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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,178
Registered: ‎09-02-2010

Since the article didn't say more I'll assume he chugged them in a matter of minutes or even seconds.   Drinking too much water like that will also kill you.

 

Sad for the parents.  

~~
*Off The Deep End~A very short trip for some!*
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,597
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Sad story.  Every year kids get physicals and are allowed to enjoy sports.  Some of these same kids drop dead on the field.    Perhaps he had a underlying problem that caused his death.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,475
Registered: ‎03-14-2015

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮

The article states that he had NO pre-existing heart conditions, and was otherwise healthy prior to his death.

 

Caffeine is a stimulant, and too much of it can cause heart problems, and even death, even in someone perfectly healthy with NO medical problems.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 48,946
Registered: ‎08-23-2010

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮

[ Edited ]

@jubilant wrote:

This is so tragic but I highly doubt it was the total cause of death.  I ask myself ......"could he have been diabectic and didn't know it" and other questions.  I have one grandson that watches his sugar and soda intake....the other one guzzles Mountain Dew and I am hoping he will curtail that soon as it does concern me.  All you can do is try to tell them.....teenagers are going to do what they want when mom and dad aren't around.  There is no way to avoid it except to teach them about nutrition and hope one day they remember.


 

@jubilant

 

Talking about it on the news last night, the recommended amount of caffeine for teens should not exceed 100 mg per day.    That kid ingested over 600 mg of caffeine in just a few hours!

 

Just fyi .....   a 12 oz can of Mountain Dew has 54 mg of caffeine!    This is less about nutrition, and more about careless behavior.   I hope you talk to him about this.   JMO

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,640
Registered: ‎06-10-2010

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮


@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

@jubilant wrote:

This is so tragic but I highly doubt it was the total cause of death.  I ask myself ......"could he have been diabectic and didn't know it" and other questions.  I have one grandson that watches his sugar and soda intake....the other one guzzles Mountain Dew and I am hoping he will curtail that soon as it does concern me.  All you can do is try to tell them.....teenagers are going to do what they want when mom and dad aren't around.  There is no way to avoid it except to teach them about nutrition and hope one day they remember.


 

@jubilant

 

Talking about it on the news last night, the recommended amount of caffeine for teens should not exceed 100 mg per day.    That kid ingested over 600 mg of caffeine in just a few hours!

 

Just fyi .....   a 12 oz can of Mountain Dew has 54 mg of caffeine!    This is less about nutrition, and more about careless behavior.   I hope you talk to him about this.   JMO


************* I have mentioned it to him several times.  He has been doing this for several years and wondered why he couldn't sleep!    He is 23 now and has his own money to buy as much as he wants.  My daughter told me a few months ago that he had a trash bag full of pop cans in his closet and she counted about 100 cans!  She didn't buy it. I said to her..."Your kidding me"?  She said, "No, I'm serious".  I could hardly believe it. The last time I talked to him he said he was cutting back.   DH used to keep it in our garage refrigerator for him for when he came to do yard work.  Now we keep flavored waters and have found a couple he really likes.  He likes flavored bottled tea, too.  That's not the greatest but it's better than Mountain Dew.   Believe me, I am not a fan of soda pop.  I gave it up many years ago.   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,639
Registered: ‎05-10-2010

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮

He was downing caffeine drinks for a reason, my only question is why.  Is that something kids are doing now for a cheap high?  I believe it was a 2 liter bottle of the soda.  He was 16, he was no child.  If some walked out into the street, directly into a moving car....would we blame the car?  We'd only want to know why.  As for the reasons for his death, that was a massive amount of cafeine which is a stimulant in short period and that affected his heart rhythm.  It certainly can happen to healthy person with not pre existing conditions. Hopefully, his death will serve as  warning to others and that parents will have discussion with their kids about this. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,524
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮

Mtn dew despite its lemony look has always had the highest amount of caffeine for soda

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,989
Registered: ‎11-16-2014

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮

Was an autopsy done? Because until one is done, I highly doubt this child didn't have an underlying unidentified health issue.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮


@Trinity11 wrote:

Was an autopsy done? Because until one is done, I highly doubt this child didn't have an underlying unidentified health issue.


@Trinity11

 

Considering the intake of approximately 600mg of caffeine, my mind automatically wanders into the life of a 16 year old.  I wonder about the stressors in his life and the stress hormones possibly being released by his body and the effects of these on his body, in addition to the caffeine.

 

He did not have to have pre-existing pathologies to succumb to tachycardia and arrythmias to the extent that his heart simply stopped.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,070
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: 😮 Unbelievable! 😮


@Mz iMac wrote:
Healthy student, 16, collapses and dies from heart problems after drinking a large Mountain Dew, a latte and an energy drink in the space of two hours

 

 

FULL ARTICLE LINK



@Mz iMac wrote:
Healthy student, 16, collapses and dies from heart problems after drinking a large Mountain Dew, a latte and an energy drink in the space of two hours

 

 

FULL ARTICLE LINK


Thank You for posting this. I don't think this is about getting government involved in studies or anything like that. This is about parental responsibility in discussing this with your teen.

 

I have a 16 year old boy, who goes to the gym 5 times a week, runs 5Ks with me and has a conditioning class at school.  This opened up the discussion about the dangers of caffine loading and just gave him info in general.  Just something to think about and caution him of prior to his workouts.

 

Deb