Caffeine-Packed Energy Drink Leads to 911 Call

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Jul. 30--PELHAM -- Michael Sturtevant was driving with his mother, Caroline, when he felt a tightness in his stomach and chest. The pain, which started an hour earlier, got progressively worse to the point that Michael told his mom to call an ambulance.

"He said, 'Mom pull over, call 911, I think I'm going to die,' " Caroline Sturtevant said.

Michael, 13, drank three Monster Energy drinks -- a half-gallon of the product -- a couple of hours before he started having pain July 15.

"I felt like something was pushing against my chest," said Michael, who said he was feeling fine before consuming the energy drinks.

His mother pulled over on Mammoth Road in Pelham, and called 911.

When paramedics arrived and evaluated Michael, they didn't feel he had a life-threatening condition but suggested he see a doctor, his mother said.

Michael is not alone.

In the past two years, the Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention at Children's Hospital in Boston, which serves residents in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, has received 33 calls for caffeine poisonings related to energy drinks.

Dr. Jennifer Cheng, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital, said energy drinks pose a high risk and should never be given to children.

"High levels of caffeine can result in undesirable side effects like high blood pressure, an increased heart rate, heart palpitations, panic attacks and headaches," Cheng said. "Heart attack is definitely a potential

risk."

While Michael continued to feel pressure on his chest, Caroline Sturtevant began to drive him to Parkland Medical Center in Derry, N.H., and gave him bottled water she had in the car. After drinking water, Michael said he felt better and didn't need to go to the hospital.

Since then, his mother has made it her mission to educate parents on the potential side effects of energy drinks. She wants to see drinks like Monster Energy restricted to adults age 18 and older.

"They named it right -- it's a monster -- and they shouldn't be selling it to kids under 18," she said.

Doctors also say energy drinks are loaded with sugar and caffeine, posing serious health risks for children.

At Pediatrics West in Westford, Dr. Larry Xanthopoulos strongly recommends that children stay away from energy drinks.

"These sorts of drinks aren't good for our patients," Xanthopoulos said. "A lot of these drinks have stimulants in them such as caffeine in high doses, so a lot of patients are getting a quick high then losing their energy level."

The American Beverage Association, which represents producers and distributors of non-alcoholic beverages, said the amount of caffeine found in most energy drinks is 160 milligrams, less than a cup of coffee, which contains about 320 milligrams.

"The amount of caffeine contained in most mainstream energy drinks is modest, particularly compared to coffee," said Tracy Halliday, a spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association.

However, the Monster Energy Heavy Metal drink that Michael had doesn't label how much caffeine is in the can, nor do other energy drinks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't require energy-drink producers to list the amount of caffeine on the label.

"It makes no sense, because there are mandated warnings for over-the-counter products that contain over 100 milligrams of caffeine, and we have energy drinks that contain over 500 milligrams (of caffeine) per can," said Dr. Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Griffiths wrote a letter to the FDA, signed by other scientists and physicians, asking the agency to mandate that energy-drink makers list the amount of caffeine on the can's label.

The letter also requested that the FDA set a standard for how much caffeine is allowed in energy drinks and put a warning label on the can.

"Some (energy drinks) are labeled, but that depends on the manufacturer," Griffiths said.

While Michael drank two 24-ounce Monster drinks, and one 16-ounce Monster drink, there is a warning on the can that recommends consumers only have one can per day, while the drink is not recommended for "children, pregnant women, or people sensitive to caffeine."

But the warning, in small print, is listed under the can's ingredients and company trademark, and difficult for anyone to read, Caroline Sturtevant said.

"The print is so small. What child is going to pick up the can and read that?" she said.

Michael bought the drinks himself while skateboarding with friends.

Calls made to the Monster Beverage Co. were not returned.

A 32-ounce can of Monster Energy Heavy Metal contains four 8-ounce servings. There are 2,500 milligrams of an energy blend per serving, containing caffeine, glucose (sugar), guarana and other ingredients that supposedly boost energy.

Guarana is a Brazilian plant that is considered a stimulant drug like caffeine, Cheng said.

On July 24, Michael was still experiencing stomach pains and went to the hospital.

Doctors at Saints Medical Center in Lowell didn't find any complications or injuries and recommended he follow a clear liquid diet.

While Michael hasn't had any caffeine since he drank the energy drinks two weeks ago, his mother is convinced that all of his recent symptoms are related.

"I want all the children to know that this drink isn't good for their health," she said. "I don't want to see what happened to him happen to other kids."