6 First Steps to Take in Case of Caffeine Poisoning

What does it contain?

Caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid. Has mild narcotic properties. However, a person is able to consume products containing this substance without much harm to the body.

Caffeine is an odorless, white crystalline powder. Has a bitter taste. But in this form it is rarely found. As a rule, most often it enters the human body with certain foods.

Products:

• Coffee. It ranks first in caffeine content. The amount of this substance depends on what variety is chosen and how the coffee is prepared. The amount of drink you drink plays a big role. An overdose occurs when drinking coffee uncontrollably.
• Tea comes in second place. Black tea contains less substance than green tea. Young tea leaves contain more alkaloid than old ones.
• Cocoa also contains caffeine, but in small quantities. This drink is less dangerous for the human body, but an overdose is possible.
• The compound is present in chocolate. There is not much of it, but chocolate has a tonic effect on the body.
• Contained in mate and guarana plants used for food.
• This substance is found in Coca-Cola. The full recipe for the drink is kept secret, but the presence of caffeine is known.
• This alkaloid can be found in almost all energy drinks.
• The substance is contained in some medications.

Thus, caffeine can be found in many products. You should not use them uncontrollably to avoid overdose.

Why is coffee harmful?

If you do not combine it with drinking cognac, drink no more than 2-3 cups a day, negative consequences will not appear. By violating these recommendations, a person risks encountering several factors that are unpleasant for the body:

1. Dehydration. The popular product has a diuretic effect.
2. Potassium deficiency. The microelement is quickly washed out, so it is necessary to maintain its concentration by including cottage cheese, yogurt, and kefir in the diet.
3. Hypertension. Vasoconstriction provokes a short-term but sharp increase in pressure. The effect can be reduced if you do not add fat milk and sweeteners.

That is why it is forbidden to indulge in coffee if you have the following contraindications:

• cardiovascular diseases;
• mental disorders;
• CNS disorders;
• children or old age;
• pregnancy and lactation.

If you drink 6-7 cups of espresso every day, you develop an addiction that can easily lead to intoxication.

Lethal dose

Drinking 100 cups per day causes death. At the same time, the caffeine content is approximately 10 g. Fortunately, the alkaloid is quickly eliminated and practically does not accumulate, otherwise doctors have encountered caffeine poisoning much more often. For example, it is known that Honore de Balzac preferred to drink about 50 glasses a day for better performance.

The characteristics of the body also have an impact. For an elderly person, a smaller volume of coffee is enough, and children can get an overdose by eating several bags of instant coffee.

Effect of caffeine on the body

How does caffeine affect the body?

Coffee is one of the most popular morning drinks. It has certain effects on the human body.

Actions:

• Excitation processes in the cerebral cortex become stronger.
• Conditioned reflexes are strengthened.
• Mental and physical performance increases.
• Motor activity increases.
• The feeling of fatigue decreases and drowsiness disappears.

Thanks to the substance, the production of the “joy” hormone dopamine is increased. As a result, the person is alert, active and cheerful. That’s why people get used to coffee drinks so quickly.

However, consuming such products in large quantities can lead to an overdose. Simply exceeding the dose of caffeine per day will result in some discomfort.

Signs:

• sleep disturbance,
• increased urination,
• diarrhea,
• heartburn,
• high pressure,
• irritability.

Therefore, you should not abuse products containing caffeine to avoid an overdose.

A lethal dose is 10 to 20 grams of caffeine in its pure form. However, such an amount is quite difficult to obtain at a time.

Benefits of coffee for the body

A mug of this aromatic product, prepared at home or ordered in a cafe, fills you with energy and is a powerful psychostimulant that increases performance and improves activity. In addition, there are effects that can be used in the treatment of pathologies:

1. Regulation of excitation processes occurring in the cerebral cortex.
2. Increased blood pressure and heart rate.
3. Increased gastric enzyme production.
4. Mitigation of attacks of bronchial asthma.
5. Removing toxins, which contributes to the treatment of alcohol or drug addiction.
6. Reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
7. Prevention of ovarian, oral, liver cancer.

Such beneficial qualities appear when a person adheres to the norm and does not overdose.

Symptoms of caffeine poisoning

Symptoms of caffeine overdose can be quite severe. In case of mild poisoning, they will gradually pass; severe intoxication manifests itself with clear signs.

Symptoms:

• lack of coordination
• severe overexcitation
• problems with vision and hearing,
• nausea, vomiting,
• confusion, hallucinations,
• rapid heartbeat, which can gradually turn into failure,
• blueness of the skin,
• breathing problems, asthma attacks,
• insomnia, irritability,
• headache,
• elevated body temperature.

If such signs of overdose are detected, you should quickly call a doctor.

You can be poisoned not only by food, but also by medicines containing this substance. One such medication is caffeine sodium benzoate. Symptoms of an overdose of tablets are similar to those that occur during intoxication with products. The medicine has certain contraindications. You must strictly follow your doctor's instructions to avoid overdose.

Symptoms of coffee overdose

The clinical picture appears when poisoning is already present.

Early signs include:

1. Redness of the face, which develops as a result of a constant rush of blood.
2. Shine of the organs of vision. Occurs due to the effect of adrenaline on the lacrimal glands. The secretion of the enzyme increases.
3. Heat in the body. Caused by an increase in blood glucose concentration.
4. Trembling in the fingers, knees, calves, solar plexus area.
5. Tachycardia.
6. Dizziness.

Symptoms appear 15–20 minutes after drinking a cup of coffee. If no measures are taken at this stage, the clinical picture progresses:

1. Nausea appears, which usually occurs on an empty stomach.
2. Sweating increases.
3. Emptying the bladder becomes more frequent.
4. The functionality of the gastrointestinal tract is impaired. Colic and intestinal spasms are likely.

Overdose in the acute phase:

• blueness of the skin;
• hallucinations;
• insomnia;
• increased irritability.

Not all signs necessarily appear at the same time.

First aid and treatment

A person with a caffeine overdose must be given first aid until doctors arrive. What to do in this case?

First aid:

• A poisoned person should be taken out into fresh air, loosen tight clothing, and loosen belts and ties.
• Gastric lavage is performed. You cannot restrain the gag reflex, this is how the body tries to get rid of toxins. It is necessary to rinse the stomach if the cause of an overdose is sodium benzoate tablets. In this case, a large amount of toxic substances can be removed.
• The victim is provided with rest.

After which the person is handed over to doctors.

Further treatment is carried out in the hospital. Doctors use various methods for therapy.

Actions:

• Magnesium sulfate is injected into the stomach,
• diprazine and morphine hydrochloride are used intramuscularly,
• medications are prescribed to relieve anxiety,
• if necessary, plasma substitutes are used,
• In addition, doctors use various vitamin therapy to restore the functioning of all organs.

Overdose is treated until complete recovery.

When is first aid needed for an overdose?

First aid helps to cope with mild manifestations of poisoning. If unpleasant symptoms persist, then you need to visit a medical facility. In what cases is the help of doctors required? Occasions:

• loss of consciousness;
• presence of hallucinations, cyanosis;
• convulsive manifestations;
• deterioration of condition;
• sudden pressure surges.

If you have such symptoms, a visit to the hospital is mandatory. If left untreated, serious complications may develop.

Caffeine overdose and sports

Because of caffeine's ability to enhance performance, some athletes use it to improve their workout performance. This should be done carefully, following some tips.

Adviсe:

• Products containing caffeine must be taken at least an hour before training.
• You should not drink more than a couple of cups of coffee per day.
• It is better to avoid energy drinks, because they contain sugar. By the way, it’s also better not to add it to tea and coffee.
• Caffeine also tends to dehydrate the body, so you should drink more fluids.

If you use caffeine wisely, you can avoid overdose and other negative consequences.

Coffee composition

What components are in the product are determined by its type:

1. The ground contains 2 strong alkaloids at once. This explains the effect produced by the drink. Under the influence of caffeine, blood vessels narrow, except those leading to the kidneys. Blood pressure rises, paired organs intensively accumulate and discharge fluid. After 20 minutes, theobromine begins to work - the lumens of the renal vessels, on the contrary, sharply expand, in others they decrease, blood pressure drops, and water is retained. The duration of this stage is on average 40 minutes. True connoisseurs know very well that the invigorating effect is short.
2. The instant drink contains to a greater extent the second plant enzyme. In production, beans are often used from which caffeine has already been almost completely removed. Therefore, such coffee, if the dosage is too high, can even lead to tissue swelling.

Of course, the grains contain a vitamin and mineral complex. But these ingredients do not play a role when it comes to the possibility of overdose.

Decrease and increase in pressure

Everyone knows that people with high blood pressure should not drink coffee. However, this statement is not entirely true. If a person constantly drinks coffee in the morning, then without it it will be very difficult for him to start his day. After all, the body has already adjusted, and the pressure is already reduced by the morning. And only a coffee drink can normalize it.

Green tea, on the contrary, lowers blood pressure more than increases it.

Experiments should not be carried out to avoid overdose and other consequences.

Symptoms of overdose or poisoning

Symptoms of caffeine poisoning appear gradually. Symptoms become more pronounced after each consumption of coffee or caffeine-containing drugs and can be presented by:

• dizziness, headaches with a feeling of squeezing in the temporal areas;
• increased drowsiness or lethargy with hypnotic effects;
• hypertension or increased blood pressure;
• polyuria or increased amount of urine output;
• tachycardia or rapid heartbeat with the development of arrhythmia and extraordinary contractions of the heart muscle;
• hyperthermia or increased temperature;
• tachypnea or rapid and shallow breathing;
• sensations of a panic attack;
• redness in the cheek area;
• pain in the stomach, heartburn, nausea and vomiting.

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Severe intoxication is accompanied by a deep coma, and cardiovascular and respiratory failure causes death.

• Expired green coffee can be consumed. The taste and smell can really be restored by roasting and grinding. Such a drink will not cause harm to the body.
• Roasted coffee beans in sealed or vacuum packaging are not harmful if the expiration date is relatively recent. Then it will lose some of its taste properties. But if the beans have an uncharacteristic greasy sheen, are too dark, and have a rancid smell, the product should be thrown away: it will not be possible to revive it, and you may feel sick from such coffee.
• Ground expired coffee in a closed package may not lose its quality much longer than the indicated expiration date, but the older it gets, the more tasteless the drink made from such coffee will be. An opened pack expires even faster: within a month it loses 90% of its properties.
• Expired instant coffee loses its taste more slowly due to chemical components (flavors, dyes, preservatives, enhancers): an airtight jar can be opened even after 3 years of storage. However, after 2 months the opened product will lose its smell and taste, turning into a “coffee drink”.

Relatively safe dosage of caffeine

Russian regulatory authorities have established a recommendation for daily caffeine consumption. A relatively safe dosage in our country is considered to be the total number of caffeine-containing drinks consumed, not exceeding a total daily dosage of 150–300 mg of caffeine: in terms of cups of tea - no more than 5, per serving of coffee - no more than 3. In the European Union, the EFSA has established a maximum The permissible daily dosage of caffeine is 400 mg, and the maximum single dose is 200 mg.

Caffeine and its artificial analogue (sodium benzoate, preservative E-211), used in the food industry, can cause deterioration in health. With regular and excessive consumption of coffee drinks and products containing caffeine (for example, energy drinks), there is a high probability of developing pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system and cardiovascular system.

Long-term consumption of coffee is the cause of gastritis, colitis, stomach ulcers, hypertension, as well as some neurological and mild mental disorders. Therefore, depending on the consequences of excessive coffee consumption, a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, neuropsychiatrist or psychotherapist may be involved in the treatment of caffeine addiction.

In the absence of somatic pathology, treatment for caffeine addiction in our clinic is carried out by psychotherapists or hypnologists. On the recommendation of a doctor, the course of treatment can be supplemented with sessions of relaxation therapy, therapeutic massage or acupuncture.

Caffeine analogues and their harm

Caffeine has analogues that have similar effects on the body.

Analogues:

• Caffeine sodium benzoate,
• Eufillin,
• Teofedrine,
• Temisal.

These substances are included in medications. If taken in excess, caffeine overdose may occur. The symptoms are similar to those that occur with caffeine poisoning.

An overdose of caffeine can cause some harm to the human body, and even cause death. Therefore, you should be careful about products that contain this substance.

Is it possible to die from a coffee overdose? - the answer is on our portal here

Video: TOP 10 reasons if you are poisoned by caffeine

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Poisoning with natural and instant coffee

Natural coffee poisoning usually occurs due to an overdose. As an option, if a person usually drinks a weak instant drink, and then decides to drink a large cup of a strong natural one.

It is much easier to get poisoned with instant coffee. It is processed chemically, and the finished powder or granules usually contain up to 15-20% of the original grains. The rest is stabilizers, preservatives, emulsifiers, dyes, starch, synthetic additives, etc. The cheaper instant coffee is, the more dangerous it is to drink, since there is less and less natural product and more and more chemicals.

Decaffeinated coffee is also unsafe. Caffeine is washed out with chemical solvents, which are also present in minimal doses in the finished product. If the coffee is instant, it also contains all the dyes and preservatives described above.

Most often, people get coffee poisoning due to an individual reaction to artificial components or a combination of them. Therefore, you should not get carried away with an instant drink from an unknown brand if you are prone to allergic reactions or have diseases of the cardiovascular system.

You can get poisoned if you usually drink coffee with milk and suddenly drink black coffee.

How to deal with coffee poisoning?

The list of actions depends on what stage the person is in and how much coffee he drank:

• In the initial stage, if you feel sick 5-10 minutes after a cup of coffee, the best way to cleanse the body is vomiting. You can drink a glass of warm water and also induce vomiting. Provide fresh air flow. If you feel dizzy and weak, lie down or sit down. Drink water and try to breathe deeply. Usually after 15 minutes everything goes away, you may want to sleep.
• For more serious poisoning, if caffeine has already been absorbed into the stomach, or you have drank a lot of coffee over the past 24 hours, milk and banana, fresh air, as well as sorbents - activated carbon or any analogues - can help. You should give up coffee for several days.
• In the acute stage, it is best to call an ambulance. There is no antidote for coffee, so in a hospital setting they usually lower the blood pressure, monitor the condition, and administer medications to help remove toxins faster and prevent a critical condition.