The risks of drinking too much caffeine

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Senator Chuck Schumer is asking the FDA to investigate the caffeine levels of Prime energy drinks.

Prime launched in January of 2022, it was created by influencers Logan Paul and KSI. Prime has a drink that does not have caffeine called hydration.

The energy drink contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, which is six times the amount of caffeine in a can of Coca-Cola.

Doctor Chris Holstege, Medical Director for UVA Health Blue Ridge Poison Center said depending on the dose of caffeine it can speed up your heart rate and keep you awake. In severe cases, caffeinated drinks can cause seizures, or even irregular heartbeat and death. He added that there are a lot of beverages out there with large amounts of caffeine.

“They are talking about this with energy drinks we certainly see this with some of the coffees out there too can be pretty high in content with caffeine and there are some high caffeinated teas that are out there.” said Holstege.

Holstege said one argument he thinks we will see out of this debate is that one company is being vilified over another because there are a lot of high caffeinated drinks out there.

There are a lot of factors that play into how someone may react to varying levels of caffeine, according to Holstege.

Medications including ADHD medication, health conditions, the time of day, and the time period in between consuming caffeine can all be a factor in the reactions that come from consuming caffeinated beverages, said Holstege.

Holstege added there are signs to look out for if your child is drinking too much caffeine.

“If they take this close to bed time they are not going to sleep. Being really anxious, tremulous, having a resting tremor where the hands are shaking. Complaining about having palpitations or my heart feels like it is racing.” said Holstege.

Holstege stated it is important to be aware of what your child is consuming and to check labels to see how many milligrams of caffeine a product has.

He recommends being cautious if a drink has more than 100 milligrams of caffeine and said moderation is important when it comes to caffeine.

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