Caffeine and Ephedra

[not2late]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

Ok I went 3 days without my STACKER 3......First I am still deep in ketosis..Now let me tell you this w/o my stacker 3 at my current weight there is NO WAY ON EARTH I can keep up. I am sleepy by lunch time!!! I am always wanting to eat, No energy at the gym and FORGET about the night workout!!!! I dont believe DR Atkins EVER EVER did research on ephedra, I have spent a lot of time reading and speaking to my Dr (who by the way got me started on Atkins) about it. And the bottom line is and I'll quote him "the small risks of ephedra vs the major risks of being overweight are not even close" So tommorow I'll be back on my stacker 3 I tried to do without it and till I get down under 250 it is ABSOLUTELY necessary!!!

Beef, your body is used to these drugs and it will take some time for you to detox from them as Lauren stated.

As for being sleepy....the one natural way to combat sleepiness is to get an appropriate amount of sleep in the first place. Stimulants interrupt the normal sleep-wake cycle. Sleep is important on many different levels because it's the time when your body can rest and rejuvenate itself. So if you have spent years getting inadequate sleep time because you've spent years taking stimulants to keep you awake, you'll need to make up for all those lost sleep hours. My suggestion is to get some quality sleep time.

Heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke are some side effects of ephedra. Because of your weight, you are already at risk for heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, etc. It doesn't make any sense to me to increase that risk further by taking a drug with that side effect profile. But that's just my opinion. I suggest you do some research about ephedra on your own and make an informed decision about it.

[Brook]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

I'm still trying to figure out why you think 250 is some sort of magic number for health and energy, and why you think withdrawal from a drug is going to be easier then too?

We all know how hard the first couple of weeks are. They are draining for most everyone, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It WILL get better and you WILL be healthier if you choose to stay off the stuff.

I'm always leery of doctors who tell their patients stuff like that is okay. I really am, but them I don't trust most doctors anyway.

You're going to do what you're going to do - and I wish you nothing but health and success while you do it. I try to be as supportive as possible to everyone here. If you were looking for support in continuing to take the drugs, I'm sorry you're not finding what you were looking for. We just want you to be healthy - and some of us have experience in doing exactly what you're doing- and are here to tell a much healthier tale.

Again, I wish you success.
~Brook

[cherribom1]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

Beefman give it more time being caffeine/epehdra free, like laurenfra said it takes time for your body to detoxify. You can do this!

[BeefMan]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

250 is the magic number cause I was fine there before for years. After the back injury I gained weight extremely fast....as in 50 lbs in 3 mo's. I went from an very physical job to being bed ridden for months. I tried getting started many times, Stacker is what has been keeping me going. Once again my DR said I have a far greater chance to have heart problems from being over weight then from taking small doses of ephedra. Sorry but it works and it seems to have no ill effects w/ staying in ketosis and losing weight. I cant afford a 7-10 day detox, plus I dont believe it is necessary. I take a small amount ( 1 a day, 3 a day is recommended dose) So till I feel I dont need it anymore.......or someone can prove it wont allow you to lose weight ...stacker 3 is for me !!!! Thanks for your responces !!!

[not2late]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

Well, Beef, you asked why Dr. Atkins has that "don't use caffeine" clause in his Diet. We gave you the reason.

As long as you have made an informed decision about this, then all the potential risks and benefits of that usage is on your head, not ours.

I certainly hope that when you reach 250 pounds you won't be so reliant on these drugs that you will be able to kick them to the curb.

I do encourage you to do your own research about caffeine and ephedra. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

[speedyturtle]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

Dude, ephedrine is bad for your heart, like speed. Your a heart attack waiting to happen. Please stop that.
Use Turtle Power

[chicamarun]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

I'll make a small comment about this..... mainly because I took ephedera for quite awhile. I only took the 1 dose per day because my body couldn't take more. It was a long hard crash when I came off of it - worse than anything else I had taken. Be aware of that - it took 2 weeks of solid detox and then 2 more weeks of my body getting back on a normal rhythm.

I wake every day at 6 and don't usually finish until 11pm and some nights are later (last night past midnight). So my schedule is screwed up as well as others just in a different way. Took about 10 days for me to "not feel hungry" with the Atkin's WOE. Now I get some cravings but not much. I am trying to replace my diet cokes with 2 cups of coffee in the morning and so far it's working and even causing me to drink more water because coffee dehydrates you.

When you reach your goal - PLEASE work off the Stacker - it's addictive and dangerous for long periods of time.

[LuckyD]

Re: Caffeine and Ephedra

There is a reason the FDA banned the use of Ephedra. There have been more than a few deaths attributed to its use. Its a fake high and much, much, much, more dangerous than caffiene. There really is no justification to take it.