Many of us consume energy drinks throughout the day in order to stay alert and on-task, and many of us have heard different rumors that consuming a large quantity of energy drinks could have negative consequences. A recent medical report has documented a case where a teenager that drank two cans of an energy drink on an empty stomach suffered an episode of seizures and possible personal injury.

After burning the midnight oil by studying all night, the 18-year-old man drank two 355 milliliter cans of the energy drink in 30 minutes to wake himself up. Within one hour from drinking the two beverages, the 18-year-old suffered two grand mal seizures. People who suffer grand mal seizures usually have either low blood sugar or epilepsy; both of the conditions stem from unusual electrical activity in the brain. The young man did not have a history of head trauma or seizures and was not on any medications at the time of the incident. There were not any traces of drug use or unusual electrolyte amounts detected in his system.

The 18-year-old was seen in an emergency room and released the same day. One year later the young man had a check-up to measure his condition and did not report any seizure episodes.

The energy drink at issue contains caffeine, a carbohydrate, taurine and glucuronolactone. The drink is designed to counter sleepiness. One can of the energy drink has about the same amount of caffeine that one or two cups of coffee contain. A portion of research on energy drinks suggests the caffeine in the drinks can be problematic because it affects the heart, brain and muscles. Anxiety, palpitations, irritability, gastro-intestinal problems and difficulty concentrating can result from high doses of caffeine.

Seek legal assistance from a Pittsburgh personal injury lawyer if you or a loved one has experienced a similar injury.

Source: Torontosun.com, “Teen Has ‘Seizures’ After Drinking Red Bull,” 10/5/10