NPR did a spot on this today.

http://www.5hourenergy.com/index.asp

Has anyone tried this? Do you suppose it would be safe for us? Apparently, it contains a large amount of B6, among other things.

Thanks.

I use 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottle to help me when I am really lagging. I don't like the effect from caffeine or from a full bottle of these Five-hour energy drinks. They make me too "jittery". But my meds tend to really "quiet" me or make me too "foggy" at times. So I will drink just a small portion to wake me if I have a lot I have to do or really focus on. I do not know if they are any safer than say a couple of soda's, but they do not make me have that after-weakness that often follows a caffeine rush. Sorry I don't have more to give.....

I use it from time to time. I've never had a problem with/from it, but I've never taken more than 2 within a 24 hr. period, and my average use is maybe once a month or so. I do drop an extra 5000mcg methylcobalamin in on occasion...

Here's the active ingredient list:
http://www.5hourenergy.com/healthfacts.asp#1_1

Each bottle contains 40 mg of B6. My B-Complex contains 100 mg of B6.
Adelina - they do make a decaf version as well.

Doc

--much of that B12 is going to be absorbed with all the other ingredients going in at the same time. (It's cyanocobalamin, too--I'd much prefer an already activated form that has to jump through fewer metabolic hoops, such as methylcobalamin.)

And I'm wary of taking anything with caffeine in it anyway.

The amino acids on the ingredient list are in a mixture with no breakdown on how much of each.
I really don't like products that do this, because is obscures the truth.

I would guess the main effects are caffeine oriented.

Also I see a skin flush warning on the original formula. This is odd because the niacinamide is a form not supposed to cause a flush at all. The caffeine free form has the niacinamide removed!
This is stranger still.

http://www.5hourenergy.com/healthfacts.asp

Notice that only the DECAF shows caffeine content.
Since Caffeine is the dominant ingredient that gives the boost,
its actual milligrams is missing from the Original formula listing and the Extra strength one.

That is deceptive and I personally would never use this based on the weird labeling and unknown qualities presented.
Of course, the tiny bottle itself does not lend itself to a proper listing either!

I can attest that it works, and it's not due to caffeine only. I generally drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day, and burn out after about 2 hrs tops. I usually get about 5-6 hrs out of 5 Hr., and the feeling is different than coffee. As mentioned, I don't get a niacin rush from it, but my wife does - she's more sensitive to it than I am; she takes 1/2 bottle at a time.

The regular 5 hr. contains 138 mg of caffeine, which is, as mentioned previously, about what is in a cup of coffee.
http://www.energyfiend.com/caffeine-.../5-hour-energy

Here's a comparison of other energy drinks:
http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database
NOTE: It's per ounce, so you have to multiply by # of oz in each drink.

Doc

When I first saw the Extra Strength version, I compared labels carefully. The niacin at that time was niacin, and the ES version contained twice as much as the regular with the same amt. caffeine. They have apparently changed that in the past year. Now the ES has more caffeine and less (and different) niacin.

That explains a few things...

Doc

That website, Dr. Smith, had to contact 5 hr energy for
the actual amount of caffeine in them.
Also they do not provide the caffeine content for the extra
strength product.

My point is that 5 hr Energy conceals its contents.

Consumers facing the product in a store, do not have access to the caffeine content.

Those that know ingredients may be listed in descending concentrations on labels may think caffeine is low, because it appears near the end. When in fact it is pretty potent.

Only the decaf product has a milligrams listed as 6.
Why is that? I assume they ADD caffeine to this product as
it does not contain a natural extract herb to provide it. So why
does the decaf have 6mg?

Our culture just loves quick fixes! AirBorne is another. You wouldn't believe the stampede for this product after it appeared on Oprah. We couldn't keep it for a day on the shelves, and
often it was unavailable wholesale.

If you like it, then use it. But be aware that 40mg of B6 is alot, and we have had posters here with reactions to B6 in lesser amounts than this. I wouldn't take other products with B6 in them (substantial amounts) at the same time.
And be vigiliant for side effects. Some people cannot tolerate phenylalanine and tyrosine in high doses. It can stimulate the
sympathetic (adrenergic) nervous system.

And there is another factor...I am exploring the use of folic acid (synthetic inactive form) with natural folates or methylfolate.
Karsten, here, is sending me some very revealing articles about
competition between folic acid from supplements and food fortification, blocking the natural actions of the methylfolate form.
I will be making a thread on this soon. It is pretty complicated.
But this product can put one into very high folic acid consumption when the person is eating fortified bread/cereals/pasta. People may also be consuming vitamins that typically have 400mcg of folic acid as well.This may interfere with methylation chemistry in the body and be detrimental.

This high consumption, of folic acid may affect those very low in B12, if the B12 in this is not absorbed...say if food is present. So conflict of that is also possible. PNers need to pay attention for those reasons.

Normal healthy people with good B12 reserves have less of a negative potential. And how many people actually know their B12 status?
Well reading these boards will give you an idea of that.

The caffeine content of a cup of coffee 7 oz. or 8 oz. depends on how strong your coffee is. I personally would never, ever drink those energy shots. Just me I guess. Lots of people do though.

Wonderful responses and wonderful discussion. Thank you, everyone.