Who shouldn't take Ephedra based supplements?

[mosdef]

I am 20, am 5'11", 160 lbs. and am starting to lift. I want to take ephedrine to get a boost. I just recently donated blood and saw that my blood pressure was something like 120/78 (if this is way off then maybe I'm mixing up values). Would I be ok to take this stuff, so long as I follow the recommended dose? Or should I be concerned about taking it?

[ElPietro]

I think you will be surprised how much your energy increases simply from lifting alone. Maybe hold off on the supplements for the first couple months.

[mosdef]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I was wondering if you think it would be dangerous to start now.

[ElPietro]

Well I'm not sure what a healthy heart rate is for someone your age or size, but if you've had any suggestion of heart problems in the past I'd probably advise against it. If you intend to take it you could always go with half dose to start out and see how you feel. It usually takes a few days before you are used to it so the first couple days you will notice it the most. If you feel overheated or sick simply stop what you are doing.

Perhaps someone else can tell you if your heart rate is within the normal range. I would say go talk to your doc but I doubt there are many docs alive that would tell you it's ok to take ephedrine.

[MWB]

Do you really feel the need for it? You could just take a vivarin(caffiene pill). That would wake you up without as many health concerns with ephedrine.