Caffeinated energy drink intoxication

Abstract

SummaryIn recent years an increasing number of different energy drinks have been introduced to provide an energy boost. They contain high levels of caffeine and other additives that act as stimulants. Several recent studies present that energy drinks could increase the risk of seizures, acid-base disorders and cardiovascular events. The authors report a 28-year-old man who was brought to the emergency room after sudden onset of tonic-clonic seizures and metabolic acidosis after drinking several cans of a caffeinated energy drink. The authors believe that this clinical picture was caused by caffeine intoxication from an energetic drink causing a syndrome of catecholamine excess. The patient was discharged within a week with no complaints and no neurological signs. Finally, recognising the features of caffeine intoxication and its potential health consequences may be especially relevant when treating younger persons who may be more likely to consume energy drinks.

The impact of sleep loss on the facilitation of seizures: A prospective case-crossover study

“…A range of case reports have been published, exclusively in young people (up to age 28 years) (Calabro et al, 2011;Trabulo et al, 2011). Even though caffeine is commonly used as a stimulant to restore alertness after sleep deprivation, the amount of pre-ictal dietary caffeine was not increased in our study, thus indicating that caffeine is not a common contributor to the events leading to a seizure.…”

“…In our material, there was no difference in the proportion of patients without habitual caffeine intake who ingested caffeine prior to the seizure (four of 29 patients) compared to caffeine users who denied intake on the day of the seizure (22 of 145 patients). Unfortunately, in the published cases of seizures associated with high caffeine intake, habitual caffeine intake was only rarely reported [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Several of these patients were teenagers, who possibly might drink less coffee or tea on a daily basis than adults.…”

“…Modern energy drinks containing high amounts of caffeine and typically other additives, such as taurine, herbal supplements, vitamins and guarana, may compound the stimulant effects of caffeine (Mattson, 2013). Animal models (Chu, 1981;Cutrufo, 1992;Gomes et al, 1999) and case reports suggest that excessive caffeine intake may precipitate seizures (Bonhila and Li, 2004;Calabrò et al, 2012;Cleary et al, 2012;Trabulo et al, 2011). Caffeine binds to presynaptic adenosine receptors, but unlike adenosine, the final breakdown product of adenosine triphosphate, which slows down neuronal firing when the cells run low on energy, caffeine allows continued neuronal stimulation (Ferre et al, 1991;Fredholm and Dunwiddie, 1988).…”

“…Acute caffeine exposure has also been shown to diminish the seizureprotective effects of various antiepileptic drugs in electroshock-and pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsions in animal models [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Furthermore, several case reports suggest that excessive caffeine intake may precipitate seizures in some patients with epilepsy [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

Caffsim: simulation of plasma caffeine concentrations implemented as an R package and Web-applications

“…[4] and several reports have associated caffeinated-drink ingestion with serious caffeine intoxication. [5,6] In most of cases of emergency room visits related to caffeine intoxication, the patients present with tachyarrhythmia and involves consumption of extremely high doses of caffeine (> 3 mg/kg). [3] Recently, a series of investigations of high caffeine exposure in adolescents revealed behavioral consequences including sleep-pattern change.…”