5-Hour Energy (drink) = 8-Hour Jittery Surrealness?

[BluMac81]

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this trying the "self-proclaimed more-healthy energy drink" 5-hour-energy. I tried a bottle of it today instead of the usual coffee or rock star... that was about 7 hours ago, and since then and even now I shaking slightly and have this feeling of "surreality" like the world is not real.
This coming off the counter at a gas station? It feels more like I took speed... (though never taken speed before)

It might be the 3000%+ daily value of Niacin in it, have had bad luck with ODing on that vitamin in the past, I might just be sensitive to it.

 

[Into The Light]

i'd be careful of those energy drinks, from what i've read they put a lot of stimulants in them.

 

[BluMac81]

i'd be careful of those energy drinks, from what i've read they put a lot of stimulants in them.

Ya, I have a 'maximum strength' bottle here I can read the label off of (and ya I'm throwing this stuff out, I had just the regular strength one and jitters are crazy). Look how they make it look like its just vitamins by putting all the stimulant drugs under 'energy blend':

Niacin 40mg (200%)
Vitamin B6 40mg (2000%)
Folic Acid 400mcg (100%)
Vitamin B12 500mcg (8333%)
Sodium 10mg (<1%)

ENERGY BLEND 200mg
Taurine
Glucuronolactone
Malic Acid
N-Acetyl
L-Tyrosine
L-Phenylalanine
Caffine
Citicoline

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW:
Energy shot sales spike, along with some concerns | Health & Medicine | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

I know 5-Hour-Energy is the one with the commercial saying they don't put in guarana, but I would be better off with an iPod and a snickers bar

If you are still feeling jittery, I would think exercising and/or taking a warm shower could help.

 

[BluMac81]

BTW:
Energy shot sales spike, along with some concerns | Health & Medicine | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

I know 5-Hour-Energy is the one with the commercial saying they don't put in guarana, but I would be better off with an iPod and a snickers bar

If you are still feeling jittery, I would think exercising and/or taking a warm shower could help.

Ah good article Daniel... you know, what especially concerns me is this fact:

Because energy shots are considered a dietary supplement, they don't require Food and Drug Administration approval. The products do have to comply with rules set by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.

This is ridiculously bad and unsafe. I was told this before by an ER doc after I had taken this "dietary supplement" called 'Red Bliss', which turned out to have chemicals like 5-HTP in them (simliar to extasy.)
With all these new chemicals being added to 'energy shots' that are NOT known vitamins & minerals, energy shots NEED to be screened by the FDA. Something smells fishy here... buyouts perhaps?

Anyway the jitters (and surreality) are very slowly subsiding now (T+8 hours) and I plan on going out for tennis in an hour so I should be fine.

 

[ladylore]

If you want some energy Blu you may want to invest in a juicer and start juicing - or eating enough fruits and veggies every day.

I have to watch the stimulants too. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW, another warning about long-term use of supplements:

The body can easily handle huge doses of vitamin B-12, but the Institute of Medicine warns that more than 100 milligrams of B-6 each day -- what you'd get from 2 1/2 bottles of 5-Hour Energy -- may damage nerves in the arms and legs.

B vitamins don't boost energy drinks' power - Los Angeles Times

 

[BluMac81]

Guys this is NOT GOOD. T+10 hours now since downing that junk and just got back from exercising and I am still trembling and have small visual distortions and an elevated heart rate. But this is most likely due to now I am panicing about not being able to sleep tonight. I have no xanax (ran out) only ambien and hyroxizine. I am totally freaking out...

HELP how might I get this out of my system faster

 

[Daniel E.]

I don't know what time zone you are in, but why not call your doctor? At large practices, there is always a doctor on a different night who is on call to answer questions.

Also, there are insurance companies that provide a nurse hotline, but I guess you insurance doesn't.

 

[Daniel E.]

HELP how might I get this out of my system faster

I just read at Yahoo Answers you should drink a lot of water. I don't know if that works, though, especially at this point.

How do I get caffeine out of my system? - Yahoo! Answers

Warm milk is probably a better idea at this point since it at least has a sleepy effect:

How do I get caffeine pills out of my system...fast? - Yahoo!Xtra Answers

Of course, you would be better off talking to a pharmacist from a 24-hour pharmacy than getting layman advice from Yahoo Answers.

 

[BluMac81]

I just read at Yahoo Answers you should drink a lot of water. I don't know if that works, though, especially at this point.

How do I get caffeine out of my system? - Yahoo! Answers

Warm milk is probably a better idea at this point since it at least has a sleepy effect:

How do I get caffeine pills out of my system...fast? - Yahoo!Xtra Answers

Thanks Daniel figured drinking lots of water would be the answer. I'm in MST zone I guess I could call a pharmacy but they'd say the same thing, drink lots of water. I just need to get through the panic now. I did about 100 jumping jacks and took a hot bath, and managed to find 4mg xanax in an old pocket, took those and now gonna eat. I think I'm gonna manage... this constant trembling is freaking me out though.

 

[Daniel E.]

I just found a more reputable answer, which is that there is no reliable, do-it-yourself way to wash out stimulants from your system:

http://www.wwu.edu/chw/ask_the_doc/post/1001-2000/1249.html

The good news, in the form of reassurance, from that above link:

Yes, it is possible for an individual to be this sensitive to caffeine, and like other stimulants, it is active enough on the sympathetic nervous system that symptoms can last far beyond the half life of the drug, because it stimulates adrenergic action of the adrenal gland, which can be quite long lasting.

http://www.wwu.edu/chw/ask_the_doc/post/1001-2000/1249.html

So that could explain everything as far as the cause is concerned, and I assume the visual distortions are a temporary effect of the stimulants.

Once you are able to go to sleep, I assume you will be fine with no symptoms upon waking.

 

[BluMac81]

Oh that is very interseting Daniel, and the odd thing is that I drink coffee or a rock star nearly every morning and the stimulant effects from THOSE never have such a long term effect nor the trembling. I think it could be a sensitivity to one of the 5-hour energy chemicals.

Heh god... after forcing myself to down some food (havent aten in forever but panic is causing no appetite but I think it would be good to get something in my stomach) I also consumed my nightly assortment of sleeping pills, starting to feel the sedative effects so that is good so far....

25mg Desipramine (antidepressant w/sedative effects...currently weaning myself off of this, down to 1 per day from 3)
10mg Ambien (1 pill)
150mg Hydroxizine Pamoate (as perscribed sleep aid)

That's the normal amount anyway, if I need to I'll take another ambien. Last night I took 3 ambien and I sure felt after effects the following morning (groggyness)

I also took 10mg propranolol which is perscribed for anxiety but apparently is usually used for heart palpetations/strain. I swear not just 30 minutes ago my heart was pounding so fast and feeling faint and seeing spots, like a heart attack is about to occur. At that point I told myself to take everything "one step at a time" and that "it will pass" to help with the cognitive aspect. But nevertheless, I turned to psychiatric medications. *sigh*

Anyone know the rock song with the lyric
"Someone save me if you will, and take away... all these pills"
Heh, story of my life.

Stimulants in the morning, sedatives at night. I want to just stop them all now and go completely natural all day long. But now I'm afraid about not having them (especially ambien), I guess patience in my CBT treatment will eventually help me wean off "all these pills".

Well I just emailed an offical complaint to the makers of Five Hour Energy, probably won't do anything, but gonna try anyway! Here's a copy of the email I sent.

I tried out your product today, the standard 5-hour energy drink shot (not extra strength) for the first time, taking the shot at 10am. It is now 10pm (T+12 hours) and I am still experiencing trembling/jitters (that I experienced all day) and some visual distortions, as well as elevated heart reate.

I do not believe your product is safe to the general public. I did buy two in total 5 hour energy drinks, one regular, one maximum strength, to give them a sample. After today's experience I threw away the maximum strength bottle. I would appreciate a reimbursment, and perhaps a rethinking of keeping this product in the OTC stimulant market. Not being subject to FDA stipulations is no excuse for putting a potentially dangerous stimulant on the market for purchase, this negligance of putting the general public's safety in jeopardy won't go unnoticed for much longer.

Thanks for reading.
I can provide a reciept if needed.

-Matt M

 

[ladylore]

The reaction may also have been caused because of nasty interaction with the different types of medication that you are on.

if I need to I'll take another ambien. Last night I took 3 ambien and I sure felt after effects the following morning (groggyness)

is 3 the perscribed amount you should be taking?

I would stress to take your medication exactly how it has been perscribed (if you aren't already doing so). If your unsure, ask your doctor the proper amounts and what time of day the medication is to be taken.

 

[BluMac81]

Well only 1 tablet is perscribed. Some nights however I panic about not sleeping (ya, THAT phobia again) and need 100% assurance I will sleep. The tablet is 10mg, have already noticed my tolerance levels rising for this drug therefore needing more, which is why I take more. But you're right, I am gonna call my doc tommorow about it.

 

[ladylore]

Good - glad to hear it. May want to let the doctor know too that your weening yourself off one of the meds.

My concern is accidental overdose. I am thinking that there may need to be an adjustment made to all your meds but since I am not a doctor I really don't know. So, yes, please talk with your doctor.

Hope you have a good rest tonight - even if it isn't sleep, but I hope it is.

 

[BluMac81]

Thanks for the support last night everyone! Got through last night fine and slept good (jitters ended about T+12 hours after that drink, mostly due to taking sleeping medications/xanax to calm me down). Today is a new day and I'm gonna call me doc to update him on things and ask about my medications. One thing I've learned though is STAY AWAY FROM SUPPLEMENTS either nutritional/diet/energy... any of that stuff, because seriously you don't know what's in them, and they're not monitored by the FDA which is weird and unsafe.

 

[ladylore]

I think multi-vitamins are ok but your GP still needs to know that your taking a multi-vitamin.

 

[Halo]

One thing I've learned though is STAY AWAY FROM SUPPLEMENTS

Glad to hear that Sure is a good lesson to learn although unfortunately you had to learn it the hard way.

 

[braveheart]

High sugar content can have a similar effect, it's not necessarily always supplements.
I can no longer eat donuts or dark chocolate or even sugary biscuits, as they set me jittery and my anxiety spiralling. I daren't even touch coffee!