So, I was raiding the drugstore for some ephedrine today. Now, I’m no expert, so I got Suphedrine that contains Pseudoephedrine HCL at 30mg. Is this stuff just as good as ephedrine HCL, or should I exchange it for something with ephedrine HCL in it? 200mg caffeine + this pill did bring my heartrate up about 20 points.
I was thinking of starting with 1 a day for a couple of days, then move up to 2 and after another few days to 3. I’ll take each one with 200mg of caffeine. Now, I can handle caffeine quite well, so 600mg plus anything I might get from tea shouldn’t be a problem.
I also got some dexatrim. It’s got greentea extract and all that stuff as well as 50mg caffeine. Now, there’s a warning on it saying that individuals who consume caffeine with this product may experience adverse side effects. Are they talking about jitters or death here? I mean, if I take these with my ephedra and caffeine, am I gonna get some adverse side effects? 600mg from caffeine pills + 100mg from tea + 100mg from dexatrim… considering that even 600mg of caffeine doesn’t do much for me, this shouldn’t be a problem, right?
I also got some diet aid thing that has bitter orange (120mg) and caffeine and green tea. Can the bitter orange and the ephedra be stacked, or should they not be taken together. It also says to limit caffeine intake or experience serious adverse health effects. Should I worry?
I really need these questions answered. I read somewhere the pseudo isn’t as effective as real, but is there really that much of a difference? I really need to know whether bitter orange and ephedra can be taken together.
I think people get a little wary about answering questions about supps or over the counter meds that can f**k you up. You seem a little anxious for a response, so let’s see if I can safely help you.
Bitter orange (synephrine) can really constrict your blood vessels (high blood pressure). If you combine it with pseudoephedrine which also does the same thing, it can really send those blood pressure readings through the roof (depending how sensitive you are to it)!! And then adding caffeine, green tea extract, etc. Your looking at a potentially serious cardiac problem.
Please be careful, there are other alternatives, but I know depending on where you live some compounds are illegal, so this might be the only stuff you can get. If you are dead set on using these things use bitter orange with the other compounds (caffeine,green tea extract,etc.)or the pseudo-e with the others. DO NOT USE BITTER ORANGE AND PSEUDO-E TOGETHER!!!
And as always start with the lowest dosage and work your way up. Even when I go to the M.D.'s office and get a script, I cut the medication in fourths and work my way up to full dosage. I never know if I could be allergic to the medication.
Try to really do some research on these compounds and make an educated decision not a hasty one. Do not play around with this stuff it can have some serious consequences if not used properly.
I know I’m probably being a little too conservative, but being safe is better than being sorry.
“Sancho”
I don’t know much about your ephedrine question but, I do think you need to get away from not being effected in a major way by 600mg of caffine.
If that much caffine does next to nothing for you then you need to stay away from the stuff for quite some time so you can get your natural energy working right again.
Just my opion.
DA
pseudoephedrin is good for one thing. A stuffy nose.
That said, I think you really should follow the solid advice you have received so far.
600MG Caff. Man you need to lay off for a bit.
OTC drugs can DO HARM. They are not just toys to swallow down. Research what you are buying/taking before doing so.
A little education can go a long way. Take the time. Ask the ?'s before you buy/use the products. We are here to help. You may get flamed a little but better be flammed than put your health in jeapordy.
[quote]Sancho wrote:
I think people get a little wary about answering questions about supps or over the counter meds that can f**k you up. [/quote]
An excellent point. I’ve used some of this stuff before, but I wouldn’t want to advise someone else about putting a self-made thermogenic stack into their body. I actually looked for some of the articles I read before starting ephedra, but most of them can’t be found online anymore now that the stuff has been banned.
Just a couple of thoughts- 1) Stacking a large variety of thermogenic compounds is not the way to go. Others have mentioned starting with small doses and that is excellent advice. 2) Try taking a week off from any theormos before starting a new cycle- this always helps me when my body starts adapting to things. This includes your caffeine!! 3) If you’re looking for fat-burning assistence, why not try Red Bands? Several T-Citizens have noted positive experiences with them, and IMO that would be a much safer place to start than a self-made stack with ephedrine HCl.
So, I’m not gonna use the bitter orange then. Or maybe I should keep it for use when I’m not using ephedrine?
I don’t see how taking caffeine and green tea extract and ephedrine would cause serious problems. I mean, I drink green tea anyways and I’m sure a heck of a lot of people taking ephedra drink tea as well. Also, the ECA stack has only caused problems for people that overdose, and I’m not doing more than 60mg of ephedrine a day. I have been researching online, and I’ve found a lot of people doing exactly the same thing I’m doing (including people on these forums).
Darkangel, I don’t always consume that much caffeine. Normally I simply have 3-4 cups of tea a day. Now, I have gone with a lot of caffeine before (400mg a day, even a couple of days with 600mg, but this was months ago during school time). It’s not that my body get’s used to the caffeine - caffeine just doesn’t affect me very much. Sure, it wakes me up a bit when I’m tired, but other than that, it’s never made me feel any different. Even when I just started taking it, I felt no effects.
I’m not gonna take this stack for long either; I have no more than a couple of pounds to lose (and when I say a couple, I actually mean a couple:). I’m well on my way, and I’ll be done with my cutting cycle soon. Also, I don’t think I have to worry about my blood pressure/heart rate. My resting heart rate is always below 60 beats a minute.
Although I would love to try Red Bands (if not for the effect, just for the convenience of not having to mix pills), it’s simply too expensive for me.
Thanks for the help fellas, and any other comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I’m confused - you don’t get any effects from 600 mg of caffeine A) through the course of the day or B) ingested at once? These are two very different scenarios.
But this thread is interesting to me as well. Folks, hear me out. I quit drinking caffeine about three months ago after a friend told me he did it and NEVER FELT BETTER. So I said WTF and gave it a shot. I felt pretty much bored for a few days and then just felt blah (lethargic). I figured it would clean up after a week or so. Internet research on caffeine “addiction” backed that notion. So after a MONTH caffeine free, I still felt like shit. I think I went 5/6 weeks free but never felt well.
So now I am back on it. I started back slow (20 oz coffee in the am and then 20 oz coffee before workout with E_A. I have two cups some mornings, and with a few diet sodas, can reach easily into the 1000 + mg caffeine per day.
How bad do you consider this to be? In light of what I am writing, I will begin trimming back the “non essential” caffeine from sodas during the day as well as the second AM cup of joe.
600mg spread out over the day. I don’t have a caffeine addiction. I actually feel a bit better when I’m not on caffeine, but I don’t really mind it. Either way is fine with me.
I don’t think anyone directly answered this, so just to make sure, I want to mention that Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine are not the same thing.
If you’re planning to use it as a thermogenic, Ephedrine HCL will be a lot more effective.[/quote]
10-4. Pseudophedrine is to ephedrine as rubbing alcohol is to grain alcohol → elicits totally different effects when consumed. Some people (that must be very sensitive to stimulants) report restlessness from pseudophed, but that doesn’t make it a thermogenic, so it’s moot. As topher said: NO - DO NOT USE PSEUDOPHEDRINE IN PLACE OF EPHEDRINE - IT WON’T WORK. Unless of course you have a runny nose.