Vasopro and Weight Loss

Warning:

Vasopro Ephedrine HCL (hydrochloride), the over-the-counter drug used as a bronchodilator (for airway clearing purpose), contains ephedrine of the US over-the-counter pharmaceutical standard.

Vasopro is designed and manufactured solely for the purpose and use as an expectorant bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma.  Any advertising, marketing, and/or promotion, in any form, of the Vasopro product for any purpose other than as an expectorant bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma is prohibited under Federal Law and certain state and local statutes.  Violation of these laws and regulations may expose you to possible, criminal and civil penalties and/or regulatory action.

Vasopro and Weight Loss

Based on scientific evidence, ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) causes weight loss when used in combination with caffeine.

Published scientific papers include:

Safety and efficacy of treatment with an ephedrine/caffeine mixture. The first double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study in adolescents.  D Molnar, K Toeroek, E Erhardt, S Jeges - International Journal of Obesity, 2000

Conclusion: According to the present pilot study, ephedrine/caffeine can be a safe and effective compound for the treatment of obesity in adolescents.

Comparison of an ephedrine/caffeine combination and dexfenfluramine in the treatment of obesity. A double-blind multi-centre trial in general practice. L Breum, JK Pedersen, F Ahlstrom, J Frimodt-Moller - International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolism Disorders. 1994 Feb;18(2):99-103.

Abstract: In previous separate studies, dexfenfluramine (DF) and ephedrine/caffeine (EC) have been shown to promote weight loss in obese patients as compared with placebo. In order to compare the efficacy and safety of these two anorectic drugs, 103 patients with 20-80% overweight were included in a 15-week double-blind study in general practice. Patients were randomized to either 15 mg DF twice daily (n = 53), or 20 mg/200 mg ephedrine/caffeine three times a day (n = 50), supplementary to a 5 MJ/day diet. Forty-three patients from the DF group and 38 from the EC group completed the study. After 15 weeks of treatment, the DF group (n = 43) had lost 6.9 +/- 4.3 kg and the EC group (n = 38) had lost 8.3 +/- 5.2 kg (mean +/- s.d., P = 0.12). In the subgroup of patients with BMI > or = 30 kg/m2 (n = 59), the mean weight loss was 7.0 +/- 4.2 kg in the DF group (n = 29) and 9.0 +/- 5.3 kg in the EC group (n = 30), P < 0.05. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced similarly during both treatments. Twenty-three patients in the DF group (43%) and 27 in the EC group (54%) complained of side-effects. Central nervous system side-effects, especially agitation, were more pronounced in the EC group (P < 0.05), whereas gastro-intestinal symptoms were more frequent in the DF group (P < 0.05). The side-effects declined markedly during the first month of treatment in both groups

Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center (RAND) identified 44 controlled trials assessing ephedra and ephedrine alkaloids (such as Vasopro) used in combination with other compounds for weight loss; 20 of these trials met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Meta-regressions were used to assess the effect of ephedrine, ephedrine plus caffeine, and ephedra plus herbs containing caffeine. Five pairs of treatment regimens were compared:

* Ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) vs. placebo: 5 studies. Ephedrine was associated with a statistically significant weight loss of 1.3 pounds/month more than was associated with placebo for up to 4 months of use.
* Ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) plus caffeine vs. placebo: 12 studies. Ephedrine plus caffeine was associated with a statistically significant weight loss of 2.2 pounds/month more than was associated with placebo for up to 4 months of use.
* Ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) plus caffeine vs. ephedrine: 3 studies. Ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) plus caffeine was associated with a statistically significant weight loss of 0.8 pounds/month more than was associated with ephedrine alone.
* Ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) vs. other active weight loss products: 2 studies. No conclusions could be drawn because of the small sample size in each of these studies.
* Ephedra plus herbs containing caffeine vs. placebo: 4 studies. Ephedra plus herbs containing caffeine was associated with a statistically significant weight loss of 2.1 pounds/month more than was associated with placebo for up to 4 months of use.

The use of ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro), ephedrine plus caffeine, or dietary supplements containing ephedra and herbs with caffeine was associated with a statistically significant increase in weight loss over a relatively short time. Both ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) plus caffeine and ephedra plus herbs containing caffeine were somewhat more effective than ephedrine alone in promoting weight loss.

Only one study compared ephedra plus other herbs (but without caffeine) with a placebo. The ephedra-containing product was associated with a weight loss of 1.8 pounds/month more than was associated with a placebo for up to 3 months of use.

Overall, the effects on weight loss of synthetic ephedrine (its US OTC pharmaceutical standard is contained in Vasopro) plus caffeine and ephedra plus herbs containing caffeine were equivalent: weight loss of approximately 2 pounds/month more than was associated with placebo for up to 4 or 6 months of use. No studies assessed the long-term effects on weight loss; the longest published follow-up was 6 months.

Vasopro: $19.99
$19.99/bottle
Max.: 6 Vasopros.