Maryland Injury Lawyers Blog

Here is some friendly consumer advice from Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester, LLC. If you (or your children) have been prescribed the Z-Pak by your doctor, DON'T CONSUME ENERGY DRINKS WHILE TAKING THE Z-PAK. Why do I say this? Both energy drinks and Azithromycin likely cause disturbances in heart rhythm (QT interval). The FDA has not yet made this connection, but the scientific studies are indeed out there that both energy drinks and Azithromycin disturb heart rhythm. Seems to me that consumption of both at the same time could be a very deadly combination.

Here are the facts that I base this on:

1. On March 12, 2013 the FDA warned that Azithromycin (aka Z-Pack, Zithromax, Z Max) can lead to deadly heart rhythms for some. The FDA Warning explains that Z Pack "...can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm." Then on May 2, 2013 an article was published in the New England Journal of Medicine titled "Cardiovascular Risks with Azithromycin and Other Antibacterial Drugs." The article explained that a 2012 observational study showed that the risk of death from any cause and from cardiovascular causes associated with Azithromycin is greater than those associated with Amoxicillin.

2. In March 2013 there was a scientific research presentation at the American Heart Association Meeting in New Orleans indicating that "Energy Drinks" may increase blood pressure and disturb the heart rhythm. Apparently, the data presented shows that the QT interval was 10 milliseconds longer for those who consumed energy drinks. (If the QT interval is too long it can cause irregular heartbeat or death).

3. According to the New York Times, doctors wrote 55.3 Million prescriptions for Azithromycin (Z Pack) last year.

4. According to a Congressional Report about Energy Drinks, Energy drinks such as Monster, Red Bull, Full Throttle and Rockstar Energy Drink are consumed by 31% of 12-17 year olds, and by 22% of 25-35 year olds. Basically, a ton of children and young adults are drinking Energy Drinks and Energy Shots.

5. There has been an astronomical rise in Emergency Room Visits due to energy drink consumption in the past several years. In fact the number doubled from 2007 to 2011. (10,068 in 2007 and 20,783 in 2011 according to a Government Report). See SAMSA Report.

6. Since both the Z-Pack and Energy Drinks both cause a rise in the heart's QT interval, it seems to me that anyone who is on the Z-Pak (Azrithromycin) should not consume energy drinks while taking the pills (Could be a "double whammy").

I have no idea why the FDA and other medical societies/ government agencies have not already warned about this combined danger. Maybe I am wrong about this connection. I doubt it though.

I'm concerned that the left hand at the FDA that claims to be looking into the dangers of Energy Drinks, is not talking to the right hand at the FDA that has already warned of the dangers of Azithromycin. The evidence is out there but those we count on to protect us (FDA/Congress) seem to have not yet connected the dots (sound familiar?).

My advice to friends, family and anyone else who will listen----DON'T CONSUME ENERGY DRINKS WHILE ON Z PACK!!!

Today numerous experts and medical doctors wrote a Letter from doctors to FDA 3.19.13.pdf to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluding that:

"Based on our own research and our review of the published literature cited herein, we conclude that there is no general consensus among qualified experts that the addition of caffeine in the amounts used in energy drinks is safe under its conditions of intended use as required by GRAS standard, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and adolescents. On the contrary, there is evidence in the published scientific literature that the caffeine levels in energy drinks pose serious potential health risks, including increased including increased risk for serious injury or even death."

The signatories to this letter are from prestigious teaching hospitals and schools including John's Hopkins, University of Maryland, Wake Forest School of Medicine, University of California Berkley, and UMass Memorial Medical Center.
The doctors urge the FDA to take quick action to protect children and teens from the dangers of highly caffeinated energy drinks and to apply the "Generally Regarded as Safe" standard for soda to energy drinks and other beverages that contain caffeine as an additive.

The doctors also urged the FDA to require energy drink manufacturers to include caffeine content on product lables.

The letter first desccribes what Energy Drinks are and discusses that they are marketed to teenagers and young adults.

The letter does a good job of distinguishing energy drinks from coffee (see page 2). Basically the Letter explains that caffeine in coffee is naturally occurring, many energy drinks contain more caffeine than coffee, and coffee is typically served hot and consumed slowly while energy drinks are served cold and consumed rapidly (some manufacturers advertising and can design encourage teens to ingest large quantities quickly by saying things like "pound down" "Chug it down".

The article then discusses the health complications of energy drinks. The article discusses the FDA Adverse Event Reports, DAWN Drug Abuse Warning Network reports of increased Emergency Room Visits, Cardiovascular Complications, Seizures, Childhood Obesity, and other health issues related to the consumption of energy drinks. The report also discusses the combination of alcohol consumption and energy drinks. The Article states "consuming energy drinks mixed with alcohol is associated with serious alcohol related consequences such as sexual assault and driving while intoxicated."

Anyone interested in learning more about the dangers of energy drinks should read this letter. It is very well written and well documented with 66 footnotes citing to a large amount of scientific articles about energy drink dangers. Another great resource for information about the dangers of energy drinks is at GFMJustice.com

Of course if you or someone you know has suffered a heart attack or death after consuming an "energy drink" please contact us at 888-213-8140.

The biggest problems with energy drink companies are (i) that they market their product to teenagers and young adults, (ii) they don't provide adequate warnings indicating that they are dangerous for anyone to drink who has a pre-existing heart condition, and (iii) some of the ingredients such as Taurine, Guarana, Inositol and Panax Ginseng have not been adequately studied, (iv) and the FDA has been slow to respond to the danger of energy drinks.

Kevin Goldberg, of Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester, LLC, wrote an Energy Drink ArticlewcoverTrial2013.pdf The article discusses how energy drinks are injuring and killing teenagers and young adults. The article first discusses energy drinks generally. Then the article discusses the energy drink industry and notes that retail sales of energy drinks were about $8.9 Billion in 2011. The next part of the Article examines the peer reviewed scientific literature that indicates that energy drinks causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate and that young adults and children are at particular risk. The article concludes with an interesting discussion about energy drink lawsuits and the things that attorneys need to consider when evaluating whether to pursue an energy drink lawsuit.

Our law firm is working with other law firms across the country on energy drink lawsuits. If you are an attorney and you have a potential case involving death or serious injury from energy drink consumption that you want to discuss, please contact us or call us at 888-213-8140. For more information about the dangers of energy drinks, and about litigation against energy drink companies visit our energy drink information center.

We are looking to speak with consumers who feel that they have been misled by Energy Drink companies such as Monster Energy Drink, Red Bull, 5 Hour Energy and Rockstar. Many teenagers, young adults and even professional athletes have consumed these energy drinks thinking that they were ingesting only nutrients and ingredients that were good for their body. In fact, energy drinks can be dangerous--especially for anyone with an underlying heart condition. If you were a purchaser of Energy Drinks and feel that you were misled contact us via email at kgoldberg@gfmlawllc.com or by calling 888-213-8140.

Energy Drink companies such as Monster Energy Drink and Red Bull seem to market their product to teenagers and young adults with the misleading assumption that they are healthy and just give you a burst of energy. In fact, most of these drinks are packed with sugar, caffeine and other herbal supplements. Pediatricians are warning children and teenagers not to drink energy drinks.

For more information about energy drinks,visit the Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester Energy Drink Information Center.

Remember Mr. Yuck? Well, Poison Control Centers are now tracking reports of calls related to energy drink exposures, and the 2012 data is disturbing.

Poison Control Centers in the USA apparently received 3,147 reports of exposures to energy drinks, and that well over half of those reports were for children 18 and younger. This data was compiled by the National Poison Data System which is the only comprehensive poisoning exposure surveillance database in the USA. This data, coupled with the numerous adverse event reports that the Food and Drug Administration has received related to energy drinks is convincing! Energy Drinks are dangerous and can cause serious injuries or death for certain individuals---In particular, anyone with an underlying heart condition should not drink any energy drinks at all.

Poison Control Centers throughout the United States are telling people to use caution and common sense when consuming Energy Drinks and related products. The American Association of Poison Control Centers Website Reports that

"The American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded that "caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diets of children and adolescents."

If you are concerned that you are having an adverse reaction after consuming an energy drink such as Monster Energy Drink, Red Bull, Rock Star or 5 Hour Energy, then you should seek medical attention immediately. The Poison Control Center's cautionary alert on energy drinks indicates that drinking too many energy drinks or drinking them too fast can cause increased heart rate, altered heart rhythm, chest pain, dehydration, seizures, kidney problems, increased blood pressure, mood changes and other symptoms. You can also report the Energy Drink Injury Incident to the Poison Control Center by calling 1-800-222-1222.

If you want to learn more about the dangers of energy drinks, visit the Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester, LLC Website at www.gfmjustice.com.

Energy Drinks such as Monster, 5 Hour Energy, Rockstar and Redbull can be dangerous, and should not be consumed by anyone with an underlying heart condition. On January 10, 2013 SAMSA's Drug Ause Warning Network published an article titled "Update on Emergency Department Visits Involving Energy Drinks: A Continuing Public Health Concern" The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate energy drinks but their website does post adverse event statistics for certain energy drinks.

The article reports that Energy Drink related hospital emergency room visits have increased from about 1,494 in 2005 to about 20,783 in 2011. This is particularly problematic because it impacts our children and youngest adults. In 2011 alone there were apparently 1,499 energy drink related emergency room visits for children aged 12 to 17 years old. Looking at young adults, there were 7,322 energy drink related emergency room visits for people aged 18-25 years old in 2011 (up from 4,200 in that age range in 2007). A new finding in the Article is that older adults may also be vulnerable to the effects of energy drinks, and that the safety of energy drinks is questioned for individuals with medical conditions and/or who may be taking other medications.

Our law firm represents individuals who have suffered serious injuries as a result of consuming energy drinks. The most common events we are seeing that may be related to energy drink consumption are is cardiac events, arrhythmias, heart attacks, and strokes. Any individual who has an underlying heart condition, or even high blood pressure for that matter, should avoid consuming energy drinks. If you or someone you know is injured as a result of consuming energy drinks, call us at 888-213-8140 for a free consultation.

Another small step forward in the battle to stop energy drink companies from marketing to teenagers and young adults. The FDA responded to Sen. Blumenfeld and Sen. Durbin's concerns about energy drinks and has acknowledged that the agency is looking into the safety of energy drinks and how they are marketed.

On November 21, 2012 the FDA responded to Senator Durbin and Senator Blumenthal's request for additional information about concerns related to energy drinks. The Senators had asked the FDA for additional information about possible interactions between the additives in energy drinks such as taurine, guarana and panax ginseng and caffeine; and also about the impact of energy drinks on young people. The FDA stated that

"In particular we are looking at whether products that may be safe for most individuals under labled use condition s may pose significant risks arising from direct toxic effects when the products are consumed in excess or by vulnerable groups, including young people and those with pre-existing cardiac or other conditions."

The FDA expressed agreement that the synergistic effects of caffeine and other ingredients in energy drinks is of concern, but indicated that it is not practicable for the FDA to do government funded toxicity studies of all of the various combinations.

In order to address Senator Durbin's concerns about the increasing consumption patters amongst young people of caffeine, the FDA indicated that an analysis was done of caffeine consumption in the US population in 2009 and 2010 titled "Caffeine Intake by the U.S. Population" by Laszlo Somogyi, Ph.D. The results of this study somehow showed that most caffeine is consumed by young peopell in the form of coffee, soft drinks and tea rather than from energy drinks. I do not agree with the FDA's analysis on this point. With the explosion of energy drinks into the U.S. Marketplace, and with their marketing often directed at teens and young adults, I think that the amount of caffeine consumed by young peope from energy drinks is actually much higher than indicated in the Somogyi reports.

The bottom line is that the FDA is not ready to regulate caffeine levels in energy drinks yet, but thanks to Senator Durbin and Senator Blumenfeld, the FDA is now forced to closely monitor the safety of energy drinks.

Michele Mital (Acting Associate Commissioner for Legislation) authored the FDA Letter11.21.2012.pdfletter, and a complete copy can be found here.

5-Hour Energy shots can cause serious injury or death to anyone with an underlying heart condition (many people who consume the product may have undiagnosed heart conditions and are therefore at risk). We are urging our friends, family members and clients to stop using 5-Hour Energy because of uncertainty regarding its safety.

While 5-Hour Energy is not marketed to teenagers in the same manner that other energy drinks are, the warning label on the product and disclosures are problematic. For example, 5-Hour Energy does not disclose the specific amount of caffeine in its product other than saying that it "Contains caffeine comparable to a cup of the leading premium coffee." (and even this disclosure is in such small print that it nearly impossible to read without a magnifying glass). even this disclosure is questionable based on information reported by Consumer Reports (CR) last month. CR indicates that the 1.9 oz shot of 5 hour energy has 215 mg of caffeine, and that an typical 8 oz cup of coffee has 100 mg of caffeine.

Another problem with the 5-Hour energy label is that they do not indicate the amount of Taurine in their product. Instead they just list that 1870 mg of a myster "energy blend" is in the shot. While this type of disclosure is permissible under the Dietary Supplement Act (thanks to good lobbying by the energy drink and supplement industry), it puts the public at risk.

The biggest problem with the label is that the print is so tiny that it is nearly impossible for consumers to read without squinting.

What makes no sense to me is that the FDA has all of these adverse event reports regarding various energy drinks including the thirteen 5 hour energy deaths YET THE FDA HAS NOT WARNED THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS. Now that the media is reporting on the issue the FDA says it is investigating whether the injuries and deaths are related to the energy drinks. But what have they been doing the last 4 years? In my opinion the FDA has been asleep at the wheel regarding energy drinks, and these adverse event reports just accumulate and nobody from the FDA or the energy drink companies for that matter investigates them.

If you or someone you care about has suffered a heart attack or death after consuming 5 hour energy or a similar product, contact us at 888-213-8140. We will provide a free telephone consultation and determine what the next steps should be.