A 56-year-old man from the United Kingdom drank 25 cans of energy drink over a six-hour period, and he woke up with a brain hemorrhage because of it.
The incident further highlights the dangerous effects of consuming high amounts of the caffeinated beverage and should serve as a warning to people who love energy drinks too much.
Man Suffers Brain Hemorrhage Due To Energy Drinks
Nick Mitchell, a 56-year-old man from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, drank a total of 25 cans of Red Bull and Monster over a six-hour period while he was running a karaoke evening in a club about eight years ago.
Later that night, Mitchell woke up to a painful headache and was eventually rushed to the Dewsbury and District Hospital. There, doctors told him that he was suffering from a severe overdose of caffeine. A CT scan later revealed that there was bleeding in his brain.
In June 2010, Mitchell was taken into surgery, though with the warning that about 50 percent of patients undergoing the same procedure suffered another hemorrhage within 12 hours, with some turning out to be fatal. Mitchell survived the operation but experienced about three mini-strokes the next week, robbing him of his ability to speak as his brain lacked oxygen.
Mitchell is now telling his story to warn people about the negative and potentially fatal effects of energy drinks.
"These drinks nearly killed me. I was so close to death and thought I might not make it through surgery," Mitchell said. "They should not be sold. They are as bad as drugs and should be banned."
Mitchell has not yet fully recovered from the 2010 incident, as he is still suffering from word blindness, which is a condition that makes him struggle to articulate his thoughts.
Red Bull, in a statement, said that cans of the energy drink contain 80 milligrams of caffeine, which is the same as a cup of home-brewed coffee.
The European Food Safety Authority added that caffeine intake of up to 400 milligrams does not raise health concerns, but drinking 25 cans like Mitchell once did certainly goes over the safety limit.
Dangerous Effects Of Energy Drinks
A study from late last year discovered evidence that linked energy drinks to a long list of unwanted physical and mental health conditions. Long associated with blood pressure spikes, weight gain, and sleeping issues, the research also found that consuming energy drinks may also lead to higher diabetes risk, damaged kidneys, tooth decay, and mental health problems such as substance abuse and anxiety.
In October 2017, a woman claimed that her husband developed brain hemorrhaging, similar to Mitchell's case, and left a hole in his skull due to his excessive consumption of energy drinks. In May 2017, a report revealed that a 16-year-old teenager died after drinking caffeinated beverages that included an energy drink, a soda, and coffee within a two-hour period.
