Man suffered heart failure after drinking two litres of energy drink a day

A man suffered heart failure after drinking two litres of energy drink a day.

The British Medical Journal Case Reports detailed how a young man experienced heart problems after downing a hefty amount of the liquid every day for two years.

Doctors in London reported transferring the man in his 20s to intensive care after he experienced four months of worsening shortness of breath, breathlessness while lying down, and weight loss.

Further tests also revealed that the London native had a history of suffering from bouts of indigestion, tremor, and heart palpitations; however, he never sought medical attention.

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The young man admitted that he had been drinking two litres of energy drink daily over the past couple of years.

Overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system by the caffeine contents may have contributed to his symptoms, as energy drinks can raise blood pressure and elicit heart rhythm abnormalities, according to the authors of the report.

The patient added that his habit even interfered with his education and forced him to drop out of university as he could not concentrate.

The man reported to doctors that he would experience severe migraines without drinking energy drinks, making it difficult for him to stop consuming them.

“I was eventually admitted to the ICU," the man recalled in the report.

"This experience was extremely traumatising for several reasons. First, I was suffering from delirium, I had memory problems to such an extent I could not remember why I was in the ICU.

"Second, I was constantly scared because I was struggling to move or speak, this eventually led to insomnia; I often would not fall asleep until early morning."

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He added: “Finally, I often became frustrated when I couldn’t think of the words to say when I wanted something and this often led to me becoming overwhelmed with emotions such as anxiety and depression."

Upon further examination, doctors found the patient had both heart and kidney failure.

It was believed that the kidney failure was due to a separate ongoing health issue; however, doctors suspect it's linked to excessive energy drink consumption.

Initially, medics thought the patient would need a combined heart and kidney transplantation, but his symptoms improved once he began taking medication and cutting the energy drinks out.

“I think there should be more awareness about energy drinks and the effect of their contents,” the patient concluded.

“I believe they are very addictive and far too accessible to young children.”

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