[Kia]

I am addicted to ephedra; and I have been taking it since 1999. I have tried to stop taking this stuff a bunch of times; but I feel extremely fatigued after only a few days; and I feel like I have no energy for anything. I end up ordering them again; just to get through my daily routines. I admit that I take at least 8-10 pills a day. I started taking them to increase my stamina; and alertness on the college sports team I played on; as well as to lose weight. Ephedra worked wonders for me. It gave me energy I had never had before and I felt like my personality "opened up". I also lost 30 pounds in only a few months. I got so many compliments and made new friends quickly. To this day I can drop weight within a week when I take it. I'm addicted because ephedra helps with my energy with very little exercise; keeps me upbeat ( or I can be upbeat whenever I chose to). I get more things done. I'm very assertive ( people don't seem to challenge my views or opinions as much) & I am less forgetful. My side affects are insomnia, nervousness, anemic symptoms( low iron symptoms), addictive sexual appetite ( thinking about it constantly & sleeping with people who hurt me emotionally just to relieve the feeling), deppression, mood swings,compulsively worrying about my appearance ( phobia), temper issues,staying angry about things longer than I should( not being able to let issues go with things or people), more arguments with people; etc. I feel so stuck because people do not know that I take ephedra so much, and my personality is somewhat based around it ( a little more outgoing, talkative, witty,sensual etc.). When I stop taking it I am a more quiet and very calm person(people try to treat me like I am a pushover sometimes) , I look at personal issues differently( my relationships last longer) and I am kind of softspoken. These latter traits are my natural personality. I also gain a little weight; or I don't drop it half as quickly even if I exercise more. I am also a lot more forgetful; which is not good personally or professionally. People who have known me always think something is wrong with me when I don't take it for a lonmg period! I feel so stuck at this point. I hate not having energy, gaining weight, and being more forgetful & softspoken. But I don't like coffee & I feel like I need a stimulant to keep me at bay. I feel so stuck & almost to the point that I am unsure of who I am or want to be ( personality wise). I am an undercover mess. Everyday I just wish I could just go to detox or something; or try to live my life without ephedra; but I am afraid of disrupting my social lifestyle I hope someone can offer suggestions...

[alibean]

Hi. I also have an ephedra addiction. Well had. I am (trying) to quit and have successfully not reordered my pills. Like you I take (took) 6-8 a day, sometimes more, sometimes 3 at a time. Being addicted to ephedra is difficult because people don't really understand that it is truly an addiction and that it powers over your life.

Ephedra works for me also. I took it originally to boost my energy and almost as a recreational drug. And soon after -whoop- I lost 20 pounds. I was more noticed and the compliments piled in. Naturally I am very outgoing so it didn't affect me in the same way it did you on that note, but I understand the impact it has on your confidence and personality.

The only thing I can say is for better or worse, ephedra is very very bad. What it does to your (our) bodies is horrifying. It causes all sorts of long term health problems not to mention, I, like you experienced high anxiety, irritability, sexual risky behaviors and all sorts of things I want to avoid. As do you.

Its like the drunk that says alcohol makes him more fun. Ephedra gives you a high, or at least it did me. But its superficial and the people who like you on it don't really even KNOW you. You need to work on the real you on the inside. It sounds like your awesome and you probably are not giving yourself enough credit. Take baby steps toward trying to be more social without the crutch of drugs. Although being soft spoken is NOT necessarily a bad thing, at alll! Ask a good friend for help. Or Seek professional help to try to build advocacy or just to talk. Whatever your outlet is, explore it, before you give up and resort back to ephedra.

Im trying and its month two ephedra free for me! Sounds small but it's a HUGE victory for me. So far so good. I have to say I had to join a gym and become way more active in order not to gain weight. At this point my body is so dependent on the drug it packs on pounds right away without stackers. I hated the increased demand of physical activity at first. But now I kind of like it and have become more confident in my strength which is positively affecting me in the best of ways.

I can't afford any type of program or help, which I wish I could. But I have joined a support group online which is helping me WONDERS. I would suggest checking it out. Free Diet Plans at SparkPeople. Not only does it help with dieting and finding natural ways to keep weight off and be overall healthier but here are tons of people who have similar situations and various addictions/eating disorders. And it really helps to talk to people who know how hard all of this is. My friends give me the "oh just stop taking them"--- but on spark people I have met really cool supportive people.

Sorry I can't be more help. And it sucks that there isn't some quick remedy, but you can totally do it if you want to.

[N0help4u]

Yeah it is bad because it is hard on your heart for one thing. I get really tired and weak a lot of times too. What I have found that works for energy for me is taking vitamin B complex and bee pollen in the morning and 300 mg magnesium, 600 mg calcium and vitamin D at bedtime. It takes about a couple weeks to a month to build up in your system. I rarely take my ephedra. 24 tablets last me a year, but I was never addicted to it.