Dangers of Caffeine Pills/Supplements
Caffeine is a dietary supplement available in powder and liquid forms. While the amount of caffeine in a supplement can be hard to determine, supplements can have much higher concentrated levels of caffeine than what you would find in traditional caffeine products like tea and coffee. Just one teaspoon of pure powdered caffeine can contain the same amount of caffeine as 28 cups of coffee. A half cup of a liquid highly concentrated caffeine product contains the equivalent of more than 20 cups of coffee. Because of this, caffeine supplements can have some serious side effects which are listed below. It is important to note that caffeine can impact each of us differently with some people experiencing more serious side effects after consuming lower amounts of caffeine than others.
Mild Side Effects of Caffeine
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Fidgeting
- Insomnia (inability to sleep)
- Increased Urination
- Irritability
Severe Side Effects of Caffeine
- Disorientation (confusion)
- Hallucinations (seeing things)
- Seizures (uncontrolled body movements)
- Psychosis (difficulty recognizing what is real and what is not)
- Arrythmias (fast heartbeat)
- Ischemia (lack of blood to parts of the body)
- In rare cases, death
In addition to the side effects you can experience when having caffeine on its own, caffeine can also interact with certain medications and cause negative symptoms.
|
Drugs |
Potential Interactions |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) Medication |
Caffeine can intensify the effects of stimulants used to treat ADHD such as Ritalin and Adderall. Combined with caffeine, users may experience anxiety, jitters, insomnia and potential heart problems. |
| Blood thinners |
Caffeine may interact with blood thinners like Warfarin and increase the risk of bleeding. |
| Thyroid Medication |
Caffeine can interfere with the absorption of certain thyroid medications leading to reduced effectiveness. |
| Birth Control |
Caffeine can interact with oral contraceptives and cause issues with how your body metabolizes estrogen. |
Ways to Avoid Negative Health Effects from Caffeine
- For healthy adults, the FDA recommens 400 milligrams a day (about four or five, 8-ounce cups of coffee) as a safe amount to consume.
- The FDA advises consumers to avoid pure and highly concentrated caffeine sold in bulk as powdered and liquid dietary supplements.
- It can be extremely difficult to accurately measure pure and highly concentrated caffeine. Read dietary labels carefully to avoid consuming a dangerous or even lethal amount of caffeine.
- Read prescription labels to make sure it is okay to take caffeine with any medications you may be taking.
- If you believe that you are having a side effect related to caffeine, stop consuming it and seek immediate medical care or advice.