Ephedra

[ace920]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York
Hello all. I hope someone can be of help to me because I've been going through total hell. I'm a fitness enthusiast and I've tried a couple of supplements. The one that I took to burn some fat off was an ephedra supplement (not sure if i can say the brand or not so i'll refrain). To make a long story short, after I took it, slowly I noticed that my hearing changed and I also noticed that my ears were ringing. I went to the ear doctor and they told me that I have Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Doctor's were shocked at that level of loss so they asked me all these questions and one of them said that the ephedra constricts blood vessels and that damaged the inner ear organs. It's IRREVERSIBLE! PERMANENT! Not a thing they can do. Here's the reeeaaaally sad part. I'm 24! I just graduated college 2 years ago. My life just started and now it changed so drastically that I can't even fully appreciate it. I wanted to know if I could hold the supplement company liable for the suffering I'm going through. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for your time!

[CJane]

Did you follow the ... dosing ... directions exactly? Did you heed any/all warnings on the product? Did you seek medical treatment immediately? Can all other sources of the hearing loss be completely and definitively ruled out?

[ace920]

I actually took a dosage smaller than the directions indicated. I always ate something just like the bottle said, and I don't recall hearing loss as being a possible side effect on the label. Sought out the help, but by that time the damage was done. There really are no other sources. I told the audiologist that I listened to an ipod while I used to work out, and his response was that the damage was way too extensive to be caused by just an ipod. And thanks for the reply. I appreciate it.

[Nativity]

When did you purchase and take the Ephedra, and where was it purchased from?

The answers are vital seeing how Ephedra in any form is banned from the US since 2004/5.

[lealea1005]

Originally Posted by ace920

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York
Hello all. I hope someone can be of help to me because I've been going through total hell. I'm a fitness enthusiast and I've tried a couple of supplements. The one that I took to burn some fat off was an ephedra supplement (not sure if i can say the brand or not so i'll refrain). To make a long story short, after I took it, slowly I noticed that my hearing changed and I also noticed that my ears were ringing. I went to the ear doctor and they told me that I have Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Doctor's were shocked at that level of loss so they asked me all these questions and one of them said that the ephedra constricts blood vessels and that damaged the inner ear organs. It's IRREVERSIBLE! PERMANENT! Not a thing they can do. Here's the reeeaaaally sad part. I'm 24! I just graduated college 2 years ago. My life just started and now it changed so drastically that I can't even fully appreciate it. I wanted to know if I could hold the supplement company liable for the suffering I'm going through. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for your time!

What other supplements and/or medications, including caffeine, were you taking at the time? Ephedra was banned in 2004 by the FDA. If you purchased it online from out of the country, I would think you carried the responsibility and risk of taking it.

[ace920]

i had heard about the ban so I stocked up on it before then. It seemed to work fine for a while without any problems so I didn't think anything of it. I didn't notice that my hearing was going until recently though. The other supplements could not effect my hearing. Creatine, protein powder, nitric oxide vasodilators, etc. Nothing effected blood vessels the way that ephedra did.

[lealea1005]

Originally Posted by ace920

i had heard about the ban so I stocked up on it before then. It seemed to work fine for a while without any problems so I didn't think anything of it. I didn't notice that my hearing was going until recently though. The other supplements could not effect my hearing. Creatine, protein powder, nitric oxide vasodilators, etc. Nothing effected blood vessels the way that ephedra did.

If you stocked up in 2004, surely it's expired by now!

Vasodilators dialates/opens up the blood vessels which affects blood flow and circulation!!!!

ETA: Sudden, increased blood flow can cause hearing issues such as tinnitus (ringing in ears) and hearing loss. Nitric oxide is a neurotransmitter and unproven as a body building supplement.

[ace920]

Vasodilators dialates/opens up the blood vessels which affects blood flow and circulation!!!!

ETA: Sudden, increased blood flow can cause hearing issues such as tinnitus (ringing in ears) and hearing loss. Nitric oxide is a neurotransmitter and unproven as a body building supplement.

Thanks for your response. I took the nitric oxide supplements in 2003-2005. I didn't have any hearing problems before then. It was a supplements called trac which does dilate blood vessels and improves the pump you feel during the workout. There are several NO products on the market for bodybuilding and none of those have tinnitus listed as a possible side effect.

After I gained some decent size I figured it would be good to tone up and slim down using ephedra. The supplement worked well. I played it as safe as I thought possible. I never took more than 1 in the morning with food even though the dosage says take 3 per day.

I had no idea about sudden increased blood flow affecting. It's a possibility. Could you provide a link so I could show it to my ENT doctor?

[lealea1005]

Originally Posted by ace920

Thanks for your response. I took the nitric oxide supplements in 2003-2005. I didn't have any hearing problems before then. It was a supplements called trac which does dilate blood vessels and improves the pump you feel during the workout. There are several NO products on the market for bodybuilding and none of those have tinnitus listed as a possible side effect.
After I gained some decent size I figured it would be good to tone up and slim down using ephedra. The supplement worked well. I played it as safe as I thought possible. I never took more than 1 in the morning with food even though the dosage says take 3 per day.

I had no idea about sudden increased blood flow affecting. It's a possibility. Could you provide a link so I could show it to my ENT doctor?

Tinnitus is a known, common, side affect of vasodilators, as are headaches, flushing, sudden decrease in blood pressure, etc.. Your ENT is well aware of how vasodilators work. Does he/she know about ALL the supplement you are/were taking?

[ace920]

I didn't think that the nitric oxide was worth mentioning. In fact, the dr. recommended vinpocetine as possible help. Vinpocetine is a vasodilator too, so I figured why bother to mention it. If it was induced by something other than ephedra, would it be reversible? I just want to be normal again. To be able to enjoy movies and music and going out to dinner and casual conversation. I'd much prefer correcting the problem.

[Nativity]

Tinnitus can be caused by quite a few products, just because the side effect isn't written on the label doesn't mean it it's possible. I've gotten Tinnitus when I take too many NSAIDS in a week period, it last for about 4 weeks.

I would really suggest you discontinue the use of Ephreda, there was a reason it was banned in the us, and the reason being it can cause Death.

Adults (18 years or older)

Note : The U . S . Federal Government has banned the sale of ephedra since 2004. Consumers are urged to stop using the herbal weight control supplement immediately as it has been linked to numerous adverse health effects including death .

Ephedra may cause serious adverse effects in any dose, particularly when used with other drugs such as caffeine. Because of serious safety concerns, ephedra cannot be recommended in any dose.

[lealea1005]

Originally Posted by ace920

I didn't think that the nitric oxide was worth mentioning. In fact, the dr. recommended vinpocetine as possible help. Vinpocetine is a vasodilator too, so I figured why bother to mention it. If it was induced by something other than ephedra, would it be reversible? I just want to be normal again. To be able to enjoy movies and music and going out to dinner and casual conversation. I'd much prefer correcting the problem.

You should tell your Doctor about ALL medications and supplements you are/were taking!

No one here can comment further on your prognisis. As for any lawsuit, you will have to prove that ephedra directly caused your hearing loss. That will be difficult, especially given that hearing loss or tinnitus is not listed on the list of side effects, even the rare ones.

[ace920]

Thanks to all for your responses. I will take them all into consideration and pray for the best outcome. Thanks again!