First used to treat asthma nearly 2000 years ago, ephedrine is classified as a sympathomimetic agent because it mimics the effects of the sympathetic nervous system.
Ephedrine works primarily through the release of excitatory chemicals called catecholamines.
Ephedrine can also cause tremors, nervousness, irritability, cardiac arrhythmias and dangerous rises in blood pressure in susceptible individuals. It should not be used by individuals suffering from hypertension or anxiety disorders, pregnant or lactating women, or those under 16 years of age. However, Ma Huang extracts can still be found in numerous fat-burning and energizing compounds. It is worth noting that most reported fatalities implicating ephedrine-HCl involved doses exceeding 250 mg. Continuous use of ephedrine leads to the development of tolerance where the amount required to induce the same beneficial effects in a given individual increases with uninterrupted use.