A gamer who drinks twelve energy drinks in ten minutes has suffered terrible consequences.
The 36-year-old man, who goes by ‘JS’, almost died and his pancreas started ‘digesting itself’ after he decided to give up caffeinated drinks in a bid to impress his colleagues.
A doctor who shares stories of past patients on YouTube, Dr. Bernard Hsu or ‘Chubby Emu’brought the matter to attention
The video explained that growing up in the 80s, he was always around video games – his parents liked to play them, but he didn’t really have any friends.
So when he tried to connect with people at his workplace, he thought it would be “funny” to drink as many as twelve free energy drinks in 10 minutes.
A gamer who downed 12 energy drinks in 10 minutes suffered dire consequences (the man pictured in the YouTube video is an actor dramatizing the incident)
However, the stunt soon took a turn for the worse: After finishing drinking, the man immediately felt sick.
The doctor recalls, “The bottom of his chest was burning, he wasn’t sure if it was his stomach or if his heart was hurting.
He was short of breath and decided to take his mind off the pain by playing video games.
Although he “felt his heart pounding as the hours passed” – but he was confused as to why this was happening as caffeine “doesn’t usually have much effect on him.”
JS regularly exceeds the recommended amount of caffeine of 400 milligrams per day, sometimes even up to nine hundred milligrams.
As his condition worsened, he vomited into the sink, which only made him feel worse; he could “feel his heart beating in his eyes.”
He didn’t suspect it was the energy drinks and waited a day before calling an ambulance because he couldn’t eat or drink.
Upon arriving at the emergency room, the gamer threw up on a nurse’s shoes and was ‘too embarrassed’ to admit how many drinks he had consumed.
The 36-year-old man, who goes by ‘JS’, almost died and his pancreas started ‘digesting itself’ after he decided to give up caffeinated drinks in an attempt to impress his colleagues ((The man on the photo in the YouTube video is an actor dramatizing the incident)
He was eventually diagnosed with hyperglycemia, which means the sugar level in your blood becomes too high.
However, doctors were concerned that something else might be going on and after more tests he was diagnosed with hyperlipasemia, also called acute pancreatitis.
This is a serious condition in which the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time.
The man’s pancreas had ‘started to digest itself’ due to too much fat in his blood, caused by the energy drinks. His liver and kidneys started to shut down and he developed a blood infection.
Fortunately, JS survived the ordeal after medical treatment and antibiotics.
However, it serves as a stark warning that may cause others to reconsider their energy drink consumption.
Dr. Hsu warned viewers: “Most people know that energy drinks can be dangerous if consumed in large excess.
“If you have one every now and then, and you’re young and healthy, it’s probably not that bad.”
“But if you start chugging multiple cans in a row, bad things are likely to happen.”
The man in the YouTube video is an actor dramatizing the incident.
Dr. Gareth Nye, medical sciences program leader at the University of Chester, said the man was lucky his heart did not stop immediately.
He said: ‘Consumption of energy drinks has increased over the years, especially among younger people.
Dr. Gareth Nye, program leader for medical sciences at the University of Chester, said the man is lucky his heart did not stop immediately
‘Known side effects of energy drinks include tachycardia, anxiety, stomach irritation and dehydration – mainly centered around the high caffeine content.
‘Caffeine is known to alter the nervous system and cause dramatic changes in our hearts, with higher levels leading to a greater impact.
‘The man in question is extremely lucky that his heart did not stop immediately after consuming ten cans of energy drinks.
‘However, energy drinks can rarely lead to other organ damage, with the pancreas affected in 35 people per 100,000 users in the United States.’
He added that while it remains rare, it could be potentially serious:
‘Acute pancreatitis is life-threatening and death is reported in 50% of cases of severe disease.
‘In 80% of cases, acute pancreatitis is caused by alcohol consumption or gallstones, but the symptoms nevertheless include severe abdominal pain and vomiting.’
A 2021 study found that a 21-year-old man from Britain who suffered from unexplained kidney failure had a history of consuming energy drinks and that two could be linked.
In 2019, an English 21-year-old, Vinny Pyner, became addicted to energy drinks to help him stay awake for his university studies, and ended up breaking his weakened teeth
The study published in BMJ Case Reports states that ‘there was no significant medical history and the family history was not suspicious for cardiomyopathy or sudden cardiac death.’
Adding: ‘However, there was a history of regular consumption of ‘Energy Drink’, specifically consuming an average of four 500ml cans per day for approximately two years.
‘Each can contains 160 mg of caffeine in addition to taurine and various other ingredients.
‘Given the history of chronic energy drink consumption, lack of significant medical or family history, cardiac imaging findings and improvement on discontinuation of intake, energy drink-induced cardiotoxicity was considered the most likely cause.’
Last year, a construction industry boss called for a construction site ban on energy drinks, saying they harm the health of young builders and make work slower.
In 2019, an English 21-year-old, Vinny Pyner, became addicted to energy drinks to help him stay awake for his university studies, and ended up breaking his weakened teeth.
Soon he was drinking up to 45 cans a week and eventually his four front teeth broke off when he bit into an apple.