It's Possible To Take An Overdose of Caffeine and Here Are the Symptoms

Getting your buzz on with coffee, tea or energy drinks doesn’t sound very dangerous or life-threatening, but death by caffeine is, in fact, possible — especially for people with certain health conditions. The recent caffeine-related death of a 16-year-old high-school student raises the question: Who is at risk of a caffeine overdose, and what are the signs?

A study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology determined that a healthy adult can consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (which amounts to four 8-ounce cups of coffee or six shots of espresso). But that’s just an average, explains osteopathic physician Dr. Christopher Calapai in a press release, and the safe limit for caffeine actually varies from person to person.

“It’s difficult to assign an exact amount for everyone because people can have different sensitivities or reactions to caffeine based on age, medical history and tolerance," says Calapi. The good news is that there is enough research available to make a recommendation based on an individual’s weight.

People with anxiety, panic disorder, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure and diabetes, and those who take medication, can likely tolerate even less caffeine than the average person, and should see a doctor about how much caffeine is safe for them to consume.

In the case of South Carolina teen David Allen Cripe, who collapsed during class in late April, drinking a McDonald’s latte, a large Mountain Dew and an energy drink in a short period of time was too much for his body to handle. Coroner Gary Watts determined Cripe's death was due to a “caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia."

When an arrhythmia (also known as an abnormal heart rhythm) occurs, the heart can’t always pump enough blood to the body, which in turn affects the brain, heart and other organs. While the three drinks Cripes consumed don’t seem like they would contain enough caffeine to kill him, it wasn’t the total amount consumed that resulted in his death, it was the fact that he consumed the amount in such a short timespan.

"We're not saying that it was the total amount of caffeine in the system, it was just the way that it was ingested over that short period of time, and the chugging of the energy drink at the end was what the issue was with the cardiac arrhythmia," the coroner said in a statement.

But how exactly does caffeine kill someone? Calapai explains to IPRESSTV.COM that, similar to other stimulants, caffeine temporarily shrinks blood vessels and increases blood pressure and heart rate. “In excess, the effects can be deadly by causing a heart attack, stroke or other cardio-vascular-related problem.”

Fortunately, death by caffeine is extremely rare. A 2017 study by Alan Wayne Jones determined that there were 51 caffeine-related deaths between 1959 and 2010 and the majority had high levels of caffeine in their blood (the equivalent of drinking 30 cups of coffee in quick succession).

Check out the caffeine levels in these common drinks so you can keep your consumption in check:

-Starbucks Coffee (16 fluid ounces): 320 milligrams of caffeine

-5-hour energy (1.93 fluid ounces): 207 milligrams of caffeine

-Dunkin Donuts regular coffee (16 fluid ounces): 203 milligrams of caffeine

-Starbucks Latte (16 fluid ounces): 150 milligrams of caffeine

-Coffee, brewed (8 fluid ounces): 133 milligrams of caffeine

-Red Bull Energy Shot (2 fluid ounces): 80 milligrams of caffeine

-Red Bull (8 fluid ounces): 80 milligrams of caffeine

-Tea (8 fluid ounces): 53 milligrams of caffeine

The symptoms of a caffeine overdose aren’t exactly pleasant, even if they aren't particularly lethal. Here are some common symptoms that are important to watch out for: jitters and restlessness; nervousness and anxiety; increased heartbeat; nausea; heart palpitations (cardiac arrhythmia); insomnia; sweating; dizziness; vomiting; cardiac arrest.

Most of these symptoms will subside once the caffeine has left your system, which can happen naturally or with the help of medical treatments like activated charcoal, laxatives or a gastric lavage. At-home remedies include drinking lots of water, doing mild exercise or eating potassium- and magnesium-rich foods.

If you are concerned about your caffeine consumption, keep in mind that there are some unlikely products that contain the jitters-inducing drug. According to Calapai, these seemingly caffeine-free products include decaffeinated coffee, chocolate, ice cream and frozen yogurt, breakfast cereals, pudding, hot cocoa, PMS medication and headache remedies.

What Do YOU Think?

Are you worried about overdosing on caffeine? How do you avoid overdoing it with caffeinated products?

Find Out Why Your Breasts Hurt When You Are On Your Period

In general, boobs are cool. They're soft, they're a sign that you're ~growing up~, and they're always close to your heart.

But sometimes when you're on your period, boobs can seem ... less than cool. More like sore, swollen, painful rocks. What gives? And what can you do about it? Sara Twogood, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist and assistant professor of clinical OB/GYN at Keck Medicine of USC, has the answers.

Natural hormone swings are the biggest cause.

Your hormones are constantly going up and down depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. The main two responsible for sore boobs? Progesterone and estrogen.

See, during the two weeks leading up to your period, progesterone and estrogen start climbing. That spike stimulates connective tissue in breasts, which can set off tenderness and swelling. In most cases, girls feel the pain on both sides, often in the upper outer area closest to the armpits, and especially in the week prior to getting a period. Once your period comes, progesterone and estrogen levels drop, which usually eases the discomfort over the following day or two.

And just so you know, some girls are more sensitive to hormone fluctuations than others. That likely explains why you might deal with period boobs but your best friend can't relate.

Birth control pills can trigger pain, too.

Even if you've never experienced sore period boobs, that could change if you go on the Pill.

When you first start taking BCPs, your system needs time to adjust. The combo of pill hormones and the body's natural progesterone and estrogen can be enough to set off premenstrual breast pain even if you're not normally sensitive to hormone fluctuations.

The problem typically works itself out in a few cycles, once your body gets used to being on the Pill. If boob pain continues to bother you, however, ask your doctor if it makes sense to switch to a BCP that's made with a different type of progesterone or a lower dose of estrogen.

There's a lot you can do to feel better.

For many girls, period boobs are an annoying part of life. But you don't have to put up with the pain.

Some research-backed ways to prevent soreness include getting regular exercise, avoiding super salty foods in the two weeks before your period, and limiting caffeine in general. (Good thing PSLs come in decaf.)

If your boobs already are sore, consider taking a dose of ibuprofen (like Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), two meds that dial down inflammation.

Applying heating pads or ice packs to the tender areas for a minutes several times a day can help keep swelling and pain in check, too. Experiment with both heat and cold to see which brings greater relief; everyone is different!

Finally, be mindful of bra choice. If you tend to go for stretchy bralettes or no bra at all, try wearing a well-fitting, supportive bra — even a sports bra — on days you're feeling sore. This controls jiggling and movement (more jiggling = more pain).

Finding a bra that fits is easy when you avoid some common pitfalls:

• The straps dig into your shoulders or fall down.
• Your boobs spill over the top, bottom, or sides of the cups.
• The cups are wrinkled or baggy.
• The band rides up in back or digs into your skin.
• The center of your bra doesn't sit flush against your skin.

If you don't get relief, talk to your doc.

Something more serious might be up if your boobs stay sore while your period comes and goes. In some cases, nagging breast pain can be a sign of a fibroadenoma (lump of tissue), cyst, infection or pregnancy. Whatever the cause, your doctor can help you figure out the best plan of action for you.

Never You Do These Things Whenever You Are Sick

Just about anyone with Internet access and a body that occasionally goes haywire has had the experience of googling their symptoms and watching, horrified, as the results stream in. Headache = brain tumor! Sharp pain in your side = punctured lung! Sore post-workout legs = deep vein thrombosis!

"Yes, you might have a rash, and, yes, you might have seen something somewhere about cancer," says functional medicine doctor Robin Berzin, M.D., founder of Parsley Health. "In your case, however, it's probably just eczema."







Dr. Berzin isn't making light of how jarring the experience can be, nor is she against the Internet as a health tool. Instead, she's spilling her tips on googling for good, not evil, when it comes to your personal wellness:

Never self-diagnose. Spending time furiously searching symptoms on your iPhone, then declaring you've got X, Y, or Z can be downright dangerous. First off, it can keep you from getting the help you actually need. (Yes, "eye herpes" is a thing. But reading more about it doesn't cure whatever's happening actually with your eye.)
 

Restrain yourself from acting on Dr. Google's advice. "It's one thing to try a vegan diet or a Paleo diet because you've read good things about them online," Dr. Berzin says. "But it's a very different thing to go out, read information about a health condition, and then try to apply it to yourself."

Always consider the source. "A lot of times, people read a personal story and they say, Hey, that sounds like me. That's my problem too!' and they get very worked up, and may even take a course of action that isn't actually relevant to them," Dr. Berzin says. "On the flip side, some of the big academic centers have really reliable information, but they're taking the broadest, 1,000-foot view of a particular condition."

Look for credentials. Just because someone has a popular blog does not mean they know what they're talking about, whether they're dishing about fitness, a particular treatment, or something nutrition-related. "Pretty pictures of food do not equal expertise," Dr. Berzin warns. And don't just fall for good SEO—the first Google results aren't necessarily the most accurate.

Take your symptoms to a doctor. "I'm in a different camp than a lot of physicians, because I think it's awesome that there's lots of information out there," Dr. Berzin says. "It's an interplay, and you have to be an active participant in your own health." But treatment doesn't come from reading an article (or worrying about an article). That's what an M.D. does.

Female Gynecology Explains Why Your Vagina Could Be Smelling.

It’s one of those things we all wonder but rarely speak up about: Why does my vagina smell? Sure, odds are you have some kind of eau de vagina going on at all times, but sometimes it varies...and it's natural to get a little worried when that happens.

According to women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., vaginal smells even vary from woman to woman. “There’s not a one size fits all here,” she says. “There’s a wide range of normal.”

Jessica Shepherd, M.D., an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics & gynecology and Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecology at The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, agrees and says it’s all due to a combination of factors like genetics, differences in how women produce discharge and sweat, and how your body metabolizes bacteria.

While vaginal odor is different from woman to woman, it can also change throughout your cycle, Wider says. So, how are you supposed to know what you should be worried about and what’s totally normal? Experts break it down:

Your vagina is probably fine if…

It smells sweet
It could simply be because of something you ate. “Sometimes changes in food can contribute to the scent of vaginal discharge,” Shepherd says—and pineapple and citrus fruits are notorious for this.

It smells musty
Your smell usually changes up after you have sex, Wider says, especially unprotected sex, where his semen can mix with your natural scent to create an old basement-like odor. Don’t stress—it’s totally normal.

It smells armpit-y
You sweat when you work out, and some of that can work its way into your vagina, where it creates a sweaty-type smell, Wider says.

Talk to your doctor if…

It smells a lot
Think: You’re worried someone will notice-level stench. “The smell that one woman's vagina has should not be overpowering,” Shepherd says.

It smells fishy
It could be a sign of an infection like bacterial vaginosis, a yeast infection, trichomoniasis, or a forgotten tampon, Wider says. If the smell is strong and persists, call your doctor.

It smells like bread
Go figure: A yeast-y smell down there can be a sign of a yeast infection. Just check your discharge, too, Wider says. If it’s more than usual or has a cottage cheese-like look, you should get it checked out.

Experts stress that it’s normal for your vagina to smell on some level. But, if you have concerns, it never hurts to flag a scent to your doctor.