5 Hour Energy

[bpchris]

I have been drinking a 5 Hour Energy shot everyday for awhile now. I am on Lamictal and Klonopin and I have a very difficult concentrating most days. This is bad news as I am a high school math teacher. However, they started to make me very aggressive and irritable so I cut them out a few weeks ago. Within a few days, my mood started flying all over the place. I felt absolutely awful last weekend; I bounced from violently depressed to normal at the drop of a hat.I bit the bullet and started drinking them again; I couldn't function at work.

I am really at a loss right now; I haven't cycled at all in almost a year and now I am bouncing all over the place. I am thinking that the Taurine and Tyrosine in the drink are causing me problems but I am not sure. Has anyone else had an issue with 5 Hour Energy?

[allofustogether88]

I was reading about the B12 as culprit.

Nobody has talked about exercise. That gives me my boost.  Ultimate Frisbee - great socially and the endorphins are great.  And a nap mid-day if possible.

[bpchris]

It's bearable at this point. I am just drinking tea and taking B-Complex.  Honestly, I am really trying to limit the crap I take in so I can narrow down what causes me problems. I had a really bad bout last year and it was due to generic Neurontin. But, we couldn't seem to figure that out because of all of the medications I was taking along with the nicotine, caffeine, etc...

[lindahand]

Taurine as a supplement is supposed to work for some people but at much much much lower doses and for some it can cause a switch into rapid cycling or mania. I took it for a while and it made me worse. There is actually very little evidence that taurine causes an energy boost. There is no research on it.

Could you go gradual. Drink 1/2 of one for a few days, then go to none. Because you are likely addicted to the it and going cold turkey would upset the system. Also start on a Friday so you have some off time to work out the first symptoms of withdrawl. Depending on what is up you may want to do it over Easter when you have 3 days to handle the withdrawl.

Well I should get going. Take care of yourself.

[bpchris]

Well, I figured the 5 Hour Energy shots were reasonably safe as there's no sugar in it, limited caffeine (a lot less than most cups of coffee) and a bunch of vitamin B. But, I should have been smarter and taken a look at the amino acids. There's three of them in there that are kind of red flagged in the mental health community. I'm going to replace the shots with black tea and B-complex pills tomorrow and see how it goes.

It could also be nicotine issues. I just pulled the patches off (lowest strength)  about two weeks ago and it maybe nicotine withdrawals. I cycled hard the last time I quit chewing but I was taking in wayyy more nicotine back then. I was chewing a can a day the last time I quit; I was only taking 2-3 snuss packets a day this last time around.

Today wasn't terribly pleasant; my mood bounced all over and I had some huge drops in energy. But Vitamin B seemed to help. I need to try and ride this out before I talk to the ol' shrink about getting back on Neurontin; that stuff is a pain in the butt.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

I haven't been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but I don't drink that crap anyway because I tried taking caffeine pills and a bunch of stimulants to stay awake for a while and I decided to quit when I fell asleep on them anyway and then woke up all jittery and with a sick stomach.

[bpchris]

Like I said, they don't make me manic or hypomanic, at all. I popped one this morning, worked out and I just feel normal. Well, as normal as I can feel on the meds; I'm still foggy.

[rBoulet]

Energy drinks can send me into mania or hypomania, and as such I find them just as mentally addicting as a lot of drugs! When I start going up on my own I turn to energy drinks to increase the high because I when I'm hypomanic I just want more and more of the feeling.
I think staying totally clear of them is a good idea, like someone else said, if it gives normal people a boost what would it do to us?

[bpchris]

The drink never kicks me into hypomania or mania. In fact, I sleep better when I drink one in the morning. I know it sounds strange but it's the honest truth.

The caffeine isn't the problem; I have hammered back WAY more caffeine that the content of a 5 Hour Energy in the past. In fact, that was one of the reasons why I started using the 5 Hour Energy shots; I cut way back on my caffeine when I started drinking them. The vitamin B kick in them is great as well.

I guess my question needs to center more around the Taurine and Tyrosine in the shots. I get mixed stories with them. My doc has pointed them out as a decent supplements for BP while others have said they are dangerous.

I stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. I need to stop taking the shots but the withdrawal from them really was debilitating. I am used to not having much energy; it just comes with the territory. However, I my mood and energy levels plummeted; I could barely keep it together at school. The only other medication that has truly stabilized my mood was Neurontin but it only did it in the short term and I have had bad experiences with it.

[EO_Time]

Stop taking the energy drinks.  You will go through a withdrawal, some more severe than others, but worth it.  Caffeine plays an important role in your mood swings also.  Cut the caffeine out of your diet.  I would do one then the other, not both at the same time.

[BipolarBear75]

I have never tried those energy drinks because my doctor told me to NEVER drink those. I listened without doubting. It makes total sense that something that gives a "boost" to those "normal peeps" out there would send us even higher....my pdoc told me that those drinks would mess with me....and though I didn't doubt it; your experience proves it.

I would call a healthline in your region and see if they have any advice for you. You may have to go to your doctor to fix this temporary situation.

Wishing my best.....please let us know how you are doing after this.