Is ephedra riskier than FDA-approved OTC drugs?
Warnings of side effects and drug interactions for Primatene®, Sudafed® and similar OTC drugs are essentially the same as those for ephedra [see comparison of OTC and botanical ephedra] — yet millions of people use these OTC drugs safely. It is likely that every single American has taken a product containing one of these alkaloids at least once in his or her life. Also, most herbal supplements with ephedra contain a lower amount of these alkaloids than their OTC cousins. For Primatene® tablets, normal dosage is 25 mg each 4 hours, not to exceed 150 mg per day. For Sudafed® and OTC cold/allergy drugs, normal dosage is 60 mg each 4-6 hours, not to exceed 240 mg per day. Guidelines developed by the herbal industry trade associations say, “Products are not to contain in excess of 25 mg of total ephedrine alkaloids per serving; usage instructions should limit daily consumption to 100 mg of total ephedrine alkaloids.” Responsible manufacturers comply with these guidelines.
