Latest news with #5-HourEnergy
USA Today
5 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
She thought it was just another energy drink. It took half her bodyweight and sent her to rehab.
Kim Maloney says she needed a pick-me-up. She had been struggling with energy in the morning. When someone she trusted recommended a Feel Free tonic that contained kratom, she bought it from a local CBD store in 2021. The little blue bottle, she says, looked similar to a 5-Hour Energy. She thought it was harmless. But for her it wasn't, says the 49-year-old Ohio mom of two. "Nobody knew at that time what it was," Maloney says. "You figure 'all-plant-based,' 'all-natural.' I didn't know too much about kratom. I did not know it was that addictive." Maloney says she soon fell into a debilitating kratom addiction, one that eventually had her drinking upward of 10 kratom drinks a day. Her addiction, she says, took nearly everything from her: Her car. Her house. Her 27-year marriage. Nearly half her bodyweight. At one point, she says, she weighed 70 pounds. Maloney believes her addiction would have taken her life too, had she not gone to rehab in 2024. "My eyes were rolling in the back of my head. I couldn't walk straight. I didn't leave my couch for months. I had pancreatitis. I had shingles. I was sick. I mean, I was really sick. So my daughter, who lives in LA, said, 'You know what, mom? I'm done. If you can't get off this stuff, I'm done,' " Maloney says. "My blood pressure was like 58 over 49. I was dying." USA TODAY spoke with over 20 people who say they became severely addicted to kratom − a plant ingredient found in products sold at gas stations, liquor stores and smoke shops across the country by various companies. Many of the people we spoke with had no history of substance abuse prior to ingesting kratom. Some were health and fitness enthusiasts who thought kratom was just like any other wellness supplement. Others thought it was a healthy alternative to alcohol. A few mistook it for a run of the mill caffeine drink, like coffee or tea. But kratom has addictive potential, medical experts say − and getting hooked on it often carries devastating consequences. A mom in California says she maxed out at least two credit cards to fuel her addiction − now she doesn't know what the future holds for herself or her 9-year-old son. A father says his addiction drove him $50,000 into debt and tanked his credit score into the 500s. Crushing withdrawals, he says, have made it extraordinarily difficult to quit; still, he's trying to rebuild a life for himself and his young child. Despite their dangers, kratom products remain legal in most states, including California. Many have colorful packaging and are sold in stores that offer up bubble gum and potato chips. However, with recent action by the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the tide on kratom may finally be turning. "How is (kratom) portrayed in the world? It's organic. It's healthy. It's health and wellness. It's like chia. It's like oatmeal. It's like stuff you put in Starbucks, almond milk or whatnot," says Dr. Timothy Fong, a UCLA addiction psychiatrist, who says he's seen a spike in calls from people seeking treatment for kratom addiction in recent years. "It comes from a little bit of that world − not from the illicit drug, underground, cartel world that's seen as much more seedy." The FDA is cracking down on 7-OH, a byproduct of kratom. Is it enough? During a July 29 press conference, the FDA announced its intention to crackdown on products containing 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a compound naturally occurring in the kratom plant. FDA commissioner Martin Makary spoke alongside Kennedy while announcing their plan to initiate the process to have 7-OH scheduled as an illicit substance. That will happen if the Drug Enforcement Administration approves the FDA's sanction after review. More: Products with opioid-like effects sold at gas stations may be banned as illicit substances However, Makary also made clear during that same press conference the organization's focus is on 7-OH, not kratom overall. Medical experts tell USA TODAY that all kratom products carry risk for addiction, not just ones marketed with 7-OH, though those products are often stronger. Some of the people USA TODAY spoke with say their addiction was just to products with kratom, and they never tried ones with synthetic 7-OH. For others, using products with kratom became a gateway to using products with synthetic 7-OH. There are many products on the market that contain kratom, and they come in many forms. Some are capsules, others powders, others drinks. One product recently went viral. On July 25, a TikToker posted a video in which he described how a teenage boy tried stealing his wallet outside a gas station after he refused to go inside to buy the boy a Feel Free tonic. A representative for Botanic Tonics, the company behind Feel Free, told USA TODAY its Feel Free Classic tonic contains only natural leaf kratom, with nearly undetectable levels of 7-OH. Earlier this year, Botanic Tonics settled an $8.75 million class-action lawsuit filed in March 2023 that alleged the company falsely marketed its kratom tonic as a healthy alternative to alcohol. In January 2024, the company announced it would add a warning to the label for its Feel Free Classic tonic saying the product can become "habit forming and harmful to your health if consumed irresponsibly," and, in May 2024, it announced the addition of a 21-and-over restriction to its products. The Botanic Tonics representative told USA TODAY the company takes its 21-and-over restriction very seriously and has reached out to this TikToker for further details. The company's CEO Cameron Korehbandi has also released a statement applauding the FDA for going after 7-OH. "We've been advocating for exactly this type of regulatory approach — one that protects consumers from synthetic derivatives while preserving access to traditional botanical ingredients with centuries of safe use," Korehbandi said. Many people who descended into kratom addiction say gas station products sucked them in. The "Quitting Kratom" subreddit has 52,000 members and several posts a day from people documenting their journeys trying to quit kratom and 7-OH. Dr. Lief Fenno, chair of the American Psychiatric Association Council on Addiction Psychiatry, believes kratom has escaped scrutiny because it does not bind to receptors in the brain the same way that drugs like heroin and morphine do. However, that doesn't mean kratom can't have similar effects. "The shapes of these molecules from kratom are very different than the shapes of things like morphine or fentanyl," Fenno says. "And so, the argument can be made that they're not opioids, because they don't have a specific shape like opioids. And that's despite the fact that they work in a very similar way." Some kratom addicts know this firsthand. Jason, a man in Florida who has struggled with addictions to both kratom and heroin, says the effects of the substances − as well as their withdrawals − felt very similar. After seven years of sobriety from opioids, he says he fell into kratom addiction after trying it with friends at a kava bar, a bar that serves drinks with the plant kava. He asked we withhold his last name, out of fear that sharing his addiction struggles could damage his career. At first, he says, he used kratom like an energy drink. Before long, however, it had a similar grip on him as heroin. "It's a strange, insidious drug that imperceptibly steals your soul," Jason says of kratom. "The downsides aren't evident until libido nosedives, hair begins to fall out of your head... and you are dosing three-times-a-day only to experience the briefest of highs before returning to a sludge-like stupor." Fong says the ability of companies to put large amounts of kratom into otherwise innocuous-looking products has changed the game and made it more susceptible to abuse. "At its core, this is a plant that's been around thousands of years," Fong says. "It has been used in Southeast Asia, chewing on the leaf as a stimulant, as a way of pain relief. And now, through vast modern technology, we've created the ability to have, what I call, fast-food kratom, if you will. Different formulations. Capsules. Powders. Teas. Gummies. Smokable versions. All sorts of different things." Though kratom isn't as well known as other substances, addiction to it affects more people than many may realize. After watching a friend become addicted to 7-OH, Tom Filippone started Klear Recovery, a business that helps people addicted to kratom and 7-OH detox with physician-led treatment. Since its launch this year, Filippone says he's been overwhelmed with inquiries, getting at least four or five every hour. "These are not drug people that I talk to for the vast majority of them," he says. "They're 55-year-old women who live in Texas and are involved in their church who bought it at the gas station." 'Gas station heroin' nearly killed her. How tianeptine became a 'dark secret' for many. And when these people try to quit kratom, Filippone says, often they're unprepared for just how intense the withdrawals can be. "Some of these people's doses get so high," he says. "If you cold-turkeyed it, you are looking at seven days of hell." 'I felt like I was going almost psychotic' Emily Beutler says she became addicted to kratom in 2022 after trying a tea with it at a kava bar in Arizona. Somebody had recommended it as a healthy way to relieve anxiety. It wasn't long before Beutler found herself returning to her local kava bar in Idaho for kratom every day. Soon, the kava bar's drink wasn't enough; she started buying kratom powder from the gas station, so she could ingest greater amounts at home. Eventually, she was taking multiple spoonfuls a day, unable to sleep through the night without it. Then, Beutler came across a podcast where people shared their harrowing stories of kratom addiction. She quit that day. "The next three-to-five days was probably the worst I've ever physically felt," she says. "I was sweating through my bedsheets that night. I was taking multiple baths a night, because my restless legs were so bad. I felt like I was going almost psychotic." The pain of withdrawal has kept many people trapped in the cycle of addiction. One man in Colorado says he got addicted to kratom after mistaking it for an alternative to coffee. The man, who requested we withhold his name out fear that sharing his story could harm his business, said the withdrawals were terrible. He couldn't afford to go to rehab, so he took time off work to go through it at home. "It was really rough," he says. "I had restless legs and felt like I had the flu, and I was freezing cold for 10 days or so and zero energy. I felt like I was 80-years-old." Lucy, a mother in rural California who asked with withhold her name for her child's privacy, has been on and off kratom for about four years. Her longest stretch without it has been eight months. She can't even drive on the same street as shops that sell kratom − the pull of addiction is that strong. "I don't think everyone is afflicted with the disease of addiction," she says. "Obviously, there are people who can pick up substances and put them down and be fine. But I don't think kratom is a miracle drug by any means. It's hippie heroin. That's all it is." 'I'm going to get my life back' On the other side of withdrawal, however, is hope. Since going to rehab, Maloney hasn't had kratom in the last year. She's started rebuilding her life, slowly but surely. She recently bought her first car. She hits the gym and has recovered her bodyweight − now 145 pounds. She's also healed her relationship with her daughters, whom she lets give her random drug tests − whatever it takes to earn their trust back. As she speaks on the phone with us on a July afternoon, she's looking forward to picking up one of her daughters on the way to the gym. Maloney is still struggling with the financial fallout of her addiction; however, she believes that, one day, that will be fixed too. "I'm in debt, but you know what? I'm coming back," she says. "There's no doubt in my mind I'm going to get my life back better than ever. I might be living in an apartment basement with my four dogs, but you know what? I got my life. I got my kids. I got my parents. I got everybody. I got more than anybody could hope for." She also sees the FDA's announcement as a silver lining, though she's skeptical that kratom will ever disappear entirely. "I almost started crying," she says of the FDA's press conference. "It will save a lot of lives. I think it will. It'll save a lot of marriages, probably. And a lot of homes. But what are they going to come out with next?" For resources or support with substance use disorder, you can visit the website or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
5-Hour Energy's new spicy mango flavor is actually hot and kinda... nice?
5-Hour Energy's new spicy mango flavor is actually hot and kinda... nice? Welcome back to FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. As someone who is generally bad at sleeping, caffeine is a vital part of my morning ritual. My house is loaded with coffee and energy drinks designed to clear up my bleary eyes and make my writing, well, probably not "good," but at least "comprehensible." Despite this, 5-Hour Energy has rarely made an appearance in my mornings. That's not because of a taste issue or the caffeine content. It's just because I like having a full can or cup to sip on over the course of an hour. It's much more difficult to do that with 1.93 ounces of concentrated jitters. But since I've been out here reviewing Red Bull and Celsius and Ghost and C4, I figured it was time to give 5-Hour a shot. The company, fortunately, teed me up perfectly; a Cinco de Mayo-themed spicy mango that comes with its own hot sauce if you buy it online. That sounds like the exact kind of weird I want in my review. Let's see if it's any good. Spicy Cinco de Mango: B I chilled this down before drinking, then realized that is not 5-Hour Energy's base state. In the wild it is not consumed cold or poured over ice. It is hastily grabbed from a convenience store counter and pounded quickly to the soundtrack of a Spotify playlist titled "bangers" and made exclusively of songs from when you were in high school. I have some concerns about adding hot peppers to a drink that tastes like crushed up chewable vitamins (complimentary). It smells sweet and a little foreboding thanks to a ring of spice that surrounds an otherwise hard candy aroma. Welp, it *is* spicy. And the mango is unmistakable. 5 Hour Energy promised two things; tropical fruit and hot sauce flavors. It delivers on both levels. It's a sweet heat up front, with more of a candied apple feel than mango. That takes a turn halfway through. The habanero kicks in. So does the mango. The finish is sharp and lingers on your tongue. That heat builds from sip to sip. While it's absolutely a feature it's never too potent. Well, it's not too potent for a drink that clocks in at under two ounces. I couldn't do a standard can of this. The result is much weirder than I would have expected from 5-Hour Energy but also nice. This is a big swing and the company pulls it off well. It maximizes the energy shot's short lifespan and gives you something to remember it by. While that heat does get bogged down by some lingering sucralose artificial flavor, it's still a proper jump outside the company's comfort zone. The extra strength caffeine payload (230 milligrams, or about three cans worth of Red Bull) kicks in quickly. I typically drink about 24 ounces of coffee in the morning, but this does have me a little more excitable than my average, spaced-out caffeine drip. Not jittery, but after a night of poor quality sleep next to a snoring, farting pit bull (he's old and stubborn, moving him provides maybe 15 minutes of relief), I do feel a little uneven. 5-Hour Energy x Taco John's Energizing Hot Sauce: B- Caffeinated hot sauce. I'm not sure if that's stupid or brilliant. I do love the idea of getting a little extra wake-up kick from my eggs or a bloody Mary. I don't love the idea of being a little drunk, shrugging, dabbing this on a hastily-ordered pizza and then being awake until 4 a.m. So, mixed bag up front. Cracking the bottle unleashes the mango habanero smell you'd expect after trying the energy drink. It's fruity, with a menacing hint of capsaicin waiting along the edges. There's a problem here. The bottle is a standard 5-Hour Energy bottle, but clear. There's no governor on the cap, so pouring it on food is a delicate balance. I tried to use a deft hand on a slice of cold Costco pizza but, as you can see above, wound up soaking it. The flavor here is more sweet than heat. It's possible the hot sauce actually packs less of a Scoville unit punch than the drink version from which it's derived. But that spice lingers and builds nicely. Ultimately, it's caught in a tug-o-war with the mango that's dominant from the first bite. Ultimately, it's a useful, sweeter hot sauce. It wouldn't be the first thing I reach for, but it would probably do great with a little Zing Zang and vodka. The 200 milligrams of caffeine in the bottle are interesting, but I didn't use enough of it to really get much of an effect on top of the already potent effects of the 5-Hour Energy I drank earlier. It's a nice idea. I doubt 5-Hour will be transitioning to hot sauces full time, but the result here is certainly good enough for an energy drink concern. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink 5-Hour Energy's Spicy Cinco de Mango over a cold can of Hamm's? I like the flavor, and there's no doubt 5-Hour maximizes its compact form here with a bold mix. But I prefer my caffeine spaced out a little more through my morning ritual. So if I'm in a hurry in the morning -- rushing out to work or getting my crap together for a morning tailgate or whatever -- Spicy Cinco de Mango is a fit. But most average AMs I'll probably stick to something a little bigger.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shopping channel ShopHQ increasing Eden Prairie layoffs to 200 workers
IV Media, LLC, the parent company of home shopping network ShopHQ, has announced the number of layoffs at its Eden Prairie operations will increase to 200 employees. The company announced in January that it would lay off 121 workers as part of a reduction in operations in the Twin Cities, with a further 7 employees later added to this for a total of 128. In a WARN mass layoff notice to Minnesota regulators, IV Media confirmed a further 72 employees would be laid off, bringing the total to 200. The layoffs are expected to take place during a 14-day period beginning on June 16 at the facility at 6740 Shady Oak Road, according to the notice received by the State Rapid Response Team. The layoffs impact varying positions throughout the company, including assistant buyer, assistant technical designer, assistant textile designer, associate digital marketing specialist, broadcast system development administrator, content producer, controller, design motion graphics senior role, and many more. IV Media is a subsidiary of Innovation Ventures, the company behind 5-Hour Energy drinks. It bought ShopHQ from previous owner iMedia Brands in 2023, when the latter filed for bankruptcy protection. Bring Me The News reached out to IV Media and ShopHQ for comment but have not received a response.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
14 daylight saving time deals on coffee and food to help with lost sleep
As much as we enjoy longer, sunnier days, losing an hour of sleep when daylight saving time rolls around is kind of a drag. Alas, the clocks will 'spring forward' this weekend, leaving us with one less hour of shuteye on Sunday, March 9. Waking up groggy is no fun, so many brands are serving up discounts to give us all a caffeine boost or a dose of sugar to start the day. Here's a go-to list to keep handy as we all tackle daylight saving time together. 5-Hour Energy is teaming up with Flavor Flav to promote its 1-hour Energy shot, which comes in a 0.5-ounce bottle. On March 10, the TV personality will be handing out the energy shots to New York City commuters. Additionally, customers can get a free 1-hour Energy shot with the purchase of any 5-hour Energy product online while supplies last. Just in time for daylight saving time, Baskin-Robbins customers can enjoy the chain's Cappuccino Blast drink at a discounted price of $5 for a small, $6 for a medium and $7 for a large. Bruegger's Bagels rewards members can get a free coffee (hot or iced, any size) each time they make a purchase in the chain's app or website. Burger King rewards members can enjoy a full week of deals at participating restaurants only on the BK app and website for order ahead. The single-use offers aren't valid on delivery orders and can't be combined with other deals. They're also not valid in Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories. March 9: Free Croissan'wich with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours). March 10: Free 4-piece Churro Fries with a purchase of $1+ (not available during breakfast hours). March 11: Free medium Iced Coffee with a purchase of $1+. March 12: Free 5-piece French Toast Sticks with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours only). March 13: Free large Hash Browns with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours only). March 15: Free Sausage Biscuit with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours only). Clean Juice loyalty members can get a free 12-ounce 'The Wakeup One' juice with any $10 purchase between March 9-10. The offer is valid in the chain's app at participating locations. Between March 9 — 10, Grubhub customers can get a free Dunkin' coffee with any Grubhub order of $15 or more while supplies last. The single-use offer is valid on Grubhub and Seamless at participating Dunkin' locations. Einstein Bros. Bagels rewards members can get a free coffee (hot or iced, any size) each time they make a purchase in the chain's app or website. On March 9, Gopuff is offering the following deals on coffee and energy drinks while supplies last: 40% off La Colombe 11-ounce cans (only for Gopuff FAM members). 2 for $6 Nguyen Coffee. $1 off Groundwork Cold Brew. $1 off select Juvee Energy Drinks. 3 for $6 Alani. 3 for $6 Prime Energy. Between March 9 — 10, La Madeleine Bonjour rewards members can get a free drip coffee or fountain drink with any purchase. readers can save 25% off sitewide on Quantum Energy Squares through March 16 using the code SPRINGFORWARD25. The brand, which sells energy bars with protein and caffeine, also offers free shipping on orders over $35 plus a free gift on orders over $50. In honor of daylight saving time, Recess is offering readers 10% off using the code DAYLIGHT. The brand offers a range of beverages including sparkling waters, mocktails and more. Shipley Do-Nuts loyalty members can get a free glazed doughnut with any purchase on March 9. Smoothie King Healthy Rewards members can score a free 12-ounce Metabolism Boost Smoothie Dark Chocolate Banana on March 9. Between March 10 — 14, Wendy's is offering several in-app deals in honor of daylight saving time. The following offers are valid at participating U.S. Wendy's locations during breakfast hours: Breakfast sandwich for $2 with purchase. $2 off any breakfast combo. $0.99 for a small coffee with any purchase. This article was originally published on
Reuters
18-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Convenience stores sue Pepsi and Frito-Lay, alleging price discrimination
Feb 18 (Reuters) - PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay unit have been sued in U.S. court in California by convenience stores that claim they have been denied the same sales deals offered to major retailers such as Walmart and Albertsons, causing them to pay higher prices. Two California convenience stores filed the proposed class action, opens new tab on Monday in the federal court in Los Angeles, accusing PepsiCo of violating a provision of U.S. antitrust law that bans price discrimination. The complaint alleged that the companies' pricing affected "hundreds" of convenience stores in California and also violated California state competition law. The lawsuit said PepsiCo's alleged pricing policies, favoring major retailers over smaller independent convenience stores, are illegal under the federal Robinson-Patman Act. That law can restrict a seller from providing discounts, rebates and other pricing activities to some buyers, but not all. Their lawsuit comes about a month after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued PepsiCo in federal court in New York, accusing it of providing Walmart with unfair pricing advantages under the Robinson-Patman Act. PepsiCo said last month that it "strongly disputes" the FTC allegations. PepsiCo and Frito-Lay did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Monday's lawsuit. A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Mark Poe, in a statement on Tuesday said that Frito-Lay's "discriminatory pricing" resulted in "millions of consumers" paying higher prices. The convenience stores are seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order stopping the alleged price discrimination. Walmart is not a defendant in either the FTC lawsuit or in the case filed by convenience stores. Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For decades, the federal government had largely not enforced the Robinson-Patman Act, but the Biden-era FTC revived it. The lawyers for the convenience stores are separately pursuing a 2018 lawsuit under that federal law that accuses 5-Hour Energy drink maker Living Essentials of an illegal pricing scheme. The case is Alqosh Enterprises Inc and NMRM Inc v. PepsiCo Inc and Frito-Lay North America Inc, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 2:25-cv-01327. For plaintiffs: Mark Poe and Randolph Gaw of Gaw | Poe For defendants: No appearances yet Read more: US sues Pepsi over exclusive discounts to Walmart FTC revives price discrimination law, sues alcohol distributor US Supreme Court won't hear 5-Hour Energy drink pricing case
