ER visits tied to energy drinks double since 2007

[Hum]

SAN FRANCISCO ? A new government survey suggests the number of people seeking emergency treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years, the same period in which the supercharged drink industry has surged in popularity in convenience stores, bars and on college campuses.

From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates the number of emergency room visits involving the neon-labeled beverages shot up from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of those cases involved teens or young adults, according to a survey of the nation's hospitals released late last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The report doesn't specify which symptoms brought people to the emergency room but calls energy drink consumption a "rising public health problem" that can cause insomnia, nervousness, headache, fast heartbeat and seizures that are severe enough to require emergency care.

Several emergency physicians said they had seen a clear uptick in the number of patients suffering from irregular heartbeats, anxiety and heart attacks who said they had recently downed an energy drink.

More than half of the patients considered in the survey who wound up in the emergency room told doctors they had downed only energy drinks. In 2011, about 42 percent of the cases involved energy drinks in combination with alcohol or drugs, such as the stimulants Adderall or Ritalin.

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[remixedcat]

It's mostly people that drink alky and then drank a redbull or something.... DONT DO DAT!!!

[jamieakers]

Given Vodka RedBull's have an almost religious following this side of the pond these statistics are hardly surprising!

[Buttus]

the headline should read "Drinking too much of anything is bad for you."

[Azusa]

the headline should read "Drinking too much of anything is bad for you."

tru dat!

just to add it wouldn't surprise me if most if not all the people who had to seek medical attention were all fratboys who mix it with god knows what.

[peacemf]

most ppl who drink it arent running, they arent exercising, they are sitting and watching tv or getting hammered.

it says energy drink!......

you wouldnt drink milk of magnesia with vodka would you???!!

[compl3x]

It's mostly people that drink alky and then drank a redbull or something.... DONT DO DAT!!!

By alky I assume you mean alcohol. People don't drink booze then later drink energy drink, they mix the two! Chaos usually ensues.

Given Vodka RedBull's have an almost religious following this side of the pond these statistics are hardly surprising!

It is the same here is Australia. So many people, generally women, down these drinks and get into all types of trouble. Drinking a stimulant and a depressant together is a recipe for disaster. It's essentially a liquid speedball

I fear in a few years the real damage of of these energy drinks is going to become known and the diagnosis for those who consume them daily is going to be dire.

[hckngrtfakt]

My sister in law, and myself, both lost the gallbladder due to heavy "Monster" drinking (yeah, i used to abuse that stuff)

:pinch:

[Azusa]

My sister in law, and myself, both lost the gallbladder due to heavy "Monster" drinking (yeah, i used to abuse that stuff)

:pinch:

awwww hell i drink that like water some times.

[Colin McGregor]

When I dislocated my shoulder in a fight I was at the hospital and the dr was telling a nurse he just had to basically restart a kids heart for mixing redbull and vodka. I never got the energy drink hype myself. Even as a student studying 20 hours a day I would get my 4 hours sleep and be good to go, or sleep 6 and lose 2 hours studying. Theres no need to stay awake longer then your body wants to be. No job in the world is worth it.

[fusi0n]

I remember my first night out at a club.. I broke up with my girlfriend of 5 and a half years, and my sister and my friends wanted to take me out.. Never really been a big drinker before.. Anyway I was drinking Vodka Tonics and was getting tired around 2AM and told my friend I was getting tired.. He said, "I'll be right back".. He came back and told me to drink this, I drank it, it was damn good and he told me it was Redbull Vokda, I was like.. OK!.. I knew I had some minor heart conditions at the time but I didn't care.. I was young and dumb.. Well, I picked up the club life and that was my drink of choice (now I can't drink the stuff.. drank too many times.. but when to the doctor a few months ago and found out I know have an enlarged heart from my Thyroid not working and from the test results, it wasn't working for years and caused my heart to enlarge.. I was told to never drink energy drinks every again. I have a pretty enlarged heart.. lol but its all good I guess.. Just glad I am getting my health back in order.. Already lost 25 pounds in 3 months! Go me!!

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

It's not a good idea to mix an energy drink with alcohol or caffeine but it happens a lot. One that comes to mind is mixing J?germeister with Red Bull to create a J?gerbomb. What ends up happening is people drink more than they usually would and they crash and burn.

[fusi0n]

It's not a good idea to mix an energy drink with alcohol or caffeine but it happens a lot. One that comes to mind is mixing J?germeister with Red Bull to create a J?gerbomb. What ends up happening is people drink more than they usually would and they crash and burn.

Vegasbombs are like thee.. damn I love those lol

[XerXis]

Contrary to popular belief most energy drinks don't contain that much caffeine. Cofee drinkers have a much larger intake of that stuff. Energy drinks do however contain enough sugar to make everyone an instant diabetic. Drinking that every day is really asking to get in trouble later in life

Contrary to popular belief most energy drinks don't contain that much caffeine. Cofee drinkers have a much larger intake of that stuff. Energy drinks do however contain enough sugar to make everyone an instant diabetic. Drinking that every day is really asking to get in trouble later in life

[compl3x]

Contrary to popular belief most energy drinks don't contain that much caffeine.

Really? Who said so? I thought the problem was they were bursting with caffeine.

[McKay]

Really? Who said so? I thought the problem was they were bursting with caffeine.

I thought a can of Relentless/Rockstar/Monster contained as much caffeine as 2 cups of coffee?

[compl3x]

I thought a can of Relentless/Rockstar/Monster contained as much caffeine as 2 cups of coffee?

That is what I thought. I know energy drinks contain stuff like guarana which if rich in caffiene. I thought the extreme levels of caffeine was the problem.

[XerXis]

Really? Who said so? I thought the problem was they were bursting with caffeine.

A cup of espresso contains 50% more caffeine than a can of monster

http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database

[compl3x]

A cup of espresso contains 50% more caffeine than a can of monster

http://www.energyfie...ffeine-database

Is that just compared to that brand or generally amongst all enegry drink brands.

Plus, espressos aren't consumed with alcohol or during the day. Energy drinks are recreational at this point.

[XerXis]

Oh, i used the wrong column. Still my point stays. The caffeine isn't that extreme, the sugar levels are though

[draklin]

So you are saying I should stop drinking the Monster in my hand? Yeah, not going to happen. Though honestly I really only average 2 cans a week. And besides, if i didn't die from the 6 shots of espresso per cafe mocha i did on a daily basis in college, this monster has no chance to affect me.

[ArialBlue]

I felt sick after drinking 3/4 of a large Monster.