FDA probing if deaths were linked to energy shots
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.
Agency officials said the reports to the FDA from consumers, doctors and others don't necessarily prove that the drinks caused the deaths or injuries, but said they are investigating each one. In a statement, FDA officials said they will take action if they can link the deaths to consumption of the energy drink. Such action could include forcing the company to take the drinks, often found at convenience store checkout counters, off the market.
FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said the agency is cautioning consumers that these "energy shots" or "energy drinks" are not alternatives to rest or sleep.
"If someone is thinking about taking one of these products, they should consult with their health care provider to ensure that there are no underlying or undiagnosed medical conditions that could worsen as a result of using them," Burgess said.
The agency doesn't individually regulate caffeinated drinks or supplements such as the energy shots but can take action if they are proven to do harm. Makers of caffeinated alcoholic drinks took those products off the market in 2010 after the FDA sent the companies warning letters saying that combinations of caffeine and alcohol in the drinks was a public health concern and could lead to alcohol poisoning, car accidents and assaults.
5-Hour Energy's small size can also be dangerous to consumers with underlying conditions because it's easier to take several of them or mix them with alcohol. Though it is liquid, the 5-Hour Energy "shot" is marketed not as a drink but as a dietary supplement. FDA regulations require supplement manufacturers themselves to be responsible for products' safety.
A spokeswoman for the company that makes the product, Michigan-based Living Essentials, LLC, says 5-Hour Energy is a "compact-sized energy shot intended for busy adults - it is not an energy drink, nor marketed as a beverage."
Elaine Lutz said the company is not aware of any deaths proven to have been caused by their product. She said the company's website advises consumers to drink no more than two bottles of the shots per day, spaced several hours apart, and for new consumers to drink half a bottle to start.
The New York Times first reported that 13 deaths were linked to 5-Hour Energy.
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.
Agency officials said the reports to the FDA from consumers, doctors and others don't necessarily prove that the drinks caused the deaths or injuries, but said they are investigating each one. In a statement, FDA officials said they will take action if they can link the deaths to consumption of the energy drink. Such action could include forcing the company to take the drinks, often found at convenience store checkout counters, off the market.
FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said the agency is cautioning consumers that these "energy shots" or "energy drinks" are not alternatives to rest or sleep.
"If someone is thinking about taking one of these products, they should consult with their health care provider to ensure that there are no underlying or undiagnosed medical conditions that could worsen as a result of using them," Burgess said.
The agency doesn't individually regulate caffeinated drinks or supplements such as the energy shots but can take action if they are proven to do harm. Makers of caffeinated alcoholic drinks took those products off the market in 2010 after the FDA sent the companies warning letters saying that combinations of caffeine and alcohol in the drinks was a public health concern and could lead to alcohol poisoning, car accidents and assaults.
5-Hour Energy's small size can also be dangerous to consumers with underlying conditions because it's easier to take several of them or mix them with alcohol. Though it is liquid, the 5-Hour Energy "shot" is marketed not as a drink but as a dietary supplement. FDA regulations require supplement manufacturers themselves to be responsible for products' safety.
A spokeswoman for the company that makes the product, Michigan-based Living Essentials, LLC, says 5-Hour Energy is a "compact-sized energy shot intended for busy adults - it is not an energy drink, nor marketed as a beverage."
Elaine Lutz said the company is not aware of any deaths proven to have been caused by their product. She said the company's website advises consumers to drink no more than two bottles of the shots per day, spaced several hours apart, and for new consumers to drink half a bottle to start.
The New York Times first reported that 13 deaths were linked to 5-Hour Energy.
I think we better start banning Dihydrogen monoxide first, it kills a whole lot more people each year.
Hear that Inslee? Your first "We need to ban this, it's for the children" project.
Unfortunately he's so stupid he might try it.
Just don't ban kratom and I'm cool...
350 million bottles of 5-Hour Energy where sold in 2009, so letâs say that they sold that many bottles each year. So we have about 1.4 billion bottles sold. So there has been 13 deaths (assuming that 5 hour is the cause) That would make it about one death for every 107,692,308 bottle sold....
 @SIstaSue Costco has there own too, same stuff but a little cheaper, include them and the numbers get even more ridiculous.
 @oledawg  @SIstaSue More like a lot cheaper (least at my costco), you get double the number of bottles for a few bucks less then the regular 5-hour.
You know what else causes death? Â Running for long periods of time when you are over weight.
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Considering that millions upon millions of 5 hour energy drinks have been consumed and only a handful of sick/death incidents have occurred as a result (presumably), I'm going to go out on a limb and say that those people were most likely not healthy to begin with.
First, this is not a widespread issue. 92 out of how many million are affected? This tells me that there are other factors involved in each case such as taking too much of it, taking it and other products with caffeine close together (Mt Dew, Coke; heck even chocolate has some), and personal health factors.
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Taking ONE of these shots in a 24 hr period will hurt you no more than if you drank 2 cups of coffee and took a multivitamin in the same time frame. I've taken it on days where I'm dragging but I take only one, not extra strength, and it's not every day. I have friends who drink Monster like it's water and they complain of blackouts and being sick; duh! Too much of anything, even water, can be harmful.
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What's not being taken into account here, as usual, is personal responsibility by the consumers. There are warning labels on the bottle that says it has as caffeine as a cup of coffee. Now this is incorrect for the extra strength version (http://www.energyfiend.com/caffeine-content/5-hour-energy) but this version has warnings for women who are pregnant and people under 18. It also says it has caffeine equal to 12 ounces of coffee. To me they have taken the correct preparations to tell the consumer the warnings of over consumption.
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So like I said, it's not really a matter if the 5-hr Energy product will harm you, it's more a matter of how much caffeine and vitamin B one can consume before high toxicity levels are a factor because in most likelihood they did consume other food/drinks in the same day.
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I have been drinking (1) 5-Hour a day for years, 5-Hour is just a vitiamin boost with a touch of caffeine; the caffeine isn't an issue for me I drink about two pots a day. One thing it will not do is make you feel better if you didn't have enough sleep, nothing makes up for proper rest. The bottle states a warning, do not consume more than (2) bottles within 24 hours, take that litterally. If I had to guess that most people harmed by these types of drinks are consuming more than recommended.
I think more information is certainly needed. It does not state how many the people consumed or if other things were consumed at the same time.
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I was skeptical about these drinks until I tried one. One day at work I was just dragging, trying to stay awake. I thought I had obtained enough sleep the night before (at least 6 hours). Someone offered me one of the shots and I tried it. While I think the taste is nasty of any of the ones I have tried. They do work for me at least. About 10 minutes later I was not feeling like I would fall asleep at my desk and was awake.
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However if I had tried one and it made me feel odd or did not work, you can bet I would not have continued to consume them. As it is I try to never have need of one but occasionally it is warranted.
The FDA ought to focus on all the dangerous drugs that they allow the drug companies to push on people!
Get this CRAP OFF THE MARKET, GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP, AND BE NORMAL...HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE!
 @reelin21 Why would coffee be any better?
 @reelin21 Vitamins are crap?
 @Harry reems lol
People drink these concoctions because they are lazy. You want energy? Go run 3-4 miles in the morning it will give you energy to last all day, and it actually has other health benefits as well
Dehydration can cause potassium deficiency which can cause cardiac arrest. Â This could definitely contribute to such a problem if they aren't drinking water too (which they probably aren't). Â
Who can honestly doubt that ultra-caffeinated drinks can be medically dangerous? It makes perfect sense to me. Almost every one I know who hopped on the 5-Hour Energy craze when it first started, got sick from the product at least once before quitting. That, however, doesn't mean it should be pulled from the market...everything you consume has an inherent risk. How many people have choked to death on bread? I mean, shoot, there's not even a choking warning label on my bread bags...
 @windtreeman Yes there is, it is printed on the inside near the bottom along with a suffocation warning...just put your head in there and check it out. :)
 @aintno1special  @windtreeman I have not seen labels on bread that says you can choke from the bread itself, just the bag.  I believe that this is the point windtreeman was trying to make.  Â
 @stamperzann  @windtreeman I'm sorry I oft times forget that in the static forum of text you do not get the influx of sarcasm.
Looking at what kind of people are the intended target audience for this product sort of blunts the argument that its toxicity is necessarily a bad thing.
Straight coffee for me thank you!
The lack of real information in this article is amazng! Did they take one shot? Did they take a dozen?Â
 @livinintheNW I'm also wondering if they took the shots with alcohol, or if they thought it was a substitute to rest. There are so many possible factors here.
Perhaps they were mainlining it.
 @livinintheNW ...were the complaints in 1 month...year..over the life time of the product? Classic AP story...put the drama in leave the important facts out
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Witch hunt in NY continues. 5 hour energy is nothing more than caffeine and amino acids and other nutritional supplements that may have side effects of preventing stroke, cancer and other health benefits. The energy drink phenomenon started in the health food industry where it was discovered various vitamins, herbs and supplements really work to give you more energy.
Here is a good example of good responsibility when it comes to product use- (True story) I once tried a 5 hour energy before work... I did not feel normal or comfortable, my heart raced way faster than it normally would just off a cup or two of coffee.. Many of you may find this hard to believe... I STOPPED and never drank one again!! I know- No way right??
 @KeithB You were smart about it. The first time I tried a 5 hour it gave me what it promised, a boost of energy that allowed me to do what I needed to do without tiring me out. If I had the same reaction that you had, I would have done the same thing and stayed away from them. Everyone reacts differently to these products though.
why isn't the media going after GMO foods....
 @vadersith Because to date the FDA has been protecting them...(translation: being well paid to not talk about them)
 @aintno1special  @vadersith Yeah they're protecting them, cause most of the FDA top dogs used to RUN the GMO industry (aka, Monsanto).
 @MoonDragonWitch  @aintno1special
hit it on the head there..    GMO'S = poison
 @MoonDragonWitch  @vadersith ...and BINGO was his name-o
 @aintno1special  @vadersith Doubt that.
 @Barlion  @aintno1special  @vadersith Then why the fight to keep GMOs unlabeled? Do you honestly think the FDA is not motivated by $$?
Misuse of anything can cause problems. People have actually died from hydrating too much. (sarcasm on) I guess the FDA needs to see if water was linked to those deaths...(sarcasm off)  Less government, more common sense.
How many people drink too much alcohol and die every year, how come it isn't treated the same way. Â It's not the product, it's the use and abuse of the product, any product.
 @oledawg How do you know the 13 people who died abused it? it is just you speculating and has no fact based content
 @Larry*X*K You are correct, it is a speculation.  It doesn't change my point that we have many other products on the market that have contributed to people's death that aren't scrutinized the same way.
So a company makes a product, and they are responsible for the way the customer uses it?! Classic "the fork made me fat" argument...I for one think it is about time American's take some responsibility and capability for their own actions and choices.Â