5-Hour Energy Drink and Death

My heart raced when I saw this.  No pun intended.  I tend to down one prior to a run.  Maybe something I will reconsider, but I also drink a lot of coffee daily so maybe I have tolerance like an alcoholic to alcohol?

Thirteen deaths have been linked to the consumption of 5-Hour energy drinks according to a report by the Food and Drug Administration.  With the fatalities the energy 'shot' has been also linked to heart attacks, convulsions and in one case a spontaneous abortion according to 90 filings with the FDA released to the New York Times this week.  Question:  Um, yeah, avoid caffeine when you are pregnant, mmm kay?

Add also Monster Energy Drink, which I'm almost positive is the official drink of the retail and hospital pharmacist, to the list with the parents of Anais Fournier suing the company over her death.  Only 14-years-old, the parents allege she only drank two in a 24 hour period before becoming ill.

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports of five deaths that may be associated with Monster Beverage Corp.'s energy drink.

The agency acknowledged the adverse reports Monday, but FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess says the reports don't prove that the drinks caused the deaths.

This follows news that the parents of Hagerstown, Md. teen Anais Fournier filed a lawsuit in California on Friday against Monster Beverage Corp. for failing to warn about the product's dangers.

The 14-year-old's family says she went into cardiac arrest last December after drinking two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy Drink in 24 hours.

An autopsy concluded she died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity. She had an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels.

Monster says it doesn't believe its products caused any deaths.