Sudafed before games?

[GoHabsGo24 1]

I recently read an article about NHLers who take sudafed before games to give them an energy rush. The type of sudafed is the one from behind the counter with pseudophedrine in it.

Has anyone else read this article? Have any of you done it before?

If so, what are your opinions.

Should this be allowed by the league? Is it cheating? or just unhealthy?

Here is an article (not the one i read)

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/...2/nhlstory.html

[djinferno 2]

in this drug era, i'm not surprized...

[Chadd 916]

in this drug era, i'm not surprized...

It has been around for a long time. Before the last couple Olympics it was mentioned as a possible problem, yet nobody tested positive.

[hellaavangard 33]

It is a key ingredient in meth afterall

[tlminh 0]

I give sudafed for my patients who have nasal congestion but I warn them it causes them to be sleepy, increases their blood pressure and it can make their prostate worse (ie pee more at night)

[chk hrd 164]

It has been done for awhile. Combine sudafed (or any speed) with an energy drink and you are asking for serious trouble.

[GoHabsGo24 1]

I know it's been done for a while. Hence the old article. The one i read was 06 i believe, but i cant find it for the life of me.

I bet the long term affects could be similar to a meth user since it's the primary ingredient... But either way it's got to be bad for you.

As far as the buzz goes, i have never tried it so i dont know if there is a crash, or how "high" you get from it.

Chadd: I know it's banned in the olympics, but why not the NHL? i feel like the NHL doesnt do much to crack down on drugs...

[pat19 0]

i read a book last year "Zamboni Rodeo" that was about a minor league Texas team and it talked about Sudafed, i think it said "sudafed and coffee- breakfast of champions" or something but i know they used it alot. i always wondered what it did.

[LkptTiger 1]

Guilty.

[TCsnipes9 0]

I know there was a topic before about this, but I still wonder about it too.

A friend who played professionally over seas says he cant do it cuz he gets all shaky and makes him not feel well.

Anyone else with personal experience.

[LkptTiger 1]

Well, I can't say that I ever experienced any of the issues highlighted in the article. I usually take two (sometimes three if I'm injured - I feel the extra boost helps kill the pain a bit; like a shot of adrenaline). The pills likely don't have the same effect on me that they once did, but I'm not about to start swallowing 5-10 Sudafed before warm-ups every game.

I've had no problems controlling my body or my emotions. I don't think I'm any more aggressive with the pills than I am without them. I just feel that the

"blood flows better" so-to-speak and that there is a little extra pep in my step.

Also, it should be noted that I have not noticed any adverse effects since I was injured. I've yet to make a successful return to competitive hockey since tearing my knee apart last year (I went to camp for an Ontario Jr. A club over the summer, but could barely even walk by the time it was over), which means that I have not taken Sudafed in a long, long time. No residual effects, no "withdrawls," nothing.

Should I make it back to playing at the level I once was, I see no reason why I wouldn't resume taking the pills before each game. I'd see no point, though, if my next step is to the beer leagues.

[icedevil82 0]

I've had a cold and taken it before a game a couple times in the last year. It does give an energy increase, but I felt like I had a lot of trouble focusing. Because of that, I felt like I had a pretty bad game both times. For some reason I kept getting a song stuck in my head and felt distracted. But, thats just me...

[GoHabsGo24 1]

I've had a cold and taken it before a game a couple times in the last year. It does give an energy increase, but I felt like I had a lot of trouble focusing. Because of that, I felt like I had a pretty bad game both times. For some reason I kept getting a song stuck in my head and felt distracted. But, thats just me...

Was it "eye of a tiger" by any chance?

Well, I can't say that I ever experienced any of the issues highlighted in the article. I usually take two (sometimes three if I'm injured - I feel the extra boost helps kill the pain a bit; like a shot of adrenaline). The pills likely don't have the same effect on me that they once did, but I'm not about to start swallowing 5-10 Sudafed before warm-ups every game.

I've had no problems controlling my body or my emotions. I don't think I'm any more aggressive with the pills than I am without them. I just feel that the

"blood flows better" so-to-speak and that there is a little extra pep in my step.

Also, it should be noted that I have not noticed any adverse effects since I was injured. I've yet to make a successful return to competitive hockey since tearing my knee apart last year (I went to camp for an Ontario Jr. A club over the summer, but could barely even walk by the time it was over), which means that I have not taken Sudafed in a long, long time. No residual effects, no "withdrawls," nothing.

Should I make it back to playing at the level I once was, I see no reason why I wouldn't resume taking the pills before each game. I'd see no point, though, if my next step is to the beer leagues.

I woudld've thought it made your heart beat like crazy though... that must get annoying considering mine beats pretty fast to begin with...

[indaslot 0]

If yu just take the normal dose of 60mg, it should not cause any problem (provided that you have a cold and nasal congestion.)I have taken it before running (not for performance)and it does make you a bit hyper/energized and you need to drink more.Obviously if you missuse it,I guess it could kill you.hear about the female runner whose died from over using Ben-Gay (or something like it)?

[Hidious 0]

An energy rush, really? Someone who works for a Midget AAA team here once told me sudafed could increase performance because it was opening up the bronchi leading to a better airflow leading to more oxygen leading to less muscle fatigue. I swallowed his story without questions. I guess i'm off track.

[chk hrd 164]

"Common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with pseudoephedrine therapy include: CNS stimulation, sleeplessness, nervousness, excitability, dizziness and anxiety. Infrequent ADRs include: tachycardia and/or palpitations. Rarely, pseudoephedrine therapy may be associated with hallucinations, arrhythmias, hypertension, seizures and ischemic colitis (Rossi, 2006); as well as severe skin reactions known as recurrent pseudo-scarlatina, systemic contact dermatitis, and nonpigmenting fixed drug eruption (Vidal, Prieto, Peréz-Carral, Armisén 1998).

It has also been reported that pseudoephedrine, amongst other sympathomimetic agents, may be associated with the occurrence of stroke (Cantu et al., 2003)."

it gives you energy because it is a stimulant (most drugs ending in "ine" are...amphedamines, caffine, etc). Take a bunch of sudafed, wash them down with a red bull and you should be crankin. That's why it is a main ingrediant for meth.

If you have a minor, undetected heart problem and start downing these you could be in serious trouble.

[Ultimus 0]

I know Jiri Fischer on the Wings went through TONS of tests and went to many doctors, but I am curious to wonder if he did this as well?

Its around in my beer leagues, as well as using Vicks Vapor rub....

[Jim A 4]

I've been known to take some advil cold and sinus (need advil before most games anway and the cold/sinus has the psuedoep) before some late games (ie 1030PM) but figured that when skating 4x/week its probably not the best thing..i've not used it for a while..but a late game tomorrow night may send me to the drugstore...

[Chadd 916]

Chadd: I know it's banned in the olympics, but why not the NHL? i feel like the NHL doesnt do much to crack down on drugs...

The IOC has an absurdly long list of banned substances. If the NHL followed the lead of the IOC, players wouldn't be able to take tylenol, advil or many other legal, over the counter drugs.

[#96 0]

Not sure if it was in the article, but I heard Flames guys used to take handfuls of pills from a fishbowl full of them during their Cup run in the late 80s.

[DarkStar50 679]

The Islanders drank coffee during their 80s Cup run. The story goes that the second year they played Edmonton in the Finals, the coffee pot was filled with decaf in Northlands Coliseum by the Edmonton staff. The Islanders were out of gas by then anyway.

[GoHabsGo24 1]

Chadd: I know it's banned in the olympics, but why not the NHL? i feel like the NHL doesnt do much to crack down on drugs...

The IOC has an absurdly long list of banned substances. If the NHL followed the lead of the IOC, players wouldn't be able to take tylenol, advil or many other legal, over the counter drugs.

yeah i figured it included alot of other stuff that people use regularly, but advil and tylenol? jeez... Its like that olympian losing his medal for using the vicks inhaler..

[biff44 0]

Certainly, one can take drugs,even leagal ones, to increase reaction time. But I seriosly doubt that it would improve your game! So much of high level hockey is precise timing. If you practiced one-timers all week long and then, before game time took some pill, your timing will be off and you will suk! If you practiced defending one-on-ones all week long, and then took some pill at game time, your poke checks and skating reactions will be off time, and you will suk.

So what is the point? Get a good nights sleep, go au natural, and you will be a MUCH better player on the ice!

[flyguy1697 0]

Big time around here, I personally can't handle it, gives me the shakes like I have wpd.

[jeffw 1]

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the NHL banned this. I could be mistaken tho.