By Richard Harkness
Enquirer contributor

Question: I took an energy drink and energy pills because some of my friends said it gives you all this energy. The next day I felt tired beyond belief. In school, I felt anxious and had the urge to get up and leave. It's been like that for the past week. What do you make of this?

Answer: These highly hyped energy and weight-loss herbal products contain stimulants such as ephedra, caffeine, synephrine and octopamine.

What you experienced might be called a pendulum effect. The stimulants took you way up, then, when the effect wore off, you went way back down. Rather than stopping at neutral, you went further down and felt fatigued and tired. The anxiety attacks may be a temporary residual effect on your nervous system.

Ephedra, particularly in combination with caffeine, has been linked to injuries and deaths, and the Food and Drug Administration wants stronger warnings on product labels.

Due to bad press, marketers are now pushing "ephedra-free" and "caffeine-free" energy products containing other stimulants. This ploy may be little more than a dozen of one and 12 of the other.

These herbal products are essentially unregulated, so you can't be sure what doses (or contaminants) you might be getting. Additionally, some manufacturers may boost stimulant levels far higher than amounts present naturally.

The question you and your friends might consider: Is what I'm getting worth the risks?

West Nile revisited

Here's some additional information on West Nile virus, which I wrote about in a recent column:

• Mosquitoes get the virus by biting infected birds, then transmit it to people.

• Some states have already found mosquitoes carrying the virus as well as infected dead birds.

• Most people who get the virus will not have symptoms. About 20 percent of infected individuals will develop the mild, temporary symptoms of West Nile fever, including fever, headache and body aches.

That said, about 1 in 150 infected individuals will develop the more severe West Nile encephalitis or meningitis, which can cause permanent neurologic damage or death. Symptoms include headache, high fever, stiff neck, muscle weakness, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, coma and paralysis.

The most effective and best-studied mosquito repellent is DEET. Some product labels may show only its longer chemical names: N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide or N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenamide.

Mosquitoes find people to bite by detecting skin odors and carbon dioxide from breath. DEET doesn't kill mosquitoes, it just makes them unable to locate you.

A higher concentration of DEET doesn't mean your protection is better, just that it will last longer. In typical repellent products, DEET concentrations vary from about 5 percent to 24 percent, providing from 1.5 hours to five hours of protection from mosquito bites. Apply DEET only to exposed skin. A shorter-acting product can be reapplied to extend your outdoor time. Report any dead birds you find to the local health department.

E-mail rharkn@aol.com