Five-Hour Energy Linked to Heart Attacks, 'Spontaneous Abortion'
Source: The Atlantic
You know those little vials of who-knows-what that TV bills as a healthier alternative to energy drinks? Turns out they might make you die. Or to be more specific, the flavored energy shot "has been mentioned in some 90 filings with the F.D.A., including more than 30 that involved serious or life-threatening injuries like heart attacks, convulsions and, in one case, a spontaneous abortion," according to a New York Times investigation.
Don't worry, 5-Hour Energy fans, Monster Energy drink is a culprit, too. Following a review of FDA records, The Times found that 5-Hour Energy was implicated in at least 13 deaths over the last four years, while Monster was cited in five deaths in a review last month. Both the paper and the FDA are careful to point out that correlation does not equal causation in these horrifying examples of pick-me-ups gone wrong. Nevertheless, we're pretty sure coffee will remain our stimulant of choice for the foreseeable future.
The scariest thing about the Times report isn't necessarily the threat of heart attack or spontaneous abortion. It's the fact that nobody really knows what's going on with energy drinks -- or in 5-Hour Energy's case "dietary supplements" -- that become implicated in fatalities. Even scarier, is that the companies making these potions know that it's happening. They're required by federal law to report cases that link their products to fatalities to the FDA. They don't want to talk about it either. "I am not interested in making any comment," Manoj Bhargava, the chief executive of Living Essentials, the company that makes 5-Hour Energy. (Go ahead and let the irony of that company name sink in.)
We're immediately reminded of the Four Loko debacle from a couple of years back. In case you forgot, some brilliant product team decided that it would be a good idea to take all of the ingredients in your standard energy drink -- caffeine, taurine, B vitamins -- and mix it with high proof malt liquor and sell it for about two bucks a can. Fast forward a few months later, and people were dead after drinking the stuff, a horrible turn of events that eventually caused the government to ban the formula. It was eventually re-released without all of the energy additives. Fast forward a few more months later, and America figured out a way to bring back to old upper-downer specialty cocktail. Just drop a 5-Hour Energy into a can of Four Loko and BOOM! You've got yourself an evening of fun. Or heart attacks.
Read more: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2012/11/five-hour-energy-linked-heart-attacks-spontaneous-abortion/59025/
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)Last edited Thu Nov 15, 2012, 11:14 AM - Edit history (1)
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)course i`m an old guy.
that shit is bad for anyone young or old.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)Duh!
Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)Look at all the passes Braylon Edwards dropped after he started endorsing it.
Socal31
(2,484 posts)Apparently they had free access to a fridge with as many Monster drinks as they could take. He said anybody who worked on the floor where they could see/smell the ingredients never touched them.
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)Would not dare drink one of those things. Why would a pregnant woman do it either?
TlalocW
(15,382 posts)I fell asleep after drinking it.
TlalocW
defacto7
(13,485 posts)Just wondering. If things that make most people wake up or feel buzzed make you feel relaxed or sleepy, that's one of the signs of ADHD in adults. That's why they treat ADHD with uppers like Dextroamphetamine.
TlalocW
(15,382 posts)It was actually at a job. I'm a computer programmer, and I had started this new job where they promised me plenty of work, and after finishing one project really quickly, things just kind of dried up, and I'm the type of person who if I'm not mentally stimulated can fall asleep pretty easily so I thought I would try one of them. Apparently my ability to sleep anywhere was too powerful.
TlalocW
defacto7
(13,485 posts)If you were, you would probably work fast then instead of drying up you'd bash into the next project and get frustrated that you were making mistakes and start acting like a real ass... then you'd drink a venti quint latte w/o the latte which would clam you down, you'd go back to work till your next venti quint 15 minutes later. Then you'd go home and take an amphetamine before bed or you'd be up all night.
A little exaggerated but it's close.
Ashgrey77
(236 posts)They do not make me tired and they still give me a "buzz".
meow2u3
(24,764 posts)I don't get a buzz from stimulants. BTA, I've been on them for a number of years without any signs of addiction.
defacto7
(13,485 posts)But me too. I've been on Dexedrine for about 5 years. No addiction, no side effects, it just smooths out the rough edges and makes me more calm. I drink a hell of a lot of coffee too without any buzz at all. It's kind of weird.
truthisfreedom
(23,147 posts)Kinda wiggy.
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)I did not buy it. I got it as a free sample from the Internet. It sat on my bathroom shelf for a few months. One morning, I was feeling sort of sluggish. Boy, that stuff was great and got me moving. I was thinking about buying some, but now after hearing the bad reports, I am hesitant. I have high blood pressure, so I guess I won't take any chances.
MADem
(135,425 posts)It tasted like crap.
I didn't notice any energy boost. I didn't notice anything.
It was expensive, I thought.
I also thought "rip off" and that was the last time I ever used the stuff.
Daemonaquila
(1,712 posts)It's not something that you can use all the time like their commercials say - it won't have much effect if used more than about once a week - and it does smell and taste like horse urine mixed with horrifying artificial fruit flavor, but there's nothing like it for 3 AM hell rides.
Spontaneous abortions? Bonus.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)She's a school teacher, so I guess she needs it every now and then. The biggest problem with it (other than the taste) according to her, is that it's not also called "5-Hour Motivation"
Deep13
(39,154 posts)"All the Sugar and Twice the Caffeine"
BlueMan Votes
(903 posts)i don't do coffee either. EVER.
or tea. SOMETIMES.
and i haven't seen any quality illicit amphetamines since college.
unless you count adderall(most people do).
sakabatou
(42,152 posts)Which... doesn't work.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)Sundome
(26 posts)before the RW started gutting the whole processes of testing and trials, and made it far easier for products to be approved in the US.
alp227
(32,025 posts)Glad I came upon this article now. Thanks for posting.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)"Both the paper and the FDA are careful to point out that correlation does not equal causation" Not shit? Who fucking knew? What? Anyone with an elementary school education? No shit.
IT'S FUCKING CAFFEINE AND VITAMINS. That's all. Chill the fuck out.
Kolesar
(31,182 posts)200mg is like "three cups of coffee". That stimulant causes an adrenaline release and could be stressful on the heart.
You have a point about the hype, though. I love Full Throttle; I think it's the D-ribose that does it for me.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)Ashgrey77
(236 posts)onehandle
(51,122 posts)And cut back on the Five-Hour Energys.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)dkhbrit
(110 posts)Go and look at Starbucks nutrition. One of their large coffees contains more caffeine than an energy drink. if folks who make coffee were required to report the same information, you'd see exactly the same I'm sure. All this report does is say that some people who drink energy drinks die. Just the same as some people who drink coffee, or do laundry, or eat vegetables die. Until causation can be proved, this is sensationalist bullshit. Please be educated and seek out the facts.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)especially if you are elderly, have high blood pressure, want higher blood pressure, etc.
Daemonaquila
(1,712 posts)Yeah, yeah, and eggs, bacon, red meat, soda, alcohol, whatever. Sex and car wrecks sell newspapers, and so does sensationalist concern trolling. Unless a person has very specific health problems, consuming all things in moderation is FINE. Many of us are sick of the hysteria.
MyTwoSense
(46 posts)What did we ever do for energy before these things came out? What happened to a restful sleep, good food, and a little exercise? Energy in a can for people who seldom exert themselves.
FrodosPet
(5,169 posts)"By some accounts, he might be the richest Indian in the US today but very few people have heard about entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava. Today, we give you the man behind 5-Hour Energy, a heady concoction of caffeine, vitamins and nutrients."
Evasporque
(2,133 posts)dlwickham
(3,316 posts)but the miscarriage I don't
I think the use of the word abortion is incorrect in this case
gkhouston
(21,642 posts)"Threatened abortion" is when they think you might lose the pregnancy, but haven't so far.
I didn't know that
gkhouston
(21,642 posts)Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)So I went back to coffee.
sekha68
(12 posts)so I have tried a couple of these energy pills/drinks over the years, including 5-Hour. I finally stopped messing with them, because along with the short-lived energy boost, I have found that (for me, at least) they induce palpitations, nervousness, and in the worst case, some pretty severe anxiety. I guess I'd rather be a little tired during the day than stuck in a cubicle with a full-blown anxiety attack.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)sekha68
(12 posts)I'm not actually "new"...I was a DU'er for several years, starting somewhere around 2001-2002, I believe, under the name "Suspicious." I was offline for a bit and had to re-request my password. Somewhere along the line, something must have changed, because the Admins sent me entirely new logon info back in 2010. Regardless, I am happy to be back!
jmowreader
(50,557 posts)Those things work by dumping a ton of niacin into your system.
Myrina
(12,296 posts)... I can't imagine mainlining as much of that energy-drink crap as some people I work with, do.