Physicians are warning patients about the harmful effects of excessive amounts of caffeine following the death of a South Carolina teenager April 26, reports WJZ-TV.
Over the course of two hours, 16-year-old David Cripe, drank a large soda, a latte and an energy drink. Richland County Coroner Gary Watts told The Washington Post Mr. Cripe's sudden death was caused by a "caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia."
In the wake of the teenager's death, physicians urge people to drink caffeine in moderation, according to WJZ-TV. And Louis Kovacs, MD, who works at Baltimore-based Union Memorial Hospital, told the TV station when it comes to how much caffeine is enough, it is best to listen to your body.
"Headaches, dizziness, sweatiness, that general sense that something is not right," Dr. Kovacs said.
The Palmetto Poison Center in Columbia, S.C., put out a caffeine use warning Tuesday, citing The Food and Drug Administration's recommendations that adults consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per daily, which amounts to approximately four to five cups of coffee. The caffeine use warning also cites the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations that children and adolescents do not ingest any caffeine.