Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ed Yeates ReportingDoctors who see patients in emergency rooms are warning young people about caffeine supplements. The American College of Emergency physicians says use of the products, espescially as "waker-uppers," has become widespread and dangerous.
The American College of Emergency Physicians is raising a red flag on these over the counter supplements. For example, these capsules are each packed with 200 milligrams of caffeine, along with a few other ingredients to increase energy and keep you awake.
The ACEP says the supplements have become extremely popular on most college campuses, especially among students trying to study or take exams.
Dawn Portman, U of U Student: "They're like little packets of fruit punch that you can buy and put in water bottles, shake up, except it's got caffeine in it and they are called morning shockers."
Unlike Dawn Portman's powder packets, senior Sterling Ackerman buys what is called Stackers at a nearby 7-Eleven store to keep him awake. He notices reactions if he combines the concentrated caffeine in these capsules with beverages, also containing caffeine.
Sterling Ackerman, U of U Student: "Usually get really hot, sweat a lot or a little bit I should say, sometimes get headaches as well."
But an ACEP study of poison control calls in Chicago observed a lot more symptoms from young people not taking the recommended dose of pills or capsules, but overdosing by taking several at one time or combining them with pharmaceutical drugs.
250 cases involved this kind of misuse of the caffeine supplements. Those hospitalized with heart palpitations and chest pain had perceived the supplements as safe.
The Utah Poison Control Center says almost half its calls on caffeine misuse involved folks who were already in the hands of a paramedic or health professional.
Marty Malheiro, Utah Poison Control Center: "You're going to have a real problem with trembling and shaking, jitteriness, agitation. You won't be able to sit down, you won't be able to study. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. Your heart races and you can't slow it down."
The ACEP study documented dangers only from misuse of the supplements, not from drinking coffee or tea. Northwestern University, which did the Chicago study, says part of the problem is that too many consumers think of caffeine as a food supplement and not as a drug.
