Ephedrae herba

Ephedrae herba, also known as ephedra herb, is a drug that is used in herbal medicines for respiratory diseases, among other things. The plant's twigs are used.

Due to its centrally stimulating effect, Ephedrae herba is on the doping list of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)! No pharmacopoeia quality description - until 2001 the quality specifications for the drug "Ephedra herb" were in the German Pharmacopoeia, but were not adopted in the European Pharmacopoeia.

HMPC: not edited: Due to the content of strongly active alkaloids (ephedrine), ephedra herb cannot be classified as a traditional herbal medicinal product according to § 39a AMG.

ESCOP: not processed

Commission E monograph: until 1991: Respiratory diseases with mild bronchospasm in adults and schoolchildren.

Ephedrae herba contains 1 to 2 % alkaloids with the main alkaloid L-ephedrine. Furthermore D-pseudoephedrine, L-methylephedrine.

Ephedrae herba centrally stimulating, indirectly sympathomimetic, antitussive (proven in animal experiments) and furthermore directly alpha- and beta-adrenergic.

Ephedrae herba was monogrpahized by Commission E until 1991, is used for respiratory disorders with mild bronchospasm, nasal congestion in hay fever, allergic rhinitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, urticaria, bladder weakness, narcolepsy, myasthenia gravis and postural hypotension.

No longer in use today, see under sea ragweed.

No longer recommended.

Formerly: The single dose in adults is between 15 and 30 mg total alkaloids calculated as ephedrine. For children, the dosage is 0.5 mg total alkaloids /kg body weight. The maximum daily dose for adults is 300 mg total alkaloids, for children corresponding to 2 mg total alkaloids/kg body weight.

Due to the risk of tachyphylaxis and habituation, preparations with ephedra herb should be used only for a short time and a few days.

It can lead to motor restlessness, insomnia, irritability, headaches and micturition problems. In addition, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, a sharp rise in blood pressure in higher doses, cardiac dysrhythmia and dependence can occur.

In case of anxiety and restlessness, arterial hypertension, cerebral circulatory disorders, narrow-angle granuloma, prostate adenoma with residual urine formation, paeochromocytoma or tyreotoxicosis, application should be avoided.

If heart glycosides or halothane are taken at the same time, cardiac arrhythmia can occur; in combination with guanethidine, the sympathomimetic effect can be enhanced. When combined with MAO inhibitors, the sympathomimetic effect of ephedrine can be potentiated, when combined with Secale alkaloid derivatives or oxytocin, a development towards high blood pressure is possible.

Due to their central stimulating effect, drugs containing ephedrine are on the doping list of the IOC and the German Sports Federation.

1. Schilcher H (ed.) in, Leitfaden Phytotherapie, Urban & Fischer Verlag (2016) Munich, p. 221 ff.
2. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/meertraeubel.php