the drug.

Foods that alkalinize the urine (dairy products, nuts, vegetables (except corn and lentils), most fruits, etc.) may slow the elimination of ephedrine from the body, potentially increasing the actions and side effects of the drug.

Tannin-containing herbs such as green tea, black tea, uva ursi, black walnut, red raspberry, oak, and witch hazel reduce (pseudo)ephedrine absorption, potentially inhibiting the actions and side effects of the drug.

Combinations with other drugs
Combinations with any other stimulant (caffeine, cocaine, methamphetamines, etc.) is likely to be dangerous.

Warnings
  • High doses of (pseudo)ephedrine carry risk of hemorrhage, rapid and irregular pulse, anxiety, dizziness, insomnia, tremor, respiratory difficulties, confusion, hallucinations, delerium, and infrequently can lead to convulsion or psychosis. Death is also possible, particularly in eldery people, due to increased blood pressure.
  • At least one case of hypersensitivity to other drugs has been reported after using pseudoephedrine, however such reactions are very rare.
  • Over the counter pseudoephedrine tablets may contain
    paracetamol (acetaminophen) or other chemicals. Research additional
    chemicals before deciding to take a few tablets at once, as such chemicals can
    be lethal in large doses! Likewise, over the counter nasal decongestion products may contain phenylpropanolamine or other decongestants.

References

To do list
  • Add index of common OTC names and combinations.
  • Get someone with a proper medical background to read the FAQ over.
  • Find more pure (pseudo)ephedrine reports with feedback on dosage. (Post yours!)
  • More research on combination warnings.
 
Last edited:
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