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A different kind of drinking problem

By Jeff Terrill

Fort Wayne Reader

2018-09-23

Joey is a junior in college. He’s a long time fan of Mountain Dew and all things caffeinated. If he needs to stay up late to study or work, he’ll sometimes knock back an energy drink or two in the evening.

Joey is out with friends. He’s drinking Red Bull and vodka. After a few hours, Joey’s friends decide to head back to their apartment. It’s late. They’re tired. Joey, on the other hand, is wired.

Joey is a responsible guy. He doesn’t use any illegal drugs and he tries to focus on work and school. Joey started drinking coffee while in high school. His mom would send him to Starbucks occasionally so he could pick up her drink order. His mom started buying Joey a coffee drink of his choice. Joey got hooked on Pumpkin Spice and Salted Caramel Mochas. Joey liked the way the sudden rush of caffeine and sugar helped him concentrate. He started to rely on it. Over time, Joey needed to drink more and more caffeine to get that same energy jolt. Now that he’s in college, he feels like caffeine is his secret weapon in his quest for good grades, good times and extra hours at his job.

Joey finishes another Red Bull and vodka. Joey doesn’t feel drunk but he knows he’s had a lot to drink. He’s more irritable than normal. He knows he’ll be up for hours.
Joey gets into an argument with another guy sitting at the bar. Joey feels hot and a bit disoriented. His heart is beating really fast. He’s having trouble catching his breath. Joey hears the bartender asking if he’s okay. Joey is only twenty-one years old, but he thinks he’s having a heart attack.

Some studies show that caffeine can provide multiple health benefits. In moderation, it can also improve alertness and endurance. Too much caffeine, however, can cause a host of side effects ranging from nervousness, muscle twitching, and insomnia all the way to cardiac arrest and death.

You can discover the caffeine levels (and calories) of some of your favorite drinks at the website caffeineinformer.com. For example, a tall (12 floz) Pike Place brewed coffee contains 235 mg of caffeine. Surprisingly, the Blonde Roast has substantially more caffeine than the Dark Roast. The average cup of coffee contains around 150 mg of caffeine. It is recommended that an adult not consume more than 300-400 mg of caffeine in a day. Moderate to severe overdose symptoms can occur beyond those levels.

Back to Joey. The doctor at the emergency room informs Joey that he did not have a heart attack. However, Joey’s blood pressure is high. The doctor advises Joey to cut out all caffeine intake. He suggests that Joey’s excessive caffeine consumption is causing his heart to work too hard. The nurse’s assistant hands Joey several pamphlets on panic attacks and ways to reduce blood pressure.

Before leaving the hospital, Joey stops by the coffee shop. He orders a donut and a just a small coffee. He wants to be alert when he reads all of the literature the nurse gave him.