A mother-of-three has issued a stark warning against energy drinks after her husband suffered a fatal cardiac arrest as a result of drinking “two or three cans a day”.
In a social media video that has already racked up five million views, store manager Meagan Shreve explained how her husband’s habit of consuming caffeinated sodas caused his “heart to stop.”
Doctors had to perform chest compressions on Aaron Shreve, 34, to revive him, causing him to suffer rib fractures, his wife said.
Shreve remained in the hospital for “five to six weeks” while cardiologists monitored his heart.
Doctors eventually concluded that her seizure was a result of “dehydration and drinking too many energy drinks.”
Meagan Shreve, from Colorado Springs, US, says her husband suffered a sudden cardiac arrest one night in January, which she believes was caused by his habit of drinking energy drinks.
In the comments on the video, Ms. Shreve said her husband drank “two or three” energy drinks a day, in addition to coffee.
“This can be extremely, extremely dangerous… I watched this 105-pound woman pull my husband out of a chair and start doing chest compressions so hard that she broke his ribs,” said Shreve, who lives in Colorado.
“I saw everyone rushing in. I felt like I was pushed up against a wall not knowing 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 witness something like that.”
The ordeal began in January this year, Ms Shreve said.
‘One night in early January, my husband woke me up in the middle of the night and told me he wasn’t feeling very well.
‘Her heart was racing, her hands and feet were numb, and she just didn’t feel right.
Aaron Shreve suffered fractured ribs after doctors had to restart his heart following cardiac arrest.
‘I thought I was having a panic attack… he said, I think you need to call 9-1-1, I think I need to go to the hospital.’
Mrs Shreve said that “within a minute” of seeing a hospital doctor, her husband collapsed.
“All these alarms started ringing… her heart stopped.”
He added that a staff member pulled him out of his chair and began doing chest compressions to try to restart his heart.
“She raised the alarm and people basically 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” as there was “basically nothing wrong with him,” they eventually concluded that the arrest was a result of Shreve’s consumption of Red Bull.
Each can contains about 80 mg of caffeine, 20 mg less than a regular cup of coffee. Shreve is said to have consumed between two and three cans, with up to 240 mg, before suffering heart problems.
“The emergency doctors said they attributed it to the Red Bull,” he said in a statement. follow-up post.
According to Ms. Shreve, the drinks aggravated the effects of dehydration.
Several studies have linked energy drinks to heart problems, including irregular heart rhythms and cardiac arrest.
In June, results of a Mayo Clinic analysis found that of 144 cardiac arrests studied, seven patients had drank an energy drink shortly before the fatal event.
All seven individuals were prone to cardiac arrhythmias due to a genetic heart disease.
The risk is thought to lie in the mega doses of caffeine found in some energy drinks.
While the average cup of coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine, energy drinks like Monster contain up to 160 mg.
A can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine.
Drinking caffeine promotes the release of the hormones norepinephrine and noradrenaline, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure.
Experts have also raised concerns about other chemicals in energy drinks, such as taurine, which some suggest has stimulant properties.
For most people, caffeine is well tolerated, but others experience palpitations or extra heart beats.
The Food Standards Agency says 400mg a day is safe for adults.
However, experts say those with a rare heart problem called long QT syndrome (LQTS) may be especially vulnerable to even small doses of caffeine.
The condition, in which the heart has difficulty recharging between beats, does not always cause symptoms, meaning many patients may not know they have it.
“The magnitude and combination of chemicals in energy drinks can catch the vulnerable heart off guard and send it into a potentially lethal heart rhythm leading 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 danger is “very low” for those without heart defects, the potential for damage to a “fragile heart” is higher.
“For my patients with long QT syndrome or any genetic heart disease that is associated with sudden cardiac death, the appropriate dose of a highly caffeinated energy drink is 0,” he said.
This comes days after it was revealed that a “fit and healthy” 18-year-old from Oklahoma died of a heart attack linked to his consumption of an energy drink.
Zach Doran had a habit of using both a pre-workout (a stimulant powder added to water) and energy drinks, before his gym session.
Doran’s girlfriend, Libby Gilmore, said his death had made her want to “show how harmful these drinks and ingredients can be.”
Meanwhile, in May last year, experts in the UK called for a ban on energy drinks in schools after a young Welsh pupil suffered a cardiac arrest following a soft drink binge.
“Drinking caffeinated beverages too quickly can cause breathing problems, changes in alertness, agitation, confusion, hallucinations and even seizures,” pharmacist Abbas Kanani told MailOnline.
‘Caffeine also stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea.’