# Ephedra Bush? Ever hear of such a thing?



## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Watching a PBS / Nat Geo survival show the other day and they told a guy who was too tiered to go on to chew on a weed growing at his feet. They told him it was the ephedra bush and it would help keep him going.

I know the value of what use to be an ECA stack - ephedra, caffeine, aspirin. When taken with a half liter of water it can fuel you up to push on if you are stuck out in the wilderness. Since there is no ECA stackers for sale any more (outlawed), I just keep BC Powder and Sudaphed in my pack, just in case.

But this bush.... Is that a real thing? If it was, wouldn't meth heads try to landscape the desert? I looked it up and it looks like all of the weeds that grow around here. Does anyone have any knowledge about this bush? Post SHTF it could be a good thing to know about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra_(plant)


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## SittingElf (Feb 9, 2016)

> Plants of the genus _Ephedra_, including _E. sinica_ and others, have traditionally been used by indigenous people for a variety of medicinal purposes, including treatment of asthma, hay fever, and the common cold.[SUP][4][/SUP] The alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are active constituents of _E. sinica_ and other members of the genus. These compounds are sympathomimetics with stimulant and decongestant qualities and are chemically substituted amphetamines.


Pseudoephedrine is the scientific name for the drug Sudafed. Bacause of its abuse by those who can make meth out of it, you now need to show ID to purchase....though you still don't need an Rx in most states.

Sudafed is very important for a number of reasons, not the least of which it is effective on relieving sinusitis WITHOUT causing drowsiness like many antihistamines. That means that it is safe to drive after taking, and for we pilots, it is one of the only symptomatic drugs we can take and still legally fly.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

I wonder if it would grow in Alabama.

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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Because of abuse it has a very bad reputation. If used correctly and not abused it has its place.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

GTGallop said:


> Watching a PBS / Nat Geo survival show the other day and they told a guy who was too tiered to go on to chew on a weed growing at his feet. They told him it was the ephedra bush and it would help keep him going.
> 
> I know the value of what use to be an ECA stack - ephedra, caffeine, aspirin. When taken with a half liter of water it can fuel you up to push on if you are stuck out in the wilderness. Since there is no ECA stackers for sale any more (outlawed), I just keep BC Powder and Sudaphed in my pack, just in case.
> 
> ...


You caught that show too, eh?
It's on Netflix right now, and I watched the first episode, which includes the scenario you're describing.

I have to say, for a "survival" show, it was lackluster.
Sure, learning how to catch some food, dig for possible water, and drink from a rain puddle is all well and good, but I just couldn't get passed the first premise of survival in the desert.
DON'T GO OUT DURING MIDDAY!

With no readily available water, you should NEVER cross the desert during the heat of the day. Depending on the chosen desert, exposure alone could kill you.
Rule #1 people, "shelter yourself from the elements".
Then water, then food...

They violated rule #1 from the start. After that, I just watched for the pure spectacle.
Then that guy wimped out and I was done.
They almost killed a guy by starting him off wrong on the first step...

No thanks.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Kauboy said:


> You caught that show too, eh?
> It's on Netflix right now, and I watched the first episode, which includes the scenario you're describing.


YUP! I was out with Valley Fever / Pneumonia for a few weeks and watched a LOT of TV. Did this one in a marathon - all four freaking episodes in one sitting. I was AMAZED at how fast some of these people caved and called for a rescue. I go on hikes out here in the desert for FUN that are more arduous than they went on. Admittedly, I'm a little better prepared and carrying water and purifying tablets but none the less some of these people were absolute puss-cakes!

And what was up with that one guide that was in the tent? He was all unicorns and rainbows and shtuff! I liked the military guide, very direct - conquer at all costs! When his student bit the head off that snake I let out my primal scream (and then promptly coughed up a lung) and I knew I was going to watch the whole 4 in the series.

So back to the original topic... I know all about Sudafed and Pseudophedrine and what it can do for you health wise in limited doses. I also got tired of being treated like a registered sex offender every time I went in to buy it and asked "How much Sudafed can I buy with out having the DEA parked out side of my house?" The pharmacist told me that their system never alerts any one. It just stops you from buying more than the allotted amount. So I asked what is the allotted amount? He told me less than 100 (that's why Sudafed's biggest box is 96 pills) pills every other day per person - and all they need is a valid state ID, they don't have to be 18 or 21. So a family of 4 could be rolling in 5,700 pills a month - but if I run out and need Sudafed because I'm sick and it's 11:45 at night then I'm Fricasseed! Pure security theater. Make lilly white HOA's feel better about drugs n their community because they can see and feel this enforcement. But I digress...

What about the plant? Is it that common? That safe? Where do you look for it and how do you tell it apart from another plant that just gives you bad breath?


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

I like Advil cold and sinus. Ibuprofen knocks out the inflammation and the pseudoephedrine gets you trailer park crunk.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Auntie said:


> Because of abuse it has a very bad reputation. If used correctly and not abused it has its place.


When I drove trucks, I didn't count the pills I took at a time; I went by weight in my palm. Washed them down with Mountain Dew and then hit the road.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I do hope you don't do that sort of thing anymore. Mountain Dew....YUCK!


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## Gunn (Jan 1, 2016)

In the Owens Valley in California we call it "Squaw Tea". We would go out and pick it and boil it. I probably drank hundreds if not thousands of gallons of it over 45 years. It was a nice favorable drink. No adverse effects, no extra energy or anything I can remember. In fact my sister in law is coming here to "The Peoples Republic" and said she was going to bring me a garbage bag full.


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## sylviabf (Mar 15, 2016)

It is also known the high desert areas of the southwest and Utah as Brigham tea. Has a slight wake up effect but very slight! Used back by Mormon Pioneers to keep them going when they were close to a starvation. It is good as a tea for allergies, dries up flem, opens breathing passages and slightly diaretic. You can dry the spiney leaves and steep them for a tea or steep them green too. Better with honey and cream I think.


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

Totally not suggested for a starvation scenario, as it increases metabolism, meaning you burn calories faster... not good for starvation situations.



> Overall, ephedrine and caffeine can increase energy expenditure by 5-10% via stimulation of the receptors in the highly specialized fat cells called brown adipose fat. These cells have more mitochondria than other fat cells, which accounts for their color. Mitochondria are the furnaces of energy production in the cell; when thermogenically stoked (by taking ephedrine and caffeine), they can dramatically increase energy expenditure through increased fat burning. When this process is not fully compensated by increased energy intake - which is possible with the appetite-satisfying aspects of a good dietary formulation - a negative energy balance occurs. In other words, more energy goes out than comes in, the net result of which is weight loss.


I'm pretty sure aside from the Chinese traditional medicine ephedra was banned for over the counter sale in the US (not Canada) due to issues when used in excessive caffeine use. It is a prescription only herb in some states. In general it is completely safe to use, and is commonly sold as an decongestant agent in Canada.

The real issues arose from very high dosages in the ECA stack and use in diet pills and energy drinks. It was mostly due to abuse and amplifying heart conditions in people who had heart issues that the FDA started regulating ephedra and ephedrine. The ban was to target the alternative health and sports nutrition markets, as well as stop its use in illegal manufacture of amphetamines. Ephedra as a traditional Chinese health medicine Ma Huang was allowed to continue being used as it had been for well over 1000 years in traditional Chinese medicine.

I've used it for the ECA (ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin) stack personally in the past, the key is not to use it longterm and not to do really high doses of the ephedrine or caffeine, i.e don't use more than a large cup of coffee worth of caffeine, don't take more than 20mg of ephedrine in a day, and don't use more than two tabs of aspirin. Don't dose for more than two weeks of working out or about 7 usages in a two week period and make sure your cycle is off for at least a couple weeks afterward. Of course in the US don't use it at all without a prescription because it is now illegal.

I highly recommend not using ephdra cause you are tired, use of coffee and ephedra due to having a lack of sleep is treating something that is due to bad lifestyle choices, the real answer is fixing your lifestyle so that you don't need to be drug dependent for normal living. Drugs to enhance performance is completely different from using it to cover up a bad lifestyle. You should never be engaged in habitual or abusive activities with any drug, as that creates dependence.

It is totally safe to use unless you have a heart condition, or are taking high doses of both it and caffeine together. Long term use can also have ill health effects so you should only use it as a treatment not habitually.

It is an effective stack. It is a performance enhancer like coffee. You don't want to get caught drinking coffee every day also.

Just know your local law, as it legality varies by state and country.

The standard dose for over the counter de-congestion is 5mg. It opens up the airways.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

according to webMD the ban was There has been a lot of debate about the safety of ephedra and legal wrangling over its status. In June 1997, the FDA proposed restrictions on the ephedrine content of dietary supplements, new warning labels for products that contain the active ingredients in ephedra, and a ban on combination products containing ephedra and other natural stimulants, such as guarana and cola nut, both of which contain significant amounts of caffeine. These proposals were dropped after the link between ephedra use and serious adverse effects was challenged by the General Accounting Office (GAO) and the dietary supplement industry. According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, FDA must prove a supplement is unsafe before it can be withdrawn from the market. The FDA reviewed numerous adverse event reports involving ephedra-containing products, with 140 of the reports receiving in-depth clinical review by FDA and outside experts. Findings from experts outside the FDA support the FDA's initial finding that ephedra is likely the cause of many of the events noted in the reports.

On December 30, 2003, the FDA announced the ban of ephedra products in the U.S., effective April 2004. In April 2005, the dietary supplement industry successfully challenged the FDA ban on ephedra. A year after the ban on ephedra began, a federal judge in Utah struck down the FDA's action saying that FDA didn't prove that low doses of ephedra are harmful. In August 2006, an appeals court reversed the Utah judge's decision and upheld the FDA's ban of ephedra-containing dietary supplements.


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## baldman (Apr 5, 2016)

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