© 2002 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors Reason for posting: Health Canada

warns that some over-the-counter sup-plements used to increase energy and promote weight loss and bodybuilding pose a serious risk to health.1 The warning applies to supplements con-taining the herb ephedra or its alkaloid derivative, ephedrine; in Canada, ephedrine is authorized for use only as a nasal decongestant. More than 60 adverse events — suicide, psychotic episodes, seizure, stroke and cardiovascular events ranging from hypertension to myocardial infarc-tion — have been reported in Canada.2 Other recognized adverse effects in