Ma Huang Case Study Essay

More data needs to be collected about Mrs. F, obtaining a comprehensive assessment will provide more information about her health and daily activities, and it will help in answering her questions and giving her more information on Ma huang and provide her with other options she can try to help improve her health. Mrs. F needs to be educated on the use of Ma huang and the side effect of the supplement. Ma huang is a dietary supplement also known as ephedra, and is used for weight loss; due to its physiologic effect the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned it on February 6, 2004, it causes a stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, and death (Seamon & Clauson, 2005). Also, It effects have been reported as lack of sleep, anxiety, seizures, psychosis, hyperglycemia, HTN and headache (Mehendale & Yuan, 2004). Mrs. F. should stop taking Ma huang, based on the data collected she has been agitated, irritable and is having trouble sleeping, these symptoms could be related to ephedrine being a central nervous system stimulant (Seamon & Clauson, 2005). She also has diabetes type I, hypertension, blockage in her heart and also she is overweight. Some of her symptoms are a side effect of the Ma huang, and she has a high risk of an adverse effect due to her medical history.
F health a healthy diet plan and exercise program will be beneficial to help her lose weight. She needs to notify her Physician and inform him/her about her new symptoms and the Ma huang she has been taken. She also needs to monitor her blood pressure and blood sugar to make sure they are within her baseline. Ephedrine stimulates the alpha-1, beta-1 and beta-2 receptors, which causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate (Seamon & Clauson, 2005). Losing weight can lower blood pressure and blood glucose levels and with success it will reduces the risk for heart disease (Nix & Williams,