Ephedra Side Effects Litigation
Ephedra Recall Law Suits

While health problems resulting from ephedra had been known for years, public concern over the herbal supplement did not peak until an incident in Clearwater, Fla., on Feb. 17, 2003. That was the day Steve Bechler, a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, died following a spring training workout.

Afterward, authorities found a bottle in Bechler's locker that contained ephedra-spiked diet pills.

The substance, an ancient Chinese herb (ma huang) that is a powerful natural stimulant, contributed "significantly" to Bechler's death due to complications of heatstroke, said a physician who conducted toxicology tests on the 23-year-old athlete's body.

Ephedra, an adrenaline-like stimulant, can have dangerous effects on the heart. It has been linked to high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, insomnia, dizziness, tremors, nervousness, headaches, heart attack and stroke. (Bechler's temperature hit 108 degrees before his death.)

Less than two months after the incident, the American Heart Association urged the federal government to ban sales of ephedra, widely used in the United States to help people lose weight and enhance athletic performance. At year's end, the FDA took action, issuing a consumer alert on ephedra's safety and announcing a proposed rule that would effectively prohibit the sale of supplements containing ephedra.

" ... We're sending a strong and unambiguous signal about the safety of dietary supplement products containing ephedrine alkaloids," said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. "Consumers should stop buying and using ephedra products right away, and FDA will make sure consumers are protected by removing these products from the market as soon as the rule becomes effective."

But ephedra had already claimed a great many victims. Since it was an herbal supplement and not a drug, ephedra was never subject to pre-market testing or FDA approval. But concerns grew at the agency after it started receiving negative reports, at least 140 reports of ephedra-related illnesses or death from 1997 to 1999. By mid-2000, at least 75 lawsuits had been filed across the country over ephedra, according to a report by The Washington Post, with a number resulting in multi-million dollar settlements.

Ephedra products - hundreds or more marketed as diet pills and workout boosters - have been sold by at least 62 different companies under a variety of names, such as Metabolife 356, Ripped Fuel, Ultimate Orange and Hydroxycut. A number of products have already been voluntarily recalled, but many ephedra products continue to be advertised and sold.

The diet supplement is listed on ingredient labels in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, ephedra, ephedra extract, ephedra herb powder, ma huang, epitonin, ephedrine, Chinese ephedra, Mormon tea, and herbal ecstasy.

A number of incidents involving ephedra use have been highly publicized. In 1996, a college student was found dead in a Florida hotel room during spring break after taking a product calJanuary 31, 2007 practice in April 2000. Lawsuits were filed and settlements reached in both cases.

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If you or a loved one has been harmed by ephedra, you need a law firm with the resources and the experience to bring you justice. Please call or e-mail the pharmaceutical litigation attorneys at Kline & Specter. We'll evaluate your claim for free and we don't get paid unless you do. Our expertise will help you get the compensation you deserve.

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This page was last updated on January 31, 2007.