Supplement usage...

[phantasm]

with all due respect, ephedrine sets off red flags because it's a potential precursor to methamphetamine and methcathinone. Meaning that if you perform a chemical reaction (reduction, birch reduction, oxidation..) it will "convert" the substance to one of the two.

Just because a chemical is similar structurally does not mean it is the same effect wise.

That basically what I said. Precursor, ingredient. You can use ephedrine to make an illegal narcotic pretty simply.

[RemyG]

Actually, Remy, STRUCTURE is what determines function in the biological and chemical worlds (moreso in terms of biology, of course). Where you run into problems is what part of the structure is reacting with the test.

You see, it is not a stretch for the portion of structure with which the test reacts to be shared by ephedrine, methamphetamine and methcathinone. I don't know what the test is hitting on, specifically. It is easier said than done to test for that very specific portion of the chemical structure that reacts with humans to get the specific reaction (getting high). There are so many dependents in the equation that it can be hard to say. If they do HPLC, you should be fine... but I doubt that they would pay for that. Conversely, most street-level tests will hit on an entire class of drugs. So, I guess it all depends.

I am just speaking from a guy who used to make a living doing protein isolation and characterization in a lab and having a bit of experience with these things.

All I was saying was that just because it is similar, be it on an atomic level (co vs. co2), or structurally (meaning skeletal model, or the systematic name [IUPAC nomenclature] )

Ephedrine [(1R,2S)-2-(methylamino)-1-phenylpropan-1-ol] and pseudoephedrine [(1S,2S)-2-methylamino-1-phenylpropan-1-ol] sound and look similar, but follow completely different modes of action (since pseudoephedrine is a diastereoisomer of ephedrine).

Sorry, just took an interest in biology and wanted to clarify. By no means was them fightin' words :D I like my door and prefer to keep it intact :D

rogerdat is correct. Ditch the ephedrine. It is unsafe for your heart at certain dosages, and is quasi-legal.

[Switchback]

And it is stuck on my Jeep, to boot.

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