Energy drinks are one of the most popular beverages among adults. About 30% of people drink them every day. However, they can cause several health issues, mainly cardiovascular issues.
In a viral video, a woman urged viewers to stop drinking energy drinks after her husband suffered a medical emergency because of severe dehydration.
“This is the story of how I’ve become that obnoxious person that tells you that energy drinks are dangerous and that you need to stop drinking them,” TikTok user Meagan (@ladyshreve) starts the video.
A shocking medical emergency
Then, she shared the medical emergency her husband had one night. “One night, at the beginning of January, my husband woke me up in the middle of the night and said he was not feeling great,” she recalls. “His heart was racing, his hands and feet were going numb, and just didn’t feel right.” Initially, the content creator wanted to wait it out because she thought he was having a panic attack. But he thought otherwise.
“‘I think you need to call 911. I think I need to go to the hospital,’” he told her. After she warmed up the car, they drove to the hospital. When she pulled up to the hospital, she explained everything to a hospital worker who took him inside. Once Meagan returned from parking the car, her husband’s symptoms worsened.
“In a matter of less than a minute, he was telling the woman, ‘I think I’m gonna go down’ and he was out,” she says. “His heart stopped.” Immediately, the woman and other medical staff tried to revive him and took him to a room.
“He’s choking, he’s vomiting, he’s choking on it,” she recalls one of the workers saying. To make matters worse, there was nothing she could do. “They told me to sit in this room and they would come get me when they can.”
After running tests on her husband, Meagan was able to see her husband. “He was very very woozy. They had him on fentanyl,” she says. “They ended up breaking his ribs trying to, you know, resuscitate him.”
To make matters worse, they left with no answers. Even after being on a heart monitor for six weeks, there was no answer. However, the cardiologist had an inkling of what the problem was. “It all came down to the fact that they think he was dehydrated and was having too many energy drinks,” Meagan says.
As a result, Meagan urges people to stop drinking energy drinks. “If you’re not gonna do it for yourself, do it for the people in your life,” she says.
Viewers react to the advice
The video amassed 4.9 million views. Viewers in the comments section revealed their thoughts about energy drinks.
“I always had the instinct that energy drinks are NOT a daily thing. They’re a one once in awhile on a low energy day but that’s it! Crazy how people drink SEVERAL a DAY,” one viewer wrote.
“The issue isn’t energy drinks, it’s that people are choosing to drink more than one a day, and sometimes with coffee on top as well,” a second remarked.
“You need to drink water not just Red Bull. You gotta keep your kidneys working properly with water if you’re gonna drink caffeinated drinks,” a third stated.
In response to a comment, Meagan revealed, “He was drinking 2-3 a day plus coffee.”
Moreover, others shared about the health issues energy drinks are causing.
“My cardiologist believes that these drinks will all be eventually banned. They’re starting to see as little as 1 a day are causing cardiac issues,” one user said.
“Yup. I know someone who’s in heart failure from energy drinks,” a second commented.
How do energy drinks cause heart problems?
“The combination of high caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks can lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Both of these are risk factors for heart disease,” per UC Davis. On average, one can of an energy drink contains between 100-300mg of caffeine. Because of the excess amount of caffeine, water dispels through the bloodstream to combat the sugar, thus, leading to dehydration.
How many people are hospitalized because of energy drinks?
According to The Washington Post, 12% of people were hospitalized because of energy drinks alone. Furthermore, 8% of people were in the hospital for a combination of drugs and alcohol mixed with energy drinks.
A college student died last year after drinking Panera’s Charged Lemonade. Her family sued, alleging that the company did not sufficiently warn her of the amount of caffeine in the beverage. Earlier this year, a woman said too many Celsius energy drinks sent her to the hospital.
@ladyshreve Please. Put. Down. The. Energy. Drinks. #energydrinks #hearthealth #trauma ♬ original sound – Meagan ✨
The Daily Dot reached out to Meagan via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.
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‘My cardiologist believes that these drinks will all be eventually banned’: Woman issues energy drink warning after husband’s shocking medical emergency
