Consumers warned over US energy drink shots

Consumers have been warned to steer clear of an American energy drink shot after reports it has been linked to 13 deaths in the United States.

While Australians can buy the concentrated 5-Hour Energy shots over the internet, experts say it is not worth taking the risk.

The American Food and Drug Administration is investigating claims the energy shot has led to 13 deaths and more than 30 hospitalisations over the past four years.

Energy drink expert Scott Willoughby told 7News said there are common side-effects for overdosing on these drinks.

“Too many of these shots generally might lead to heart palpitations - that is a racing heart rate – people might get headaches, or convulsions, or in the worst case, death,” he said.

Dr Peter Sharley, from the Australian Medical Association, has warned consumers to take notice of how much caffeine each dose contains.

“If you’re taking multiple of these drinks, then you may be, up to, taking ten or more drinks of coffee in one hit,” he said.

The company says it advertises that no more than two bottles should be consumed daily, and has denied its product is responsible for the deaths.

Although 5-Hour Energy drinks are only available in Australia online, Dr Sharley says it might not be long until energy drinks are banned here altogether.

“They serve no purpose and they’re being looked at, as a far as being regulated, as to whether or not South Australians should have access to them at all,” Dr Sharley said.

“You can’t substitute for a good sleep and the quality of that good sleep.”