5-Hour Energy alert

[jtrask]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports of 13 deaths possibly linked to so-called "energy shots" and cautioning consumers to talk to their doctors before they take them or other energy drinks.

The agency has received 92 reports that cite illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths after consumption of a product marketed as 5-Hour Energy. The FDA has also received reports that cited the highly caffeinated Monster Energy Drink in five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack.

[mardukblood2009]

Sounds about right. I am surpised there hasn't been anything about this before.

[kimmy_1330]

I agree. Always had a feeling we would be hearing stories like this sooner or later.

[sgluckadoo]

My heart doc told me years ago  that they were bad news, and not just for someone with a heart condition. It surprises me we havent heard more about these. I'm guessing it takes a few years for them to "build up" and be damaging. Hopefully we wont see an explosion in the numbers of people who have been using them for years, now having heart problems or worse.

[LaKecias]

People really need to be careful about what they put in their bodies. Everything is not made for everybody.Just because you can buy it in a store doesn't mean it's right for you.

[premar16]

thats kinda of creepy my immune system is wierd to begin with so i cant drink them

[mjoseph1]

just heard about this tonight at the gym, that's crazy 

[StarlitNirvana]

That is kinda scary, I definitely will not be taking anymore of those.

[champak97]

People need to have more responsibility when choosing products to consume. Just because there is a product on the store shelf, does not mean it is safe. I just wonder how these products were marketed, when they are so dangerous, scary stuff!

[nickylanena]

Wow... I'm glad I haven't tried it!

[wildequusheart]

This actually isn't the first report of people dying or being disabled by various energy drinks. Unfortunately, people tend not to read the labels on the things they eat and drink. For anyone who wants some more info on the problems with energy drinks, it is often the B vitamins that cause the problems (heart attacks, strokes, etc.), not the caffeine. If you ever read the labels on energy drinks, most of them contain 1000%+ of the recommended daily value of at least one B vitamin and several hundred percent of several other B vitamins. On a cellular level, B vitamins are involved in metabolism. Increasing vitamin B increases efficiency and speed of metabolism on a cellular level which in turn gives you more energy. That's actually one of the keys to the energy you get from energy drinks. However, it is possible to overdose on virtually all necessary vitamins and other essential nutrients.

Generally what happens in these reported cases is a single person drinks multiple energy drinks within a relatively short period of time (say, 3 in a day). Personally, I take a B-vitamin complex (as recommended by a nutritionist) to help boost my energy and support my immune system since I have a relatively busy schedule. But if I know I'm gonna have a day where I'm not going to get enough sleep, I'll skip my vitamin in favor of an energy drink since doubling up on excessive B vitamins is dangerous.

For those of you who drink ZipFizz b/c it's safer, it still has lots of B vitamins. And if you look at the label, it says not for children. So don't let your kids have it! Or any other energy drink! Children's nutrient needs are different from adults, and they're less able to compensate for excesses in their diets. And for those who stick to caffeine only, it is possible to overdose on caffeine also, although it is more difficult.

The moral of the story is Read Your Labels! All of them!! And for all you college kids out there or those working 2 jobs, I've been there, and I know it's hard, but drinking multiple energy drinks a day is not the solution. It's dangerous. Keep safe!

[devilroljin]

I happen to know this is a very common matter. I have several friends that work in Hospitals and clinics and there's always people overdosed on energy drinks or supplements in a daily basis. Sometimes so serious bordering fatal. Some people learn from it, some don't. I can see a scenario where people is so used to them that they think it would not be a big deal to take another, and if they feel no effect, they'd go for another one and so on, until everything reacts at once, producing the overdose. Without knowing anything about the news and the circumstances, I'd lean more towards a misuse of the product rather than the product itself; however, I may be wrong. If there is indeed, something wrong the products then I hope it gets fixed as soon as possible for the sake of those hooked on them. If there isn't, it should be up to each individual to have some common sense when it comes to consume it. Everything in excess is not recommended; moderation is the way to go.

[sdenimandlace1]

thank you for the good information, I had just started drinking the coffee one, I usually have 1/2 one day and the rest the next day.  Maybe I will just have more coffee.

[tammypete]

I have heard alot about this recently....Its a wonder that there hasnt been more deaths...people mix too much of that stuff together and drink it all at once....

[shortnlovabl3]

thank goodness i don't take those darn things