Subject: Re: Ma Huang

From: [email-masked] (Steven Weigand)
Date: 13 Oct 1994 06:12:18 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Paw Gep) writes:
>In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
>writes:
>
>>Now my son is interested in taking something called PhaseI whose main
> ingredient is Ma Huang.  He has high blood pressure and his cousin died
>from 
> heart failure at 21 (yes, in college).
>
>Dear Son,
>
>Do NOT use this stuff.
>
>Get a clue!

Yes,  ma-huang is pseudo-ephedra.  As you may recognize,  ephedra is 
the main ingredient in Ephadril.  It is a stimulant.  If used in short
periods,  it may pick you up from fealings of fatigue and wear due to
fevers/flus.  But,  if you continue use for prolonged amount of time,
it will have very negative effects on the body.  It will actually sap
energy later on, and will mess with blood pressure and heart rate.  It's
almost like caffeine.  At least, this is what I've been told.

 - Steve ("Not a doctor in any way,  just a humble hobbiest.") Weigand
  ([email-masked])

---

From: [email-masked] (Amy Morrison)
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 06:18:45 GMT

[email-masked] wrote:

:  
:  There were several postings about Ma Huang a while back that I didn't save.  
:  Now my son is interested in taking something called PhaseI whose main
:  ingredient is Ma Huang.  He has high blood pressure and his cousin died from 
:  heart failure at 21 (yes, in college).  I tried to tell him that this a  
: serious stimulant, but he wants to hear from it from someone else.  Anyone????	
:  Thanks. 

I just went to my Doctor today to get a refill on my Ventolin inhaler.
I showed the doctor of Breathe-Aid, a herbal formula which contains ephedrine
(the active ingredient of MaHuang.) He told me to stop taking it as it
was elevating my blood pressure (particularly the diastolic, I had a 
pressure of 128/92). And I had not even taken the pills today, I imagine
my blood pressure is higher on the days I do take them. I took three of 
the pills about 24 hours before going to the doctor. 128/92 is not
life threatening, but I normally have a blood pressure slightly on the
low side of normal. For someone who already has high blood pressure
to begin with, this could be very bad indeed. My bottle says it should
not be used by people with high blood pressure.