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Young Stafford County mother who took large quantity of still-legal ephedrine tablets as a stimulant died last month. Family members blame the substance. Date published: 5/18/2004 By JIM HALL Wayne King II and Bunny Maxey celebrated when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned ephedrine supplements. King and Maxey hoped that the ban would help Alicia King, Wayne's wife and Bunny's daughter. They thought the change would make it easier for Alicia to shake her ephedrine habit. Their hopes didn't pan out. The ban took effect last month, but Alicia King continued to buy and use ephedrine. The type she favored was not included in the FDA action. King purchased her ephedrine daily at convenience stores near her Stafford County home. Eight days after the ban took effect, she died from an apparent overdose. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond performed an autopsy. The cause of death is still pending, though the King family said it would be surprised if it was anything other than an overdose of ephedrine. The family agreed to talk about her death to illustrate the potential dangers of ephedrine and to show how it is still available on retail shelves, despite the national ban. Ephedrine can be purchased legally at dozens of Fredericksburg-area convenience stores. And despite the FDA's action, prohibited ephedrine products also could be purchased at several locations last week. Ephedrine is a stimulant that occurs naturally in some plants. The FDA estimates that 12 million people were using it in dietary supplements prior to the ban. Users said that it aided weight loss and improved athletic performance, though clinical studies disputed that. The agency said that ephedrine posed an unacceptable risk of heart attack, stroke and death. One of its most celebrated users was Steve Bechler, a 23-year-old pitching prospect for the Baltimore Orioles. Bechler died during spring training last year. An autopsy concluded that his use of ephedrine was a contributing factor. The FDA ban included all dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids, such as ephedra, ma huang, Sida cordifolia and pinellia. It took effect April 12. One of the banned products, Ultra Energy Now, was still on Fredericksburg store shelves last week. The 99-cent foil packets could be found at the 7-Eleven on Lafayette Boulevard and at Snellings Markets. The principal ingredient in Ultra Energy Now is ma huang, according to its label. Because of that, the product should not be sold, said a FDA spokeswoman last week.
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