Double Standard HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., sent me an insightful response to the two ephedra e-Alerts from last week ("Ban The Torpedoes" 3/3/03, and "Choose Your Poison" 3/6/03). Dr. Spreen writes: "I have another comment about Ephedra. It's mighty funny that this herbal agent gets all the bad press, especially when its milligram content of active ingredient is very low. What's even funnier is the fact that nobody has mentioned a common, over-the-counter (OTC) drug that's a pure compound of the same drug class. Pseudoephedrine is just what the name suggests- 'pseudo', meaning a synthetic form of ephedrine, in this case chemically identified as pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, and defined in Dorland's Medical Dictionary as 'An adrenergic agent.' It can be bought in any quantity, from any drugstore, as the popular brand name 'Sudafed'. "Funnier still (if you think any of this is funny) is the fact that each OTC tablet contains 30 milligrams of the drug, and the label allows up to 240 milligrams daily 'as a decongestant,' though it's a stimulant, pure and simple, and not only truckers but many others have known about its use along that line for years. "To get 240 milligrams of ephedrine from the herb you'd have to be one aggressive son-of-a-gun and be taking it like candy. It would be (and it IS) much easier to get the same effect from far fewer tablets of the commonly available drug. "Why isn't anyone suggesting a heart warning on Sudafed labels? This wouldn't have anything to do with big money pharmaceutical interests nudging out the competition now, would it?" Last week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson joined the mainstream chorus calling for stricter controls of the public's access to ephedra, saying, "I don't know why anyone would take these products. Why take the risk?" I wonder if Secretary Thompson's home medicine cabinet contains a box of Sudafed or Tylenol Sinus or any number of other very popular OTC products that contain pseudoephedrine? And, if so, why would he take the risk? To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
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