ECA Stack Safety

ECA Stack is meant to rev your metabolism and help you melt fat while suppressing your appetite. This weight-loss pill is available over the Internet, but you are unlikely to find it on drugstore shelves since it contains ephedra, an ingredient that is banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Always consult a doctor before trying a new weight-loss supplement, especially if it contains questionable ingredients.

Identification

ECA Stack contains ephedra and caffeine. Ephedra has alkaloids called pseudoephedrine and ephedrine. These stimulate your nervous system and narrow your blood vessels. When you combine ephedra with caffeine it can lead to weight loss, according to MayoClinic.com. ECA Stack also contains acetylsallicylic, which is aspirin.

Significance

Ephedra is a banned substance in the United States due to significant safety risks, warn the experts at the Mayo Clinic. It can lead to serious cardiovascular issues and even death. Cardiovascular problems may include heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat or a racing heart. Ephedra has been banned in the United States since 2005.

Considerations

Caffeine also causes side effects, some of which can become serious. ECA Stack has caffeine in the form of kola nut and green tea extract. Less-serious side effects include nervousness, gastric irritation and insomnia. Caffeine also can increase your urine output and cause vomiting. It can have an unpredictable effect on blood-sugar levels when taken with many drugs including estrogens and ephedrine. It raises risk for high blood pressure when taken with ephedrine and many other drugs. Taking it with etodolace raises risk for liver damage, taking it with clozapine can raise risk for psychotic symptoms and taking it with selegiline can raise your risk for an irregular heartbeat. On its own, caffeine can trigger irregular heartbeat, worsen a bleeding disorder, magnify an anxiety disorder, contribute to insulin resistance, raise your blood pressure and worsen gastrointestinal disorders, according to "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide," by George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox. As with ephedra, caffeine stimulates your central nervous system.

Potential

ECA Stack has other ingredients that may have safety concerns if taken in large amounts. For example, the chromium picolinate in ECA Stack may promote DNA damage, according to Oregon State University. However, this risk is still theoretical and based on lab studies. Rare reports exist that associate chromium picolinate with irregular heart rhythms, liver problems and kidney damage, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. However, the U.S. Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board does not set a tolerable upper level of intake for chromium.

Expert Insight

When you take ECA Stack, you are not supposed to ingest more than six capsules in the course of a day. Dieters are advised to take two capsules three times a day, and to consume the pills with a full glass of water. ECA Stack manufacturers do not promote other healthful methods of losing weight along with taking this supplement, such as healthful eating and exercise, notes the Diet Spotlight website. Internet sites that sell ECA Stack caution that you should check with a doctor before using it due to the product's active ingredients and advise pregnant women and people younger than 18 not to use this product.