Took Eca Stack And Drank For 4 Years; Worried About My Liver Posted: 03-16-06 17:32pm
Hi, this is my first post on this forum.
For the past four years (2001 until last
week, with some breaks inbetween) I was
taking stacker 3 (with ephedra, when that
was still available.) then I started
taking stacker 2 ephedra-free + 25mg
ephedrine pill and 325mg caffiene pill,
usually twice a day, but sometimes three
times a day.
As far as I know, the stacker 3 with
ephedra and my "eca stack" are basically
the same thing.
During this time, I have also been a
regular drinker. I don't like to be
drunk, but I like to drink, and lately
i've been drinking during the middle of
the day, into the night. I'll never be
drunk in the daytime, and the last time I
got drunk was the summer before last.
I've only blacked out once from alcohol,
and that was when I was 18. I'm 24 now;
at the same time I know that my tolerance
has probably increased because of my
regular drinking.
I knew the risks of ephedrine; once in
2002 I fainted randomly and again it
happened in 2004. I figured these were
related, but I continued to take the pills
anyways, and continued to drink, sometimes
more in a day and sometimes less (usually
vodka.)
about a week ago, I was in class, and
began feeling sweaty, hot, my arms started
tingling, etc. But since I was sitting
I didn't faint. I decided right then to
give up ephedrine completely.
I've also cut back a lot on the
drinking.
My question is, I know i'm sort of going
through two separate "withdrawls," one for
ephedrine (even though I don't miss it and
the way it made me think and feel) and one
for the fact that I would usually be
having a little booze right now on a
regular day.
But then I started worrying about liver
disease. I'm 24 and in good health, but
i'm still concerned that all the alcohol
and the eca stack might have really
screwed me up.
I looked at the sites on panic attacks,
and i'm pretty sure that's what I had.
Similarly, people say that going through
ephedrine withdrawl and/or *somewhat*
alcohol withdrawl can make people feel
anxiety. The panic attack site also
said that i'd have fear of death and
dying, stuff like that, after the attack,
sometimes for a few weeks.
I haven't really been feeling any adverse
side effects; I just work myself up into
getting scared about things, like dying or
not being able to be there for my fiancee,
which leads to anxiety in general.
What continues to scare me is the fact
that what i've read about liver chrossis
and liver damage says you'll also feel
kind of restless and fatigued, which I
don't really feel, but sometimes I feel
restless.
I don't have any other symptoms, like
jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) or the
other big symptoms, but i'm still really
worried about it! Especially because
my fingers are yellow in places, but I am
a chain-smoker. :)
i'm seeing the doctor tomorrow, but if you
guys have any advice, i'd like to hear
it.
Thanks in advance!
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dansmeek
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 8
Posted: 04-19-06 01:39am
You know, I read this a while back, and
thought about it, and the best way to
answer it is:
it is what it is
if your livers messed, aint nothing u can
do about it now, except to stay away from
the things that made it bad. Hopefully
its fine, and the human body does heal
itself.... Sometimes.
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zatoichi jones
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Wisconsin
Posted: 04-19-06 10:31am
Thanks for your honest reply. The doctor
said that my liver enzyme tests showed
signs of inflammation; i've been cutting
back quite a bit on the drinking (i
haven't stopped entirely, but down to
maybe a few beers, etc.) and the ephedrine
is gone (as are the withdrawl symptoms
now) and I feel pretty excellent all of
the time. I also got a hepatitis b shot
just as a precautionary measure due to the
inflammation.
I don't think my liver's f'ed, as you put
it, but it was a wakeup call, a big one.
Since i've been off the ephedrine (and for
the most part, alcohol) i've just been
feeling better; I never thought it was an
addiction, I just used it mostly as a way
of feeling really energized in the morning
throughout the day (and then the
subsequent crash at nighttime, but I had
gotten used to that.) I wasn't using it as
a way to lose weight (although I do have a
body dysmorphia problem; i'm like 6'2 and
around 140 and I still think i'm all fat
and gross sometimes, weird huh?)
since posting this, i've found out that
some of my friends (more aquaintances
really) ideas of a good night out are
getting blacked out drunk, doing a few
lines of coke, snorting xanax or popping a
vicodin or percoset, and getting really
high. In retrospect I dunno if my dilemma
seems so bad in the overall scheme of
things. I've stayed away from coke (tried
it once when I was like 16 and hated it)
and muscle-relaxers/antidepressants when
mixed w/ alcohol are a bad idea, like
seriously. I dunno why i'm bringing this
up, I guess to find a point of comparison
for my own problems. I know that
excessive ephedrine use causes liver
damage, and excessive drinking. But I
never used either one to excess, really
(although I was drinking too much for a
while, more throughout the day to achieve
a slight buzz.) I know a ton of people who
will wake up with a massive hangover, take
a tylenol or 2 and drink 2 bloody marys to
cure the hangover, and tylenol has those
warnings about drinking 3 or more
alcoholic beverages. I believe that, too,
is a warning more for people who would
take high amounts of tylenol. I dunno...
Anyways, thanks for your input. It means
a lot to me.
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dansmeek
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 8
Posted: 04-19-06 15:16pm
Well, I can relate, cuz i've taken a lot
of stuff that hurts my liver. When I
used to have bad shoulder pain I would
take all taht viox/advil/... And being
only 20, would still drink. And i've
taken eca stack off/on, but have since
replaced it with coffee, which is not too
good for the liver either.
But now I just try to avoid all that stuff
entirely, I still have lots of coffee but,
so be it. But, I dont take anything for
imflamation, I just ice/hot treat it, and
that works much better, I guess that
really doesnt relate to you though.
And yeah, there are lots of people who are
doing much worse things to their body, but
when u think about it, the liver is the
least of their worries. Hope all is well
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jazzybell
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 10 Location: chicago
Posted: 04-22-06 09:50am
That's great you've been to the doctor-but
what scares me is that your liver is
inflamed at your age. Your too young for
this. When I was an emt I was shocked to
see how many people disregard their
bodies. You need to go to the doctors and
ask about withdraw symtoms-read up on
panic attacks and start leading a healthy
life. I would start exercising and
drinking water!!! I know it sounds simple
but it's a start. I think people believe
they have to medicate themselves to just
walk through the day-but it's not true.
Once you start taking care of yourself the
thought of putting drugs in your system
would be nonsense-join a gym..Trust me it
works. Once we use to always go to this
guys house (he was 27) drunk and did so
much cocaine..We always thought he would
find him dead but one day we see him at
the hospital (he cleaned himself up and
was back in school) he was going to become
a doctor. You can change!
