As some of you know, I've had (as with many others on here) bouts with extreme CRF (cancer related fatigue) and have struggled for the last year and some change with my energy levels.

I have posted several times on here for advice on this condition and due to the advice have been tested for my thyroid (still not testing in low range), testosterone levels (tested low, thanks Brian) and have had multiple blood draws to find culprits for the issue so far out of radiation. Where my life has been drastically changed by the cancer (I know, welcome to the club there) my quality of life has been so negatively affected by the fatigue my frustration levels have gone through the roof.

As a former athlete and younger guy, I prided myself in my physical conditioning before cancer. I still ran several miles a few times weekly, coached wrestling and continued to train myself and my boys in mixed martial arts. During treatment I lost 70lbs of mostly lean muscle mass and have had a horrible time putting that weight back on. After Brian suggested my testosterone levels be checked and found to be extremely low (125 where norm is between 225-1100 I believe) I was put on Androderm patches and was able to gain some weight back. The patches helped me to gain weight but also recover from physical activity, which would usually put me down for days afterwards, however had little impact on my energy levels to start with. My PCP believes it's my thyroid but due to not testing low, I'm unable to get on synthyroid to see if that helps relieve the issue.

As I am still on opiate pain medication, I found that I could take a few 5mg oxycodone tabs (not recommended by the way but I was desperate)along with coffee and I would be able to function for about 4 or 5 hours or so before crashing, usually very hard. I found myself in a situation where I needed to drive to Seattle (7hr trip) alone and getting hopped up on opiates just didn't sound like a good idea (I'm slow, I know). As a former Seattleite, I'm happily addicted to good coffee and never feel the caffiene boosts anymore, so I knew that I would not benefit from vivarin or tons of coffee (tried this several times), but needed something that would get me through it.

Enter 5 Hour Energy, (this is not a paid advertisement, I'll list the downsides to it here shortly) I had seen the tv ads and never even considered it before, however at this point I was willing to try it. After perusing the ingredients and being shocked at the amounts of B vitamins in it (not a good thing) noticed it wasn't full of sugar though so really thought if I had two handy I'd be able to make the trip.

Normally when I'm fatigued, I have a really weak feeling in my legs and they are rather shaky and I'm mentally tired, a few moments after drinking this truly awful tasting 2oz shot, the feeling in my legs subsided and I felt mentally sharp. I ended up cruising through the roadtrip without incidence AND in record time...without feeling jittery or anxious at all AND on only one shot of this horrid elixer. No crash, energy wise or vehicular!

In my week in Seattle I used it only one other time (to go shopping before making the trip back) and again, the fatigue/exhaustion issues faded from my legs and mentally. In fact just before writing this I was experiencing the crushing fatigue/exhaustion and took a shot and voila, energy. I had picked up a 6pack at Wally's for under $12, I think I paid above $3 per shot at a gas station.

Now the bad on this product. It uses caffiene ("equivelant to a cup of premium coffee", around 200mg) and a huge amount of B vitamins (3,6,9 &12) to deliver this energy. You can OD on large amounts of B vitamins if taken over time and not properly flushing your system with water and the effects of OD can be quite nasty, I'm sure there are people on this forum more knowledgeable then I in these matters and I hope for their input here.

To wrap this up, the product worked for me and is a better solution then what I was dangerously doing before. The other "energy drinks" like RedBull etc...I have no experience with but would like to hear if anyone has tried it and if it helps CRF. Until they get to the bottom of my fatigue issues or my body gets passed them, I've at least found a short term solution in pressing situations.

Please give me your input, but lets keep this civil to. I've admitted to abusing my pain meds here (dangerously so and I do understand I have an issue there) and that puts me in the idiot box, I know this so please save the verbal lashings.

Eric