It took awhile to kick in. I still felt tired but I noticed I was shaking my foot and holding my eyes open like a cracked out cartoon character, so I assumed it was working. Unlike some of the more, er, potent energy supplements of college finals weeks – I didn’t get the “i can invade manchuria and organize my closet in 3.5 hours” focus or the “I.have.to.finish.this.paper.right.now.o.m.g.” sense of urgency.

Mostly, I still felt tired, but was unable to get to sleep. I hate that feeling. I was yawning, my eyes were burning from being open too long, but I couldn’t rest. I finally passed out in the fetal position on my chaise sometime around 4am. I woke up at 7 for work feeling like I drank 2 fluid ounces of acid. At least that’s one similarity to other energy supplements: it makes your body feel like shit. My back hurt and my stomach complained all day. Just for fun, check out the nutritional info: Vitamin overdoes, anyone? Ok, so I totally knew about this and drank it anyway – but 8333% of B12, 2000% vitamin B6? That just can’t be good. Their website offers this explanation

8333% Vitamin B12? 2000% Vitamin B6? Isn’t that dangerous?
Not at all. In fact, the levels of Vitamins B12 and B6 are well within safe limits. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is minimum daily amounts set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine. This board also sets upper limits for consumption. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, “No toxic or adverse effects have been associated with large intakes of vitamin B12 from food or supplements in healthy people.” As a result, no upper limit for intake has been set. Doses as high as 1,000mcg are used to safely treat pernicious anemia. 5-Hour Energy contains 500mcg. Doses of vitamin B6 higher than 200mg per day over an extended period have been shown to cause side effects. The Food and Nutrition Board has set a safe upper intake level of 100mg per day. However, 5-Hour Energy contains only 40mg of vitamin B6.So, even though 5-Hour Energy appears to contain extremely large amounts of vitamins B6 and B12, they are within nationally
recognized safe limits.

Perfectly safe. But they do warn not to drink more than two a day, several hours apart. They’re right, 16000% of B12 is probably enough. Plus if you drink more than 2, you risk acid washing your tastebuds away permanently.

My ruling: avoid this stuff at all costs. Unless, of course, you really need it (which I might later this week).