Do energy drinks destroy your heart / brain / kidneys? Starting to wonder...

[VirtualLarry]

Been on a steady "diet" of energy drinks, mostly Rockstar, as after drinking a few months of Monster, started to have some problems going to the bathdroom (urinary/kidney issues).

Just felt that there was some ingredient in Monster energy drinks that didn't mesh well with my system.

Anyways, most energy drinks have a lot of Taurine in them, and as far as I know, there haven't been any studies about proper "dosages" of this neurochemical pre-cursor, and some energy drinks are treating that ingredient as a marketing arms race, who can put more into their drinks.

Also, the caffeine content of some of these drinks has been ramping up as well, many of them now contain 300mg of caffeine in them.

Short of giving yourself a heart attack or stroke, is there any long-term damage from caffeine? I know that something like 3-4 cups of actual black coffee are supposed to help ward off Alzheimers.

Just wondering, I feel like a slug from my mental health meds, and the only way that I seem to be able to be able to feel mentally "active" in any meaningful way, is with Energy Drinks.

Maybe I've blown out too many brain cells, and the ones that I've got left, I've been running in Turbo Boost mode since starting my energy drink binge.

 

[nakedfrog]

How much are you consuming in a day? It could be impacting your sleep quality, which could also contribute to your mental fogginess.

 

[Stiff Clamp]

I always felt trazodone (prescription) or melatonin reset my brain's neurotransmitters after the caffeine wears off. Granted melatonin signals your pancreas to stop secreting insulin while you sleep to stabilize your blood sugar overnight, and it might interfere with your biological clock - but otherwise it's safe to ingest a tad now and then. Very neuro-protective.

Taurine does bind with some GABA receptors ( or their analog) so it could well make you feel ... dull mentally - if there is enough in the energy drink to noticeably affect you. If you want to isolate the taurine effect pick up a taurine supplement at GNC and pop half a tablet to see what it does to you. More of a sedative, but it is good for your eyes and insulin regulation
. I doubt it will put you to sleep.

 

[Torn Mind]

Your old BCAA thread in this section indicated you were downing four Reigns a day.

There MIGHT be a risk to the pancreas with high energy drink consumption.(Video is of an acute exposure however)

Also possible heart issues(another actue exposure)

Another extreme case(2 gallons of coffee)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj_AOzSSDMM

This article seems to have an intake cadence most similar to Larry's.

Man's energy drink habit lands him in the hospital with heart failure

The man reported consuming four energy drinks per day for two years.

www.livescience.com

Acute kidney injury and hepatitis associated with energy drink consumption: a case report - Journal of Medical Case Reports

Introduction In the USA, energy drinks are commonly consumed among adults. The side effects of these drinks are not well studied but consumers have reported multiple adverse events to the US Food and Drug Administration including acute kidney injury and acute hepatitis. Case presentation A...

jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com

Combined with the fact OP is 430lbs, it seems the multitude of morbidities will come to a head in the future.

If your diet is simple carbohydrate centric(quite likely given the weight he is at), OP might have a few vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

 

[sdifox]

Stop drinking stuff like that.

 

[RPD]

Seriously wth, I may drink one right before lifting or as a sub for a coffee on a road trip. These aren't replacements for sugary soda drinks.

 

[Shmee]

I wouldn't drink too much, and if you feel to sluggish with meds, you should talk to your doctor and see what can be done. That said, I like Bawls.