Energy drinks can cause caffeine intoxication

Energy drinks have been popular for years, and the market keeps expanding. Some people drink them like they would soda -- during breakfast, lunch, dinner and as snacks. But there is such a thing as too much energy. A study published today in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence delivers a stern warning about the possibility of caffeine intoxication from energy drinks.

"The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a 10-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola, yet the caffeine amounts are unlabeled and few include warnings about potential health risks of caffeine intoxication," said one of the study's authors, Roland Griffiths of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

A regular 12-ounce cola drink has about 35 milligrams of caffeine. A 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 80 to 150 milligrams of caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration imposes limits on how much caffeine food products can contain (71 milligrams for each 12-ounce can). But energy drinks are designated as dietary supplements, not food products. Thus, manufacturers of energy drinks can load their products with caffeine. Moreover, says Chad Reissig, another of the study's authors: "It's notable that over-the-counter caffeine-containing products require warning labels, yet energy drinks do not."

Caffeine intoxication is a recognized clinical syndrome. It is described as nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heartbeat, restlessness and pacing. In rare cases, caffeine intoxication can cause death. See this Mayo Clinic report on caffeine side effects and this L.A. Times story on energy drinks that was written by a doctor.

The authors of the study have called for labeling on energy drinks to inform consumers of what they are getting. Advertising for energy drinks is aimed at teens and young adults and promotes the drinks as performance enhancers. Recently, however, some manufacturers have applied a harder edge to their marketing. One product is named Cocaine, and another product, a powdered energy drink sold in a vial, is named Blow. The makers of both products have received warning letters from the FDA about misleading advertising.

But occasional hand-slaps from the FDA are not enough. Besides caffeine intoxication, the use of energy drinks along with alcohol can be dangerous, the Johns Hopkins researchers say. A recent survey found that 27% of college students said they had mixed energy drinks and alcohol at least once a month. There is even some evidence, says Griffiths, that energy drinks may serve as a "gateway" product leading to more serious drug abuse.

- Shari Roan

Photo credit: PR NewsFolo/Rexam

Comments

[Bri]

Wow! It takes 5000 milligrams of caffeine to even be dangerous to a human. Causing death...Highly unlikely. Sounds like this reporter is a hypochondriac. Energy drinks being a gateway drug. Come on lets get real here. If the FDA is sending out warnings for suggestive labels they should send a warning to the makers of the beverage COKE. How did Coca Cola get its name again...

[billy bob]

stop writing stupid articles like this

[Larry]

The few accounts I've heard of caffeine overdoses really really suck. It doesn't have to be any where near a lethal dose to suck really badly. On par with a bad acid trip including hallucinations, the sheer physical misery makes it unlikely someone can be talked down into having a good trip.

[Mastermind]

Bah, I drink a minimum of 12 cups of home brewed, extra strong, coffee everyday. Sometimes more. I also happen to eat a lot of sugary snacks. I've never needed an energy drink but I'm sure not afraid of them or of getting to much ccaffeine.

The info about caffeine being a gateway drug is actually quite old and another generally recognized gateway drug is sugar. I'm addicted to both.

I suspect the larger the jolts of caffeine the bigger the addiction is. Now it's more like selling cigs to kids as they get addicted to the caffeine and just keep buying the high priced energy drinks.

Wasn't that a great marketing plan?

[steve1111]

This is ridiculous. How can an energy drink be a gateway drug? What, you need more so you go back to the gas station and ask for the next best thing? It was a waste of my time to read this. I don't even know why I am commenting. I am going to ask Google News to not post latimesblogs on their site anymore. That's how stupid this article is.

[Anon]

Bet the author also thinks salvia is like LSD....

[Paul]

I have worked in the nutrition and food technology profession for more than 25 years and I am considered an expert in the field. Many of these so-called "energy" drinks not only contain high levels of caffeine, but also a plethora of ingredients that are technically classified as dietary supplements such as vitamins, herbal extracts and synthesized singular amino acids. Many of these ingredients now come from China and have never been tested for their interaction with caffeine or the numerous compounds commonly used in soft drinks such as HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) sweetener, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, colorings etc. The FDA provides no means for pre-approval of these "energy" drinks and the formulations are highly questionable in my humble opinion. I have spoken with many people who have experienced odd side effects while using these products. There is no such thing as free "energy". If you can avoid these products, please do.

[Stang96]

Are you serious???? A gateway drug??? "Wow, this red bull is great, maybe I should try a Jager Bomb!!!!!"

[c]

For those who actually care to read the original article...

Reissig, C.J., et al., Caffeinated energy drinks—A growing problem. Drug Alcohol Depend (2008)

[R Tray]

Wow, if you think that excessive caffeine isn't bad for you, then you're probably beyond hope. Let's see - it makes your heartbeat artificially faster normal. Think about it. It's the new nicotine.

[Matt - Pharm Student]

Hold on... I'm laughing so hard I can barely type. Gosh, you know that the news has to be pretty lame, once people start calling caffeine a gateway drug. Hahahahahaha!

[Venu Taya]

Everything in excess is bad, samething with caffinated drinks....

[pudentane]

Is food a gateway drug to obesity?

[Chris Brown]

Take away Our Caffeine? What's Next? Even Mom would let us drink coffie! I quit caffeine once for 3mo.--needless to say, I was not a happy camper, wakeing up each morning was harder than it use to be (not that it was easy before) Also, time in the throne room took longer each morning! I was missrable! Who is it that plots what can be done to make people more missrable? They really hit the nail on the head this time! COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF!!! I'm having a hot cup of joe! And just maybe an energy drink too! GOT IT!!!

[Freon]

Breathing excessive quantities of air (hyperventilating) causes dizziness and loss of motor control due to the oxygen causing CO2-depletion intoxication. Shockingly, the quantity of oxygen in the air is not controlled by our government. Hyperventilation may also be a "gateway" activity, leading to sniffing of sweatsocks and bicycle seats.

[Bill]

Many years ago, an acquaintance of mine said that he and his druggie friends in college had tried smoking caffeine, figuring that just as other drugs like coca have qualitatively different effects when you eat the raw leaf or ingest the refined powder or smoke the refined powder. You Do Not Want To Try This At Home - he said all of the bad effects of caffeine intoxication hit very quickly, and it was Not Fun At All.

Meanwhile, who drinks little 6-ounce cups of coffee except at tea parties when you've got the fancy china out? Most of my coffee mugs are 10-12 oz, and when I'm at a coffee shop or convenience store I'm usually getting 16-20 oz (though often that's 2-3 shots of espresso and the rest milk.)

[CMK]

My wife refers to these drinks as "Liquid Crack" and I am addicted. They have replaced my coffee habit.

[sarah]

I knew a guy who was an active meth addict who would drink sparks(an energy drink+malt liquor) or red bull when he didn't have any meth.

[sarah]

I knew a guy who was an active meth addict who would drink sparks(an energy drink+malt liquor) or red bull when he didn't have any meth.

[Curly]

It is unwise to hype warnings. If it is true then something needs to be done about it. If not it should not be printed. It is like the little boy who hollered wolf to many times. When there was a wolf the villagers did not come because they they thought it was just another hoax!

[donsmith7777]

I believe every word.

Just try a couple of those "energy drinks" yourself, and I mean 2... prepare for bad things to happen.

Pure caffeine, that can't be good on a growing body.

Another problem that industry could care less about is how so many young people are blowing out there hearing, at a very early age, with WAY, WAY too much volume whithe there mp3 player earbuds.

I belong to a gym and it IS Crazy how loud they have the volume.

Our government gives squat about our American youth's health.

[Lee Larson]

I HAVEN'T HAD ANY CAFFEINE SINCE JANUARY OF 1996. THE DOCTORS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM LOOKED AT MY HEART RATE OF 180 (IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 70) AND TOLD ME THAT A SIX-PACK OF COKE A DAY WAS TABOO. I'VE BEEN AS SOLID AS A ROCK EVER SINCE THE DAY I STOPPED DRINKING ANYTHING WITH CAFFEINE IN IT.

[Steve]

I cant see why anyone is upset over this article. Caffeine can be dangerous to our bodies in high doses. Also the gateway comment has been taken way out of context. All she is saying is that, If kids think doing "blow" is cool, it will make it that much easier for them to give in when the time comes.
"I quit caffeine once for 3mo.--needless to say, I was not a happy camper... I was missrable!"

That is because you're addicted;)

[matt]

I know energy drinks are not always healthy, but a gateway? Well, I guess thats why every time I drink one I itch for some blow...

[Rania]

I'm so telling my brother about this article. My brother drinks these things like there's no tommorow.

My brother does have trouble sleeping at night and he had stomach problems for over a year now. I believe now that his energy drinking might be the cause of his health problems

[Brian Huntsbarger]

Did they mention restlessness twice?

[A. Luis Castelo]

As a family doctor I've seen a lot of people intoxicated with caffeine.
I think Caffeine products should be simply banned.
The only healthfull drinks are water and natural fruit juices.
All the rest is made to make money.
Thank you.
A. Luis Castelo, MD.

[Ben]

List to Paul - the nutrition and food technology professional. My wife has a degree in bio-chem and supplied lab instrumentation to agencies like the FDA, CDC, private "nutritual companies", drug companies,
generic drug companies, etc. She was shocked at the lack of sophistication and testing by "nutritional " companies and generic drug companies alike. But the "nutrition"
companies don't even come under the FDA and the ingredients do not have to have a country of origin label. In many cases even food companies get a bag of liquid vitamin D from
some unknown source who is cheap and they just dump it into their vat and mix it into the food or herbal supplement. You are nuts if you think this stuff is being tested by the companies that are using them - especially the nutritional companies which tend to come and go on a frequent basis. Be forewarned by those that work in the industry and listen to the news you hear about from China with regards to heparin and melamine. These ingredients come from China.

[Mym]

Where was the article about Starbucks and expresso/latte-induced caffeine intoxication over the last 20 years?

Oh yeah, that didn't occur even though 1000x more people were downing 4-6 of those on a regular basis. But that was a "safe" drug called "coffee".

Never mind that that the entire concept of "gateway drugs" has been completely discredited by science anyway.

The lack of critical thinking and basic research skills in today's so-called journalists is appalling!

Most likely though, Starbucks was a big LA Times advertiser but Redbull isn't now (or maybe they dropped the LA Times and this
is a "hit piece" in retaliation). That's the way that TV works these days. That's how radio works these days. That's how newspapers work these days.

This is why I don't waste my time anymore with "Mainstream Media". I see articles like these on the web and I'm reminded
why I canceled my newspaper and cable, and why getting rid of my TV and never listening to radio was such good idea.

[D-wall]

ha ha only 27% have tried it? i think your going to the wrong parties and asking the wrong people. im thinking its more in the 80%-90% range...

[RobB]

Articles like this make you wonder at the intelligence of these people...gateway??? Really...like we need distractions from the REAL issues that people face everyday. If you are afraid of your kids drinking these "gateway" drinks, then BE A PARENT and try this... "NO, you can't have one!"...it works, I've done it myself! As for adults, let them be adults and make their own choices. The FDA is a bureaucratic joke. People on power trips. No one takes accountability for themselves. Labels are printed on so many things, but seriously, honestly, do you think that everyone reads every label before consuming? NO. BUT, its quite convenient later when the “diverse side-effects” kick inand they find that its NOT on the label they didn’t read…LAWSUIT TIME! Then all the rest of the consumers get to pay for their ignorance, and the fact that their metabolism or body chemistry reacted differently than the millions of people that’s consumed the same thing a hundred times without any diverse effect…its all a waste of our money, self-proclaimed “EXPERTS” or not, no one can now how something will effect EVERYONE…people have adverse effects…some people are allergic to nuts, some to bee stings, I can’t stand Timothy Grass. I react badly enough to it that I could have a severe asthma attack and die without treatment, but I am not on the internet proclaiming that every farmer to label every bail of hay with its grass mixture!!! Let’s get real…we are in financial crisis, meth & drug use is running rampant…and we need the government to come in and save us all from the evils of energy drinks!?!?!

[RobB]

Hi, my name is "X", and I have an energy drink problem.

I’ve been abusing energy drinks for over three years now, and its effected my work, my finances, the time I spend with my kids…It has infected nearly every aspect of my life.

It started off as light social behavior…seeing “cool” people drinking them, the commercials on TV…so one morning after no sleep I thought “What the heck…how can it hurt?”. That’s how it started. When at work I couldn’t keep up with the mere 16 hour days back to back to back during inventory, I had to have a few drinks. When I couldn’t keep doing 12 hour workdays on just 3-4 hours of sleep a night for weeks on end, unless I had a few drinks…The boss’s started noticing my behavior, and that became the expectation. The work kept on piling up, with no end in sight, and the whole department paid for my abuse…

Pretty soon, my wife noticed the change. Staying awake at the dinner table…playing with the kids after work…going for walks…she knew something had changed me. Was still changing me. She started watching how I spent her money, every little cent of it. She began reviewing the debit receipts, knowing, fearing, that she was going to find my drink of choice on them. I was spending $9, sometimes $12, a week at “The Mart” that carried a good ready supply of my choice drink. Every morning it became a routine. A cycle of addiction.

Even the kids were noticing these changes. Getting on the floor with them and wrestling around, playing catch, teaching them how to ride their bikes, going to their games & meets…they knew it wasn’t the same lackadaisical father as before. Their listless, droopy eyed, grumpy, “leave me alone!” daddy was gone! And maybe forever…

Yes, the other dad’s hated me, being involved with the kids and their activities and schools. They started to talk. I heard talk that I was the guy that their wives compared them to…”Why don’t you play with the kids like he does”… “I bet he doesn’t just lounge in the recliner all day watching football!”… “I see him at all his kids’ games!”. I stopped getting invited to the weekend football games and the fishing trips because I had lost my “6-pack” beer belly due to the increased metabolism and activities. The looks were awful…the silence from my friends was worse.

I understand now that this cycle somehow needs to stop. I also know that I can’t do it alone…where and how do I start…?

[Tom]

There should be a warning label if the caffeine content is significantly higher than coke. It's just a label, not a sales restriction. It's surprising how small a dose of something needs to be to be fatal. Healthy people have been killed by drinking as little as 3 litres of water.

[Snarling C]

I suffered the end results of caffiene intoxication when I was in college. I thought it was a ritual of college - at some point you have a paper due the next day, you're tired and you think "If two nodoz are good 5 must be better." Then you get the jitters and your heart races and you want to puke and you're absolutely miserable for hours.

Lesson learned when I was 18.

Anyone who has suffered from caffiene intoxication doesn't want to go there again. It's not a happy place.

I'm not going to worry about this one, the misery of a mild case of caffiene intoxication is so bad that it pretty much guarantees that ingesting enough to do real harm is highly unlikely unless the invidivdual in question has the intent of doing drastic self-harm.

[bern futscher]

These "energy drinks" are so sad. Let's see - come up with a high-priced marketing strategy to get people to spend 3 - 4x times than they normally would for high fructose corn syrup, caffeine, and the magic elixirs of taurine or ginseng. Rampant mindless consumption by the American public. Who would have thought? No-Doz and sugar are better and cheaper, simply not marketed as "cooly" as rockStar or RedBull or any of the other dumb stuff people are willing to open their wallet for. Based on the economy, it'll be interesting to see if people continue to buy it.

[dangerous]

The comments here bashing the article have apparently never had someone they love experience a epileptic seizure induced by these concoctions. That's correct, no previous history of epilepsy, a couple of red bulls later, on the ground with 50 stitches in the head and a nice chunk missing out of the side of your tongue. These reactions are all over the web, published by various academics if you take the time to look. What ever is in these things is driven by consumers, not by a nutritionist or a doctor. Who knows what the hell taurine , ginsing , and caffiine can cause in an otherwise healthy individual? Well some scientists and doctors do, because they took the time to do the research. I don't believe in prohibition at all, on the contrary, I believe in full availability and disclosure. Marketing this stuff as safe is criminally negligent and people need to be warned.

[Sam]

I believe these products are worse than a gateway drug, they are already as bad as meth and the other 'speed' drugs.

It's about time these products are being called for what they really are, a drug. And they haven't even begone to cover the adverse effects that the other ingredients being combined in these products are doing to the consumer. Hypertension is just the begining, as well as stomach ailments and even heart problems can arise from over consumption.

I have seen far to many of my coworkers become additicted to these drinks already. While more and more aggressive behavoir, physical and verbal fights, between them and thier coworkers have been plagueing our workforces, and yes even wallstreet behavior is effected, yet no one want to address the problem directly. Why? because there's big money in drug addiction and money is also a drug that addicts.

[Stephanie]

"Did they mention restlessness twice?

Posted by: Brian Huntsbarger | September 25, 2008 at 04:28 AM"

Yes, they did!

Maybe the copy editor should have had another cup of coffee before this went to press!

[Cru]

Is being an alarmist tiring?

[Ivan]

In general, I have the sense that most folks know their limits. I have seen plenty of people push those limits from time to time but even those who have developed some (what many would also consider) bad habits, seem to know that it's a choice.

Personally, I get pretty offended at the suggestion that I need to be regulated by legislation to prevent me from getting fat, anxious, drunk, depressed or whatever. I have what is called 'self control' and I don't need anyone telling me what to do. I think the act of saving people from themselves is little more than flagrant self righteousness masquerading as 'noble intent' especially when attempting to do so vicariously using the long arm of the law.

This logic is along the same lines as holding gun manufacturers culpable for the acts of people who have used their products to commit crimes or passing the responsibility for gamblers' losses on to a Casino.

Personal accountability is the answer. Anything else is a concession to the regulation of freedoms based upon the subjective decision making processes of other human beings. Being able to identify the relationship between circumstance and consequence is often difficult when one's judgment is impaired by the effects of substance use but I wonder whether having a desire to have power over others is any less of a distortion.

[sebass]

Yeah, Coke used to be sponsored by our own government to add insignificant but yet still dangerous doses to of cocaine to their soda during the great depression, how come they're still on the market?
My uncle works for Monster and he knows that each of their ingredients is save by in the doses they serve but i couldn't help but laugh when i saw an idividual chugg 3 cans at once just to end up in the hospital.
The real problems is with OD not the drinks themselves.

[Concerned Doc]

Perhaps if you folks saw someone in the ER or Intensive Care from these things you might take it more seriously.

The fact is that it is more dangerous than the general public wants to think. And worse.....when people who know the facts actually say something, they (we) get put down for it.

Regardless of the FDA etc, your doctors are telling you the reality here....you should listen.

[Larry L.]

Just tell us how much caffeine is in these things. When I'm driving long-distance, sometimes I can use a boost - a real boost, not hype. An alternative to coffee sounds good, but some of these beverages have much less caffeine than coffee.

[Larry L.]

Just tell us how much caffeine is in these things. When I'm driving long-distance, sometimes I can use a boost - a real boost, not hype. An alternative to coffee sounds good, but some of these beverages have much less caffeine than coffee.

[Chaz]

The first commenter cites "It takes 5000 milligrams of caffeine to even be dangerous to a human. " Did you even read the articles? Try 500-1000. That's only two cans of some of these drinks. And a synergistic effect of some other legal drug will lower that limit even further.

Get real. This is just one more addiction our out of control culture has. Anyone ever think of sleeping more, naps? The only thing caffeine does is make a jittery sleepy person.

[Frank]

Believe it or Not!

There are formulators out there that have a better bad choice.
Way less caffeine, and fewer ingredients.
It was coffee for the baby boomers.
The coffee debate was big too once.
Now its energy drinks for gen X & Y.
Might really be the better choice.

I've switched to the better bad choice
with the better formulators.
Look for them in google.
Frank.

[RobB]

Personal accountability...There are warnings on EVERY can of energy drink that says clearly that its not safe for those sensitive to caffeine...not safe for pregnant women...etc...My drink of choice, Monster, recommends not to exceed so many servings in a 24 hour period on their own can...So some idiot thinks its cool to chug three in a row, or gets an energy drink even though they are "sensitive to caffiene" and has a reaction, therefor the rest of America must pay higher taxes for the goverment to regulate these things, for lawyers and judges to pass laws, and pay higher prices when we buy the product on top of that?? C'mon people...

And that's nice that some people can take nappies when they get sleepy...but some have things that have to get done, babies, kids, jobs, etc...and we arent so lucky, so a $2.00 can energy drink is a small price to pay to actually be aware of whats going on around you. BUT, you know, them being a gateway drug...I have been thinking about meth/speed lately...these energy drinks are good, but I think i need something...more...*

*Note: That was sarcasm, for those who need the government to think for them.

[Dorothy Minichiello]

This article is terribly misleading. First of all, the biggest problem with energy drinks is not the caffeine but the chemicals that are in the drink itself. Most energy drinks have MSG or Natural Flavorings which are highly addictive. MSG is a known neuro-toxin that literally excites yours cells to death. This article describes caffeine intoxication symptoms which to me are the same symptoms that occur after consuming a nice big dose of MSG! I would avoid all of the energy drinks because of MSG/Natural Flavorings intoxication...Caffeine doesn't scare me as much. Besides, you would have to have quite a lot of caffeine for what the writer has described yet very little MSG for this same effect.

[Oly]

People perish because of lack of knowledge,
I read this somewhere and It has stuck with me.
We are in a hurried world and don't pay attention to labels and how much caffeine a drink has.

Remember a Disease is a process of time, you don't get sick in one drink, one day and maybe not even a year,
Keep drinking these drinks and you WILL get diabetes, alzeihmers, cancer,
and a whole host of other complications in our body.

READ READ, you only have one body, take care of it or it will turn on you.

Oly

[Sherry]

These products are a gateway drug. What else do you call something that alters your body and mind like these things do? There are definite tests on what a drug is. Just because you label something an "energy drink" doesn't mean it is not a drug. Heck, look what industry has done to the word "natural" and "organic".

These "energy drinks" actually burn your adrenals out so you are borrowing tomorrows energy from your body. I agree with some others here too that all the chemicals in these "energy" drinks are even more a culprit than the caffiene, particularly preservatives and food colorings. Nasty stuff. Wouldn't put this stuff into my body for anything.

Want a real boost? Get some real sleep and sunlight on your body and eat more raw foods (whether you are a meat eater or a vegetarian these things apply).