[NPInfo] Re: "Energy Drinks"

[Joanne DaCunha]

I'd like to know why the FDA has not stepped in here. They destroy
pharmaceutical products' market if 2 or 3 people out of millions are
using a product and have adverse reactions or die even if the drug was
taken for an off label use or while using another person's prescription
. Yet here thousand of children and adults are using this drug
indiscriminately and they do nothing. 
What's going on here?
Joanne

-----Original Message-----
From: npinfo-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:npinfo-bounces at nurse.net] On
Behalf Of Michelle Holcomb
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 8:16 AM
To: 'NP Info'
Subject: RE: [NPInfo] Re: "Energy Drinks"

In addition to the caffeine - how about the sugar content? There are 4
gms of sugar per teaspoon - I ask patients to divide the number of grams
of sugar listed on their favorite drink by 4 - then ask them if they are
willing to just eat that many teaspoons of sugar from the sugar bowl
instead. 

I had one young patient who was drinking THREE 20 OUNCE Mountain Dews
per DAY! She was having difficulty sleeping, and had gained 20 lbs in
about 4 months time. Between the caffeine and sugar she was in bad
shape! She was getting 813 of her daily caloric intake from soda, and
drinking a whopping
57 teaspoons of sugar! And 275 mg of Caffeine! Who could sleep?

I am shocked at the ads for these companies which portray a lot of this
garbage - Snapple, Vitamin water, tea drinks etc - as HEALTHY!?! And I
am incredulous that they are even allowed to be served in schools under
any circumstances - who in our school districts is sleeping with Dr.
Pepper and Otis Spunkmeyer? The Sodas and highly sweetened soft drinks
(and snack
foods) have GOT to go!

Soft Drinks are a huge contributor to the obesity epidemic. I worry more
about that than the caffeine, but given that some of these drinks
contain twice the caffeine as a concentrated cup of espresso - that is
on my radar as well. 

www.calorieking.com (Love their software for teaching about sugar and
nutryiyion content)

http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database/  For caffeine content
information. 

Michelle Holcomb, RN, FNP-C



-----Original Message-----
From: npinfo-bounces at nurse.net [mailto:npinfo-bounces at nurse.net] On
Behalf Of mfnp at cox.net
Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 9:52 PM
To: NP Clinical; NP Info; NP Students
Subject: [NPInfo] Re: "Energy Drinks"

I have a cause that I have been working, and I was wondering if others
were concerned and seeing what I have been in our area concerning
"energy drinks". Between Red Bulls, Magnums, and even the diet soda
"Pepsi One", are loaded with enough caffeine, that I have been seeing
people from under 10 years old to older adults coming in with chest pain
and palpitations, and I know of two deaths from these. It has already
been documented that caffeine can interfere with absorption of calcium,
cause co-morbid problems with people with HTN, DM, Hypothyroidism, and
sleep related problems.

The public has no idea that these are dangerous and why, and it might be
a good cause for our profession to begin a National Education Program on
issues such as these. Children are being loaded with these and their
parents have little to no knowledge of the contents, nor the dangers of
these. I see adults every day who say they drink several of these to
"get some pep" and have no idea of the implications until they come into
the clinic with SOB or palpatations.

I have looked and not seen any reporting by the Media or any other
Health Care Entities, at least in my area. Was just wondering if others
are seeing this, and have the same concerns? Marty


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