A mother of three issued a strong warning against energy drinks after her husband suffered a cardiac arrest after consuming “two to three cans a day”.
In a social media video that has now been viewed five million times, store manager Meagan Shreve explains how her husband’s caffeinated soda addiction caused his “heart to stop.”
Doctors had to resuscitate 34-year-old Aaron Shreve with chest compressions, which resulted in broken ribs, his wife said.
Shreve remained in the hospital for “five to six weeks” while cardiologists monitored his heart.
Ultimately, doctors concluded that the attack was the result of “dehydration and drinking too many energy drinks.”
Meagan Shreve of Colorado Springs, USA, says her husband suffered a cardiac arrest one evening in January, which she believes was caused by his habit of drinking energy drinks.
In comments alongside the video, Mrs. Shreve explains that her husband drank “two to three” energy drinks a day, plus coffee.
“This can be extremely, extremely dangerous… I saw this 100-pound woman pull my husband out of a chair and start pushing so hard on his chest that he broke his ribs,” said Mrs Shreve, who lives in Colorado, US.
“I saw everyone pouring in. I was pushed up against the wall and didn’t know what to do. So if you’re not going to do it for yourself, do it for the people in your life so they don’t have to go through something like this.”
The ordeal began in January of this year, Ms. Shreve said.
‘One night, in early January, my husband woke me up in the middle of the night and said he wasn’t feeling well.
His heart was pounding in his throat, his hands and feet went numb and he just didn’t feel right.
Aaron Shreve suffered broken ribs after doctors had to restart his heart following cardiac arrest.
“I thought he was having a panic attack… he was like, I think you should call 911, I think I need to go to the hospital.”
Mrs. Shreve claimed that her husband fainted “within a minute” of his visit to the hospital doctor.
“All the alarms went off…his heart stopped.”
She added that a staff member “pulled” him out of his chair and began chest compressions in an attempt to restart his heart.
‘She raised the alarm, people came to resuscitate him.’
Fortunately, doctors were able to restart Mr. Shreve’s heart and after six weeks of monitoring he was able to return home.
Although doctors initially had “no answers” because there was “basically nothing wrong with him,” they ultimately concluded that the arrest was the result of Mr Shreve drinking “Red Bull.”
One can contains about 80 mg of caffeine – 20 mg less than the average cup of coffee. Mr. Shreve is said to have consumed 2-3 cans, up to 240 mg, before developing heart problems.
“The emergency room doctors said they attributed it to the Red Bull,” she said in a follow-up message.
According to Ms. Shreve, the drinks could worsen the effects of dehydration.
Several studies have linked energy drinks to heart problems, including irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest.
In June, a Mayo Clinic analysis found that of 144 cardiac arrests studied, seven patients had consumed an energy drink shortly before the fatal event.
All seven people were susceptible to heart rhythm disturbances due to a genetic heart disease.
The risk is thought to lie in the enormous amounts of caffeine in some energy drinks.
While an average cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine, energy drinks like Monster contain up to 160 mg.
One can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine.
Drinking caffeine promotes the release of the hormones noradrenaline and norepinephrine, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure.
Experts are also concerned about other chemicals in energy drinks, such as taurine, which some say has stimulant properties.
Most people tolerate caffeine well, but some experience heart palpitations or extra heart beats.
According to the Food Standards Agency, 400 mg per day is safe for adults.
However, experts say people with a rare heart problem called long QT syndrome (LQTS) may be extra vulnerable to even small doses of caffeine.
The condition, which causes the heart to have trouble recharging between heartbeats, does not always cause symptoms, so many patients are unaware they have the condition.
“The size and combination of chemicals in energy drinks can catch the vulnerable heart off guard and throw it into a potentially deadly rhythm that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death,” said Dr. Michael Ackerman, a genetic cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
He added that while the absolute risk of harm is “very low” for people without heart defects, the potential for damage to a “fragile heart” is high. higher.
“For my patients with long QT syndrome or a genetic heart disease associated with sudden cardiac death, the appropriate dose of a high-caffeine energy drink is 0,” he said.
The news comes days after it was reported that a “fit and healthy” 18-year-old from Oklahoma died of a heart attack caused by his consumption of energy drinks.
Zach Doran had a habit of consuming both pre-workout (a stimulant powder added to water) and energy drinks before his workout.
According to Libby Gilmore, Doran’s girlfriend, after his death she wanted to “show how harmful these drinks and ingredients can be.”
In May last year, experts in the UK called for a ban on energy drinks in schools after a young pupil in Wales suffered a cardiac arrest after gulping down a soft drink.
‘Drinking caffeinated drinks too quickly can lead to breathing problems, changes in alertness, agitation, confusion, hallucinations and even convulsions (seizures),’ pharmacist Abbas Kanani told MailOnline.
‘Caffeine also stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to stomach upset, nausea and diarrhea.’