According to Web MD, “One of the most popular weight-loss supplements in the United States — considered a ‘nutritional supplement’ and not a drug by current FDA standards — is Xenadrine, made by the New Jersey company Cytodyne Technologies. The main ingredient in its original formula, Xenadrine RFA-1, is ephedrine, derived from the ephedra plant. Ephedrine increases metabolism, the process by which fat cells are broken down and converted to energy, and it suppresses appetite. The effects of ephedrine are like those of amphetamines, also known as speed, and for some they can be deadly. Ephedrine can raise one’s heart rate and blood pressure, so people with heart conditions and high blood pressure are warned against taking it.” Full article : How Safe is Xenadrine?

I was introduced to Xenadrine while reading a Fitness magazine when I was in my early 20’s (so, about 10 years ago, more or less). At the time,  I was active and exercised regularly, but still wanted to drop 10 more pounds. So, off to GNC I went. This was my official trip to GNC, and most definitely not my last. The friendly salesperson had no problem pointing me to the diet pill section and was kind enough to offer stronger diet pills than Xenadrine,  but I declined. I picked up my bottle of Xenadrine and headed home to give them a try.

I started off conservatively and took one pill in the morning and one pill in the afternoon for a few days. I felt like I had drank too much coffee and the only way to combat the jitteryness was to eat. So, I ate. Kind of defeated the purpose of the diet pill. So, I modified my plan and only took the pill before my workouts. This helped a little and I felt like an Energizer bunny for a part of my workout and then crashed afterward and ended up eating more than normal. I did notice my running pace increased and I could run longer and farther. After a few days, I upped my intake to two pills in the morning and one in the afternoon. I didn’t notice much difference. The current bottle now says to take one pill before breakfast, lunch, and dinner – still three times a day. As with all wonderful magic pills, my body adjusted to the new intake of whatever was in the pill and my energy buzz wasn’t the same.

After a few weeks and 2/3 of the bottle empty, I threw in the towel on the magic bottle. During the course of the few weeks I did not gain or lose any weight, nor did I gain muscle or lose fat. I just maintained. Once I decided to quit the magic pills, I had the joy of combatting some nasty headaches for a few days, most likely due to the caffeine depravity. I did not experience any other side effects. Since then, I have never been interested in buying another bottle. Clearly it works for some people as the product still sits on the shelves of GNC, is in some drugstores and big box retailers.