# Alcohol and studying

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-studying/278171>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 5, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-studying/278171 "2004-12-05T05:14:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-studying/278171/21 "2004-12-06T14:02:06Z")

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> [@Scribble](#):
>
> My drugs of choice for staying up all night studying, writing, etc. are ephedra and guarana (like, something made with guarana syrup or with powdered guarana, etc. The soda pop stuff doesn’t work too well.) They’re both legal; you can often find them in health food stores or herb shops (like, the above-board kind.)

Ephedra is no longer legal. It was banned by the FDA on April 12, 2004. I think it’s stupid and senseless\*, as it’s perfectly safe if used in moderation, but just thought you should know the current legalities.

However, ephedra is anything but “gentle” and should be used cautiously. Read the side effects carefully. If you feel any dizziness, heart racing or palpations, drink two very large glasses of water and step down your next dose. If the water doesn’t help within about 15 minutes, get to an ER and bring the supplement bottle with you so they know how to help you.

\*If anyone would like to debate this, please start another thread, 'cause I could go on for a long, long time on this topic, and prefer not to hijack this one.

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