Latest news with #EthanMelillo
New York Post
05-08-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Addictive natural drink Feel Free is hooking young people with horrible consequences: ‘literal flakes of skin flying off'
Feel Free appears as innocuous as a trendy new Kombucha, and it's billed as a natural way to get a little boost. Manufacturer Botanic Tonics advertises the drink as filled with 'plant ingredients' and perfect for 'whenever you want a mood lift, a caffeine-free energy boost, or a little extra focus.' But some hapless customers who picked up a little blue bottle at a convenience store or gas station learned the hard way the drinks — which contain kava and kratom extracts — can be severely addictive. Advertisement Jasmine Adeoye cut out alcohol in 2022 for a 'lifestyle change,' and heard about Feel Free on the Skinny Confidential podcast, where it was billed as a good alternative to social drinking. 9 Jasmine Adeoye started using Feel Free as an alternative to alcohol. Courtesy of Jasmine Adeoye 'The two hosts were actually taking a hiatus from alcohol and they were talking about Feel Free and how it was a really great alcohol alternative for sober people, and I was looking for something like that,' Adeoye, 30, of Austin, Texas, said. Advertisement When she heard about it yet again on Joe Rogan's show, she decided to try it. 'I wanted to overcome the social anxiety of not having alcohol anymore, and it made me feel really good, but from then on, it was just a slow progression,' she recalled. 'I had no idea, going into it, that it was addictive.' She was able to use it moderately for a year when in social drinking situations, but then a stressful job as an account manager pushed her into addiction in 2023. 9 Adeoye was using as much as twelve bottles of Feel Free a day at the peak of her addiction. Courtesy of Jasmine Adeoye Advertisement 'It started to progress to, one a day slowly, and then two to three a day, and then upwards of five or six, and at the absolute worst, like twelve bottles a day,' she admitted. 'I was spending easily $3,000 a month.' Pharmacist Ethan Melillo warns the combination of kava and kratom, both of which are legal ingredients in the US, is highly addictive. 'This combination is something you don't want to be mixing together,' he told The Post. 'I definitely think it should be banned. They're both regularly available supplements, but what concerns me is the combination of the two of them.' Kava is a depressant, while Kratom is a stimulant — which means they have opposite effects on the body. Advertisement Melillo, who is based in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, explained that kratom and kava each bind to different receptors in the brain, and can be extremely overstimulating in combination. 9 Pharmacist Ethan Melillo warns that the combination of kava and kratom makes Feel Free especially addictive. Courtesy of Ethan Melillo Kava, which is used to reduce stress and anxiety, binds to the same receptors as benzodiazepine drugs, like Xanax and Valium. Kratom interacts with the same receptors as opioids, which poses a risk of addiction and withdrawal. 'What I'm seeing is people [consuming] like two, three, four [drinks] a day, because once you build that tolerance, your body will want more of it,' he explained. 'I'm not surprised that people are getting addicted to this, and that's what's so concerning about supplements. Usually they will only get pulled after people are having side effects.' Adeoye went to great lengths to hide her dependence: 'I would hop around from gas station to gas station because I was so embarrassed about the amount that I was buying. I would even get them on UberEats sometimes so I didn't have to face anyone.' She says her addiction took a toll physically and emotionally. 9 Jasmine Adeoye was able to quit Feel Free cold turkey but went through withdrawal. Courtesy of Jasmine Adeoye Advertisement 'I was lethargic, depressed, anxious, barely able to get out of bed,' she said. 'I was throwing up from the kratom, and the kava can make your skin dry, like alligator skin, literal flakes of skin just like flying off.' But she finally fessed up to her fiancé and her mom in March of 2024 and cut herself off cold turkey. She went through four days of miserable withdrawal, followed by two weeks of strong cravings, and finally felt fully back to herself after six months. Although FeelFree is a 21+ age restricted item, kids have been figuring out how to get their hands on them. Instagram creator Michael Brown posted a video to his followers warning about the drink after he says he was approached by 'a child' who was 'maybe fourteen years old' at a gas station begging him to purchase a Feel Free for him. Advertisement 9 Feel Free is marketed as a natural, plant-based way to get a quick boost. Feel Free Tonics 9 Feel Free is available for purchase at gas stations, convenience stores, and CBD shops. Feel Free Tonics 'He comes up to me and he says, 'Hey can you buy me some Feel Free,'' Brown alleged. When he informed the attendant, he was told she has some customers coming in five to six times a day to purchase it and that 'people act like… they have heroin addictions over this little drink.' Some users of Feel Free start using the product because they think it's a healthy alternative to other drugs. Advertisement Chris Oflyng first started using kratom powder at age 19, as a natural way to ween off of prescribed Adderall. 'I was like, 'Oh, [the Adderall] is not a positive thing in my life, it's something I should stay away from,' he told The Post. Five years later, in 2021, Feel Free hit the market — and Oflyng found himself hooked on its combination of kava and kratom. 9 Chris Oflyng has struggled with an on and off addiction to Feel Free for years. Courtesy of Chris Oflyng 'Products like Feel Free are really, really awful,' the 28-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin, said. 'I developed a codependency of using kava and kratom, due to the introduction of that product, and I don't think I knew it was as addictive as it could be in that combination.' Advertisement He describes the sensation as 'something like relaxation, but also stimulation.' 'At first it worked really, really well and gave me what I perceived to be an enhanced focus,' Oflyng, who works in donor development, said. 'I was able to accomplish more. But then the effect started to fade, and once you're addicted to it, it's just chasing the relief after cravings.' Oflyng has struggled with addictions to Feel Free 'on and off for the past couple years' and has been in and out of treatment for his addiction. 9 Oflyng says Feel Free products made him feel depressed. Courtesy of Chris Oflyng 9 Oflyng claims he has spent at least $40,000 on Feel Free and kratom products throughout the years. Courtesy of Chris Oflyng 'I would buy Feel Frees every time I would relapse,' he explained. 'You could just get them from a smoke shop or a gas station. It's just so readily accessible.' Oflyng says Feel Free derailed his life. 'The biggest downside was the depression that came with it for me,' he recalled. 'I've made a lot of progress, but, looking back and talking about it now, it's just like, why haven't I seized a lot of opportunities in my life? And I can point it all back to kratom and kava.' Oflyng estimates he's spent 'at least $40,000 over the years' between kratom powder and Feel Free drinks. 'A lot of people might be like, 'Oh, it's a plant, it's natural,' but it will catch up with you,' he warned.
Daily Record
25-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Doctor shares ‘rare but serious' Mounjaro side effect and how to recognise it
It can result in patients having to come off the medication. Mounjaro has been taking the world by storm since it began rolling out on the NHS earlier this year. Around 220,000 patients are to be prescribed the weight loss drug over the next three years. But as with any medication, Mounjaro doesn't come without its side effects. Common consequences of taking the drug include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, which around one in 10 people taking the jab will experience. While these common symptoms can be managed, there are also side effects of the weight loss medication that are much more rare and can do significantly more harm. Dr Ethan Melillo, who often shares health advice to his 550K TikTok followers, has warned in one of his videos of a 'rare but serious' side effect of Mounjaro- acute pancreatitis. The doctor said: "Whenever I'm counselling a patient about [Mounjaro], I do mention this because it is a rare but it is a serious side effect." And the health professional's claim is backed by Mounjaro manufacturers, who list pancreatitis as one of the drug's most severe side effects. Here's everything you need to know. What is pancreatitis? The NHS explains that acute pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas (a small organ behind the stomach that helps with digestion) becomes inflamed over a short period of time. Most people with acute pancreatitis start to feel better within about a week and have no further problems. But some people with severe acute pancreatitis can go on to develop serious complications. Acute pancreatitis can develop into chronic pancreatitis, which is when the organ becomes permanently damaged from inflammation over many years. How does Mounjaro cause pancreatitis? Health website Second Nature explains that Mounjaro mimics the hormones which affect our hunger levels and the pancreas. While the drug primarily affects insulin levels in the body to improve blood sugar levels, it also activates receptor cells in the small ducts of the pancreas. When Mounjaro binds to these receptors, the cells can grow slightly, narrowing the small ducts that drain digestive enzymes out of the organ. Very rarely, this can lead to a backup of digestive enzymes, triggering inflammation and causing acute pancreatitis. The official medication guide for Mounjaro lists pancreatitis as a severe side effect of taking the medication. It says: "Stop using MOUNJARO and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back." What are the symptoms of pancreatitis? Pancreatitis effects less than one in 100 people who take Mounjaro, but it's important to know the signs as the condition can be dangerous. The NHS lists symptoms of pancreatitis as: suddenly getting severe pain in the centre of your tummy (abdomen) feeling or being sick a high temperature of 38C or more (fever) Article continues below The doctor continued: "I tell patients that if you experience any pain in your stomach that radiates to your back to let me know right away and then we can discuss stopping the medication. "Your doctor may also do bloodwork as well on an annual basis, just to make sure that you're tolerating the medication." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
