• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Ephedrine Caffeine

undcvr

Senior Member
Messages
822
Location
NYC
I recently began to wonder if my cfs has been caused by or if not exacerbated by my use of Ephedrine. I used to take alot of it in college. I remember that after taking that for a few days continously I would then crash and fall sick for almost a week after. This cycle often repeated itself.

There were times that I would stack it with Caffeine and Asprin too. I am wondering because nowadays i notice that I am very prone to overstimulation and even with milder stuff like just caffeine or the caffeine in guarana I would crash after a few days of continuously using it. I have to take sedatives as a kind of support and counter to the stimulants during the day.

It maybe an oversimplistic way of coming to a conclusion but I am quite sure that it has played some part in it, i think.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
I remember alot of info about it at the time said it was safe, the only concerns were hyertension. I didnt use it regularly but it did get me through a few football games after working a night shift, i wonder too. All these stimulants are said to down regulate the adrenals as well.
 

undcvr

Senior Member
Messages
822
Location
NYC
Yea you are rite ! I remember that each time I came off it it seemed to exhaust me alot afterwards. Even back then, I knew that taking it disrupts the adrenal gland functions. I dont know if my adrenal glands ever recovered but it took a really long time before I actually felt better after I stopped the ephedrine.
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
Hope you aren't beating yourself up at all. I didn't drink coffee or use any drugs before ME struck me. Something else could have done it if not. Have you had your adrenals tested?
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
Ephedrine helps me, but caffeine makes me very sick. Ephedrine raises blood pressure, so it's good for the POTS lightheadedness. But I think caffeine just dehydrates you and helps strip the glands more. I always crashed with caffeine.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
i have low dhea and cortilsol but think this is due to stress of chronic infections, so we will see how i go but treating the adrenals and keeping viral ,load down. My dhea and cortisol have slowly gone down over the years. Stimulants i feel are bteer a dead horse, even ssris etc are whipping that dead horse some more.

cheers!!!