I Took A Banned Drug And Didn’t Even Know It

From now on I’m sticking to sugar as my pre-race pep. Jelly beans are happy pills indeed.

Bad news bodybuilders: dimethylamylamine (DMAA) may be responsible for the deaths of two soldiers, according to the U.S. Army. Eh, just another day and another story about a sports supplement gone wrong? Not for me. This story hit me hard. Probably because I have some DMAA in my cabinet as we speak.

You may not recognize DMAA by acronym alone but it’s also known as Asian geranium extract and it’s found in some of the most popular – and most effective – supplements on the market like J3cked (pronounced “jacked” in case you don’t want to look like an idiot in front of the GNC salesman like I did) and OxyElite Pro. I’ve taken both. While I hate J3cked and steer clear of it – it was part of the cocktail I took that, forgive me – jacked me up, and made me puke my way through a ten-mile race a year and a half ago – OxyElite Pro is a different story.

I don’t remember how I came by my first pill. Friends (and smart ones, even) of all fitness stripes – bodybuilders, racers, triathletes – swear by the stuff. Someone along the line gave me one and while it made me feel awful, it did really work for me. I had a ton of energy, I recovered faster, I could focus better and it didn’t give me that jagged high-then-crash that plain caffeine does. It also gave me heart palpitations, excessive sweating, hot flashes, whole body shakes and waves of nausea.

There’s a reason for all that: It’s an amphetamine derivative, deemed more potent than even ephedrine. You know what they make out of ephedrine? METH. You remember the scandal over ephedra/ma-huang killing people a decade ago? This stuff is five times more potent. In addition to being illegal in Canada and the European Union, “the World Anti-Doping Authority, the international body that regulates drug use by Olympic athletes, and several professional sports leagues have listed DMAA as a banned stimulant.” If I were an Olympic athlete I’d have been kicked out. Thank goodness I’m just a stupid suburban soccer mom! Phew, dodged that bullet!

While I liked the results, the side effects kept me from using it on a regular basis – I can’t even remember the last time I took one – but I kept the bottle around for those few occasions where I felt like I really needed the extra kick. Here’s the thing though: I didn’t know any of this when I bought it. I have more friends than I have fingers that use this stuff all the time and I’m pretty sure they don’t know either. How is it that I am allowed to walk into any GNC and buy amphetamines right off the shelf as a “sports supplement”? This blows my mind.

I remember the last time I bought a bottle of OxyElite Pro and the GNC guy commended me, telling me that in his opinion this was the best fat burner on the market. We went back and forth about the various uses for it and the side effects but never once did it come up that this wasn’t just some herbal caffeine-ish supp I was popping, like I thought. And USP Labs, the manufacturer, has all this research and science-y stuff on their site saying how safe and effective it is. Seriously how innocent does “geranium leaf” sound?

Yet the Army says in addition to “heart events”, it also has reports of liver and kidney failure, seizures, loss of consciousness and rapid heartbeat from DMAA toxicity.

My bottle has 30 pills in it. I have 26 left. And since I only take one at a time (the recommended dosage is two in the morning, one in the afternoon but one alone made me feel so freaky I never dared take more) that means there were four occasions in the past year or so that I put my life – and my children’s mother’s life – on the line for the sake of some minor athletic enhancement.

I’m stupid. I’ll own it. I’m the one who bought the pills. But at the same time, I did my research. I read countless reviews online, peppered the salesman with questions and read everything that the manufacturer put out about it, including all the warnings, and I never got any sense of what this stuff really was. I actually thought I was doing the smart thing by going with something “natural” and avoiding all the crazy diet pills out there. Lesson learned: “natural” means nothing.

For their part, USP Labs released a statement saying that their product has been proven safe if taken correctly. And who knows how those soldiers were using it? My friends that use it seem less affected by it than I was. At least none of them have ever mentioned the shakiness or nausea like I had (although everyone seems to get the sweats).

Still, I’m angry. At them. At myself. At the salespeople. At the FDA that doesn’t monitor supplements. At the society that has programmed me to reject my unvarnished best. But mostly at myself.

The pills are in the trash now. I’m sticking with jelly beans from here on out. (Which, by the by, my most favoritest SweeTart jelly beans are now also being sold for Valentine’s day. Good news or bad news? Magic PMS ball says “yes.”)

So, anyone else used this stuff? What has your experience been? Am I being hysterical or does this scare the ever-loving crap out of you too? What are your “happy pills”?

84 Comments

  1. I haven’t been enough of a fitness person [though I try] but I’ve always stayed away from supplements and the like. Any time someone tries to tell me something is ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ I try and explain that just because something is natural and organic doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain chemicals!

    As for amphetamines [happy pills], I was on Dexedrine for ADHD [properly diagnosed by testing etc]. It made me very happy indeed. Although I was on a child’s dose, I could exercise, study, and plan my days to the dot without ‘missing’ any time. Then I realized that I couldn’t go through my entire life depending on a narcotic [never mind that it was a legal narcotic] regardless of how easy it made my life.

  2. I have a funny heart so can’t even drink one of those guarana drinks without having heart palpitations so I avoid anything that says “Performance enhancing” or “energy”. They tend to kick my butt, but not in a good way. I bought a drink one day and usually it has ‘guarana’ in big letters as it’s a selling point but this one didn’t. I drank half of it and was vibrating out of my skin with my heart doing the cha-cha ! Not fun.

    I think sometimes that all the research that we (as members of the general public) can do is based on biased research put out by the companies to promote their product. It’s very rare that unbiased research gets released, especially around supplements (multi-billion dollar business world wide).

    But maybe I’m just a cynic ;/

  3. Well, we all make mistakes, natural does mean nothing. If it is strong enough to have an effect that is not just in your head it is strong enough to have side effects. Actually “natural” does mean something: non-FDA tested. That means the possible side effects are not all known and nobody regulates it. Please remember that for next time.

  4. I took oxyelite for a long time. I also took a lot of other, supposedly healthy/safe, things to get ultramegasuperduper lean. I can only hope they didn’t cause any permanent damage…. (And I thought I was being smart and doing my research too, we’re all good at that) Now all I do is some Vitamin D and Fish Oil

  5. I’ve found that while the workout supplements definitely boost my energy, high amounts of caffeine make it impossible for me to do any sort of cardio.

    Now, I have a high caffeine tolerance and love my coffee, and sometimes take supplements that contain it on rough mornings. It’s just that I know I can’t go running for a couple of hours. A friend introduced me to Lipo-6 which we refer to as “magic black pills,” because they didn’t make us feel jittery, sick, or anything. Just energetic and even in a better mood (supposedly that’s the yohimbe in them).

    So when I did research and found a supplement that was only DMAA, and nothing else, I decided to try it. I’ve been taking DMAA regularly for a couple of months. I typically take half the recommended dose, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I don’t feel the same energy “high” from other supplements, but I do notice that it makes a difference in my workouts, and in my day in general.

    There are definite dangers to many of these supplements, but I think a lot of those dangers come from a “more is better” attitude. I approach it from trying to take the least amount to be effective, take breaks from it (cycling), drink a ton of water, and pay attention to how my body reacts. If it makes me feel bad, there is no way I’m continuing it.

    If they make you feel sick, you’re definitely right to avoid them.

  6. This might you die I think you should put in a proper place next time..Thanks for sharing your story..

  7. Sadly, if the FDA wasn’t such a joke, we COULD rely on them! Try a respected naturopath for ‘natural’, if you feel the need, and otherwise just stick to good wholesome real food. Thanks for your wonderful insight and honesty!

  8. Lay off the FDA. They’ve got their hands busy with the really important stuff, like making sure raw milk doesn’t hit the market.

    (Pssst, c’m here…wanna buy some chocolate -mint covered espresso beans from Trader Joe’s? This is the good sh&t!)

  9. Maybe now a days people need a basic course in chemical names. If it ends in “amine” think stimulant!

    • Caffeine, nicotine and theobromine are the most common stimulants and are all alkaloids. There are also lots of amines that are not stimulants, such as histamine. This isn’t a rule I’d rely on.

      • Sorry Tim, but histamine has stimulant effects in the body. I’m just trying to be helpful, not write a textbook or pass an exam. Perhaps I should have said, “think about the possibility of it being a stimulant.”

        • A better rule might be to avoid taking or eating anything that has a list of ingredients you struggle to pronounce.

          Unfortunately the supplement industry understands this and hides behind “natural” language. This of course means nothing – the natural “extract of Spotted Corobane” is a poison (hemlock), while 2-amino-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid (methionine) is an essential amino acid and found in most foods.

  10. I don’t need a disclaimer as you can see from the “recently posted” 🙂

  11. Dr. J, I tend to think “if it’s an amine, it smells like death.” Too much time spent in labs!

    Charlotte- just a point of curiosity- aren’t you Mormon? (If so, b/c I could certainly be wrong in thinking that you are…)How does taking stimulants jibe with Mormon restrictions against caffeine?

    As an aside, I’ve never taken any stimulant besides caffeine ( Like one of the commenters above I have a funny heart as well and have adverse affects from too much caffeine, albuterol, decongestants…etc. Nothing serious but it keeps me out of trouble!) but I do have to say that on my honeymoon in Barcelona I went to one of the Happy Pills Candy Stores (like what you have pictured above) and it was so cute! I brought home souvenirs from there!

    • Shelly – that’s a really good q! Yes, I am LDS (Mormon). Our dietary code forbids illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea. Some people (including some LDS) take “no coffee and tea” to mean no caffeine at all. While others just don’t drink coffee or tea but still have a Coke or whatever. We’re also cautioned against using any “habit-forming” or addictive substances. Which I suppose I rationalized by saying that since I only took it every once in a long while for races etc then it wasn’t a habit. I still wouldn’t say I was addicted. But yeah, other than the things prohibited by name listed above the rest is sort of up to the individual’s discretion.

      And yay for Barcelona! I did a study abroad in Spain and Barcelona was one of my fave places there. Just gorgeous!!

  12. Gotcha- so it’s kind of up to how you interpret it.

  13. This is why I steer away from all of those suppliments. Heart issues run in my family, and altho I seem to be luckily free of them so far I don’t want to tempt fate. Plus…I am trying to be fit. Taking an ampthitamine under the guise of wanting peak performance at the gym? I don’t like that. I don’t have a medical condition requiring that sort of level of medication. It don’t need enhancing. Maybe because as a biochemist I know what this crap can do…what it is a derivative of. And I see in the hospital (and morgue) what happens to people who abuse this and other legal and illegal amphetamines, particularly in fitness situations where you’re already pushing yourself. I’m glad Canada is generally good at pulling stuff like this off the market.
    I was warned by a scientist colleague when I first started working out to stay away from that stuff. It only takes one bad suppliment that doesn’t jive with your body to screw up your metabolism for life. Sure it *probably* won’t happen to you or I. But I know people is *has* happened to. And you really can’t blame anyone but yourself.
    We are amazing! Nothing replaces hard work and good old fashioned sweat…:)

    • This: “. And I see in the hospital (and morgue) what happens to people who abuse this and other legal and illegal amphetamines, particularly in fitness situations where you’re already pushing yourself.” gave me a full body shiver.

  14. I never take any supplements or anything (with the exception of my Flinstone Vitamins), but I do usually have a steady stream of caffeine going through me from all the soda I drink.

    Also, I think M&Ms are my happy pills. I even used to eat them while doing yoga with unsurprisingly negative results.

  15. Hey!

    This is the first time im commenting even though I’ve been reading your blog several times a day since I found it a year back. So first off, thanks a lot for such an interesting and fun and time-consuming blog!

    Just felt that I got to say that it’s the same thing going on in Sweden… they are debating wether or not it should be legal or not. And as far as i’m concerned, we’re a part of the EU… so no, it is not illegal by the EU… yet.
    Second – Name a drug someone hasn’t died of. Alcohol, smoking, etc kills millions every year. And then there are all the other medical drugs – i remember an incident with a very potent pain killer that killed 2 in sweden just a couple of years back… Overdosing on any over the counter medicine can basically kill you… or very nearly.
    Nothing you put in your mouth is safe. Everything causes oxidation which slowly but surely kills you in the end.
    That being said, I would like to know how much these soldiers took of this DMAA. There are thousands and thousands people in the world that take these supplements every day. I think moderation is key to everything.

    I don’t take these supplements myself and never have. But that is because my fundamental rule to working out is that the three pillars is exercise, eating right and sleep/rest need to be complete first. And until I’m better at all of those three points, I dont think any supplement will give me any miracle results.

    I think it’s a good thing that they research on risks etc of every product. But on the other hand, maybe DMAA motivates people to exercise… and isn’t obesity one of the hugest health issues out there? How many lives does DMAA save?

    Now i will stop rambling on. I just don’t like hypes about things because some person died. Have they definitely found the cause to be DMAA btw?

    In addition, I need to comment on a post above (i heard sarcasm… but if it wasn’t sorry)… raw, unheated milk can kill you. ETEC is found naturally in the digestive canal of a cow… and milking a cow is not sterile business. Some shit IS definitely getting in the milk somehow. You can also find VTEC and other types of E. Coli and a bunch of other bacteria… Mastitis is one of the most common diseases in the milk cow. Giving raw milk to a young, old, sick or person with decreased immune system is too big of a risk to take.

    There… now i’m done. And I bet you’re all hoping i go back to being a quiet reader.

    • Yes, I was being VERY sarcastic about the milk comment.

      As you said, ANYTHING can kill you. Hasn’t happened with raw milk, and I absolutely believe that people have the right to drink raw milk if they want to and that the FDA harassment of people distributing unprocessed food is unconstitutional.

    • I, for one, am glad you de-lurked Renee! Thanks for clearing that up about the EU. Perhaps what I read was that it was banned in some sporting events in the EU? Or some EU countries? I shouldn’t read research at 11 p.m.;) Second, very true about anything having the possibility to be fatal. That said, we still take reasonable precautions. Not that you were, but taking your argument to the extreme logical conclusion seems foolhardy. Third, yeah I wondered about the soldiers too. Like I said in my post – who knows how they took it, if they od’d, if they took it with something else or if it wasn’t a factor at all? Lots of my friends have used this without problems but the side effects always trip me out. Although your point about saving lives by reducing obesity loses me a little. While OxyElite is marketed as a “thermogenic” and some people use those as diet pills, it’s pretty well established they don’t work for that purpose, at least not in the long run. The people that I know who use it, take it for specific athletic events (like I did) or because they are in the “cutting” phase (i.e. leaning way out) before a bodybuilding competition. The drug can help them shed some fat, in conjunction with diet tweaks but their bodies don’t stay that way. In fact, they go through cycles of bulking and cutting, timing them to be at their leanest for competition. Lastly – and this is for Naomi (if she’s still reading this far!) – while my brother got a horrible camphylobacter (sp??) infection from drinking raw cow’s milk and I do understand the risk is real, I also think that it shouldn’t be illegal. It’s like the people who make their protein shakes with raw eggs – you can get e. coli from that too but eggs aren’t illegal.

      Anyhow, thank you for all the interesting points – I love it when people are up for a good discussion! Comment more often!! (And do let me know what happens with the EU ruling!)

  16. Great post!
    As an ER doc, I am AMAZED at the stuff that otherwise healthy, sane, fit people take for that “extra edge.” More people show up at the hospital with shakes, cardiac rhythm problems ( mostly temporary, luckily), vomiting, and all kinds of stuff from something they bought at the local health food store.
    The posters that talked about good basic nutrition are the ones that have figured it out.
    All the stuff that people are throwing $ at ( “fat burning” supplements and stimulants)-they have consequences. Maybe for you.
    Don’t rely on the FDA. ( lots of politics and payoffs.)
    You are smart enough to know what seems too good to be true, probably is not so good for you.
    Just my $0.02 ! ( hey, where did the cents sign on this computer go…?!)

  17. can I just add that J3cked is a really stupid name for anything?? If I saw this in the store I would have thought it read, “j-three’cked” Since when does 3 mean “a”???

  18. This was a really interesting post to read as I am a self proclaimed lover of OxyElite-Pro. I’ve cycled it 3 times in the last 2 years with excellent results. Coupled with a strict clean diet and a fabulous workout program designed by my trainer, I was able to push way harder and lose significantly more body fat. I had no adverse side effects as long as I only took 1 or 2 pills in the morning. If I took any in the afternoon I was awake until 2 am (yikes!).

    With that said, it’s hard to justify the results I got using that pill when I see research like this. I spend a huge amount of time buying and preparing all natural foods to fuel my body, using organic/homeopathic products on my body and yet I’m completely willing to use an unsafe product in the name of my vanity. I definitely won’t be using this pill again but like you, I am frustrated because I did endless hours of research before buying this product and ultimately only did so because my trainer assured me it was completely safe and would be easier on my system than hither products I’d tried with excessively high levels of caffeine. I guess it goes to show you can never be too careful even if you are meticulous with research.

    • Your story sounds just like my story (well, except for the cycling part – never was that formal about it). It makes me feel a little better than I’m not the only person in this ambivalent boat…

  19. We know there are numerous interactions between anti-depressants (ssri) and otc medications. The same logic follows for “energy” supplements – they can have a compounding effect when taken along with ADs.

  20. Charlotte, I want to react to your comment about wishing the FDA regulated supplements. I am in no way saying this about you personally, but I really don’t think the answer to this is more government regulation. It’s more personal responsibility. If taking those pills made you feel so bad, why did you keep taking them? The good thing is you didn’t take the recommended dose since you recognized they had such a strong effect on your body, but nothing that gives you heart palpitations can be good to try again. Even if it did have other amazing effects. Again, I totally do not mean anything personal by this–I love love love your blog and really respect your viewpoints and the research you post. I just have a real issue when people want the government to intervene on everything vs encouraging more personal responsibility for our actions and the things we put in our bodies.

    • I agree with you Sara, and with the comment from Renee as well. I absolutely do not want the government involved in the supplement industry, with the exception of very basic regulation like making sure that things are labeled correctly and don’t contain contaminants like heavy metals, etc. Stuff that has been used safely for centuries has been pulled from the market, like comfrey or ephedra (despite the hoopla about ephedra, fewer people died from taking that than many approved drugs, and the deaths, though unfortunate, came from misuse/inappropriate dosages). Granted, people should research what they put in their mouth, stop taking it if they have a bad reaction, and some products probably are pretty much bad. I would include almost all “energy” or “weight loss” formulas under the bad category. But I think people should have the choice.

      And I also agree that people should be able to purchase raw milk if they want to. I could ramble on forever on this topic, but instead I will recommend “Folks This Ain’t Normal,” by Joel Salatin (an organic farmer) on why we really don’t want more government regulation.

    • Very interesting points Sara and Esmerelda. Honestly when I wrote that it was more of a throwaway statement in my efforts to find someone else to blame besides myself for my idiocy. Although I do realize the fault lies with me. I haven’t thought much about what my views on more government regulation are, actually. On one hand, we have people policing ridiculous things (I too agree raw milk should be legal). But on the other hand, we have to do our best to protect people – or at least give them all the salient facts to protect themselves. And I honestly don’t see how to do that without some measure of government intervention. Although where that line lies I’m not sure. Thanks for making me think!

  21. Interesting. I will say I’ve seen some friends in the military do some really stupid (unhealthy) things to make weight when it’s time for weigh in/tape in/whatever it is that they do. I’ve had friends (male friends included) that pretty much turn into anorexic cardio junkies for the weeks before so they could get the 5 lbs off they needed to in order to stay in the military and keep their job. I would say without more information on what the habits (diet, exercise, if they took the supplement as directed, and what else they were taking) were of the people that passed away, it’s really really hard to know how much of the blame goes on the pill by itself.

    I am glad the FDA is going to regulate supplements better, but I do agree with you, natural is nothing. I have taken OEP before, I have a bottle in my cabinet. I don’t take it often – mainly when I need a boost of energy or help cutting back on what I’m eating. I think from reading the article the point I got was that hey, I don’t know what is going to happen with this stuff or how safe it is, take at my own risk. Which is exactly what I figured when I bought it in the first place. So I think I’m surprised someone would take it and think it’s 100% safe. It can’t be. Nothing that is a fat burner and messes with your body like that could be.

    But I do get wary when something is banned everywhere but the US, lol.

    • So do you not feel any side effects from the OEP when you do take it? Just asking out of curiosity as I want to know how weird I really am;) And I agree, when I bought it I knew I was taking some risk. All supplements can be risky. But AMPHETAMINES? Like I said to a previous commenter, personal responsibility can’t be overstated but people also need all the salient facts so that they are able to protect themselves…

      • I took it similar to you, when I needed a boost or when I needed some help focusing on diet. Never more than one a day and never more than 3 or 4 days in a row. I love the stuff. I felt less hungry, more energized, and had a better mood in general. No side effects. If i had any side effects I would have stopped taking it honestly. That would have been a clear indication to me that these ingredients don’t work with my body chemistry. Again that’s why I think some personal responsibility still has to come into play. If you knowingly take something that gives you those side effects over and over, at least a little part of you must realize you should stop. Natural or not, if something you don’t need at all does that to you, then you have to stop. FDA can regulate, but we will all have different reactions. That’s my point with the personal responsibility. We all need to pay attention to the effects the foods and drugs we choose to use have on us.

  22. They don’t just sell OxyElite at GNC; they give it away like it’s candy. I have recently started going there to buy protein powder for smoothies and they have thrown in small bottles of OxyElite as freebies, talking like it is the best stuff since mother’s milk. I have been carrying a bottle in my purse in case I get really desperate for an energy boost but afraid to try it for the reasons you have listed. GNC has always given me the creeps because I never know what of their stuff is legitimate for people just trying to be healthy.

    • YES. This is what I’m talking about. It’s one thing to tell people they need to do their research and be personally responsible for what they take (and we should!) but when companies are handing out amphetamines like tic-tacs without any warning or instruction that seems problematic.

  23. This is exactly why I don’t take supplements. I don’t trust the salespeople and I don’t trust the interwebs for research. I don’t even trust myself to do the right research. I drink whey protein, and even that I’m sure will give me cancer eventually.

    Even if the FDA reviewed this stuff (which they should!) I still would trust that it was safe. I’ve become one of those conspiracy people.

  24. I’m forwarding this on…so important for people to know ‘natural’ doesn’t necessarily mean safe—lions and tigers are natural too.

  25. As my biology teacher has said, GNC is in the business of ‘snake oil’. Eat properly (fruit, veggies, lean meat, whole grains) and your body will get what it needs.

  26. Interesting post..I learn a lot of things thanks for sharing..

  27. This news is very alarming. We should be aware of the drugs we are taking. And to be safe, we should consult a doctor first before taking any drugs. There are lots of diet pills that are available in the market, but most of it were not approved by the Food and Drug Administrator.

  28. Pingback:Supplement Update: What I am currently taking, phasing out, and test driving | Hey Joob!

  29. So much pseudoscience and exaggeration it makes me cringe. There is no way to determine that DMAA is more potent than Ephedra, since they are 2 completely different drugs. DMAA is an adrenaline reuptake inhibitor, meaning it causes your adrenaline levels to rise. Ephedrine actually bonds to the adrenaline receptors themselves. That being said, almost everyone reports feeling a LOT more stimulated when using Ephedrine.

    Regarding the comparisons to Amphetamine, the only thing these chemicals have to do with it is similar molecular structure. This has absolutely no correlation with any physical effects that they may cause. There are thousands of other compounds with similar atom bonds that have no drug properties at all. To imply that a drug is unsafe because it is similar in structure is complete bs.

    Can excessive dimethylamylamine kill you? There is no indubitable proof saying that it can, just rare cases in which the chemical was present.
    Can excessive alcohol kill you? YES
    Can excessive iron kill you? YES
    Can excessive water kill you? YES

    To demonize DMAA, you would also have to stop consuming anything that can kill you in excess

    • also, i just noticed that you literally called DMAA an amphetamine.

      you are stating blatantly incorrect facts for the sake of making a stupid, scientifically unsupported argument.

  30. I took oxyelite pro and I loved it. I used a whole 90capsule bottle on two separate occassions and at first it began making me nauceous but then I was fine. It always made me feel thinner and I guess because my mind was there and I had more energy, I actually did lose more weight. As long as I ate right and did some exercise the pill did everything it said it would. But that is not the case for everyone. I knew one girl who took it and it never seemed like she would loose weight and another girl would get so hot and sweaty like she was having hot flashes. I think not every pill out there will work for anyone. You have to take into consideration your age, eating habits, fitness habits or lack thereof, etc. But I would definitely take it again.

  31. I read a few weeks ago that the military had reported two soldier have died and it came out that they had been taking Oxy Elite Pro along with substances. They died during a training exercise in the heat of the day. And while it is definitely tragic, I have decided not to discontinue my use of Oxy Elite Pro. I have lost 30 lbs since I started taking it. When I stopped for a month , I just continued losing and regaining the same 3 lbs. Plus it helps me focus while I’m at work. I hate having to skip my coffee in the morning and I do get the heart palpitations from time to time. If I get nausous , I have peppermints that ease those effects for me. I’ve only got another 18 lbs to go before I reach my goal and for me the benefits out weigh the risks.

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  33. So yet again I read another story about an idiot person spouting stupidity about fat burners. I’m sorry u took jacked the stuff is horable. So ephedra is not what METH is made of. Ephedra is used as a cutting agent to “water down” or make meth go farther. I took Mucsle Techs Hydroxy cut for years. Oh yeah still alive. How? Or why? I will let you in on a little secret. I followed the recommended instructions on the back of the bottle. The side affects u speak of are from jumping in head first to a new suplement. There’s reason for instruction and recommended dosages. Stupidity and otherwise ignorant people are the reason we have lost some of the best fat burners and supplements over the years. Oh and the hope of free money through class action lawsuits. I’m not a genetically gifted person but I sure look like it when I had ephedra in my supplement cabinet. Just read the back of any supplement you buy and follow the instruction you to like me will still be alive. Research all ingredients on the list and make a somewhat educated decision. Never start a new supplement with the maximum dose.

  34. I’m 19 years old and I started taking these pills a month ago, yesterday was the last one I had. I could honestly say the first week I consumed these pills I felt like I was going to die. There were numerous incidents where I was at the gym and my heart beat was pounding in my chest so hard that I had to sit down and grasp for air. I’ve never in my life used and dietary supplements or any type of preworkout. According to the salesperson at “Vitamin Shoppe” this was the best supplement to give me that full energy to achieve a great work out without crashing. Another side effect I experienced was anxiety, depression, and paranoia(I was so freaked out while driving at times, or a small sound would make me jump!). My blood pressure went down actually and I experienced major loss of appetite(which was what I had expected in their defense) and experienced major shivers.. Even on warm days. After the third week I became immune to the pill and stopped seeing and results. My happy pill will be a simple herbal multivitamin, that will not turn me into a zombie. For all that matters I’d like to include that I’m 5″9 155 lbs and when I started taking oxylite I was barely 5 pounds over. But I physically do look better because I workout very often and in my case my fat has been replaced with muscle. I wish everyone luck and good health. Best to you all!

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  36. Hi Charlotte,

    In one of your comments you said you are on antidepressants. If you don’t mind me asking, were you on AD when you took OEP? Do you know of any drug interactions or side effects that I should be worried about? I am also on AD and started taking OEP 4 days ago.

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  42. You are mixing up DMMA with DMAA. Two different substances.

  43. alchol, Cigerattes and Yes even Aspirin Killed way more people in the same time frame. It’s called Moderation follow the directions on the bottle. Dont pop 5 pills Oh yeah. It says so on the label.

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  45. I took jacked 3d for about a year and a half every time I went to the gym, basically every day. I never abused it, took it as recommended on the bottle. But one day I collapsed, I swore I was having a heart attack by the symptoms I had. After the 16 hour emergency room visit and the doctors unable to figure out what happened, (they ruled out heart attack) they finally looked at the X-rays and blood tests to confirm that my kidneys shut down. Said it was defetnetly something I was taking but did not know what it was. Another dr showed up asked me what I was taking for my workouts and diet, after telling him he right away told me to stay away from jacked 3d and anything like it. They knew about the effects even back then! Now I simply take 1 jet alert (Walmart 2.00) and 3 pro nos (Walmart 10.00) and get the best workout of my life every time I go. Hint jet alert ONLY 1! you WILL PASS OUT ON TWO! 1 is the equivalent of three cups of coffee at once. Pro nos is simply arganine supplement for muscle growth no other fillers. You can google the benefits…besides the combination is dirt cheap at walmart compared to everywhere else.

  46. So reading through this and being a young, moderately exercise prone, female college student, I must confess that I’m shocked at all of this. I’ve been taking OxyElite Pro for about three years now, with regular breaks, more due to lack of funds than any other reason and I’ve gotta say that I’ve never once had a bad experience with it. I’ve never experienced the rapid heart beat or nausea or anything of the sort, just energy and a great workout. I’ve never taken more than one a day, even when I was working out twice a day because the great effects lasted all day long for me.

    I was honestly wondering what the big controversy was about it, but I guess that it’s because I have never had anything near a bad experience with this pill. I may get some flack for this, but I will continue with it, because it works for me, better than any other thing that I have ever tried, natural and not. Could it be a body type/composition thing? as for why some people had absolutely no problems and others about died…(not counting the soldiers, because I am in the military and I’ve seen guys grab handfuls of pills out of a supplement bottle without counting and scarf em down. Not saying that the soldiers in question did that exactly, but just stating that it happens waaaaay too often before my own eyes to discount misuse.)

  47. First, I feel like how Jade does. I am shocked about OxyElitePro what this is saying. But I totally disagree that this is WORSE than Ephedrine! This is no where near as bad as Ephedra. I know because I toke it for several years! Ephedra was worse than anything I ever took. For the first several years it kept the weight off and I had the shakes with it. After while, it doesn’t work as well, and you start having bad side effects. I kept thinking I would hear people say things and junk. I gave it up and never went back, but the weight came on.So after several years of no supplements except vitamins, I tried OxyElitePro. Mind you, most of the time I only take 1 pill a day, sometimes 2 a day. I do like recommended and stop after 8 weeks. But I am here to tell you this is no where near as powerful or as deadly as what Ephedra is! Taking this I might feel 1/3 the way nervous that Ephedra did. Ephedra should be outlawed.

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  49. You’re not over-reacting. My best friend died several months ago while taking Oxyelite. The stuff is scary!

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  53. If you want advice on a safer diet pill to use, I recommend Synephrine which is considered a much safer ephedrine replacement. Our body’s actually produce synephrine in the metabolism of tyramine which is found in cheese and a number of other common foods. It’s been shown to enhance metabolism by 66% compared to placebos.

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  62. There’s a BIG difference between ephedrine and meth, and also a BIG difference between DMAA and any amphetamine. It is not an amphetamine, nor is it a very strong CNS stimulant (the kind that gets you high). It’s a sympathomimetic drug, like psuedoephedrine (Sudafed). Don’t know where you got the information that it’s 5x as strong as ephedrine; maybe as an sympathomimetic, but not as a stimulant. Pretty much everything you wrote is based on false information; get your facts straight. DMAA is nothing like any abusable amphetamine.