Energy Drinks?!?!

[3girls2dogs]

I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I know I covered this in my thread requesting this forum, but I wanted to make it an official thread

My daughter's personality over the past couple of weeks to a month changed drastically. She went from being this sweet girl who couldn't wait for youth group on Fridays to being this angry, hateful, full of rage, violent girl who backhanded her sister for walking home to slow from the bus stop and almost kicked the dog because he wasn't peeing fast enough. I took her to the doctor, because along with this, she was experiencing violent headaches. While she is scheduled for a CTscan to make sure nothing is wrong, after talking to the doctor, he is very confident that the change is a result of the 3+ energy drinks she has a day, that I wasn't even aware she was drinking. We have been successful so far in discouraging illegal drug use, and here are drugs available right down the street at Circle K. These things don't just have massive doses of caffeine, but also contain ingredients that my husband, as a Marine, isn't even allowed to take. The doctors told me that these things could cause heart and liver damage over time and are readily available.

I feel so horrible, because I didn't even know she was drinking them. She gets her $20 a week for allowance for watching her sisters for an hour after school and for various chores, so that is the money she was using. Although, because of the hitting incident, my husband has been having to get the younger girls this week after school now.

I also found out that she is barely eating anymore. She says it is because I never buy anything she likes, and because I am so worried about her health right now, I indulged her and took her grocery shopping and let her pick out all the things she likes. So far she has eaten a bit more.

We have covered all the bases with doctors...I have an eye doctor appt. for her and her CTscan is Tuesday. Since I posted on this in the other forum, she has been able to go her first whole day without her headache medicine.

But has anyone else had this problem with these drinks?

 

[Linnis]

My BIL(who was 24 at the time) drank one and he ended up in the ER because his heart rate was so fast and his blood pressure very high. He even passed out. The ER doctor said those drinks are very dangerous, carry lots of caffiene and other stimulints and are worse on children & teens.

Caffiene is highly addictive. I mean think of all the adults who cannot go without their morning cup of coffee or 3 or 4 cups of coffee. Same thing. Also think of all the sugar in these things...she's probably filling up on sugar.

Basically she has to make a choice, caffiene or headaches. I cannot have caffiene because I have similar reactions to your daughter(minus the violence but I just might be able to control myself more) I think in the long run she'd rather feel better than like she has.

Also be careful of certain sports drinks and caffinated water that is sold geared towards teens too.

 

[FollowHisPath]

Ok, I know im not a parent and not suppoused to be here but I have some questions first. How old is your daughter and what kind of energy drinks is she drinking? They have a new kind of soda out called Vault and its kind of like an energy drink. Is she aware that Vault is an energy drink if she is drinking Vault?

 

[sreno7]

Some corner stores won't sell energy drinks to children not that they really have authority not to sell them. I know Red Bull is popular now....and lots of people will buy sports drinks thinking they are better than pop which they are not, they actually have more sugar. They are expensive, energy drinks. My son was drinking Jolt cola (all the sugar, twice the caffiene) until the doctor told him to stop.

 

[worldwatcher]

My son is 13 and is drinking energy mountain dew...not any more if I can help it...Whats next!

 

[Mela'h]

Wow 3g2d, who would have thought! I have a teen son and I am also involved in youth ministry and I see alot of our kids drinking this stuff. There are warnings on all the bottles about the amount one should consume, but nothing about personality changes. Pretty scarey stuff! I think I am going to have to get more serious about these drinks. Thanks for sharing what is going on with your daughter Sending up prayers for her that God would restore her to complete health. Now you know, and you are doing everything a great parent would!! Be blessed

 

[rasplundjr]

Which energy drinks was she consuming? Not all are that bad, at least in moderation.

Your daughter is GETTING headaches from caffeine? Odd it's normally a vasal dilater and helps to ease headaches, it's about the only thing that can take my migraines a notch or two down. Though my best friend has a similar reaction to caffeine, I'm thinking some bizzare form of allergy, or blood chemistry causing it to be a trigger.

How old is the daughter too?

Could it be chemical changes being brought on by the onset of womanhood combined with the energy drinks that are causing these "fits". Is she going back and forth between normal and "altered" states?

It might be one particular herb or chemical in the drinks that are causing her fits too, then again she might be overy sensitive to caffein, because too much caffeine can make one irritable in it's own right.

 

[sreno7]

perhaps she is getting headaches from caffiene withdrawal. I went on a website and discovered that it would take 148 cans of Jolt Cola in a day to kill a 150 pound person (my son's size) but only 96 cups of drip coffee. That surprised me.

 

[3girls2dogs]

She isn't just drinking jolt cola. She is drinking Kronik, and Monster and other drinks like that. These drinks have more than just caffeine in them.

http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p2376.htm

http://www.personalmd.com/news/n1015114148.shtml

http://www.wral.com/health/1591403/detail.html



If it were just too much caffeine, I wouldn't be concerned. There is more in these drinks than that. Not to mention the extreme dangers of the current trend of mixing these drinks with alcohol. I would like to pretend my daughter won't be faced with the choice to drink at a young age, but realism prevents me from doing that.

 

[lawtonfogle]

Which energy drinks was she consuming? Not all are that bad, at least in moderation.

Your daughter is GETTING headaches from caffeine? Odd it's normally a vasal dilater and helps to ease headaches, it's about the only thing that can take my migraines a notch or two down. Though my best friend has a similar reaction to caffeine, I'm thinking some bizzare form of allergy, or blood chemistry causing it to be a trigger.

How old is the daughter too?

Could it be chemical changes being brought on by the onset of womanhood combined with the energy drinks that are causing these "fits". Is she going back and forth between normal and "altered" states?

It might be one particular herb or chemical in the drinks that are causing her fits too, then again she might be overy sensitive to caffein, because too much caffeine can make one irritable in it's own right.

First, caffeine increased my migranes, almost exponentially, during a migrane rush a half year ago. Since I went off, then started only having a little caffeine, they stopped. Maybe it is different for different people.

Also, I will agree that it could be a combination of the drinks and normal mood swings. It is natural for a teen to have mood swings, it is unnatural for them to reach the points 3g2d described. Caffeine could do that, and who knows what those other chemicals are doing to already majorly fluctiating (sp.) hormones.