Ephedra is a drug that is made from a plant called ephedra sinica, also called ma huang in its native China. The plant has been used for thousands of years in China for such ailments as hay fever, the common cold, and allergies. Ephedra became popularly used in the United States for use in diet pills. Ephedra was found to be very effective in leading to short-term weight-loss of people who took it as a dietary supplement. Although it did not have any proven long-term weight loss effects, many people snatched it up as a cure-all to their weight issues. However, the problems and concerns over Ephedra soon overshadowed the positive effects of the supplement.

In 1997, The Food and Drug Administration told manufacturers that they had to put more information about the side effects on the labels of their products. The possible negative side effects from ephedra are expansive and include irregular heartbeats, irritability, nervousness, dizziness, seizures, vomiting, headache, insomnia, dehydration, trembling, itchy skin, hyperthermia, stroke, heart attack or even death. In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration moved to ban the sale of medications and supplements containing ephedra as a result of the number of injuries and deaths that were linked to the taking of ephedra.

You may be familiar with famous baseball player who died as a result of taking a supplement containing Ephedra. Steve Belcher was only 23 years old when he died during spring training after taking a supplement that contained Ephedra. It was discovered that the levels of ephedra in his body contributed to his death. His widow filed a lawsuit, seeking $600 million in damages. In addition to this famous death, many other people have also died or become seriously ill as a result of taking ephedra. Despite the prior warnings to manufacturers and distributors of Ephedra, they continued to sell the product long after the known harms were made public. It is for this reason that many lawsuits have occurred against these companies.

If you took ephedra and had any of the side effects listed above, or if your spouse or other relative died after taking ephedra, you should speak with an attorney about whether or not you should persue a lawsuit to recover damages as a result of taking the drug. Although every case is different, you should know that other lawsuits have awarded the plaintiffs several million dollars in recovery, based on the injuries that they, or their loved ones, experienced as a result of taking ephedra.

The only way that you will know if you have a good case for recovery against the company that manufacturer and sold you ephedra is to speak with an attorney who has handled personal injury cases before, preferably an attorney who has experience suing drug manufacturers in the past. The attorney will be able to quickly evaluate your case and let you know if you stand to recover for damages that you have incurred. Damages resulting from hospitalization costs, medical bills, lost wages, and other such things can lead to a substantial settlement amount.

A company that continued to market a sell a supplement that they knew could be harmful should be punished severely. One way to punish them is to sue them for all of the damages that they have caused you and your family. Don’t stand by and be intimidated by big corporations just because they have a lot of money and power. Contact an attorney who will fight against big business and help you to get the recovery that you deserve. You have nothing to lose, so contact an attorney today and get started with a lawsuit.