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2010 naughty list

Aug 12, 2009
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Is Pseudoephedrine used to mask drug use? I rarely get allergies in Spring, but it happens some years, particularly when it rains heaps in winter. Antihistamines are useless and my favoured tablet, a 12 hour flu tablet from Panadol contains a nice dose of pseudoephedrine. I know because I have to get a prescription to by bulk from the chemist (only 6 in a pack) .It's used to cut some of the hallucinogenic drugs and dealers were buying it in massive quantities. I know its the best thing to use, clears the sneezing and water eyes...massive annoyances.

Banning this seems overkill. Anyone got a good explanation as to why?

As for the asthma medication salbutamol, heard Liggett years back say 60% of the peleton had a puffer. This doesn't surprise me. I only think it works if you do have breathing difficulties and not exercise induced oxygen depravity that clears when you stop flogging yourself. Maybe thats just me.
 
Jun 16, 2009
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ephedrine is a stimulant that can act in a similar manner to amphetamine (when the right product is taken in the right way), as well as improving breathing and "opening up the airways".

In my experience (first hand to my shame) and knowledge it has been widely abused for disciplines such as criteriums and shorter TT's, and also to be able to keep training/racing while suffering respiratory infection.

It is also a minor ingredient in many cold / flu / allergy remedies - but not in sufficient quantity or format to allow noticeable performance enhancement.
 
May 15, 2009
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Is salbutamol really that bad?

Where Rieu says that 'in order to reach the 1000 ng/ml threshold, "you really have to mess things up and not follow classic doping protocol. Those who cheat use salbutamol as a cure, out of competition, and are careful not to reach these kind of concentrations during competition."'

How do they use it out of competition? I didn't think it did anything except relax the muscles in the windpipe, which is only an issue if you're having an attack?

Also, 1000 ng is what, 1 microgram? IIRC asthma pumps are usually 100 micrograms.

Hell, I'd fail and it's not like asthma is particularly rare these days. Though I suppose that's what a TUE is for.
 
Jun 18, 2009
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Galic Ho said:
Is Pseudoephedrine used to mask drug use? I rarely get allergies in Spring, but it happens some years, particularly when it rains heaps in winter. Antihistamines are useless and my favoured tablet, a 12 hour flu tablet from Panadol contains a nice dose of pseudoephedrine. I know because I have to get a prescription to by bulk from the chemist (only 6 in a pack) .It's used to cut some of the hallucinogenic drugs and dealers were buying it in massive quantities. I know its the best thing to use, clears the sneezing and water eyes...massive annoyances.

Banning this seems overkill. Anyone got a good explanation as to why?

As for the asthma medication salbutamol, heard Liggett years back say 60% of the peleton had a puffer. This doesn't surprise me. I only think it works if you do have breathing difficulties and not exercise induced oxygen depravity that clears when you stop flogging yourself. Maybe thats just me.

Pseudoephidrine is a stimulant, not an antihistamine. It is often used in allergy meds because it is also a decongestant.
 
Jul 7, 2009
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RhodriM said:
Is salbutamol really that bad?

Where Rieu says that 'in order to reach the 1000 ng/ml threshold, "you really have to mess things up and not follow classic doping protocol. Those who cheat use salbutamol as a cure, out of competition, and are careful not to reach these kind of concentrations during competition."'

How do they use it out of competition? I didn't think it did anything except relax the muscles in the windpipe, which is only an issue if you're having an attack?

Also, 1000 ng is what, 1 microgram? IIRC asthma pumps are usually 100 micrograms.

Hell, I'd fail and it's not like asthma is particularly rare these days. Though I suppose that's what a TUE is for.

No, salbutamol is not that bad (although it too is a stimulant). WADA tested the crap out of it and IMO, the French lab is overdoing it. Keep in mind that the tested levels are blood levels, and a lot less is absorbed in the blood than puffed (you need to take a lot of puffs to exceed the limit).

As for pseudoephedrine ... well it is also a stimulant, and a decongestant! Silken Laumann ( Canadian rowing) was stripped of her Pan Am medals in 1995 after testing positive for it. I am not sure if there is a dose threshold, or if it is "at any level". If it is the latter, then watch out for the Sinutab if you race as a pro ;) The reseach on pseudoephedrine appears to be mixed in terms of performance enhancement, but there is no doubt it is abused. The again, so is caffeine :p
 
Jun 19, 2009
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Epicycle said:
If you dope with Salbutamol you don't take puffs. You take it orally or inject.

A decade ago everyone used it to allegedly explain it's presence in the bloodstream. It won't help anyone that doesn't require respiratory relief. It is a convenient excuse for presence of a steroid in your bodily fluids.

Psedoephedrine does help relieve lung congestion. I can't imagine what doses you'd take to improve performance, even in a Crit. That type of stimulant restricts blood flow eventually, doesn't it?
 
Aug 4, 2009
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Right decision on salbutamol, wrong on pseudoephedrine.

Neither product in small doses will help someone win a race. Without salbutamol I would never have been able to be a racing cyclist and would probably be already dead. I don't want to go back to having to scrutinze the small print on packaging (and even then you can never be sure) for pseudoephedrine (under whatever name it is listed) every time I have a head cold. I thought anti-doping had progressed beyond this.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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RhodriM said:
Didn't realise it was in so many products:

It's been phased out of many of those products because of it's use to make meth. From what I understand you can still get certain products with it but you need to present ID at the pharmacy and they keep records of your purchases. Seems like you can't really buy it accidentally.
 
md2020 said:
It's been phased out of many of those products because of it's use to make meth. From what I understand you can still get certain products with it but you need to present ID at the pharmacy and they keep records of your purchases. Seems like you can't really buy it accidentally.

Get the time release formula and there is no id required :D

I like the time release because then, if I have a nighttime race, I 'feel' more on without having a cup of coffee. The TR will often be for 12 hours, so I can have one at 10 am, and know I'll be good to 10:00 pm. Coffee is not so exact, and I like my sleep :D
 
May 6, 2009
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md2020 said:
It's been phased out of many of those products because of it's use to make meth. From what I understand you can still get certain products with it but you need to present ID at the pharmacy and they keep records of your purchases. Seems like you can't really buy it accidentally.

You do in Australia, as some people use it to make speed and sell it for a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$.
 
YESSS!
I caught some kind of heavy-breathing enduced allergy athma back in 2003. It means that between July and October, I cannot do sports more intensive than darts or checkers.
I tried to get a waiver via my house doc, and failed. He doesn't have a clue.
the little racing I did the past years, was in the winter, or performing really badly in the summer. I do have Salbutamol for odd attackes of caughing,a nd to recreationally be able to do sports.
In my new sporting life, I was giving up to do sports in the summer, setting a new aim to one day complete winter triathlons, and compete. I would require a minumum amount of "dope" puffs to get by in to doing my girlfriend right (j/k).
Recently I found courage to again try and get a waiver, and was informed that the rules had become TOUGHER. Meaning it's expensive and dreadful to get it all approved, not nice if you have a day job and not private sports doc.

Thank you WADA. I am already reconsidering to do more summer sports!

Off-topic : I found that in my case, a time trial of ~1 hour prior to a pre-race course exploration, would be sufficient to "compete" in a mountainbike race. I would be further back than usual, but then, I've trained WAY less since getting my asthma.

Now to find out how much Salbutamol exactly is OK for my 85kg. Don't want to pull a Petacchi...
Requiring this simple medicine on THE list has been a serious turnaround in my life. It turns me into a patient, where I used to be a lung on wheels.

I still hate it to take a puff. I used to be able to get out of bed too late, rush to a course NOT pre-ride, and just place my bike unridden on the starting grid and KILL it from the first metres.
I see some summer racing in my 2010 future, thanks again WADA!