My Energy Drink Story

[Bartmanhomer]

Hello everyone. Today I'm going to tell you a story of my personal experience of energy drinks. It all started in 2006, I was 21 years old and I was drinking my very first energy drink which was Monster Energy Drink. When I drink Monster Energy Drink, my body was feeling very energetic and hyper. So I was thinking of a great idea what if I drink 10 Monster Energy Drinks. So I bought 10 Monster Drinks and I drank all 10 cans. My body couldn't handle it. I didn't sleep a few days due to the negative effects of drinking 10 Monster Energy Drinks. Anyway, I went to my old therapist therapy group. I was very angry and irritated. I said to my therapist to Shut Up and I got kicked out of the group. I did apologize a week after that. So I stopped drinking Monster Energy Drinks. So the moral of the story, don't drink too many energy drinks, it'll give you a negative effect on your body and mind.

[Brother Oni]

So the moral of the story, don't drink too many energy drinks, it'll give you a negative effect on your body and mind.

No, the moral of the story is don't try to poison yourself with caffeine. Anything above 300 mg has been shown to give an elevated heart rate and other adverse side efects, while anything above 1.2g is regarded as a toxic dose.

At 10 Monsters (assuming they were the 500 mL ones), you took 1.6g worth of caffine, so you should thankful that you didn't accidentally kill yourself; some people are sensitive to it and doses as low as 3.4g have been known to be fatal.

[Bartmanhomer]

No, the moral of the story is don't try to poison yourself with caffeine. Anything above 300 mg has been shown to give an elevated heart rate and other adverse side effects, while anything above 1.2g is regarded as a toxic dose.

At 10 Monsters (assuming they were the 500 mL ones), you took 1.6g worth of caffeine, so you should thankful that you didn't accidentally kill yourself; some people are sensitive to it and doses as low as 3.4g have been known to be fatal.

Yes, I guess that's the moral of the story and I know it has a lot of caffeine in it but I didn't know it was that much.

[Brother Oni]

Yes, I guess that's the moral of the story and I know it has a lot of caffeine in it but I didn't know it was that much.

There's a warning on the label of the can, at least on the UK ones, that it has a high caffeine content of 30mg / 100mL:

Spoiler: UK Monster label warning

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If you failed to notice that or chose to ignore it while drinking ten of the things, then that's on you.

[Bartmanhomer]

There's a warning on the label of the can, at least on the UK ones, that it has a high caffeine content of 30mg / 100mL:

Spoiler: UK Monster label warning

Show

If you failed to notice that or chose to ignore it while drinking ten of the things, then that's on you.

Well, I was young back then and I completely ignore the warning label because I didn't know any better.

[Stelio Kontos]

Spoiler: The only thing I could think of when I read this post:

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[sihnfahl]

It's not just the caffeine.

It's also the sugar... (a whopping 580 grams!)
Niacin (2500% RDA, which is well beyond what any sane person would take)
Sodium (almost 4 grams, which really does nasty things to your electrolytes...)
And 2300 calories.

That's ... a heart attack just begging to happen.

[Bartmanhomer]

It's not just the caffeine.

It's also the sugar... (a whopping 580 grams!)
Niacin (2500% RDA, which is well beyond what any sane person would take)
Sodium (almost 4 grams, which really does nasty things to your electrolytes...)
And 2300 calories.

That's ... a heart attack just begging to happen.

Dang! I should have read the nutritional label more carefully.

[Brother Oni]

It's not just the caffeine.

It's also the sugar... (a whopping 580 grams!)
Niacin (2500% RDA, which is well beyond what any sane person would take)
Sodium (almost 4 grams, which really does nasty things to your electrolytes...)
And 2300 calories.

That's ... a heart attack just begging to happen.

He wasn't specific on the Monster variant, so I stuck to the common element of caffeine.

If it's the sugar content you're worried about, then that's from potential hypoglycemic shock; the body over-compensates for the sheer amount of sugar in your system, generating too much insulin, which due to the delayed feedback loop, can cause your blood sugar to drop too low, causing you to pass out.
That said, for an acute lethal dose (ie all taken in single sitting), you're looking at around 2kg of sucrose for an average person.

Niacin is water soluble - any excess from a single acute dose will just be excreted (and at 5L of Monster, that's a lot of water to pass). Monster has 24mg of Niacin, so 10 cans is 240 mg, which is nowhere near the LD50. Some further digging indicates that chronic overdosing can lead to hepatitus C and liver failure,but you're looking at something like 4-5 energy drinks a day for at least 3 weeks: Rare cause of acute hepatitis: a common energy drink, Harb et al.

Sodium is one of the lesser worries in this case as it's an acute dose - you'd need 3g NaCl / kg bodyweight to hit the LD50, which works out to ~1.2 g sodium / kg bodyweight. For the average 60kg person, that's close to 71g sodium or 180g table salt.

The levels to start seeing chronic effects are different (eg the niacin), but the caffeine would definitely kill him first due to heart failure if he was drinking 5L of Monster a day.

[Bartmanhomer]

He wasn't specific on the Monster variant, so I stuck to the common element of caffeine.

If it's the sugar content you're worried about, then that's from potential hypoglycemic shock; the body over-compensates for the sheer amount of sugar in your system, generating too much insulin, which due to the delayed feedback loop, can cause your blood sugar to drop too low, causing you to pass out.
That said, for an acute lethal dose (ie all taken in single sitting), you're looking at around 2kg of sucrose for an average person.

Niacin is water soluble - any excess from a single acute dose will just be excreted (and at 5L of Monster, that's a lot of water to pass). Monster has 24mg of Niacin, so 10 cans is 240 mg, which is nowhere near the LD50. Some further digging indicates that chronic overdosing can lead to hepatitus C and liver failure,but you're looking at something like 4-5 energy drinks a day for at least 3 weeks: Rare cause of acute hepatitis: a common energy drink, Harb et al.

Sodium is one of the lesser worries in this case as it's an acute dose - you'd need 3g NaCl / kg bodyweight to hit the LD50, which works out to ~1.2 g sodium / kg bodyweight. For the average 60kg person, that's close to 71g sodium or 180g table salt.

The levels to start seeing chronic effects are different (eg the niacin), but the caffeine would definitely kill him first due to heart failure if he was drinking 5L of Monster a day.

It was the regular and original Monster Energy Drink with sugar and caffeine.

[Vinyadan]

Is that 3 litres? 5 litres?

[Bartmanhomer]

Is that 3 litres? 5 litres?

I don't know.

[Mystic Muse]

Is that 3 litres? 5 litres?

If normal sized 16 ounce cans, roughly 4.7 liters

[Bartmanhomer]

If normal-sized 16-ounce cans, roughly 4.7 liters

Well, it was in a can so it must be that size.

[Xyril]

Well, it was in a can so it must be that size.

It comes in multiple sizes, all of which are cans I believe. The ones Mystic Muse calls "normal-sized" are (I believe) the ones that come in multipacks, as well as the default size for individual sales. In other words, any stores that sell only a single size of Monster most likely sells the 16 oz, and any stores that sell multiple sizes most likely sells the 16 oz among those sizes.

I think they come in as small as 11 oz or 13 oz, but where I live most convenience stores carry the 16 oz can and one of the larger sizes (24 or 32 oz, I believe.) If you haven't even noticed that they were selling different can sizes, or you bought the multipacks, then you're probably drinking the 16 oz cans and the 4.7 L estimate is probably right.

If you vaguely remember buying the bigger cans out of what's on offer, you might have been drinking anywhere from just over 7 L to just under 9.5 L, which is a little terrifying.

[Bartmanhomer]

It comes in multiple sizes, all of which are cans I believe. The ones Mystic Muse calls "normal-sized" are (I believe) the ones that come in multipacks, as well as the default size for individual sales. In other words, any stores that sell only a single size of Monster most likely sells the 16 oz and any stores that sell multiple sizes most likely sell the 16 oz among those sizes.

I think they come in as small as 11 oz or 13 oz, but where I live most convenience stores carry the 16 oz can and one of the larger sizes (24 or 32 oz, I believe.) If you haven't even noticed that they were selling different can sizes, or you bought the multipacks, then you're probably drinking the 16 oz cans and the 4.7 L estimate is probably right.

If you vaguely remember buying the bigger cans out of what's on offer, you might have been drinking anywhere from just over 7 L to just under 9.5 L, which is a little terrifying.

It was the bigger can. Bigger than the regular-sized soda can.

[Mystic Muse]

It was the bigger can. Bigger than the regular-sized soda can.

Was it slightly bigger than a regular soda can, or at least twice as big?

[Bartmanhomer]

Was it slightly bigger than a regular soda can, or at least twice as big?

Slightly bigger. What's the difference?

[Mystic Muse]

Slightly bigger. What's the difference?

Basically, whether you drank 4.7, slightly over 7, or 9.4 liters of monster. So, anywhere from a gallon and a quart, to about 2 and a half gallons.

EDIT: As a reference point, 6 liters of WATER can be lethal.

[Bartmanhomer]

Basically, whether you drank 4.7, slightly over 7, or 9.4 liters of monster. So, anywhere from a gallon and a quart, to about 2 and a half gallons.

Ok. Well, I do know the can was slightly bigger so I guess I much have drink that much.

[Mystic Muse]

Ok. Well, I do know the can was slightly bigger so I guess I much have drink that much.

Alright.

As mentioned, it was basically just a question of how close to a lethal dose you got. Drinking 10 of the size you drank was already a terrible idea. If they had been the larger sizes, you would probably not have lived to tell the tale, whether from a lethal dose of things like caffeine, or imbibing too many fluids for your body to process (water poisoning is a thing.)

[Bartmanhomer]

Alright.

As mentioned, it was basically just a question of how close to a lethal dose you got. Drinking 10 of the size you drank was already a terrible idea. If they had been the larger sizes, you would probably not have lived to tell the tale, whether from a lethal dose of things like caffeine or imbibing too many fluids for your body to process (water poisoning is a thing.)

Yes and I've learned a very valuable and important lesson.

[Brother Oni]

It comes in multiple sizes, all of which are cans I believe. The ones Mystic Muse calls "normal-sized" are (I believe) the ones that come in multipacks, as well as the default size for individual sales. In other words, any stores that sell only a single size of Monster most likely sells the 16 oz, and any stores that sell multiple sizes most likely sells the 16 oz among those sizes.

I think they come in as small as 11 oz or 13 oz, but where I live most convenience stores carry the 16 oz can and one of the larger sizes (24 or 32 oz, I believe.) If you haven't even noticed that they were selling different can sizes, or you bought the multipacks, then you're probably drinking the 16 oz cans and the 4.7 L estimate is probably right.

Huh, I didn't realise Monster came in other than 250/330mL and 500mL.

500mL is the default one in the UK and I've seen 250mL (as a direct competitor to Red Bull) and 330mL (as a 'regular' soft drink) abroad in HK and Japan (energy drinks aren't as popular there). I'd assumed the American stereotype and had picked 500mL (16oz) as standard, but I should have expected you lot did them in bigger sizes.

[WinterKnight404]

All I could think of reading this is the old Powerthirst commercial on you tube. Check it out! I would link it but I have yet to make 10 posts on this forum

[Xyril]

500mL is the default one in the UK and I've seen 250mL (as a direct competitor to Red Bull) and 330mL (as a 'regular' soft drink) abroad in HK and Japan (energy drinks aren't as popular there). I'd assumed the American stereotype and had picked 500mL (16oz) as standard, but I should have expected you lot did them in bigger sizes.

What can I say? Some people subvert stereotypes, we prefer to lean into them.

330/335 mL has pretty much been "regular" in the U.S. since aluminum replaced steel (depending on whether they round in metric for 11.8 oz, or they around in U.S. to get 12 oz/335ish mL.) Red Bull and early coffee shots tended to be smaller, and soft drinks started playing around with smaller sizes as sugar/corn syrup/calorie consciousness gained prominence, and more vending machines changed to a design that played nice with different sized containers. Arizona Iced Tea (plus other flavors) was the first and only prominent soft drink brand to go much bigger (I think about 1L) until the rise of the energy drinks, I believe. During this time, tallboy cans (24-32 oz) were already popular for beer and other hard drinks, but it seemed like overnight, Monster and other similar brands suddenly decided to use those cans for their "standard" drinks.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

It all started in 2006, I was 21 years old

Wait... *counts up and down a bit* You're older than I am?

My monster energy story is a bit different. I was on a long drive when, on a piece of road where we had to move pretty slow, we end up driving next to a "Monster truck", a pickup styled like the energy drink. So I (not the driver! also, this whole thing was less insanely dangerous than it sounds when I read back what I wrote here) signaled to the other car whether they had something to drink for us. And that's how I ended up in-flight refueling energy drink.

That was after I pretty much stopped drinking energy drinks because I could basically feel them dissolving my teeth. I know regular soda is pretty much just as bad, but there's still something about those drinks that feels like they might be taking the whole idea just one step too far.

[Bartmanhomer]

Wait... *counts up and down a bit* You're older than I am?

My monster energy story is a bit different. I was on a long drive when we end up driving next to a "Monster truck" on a piece of road where we had to move pretty slow, a pickup styled like the energy drink. So I (not the driver! also, this whole thing was less insanely dangerous than it sounds when I read back what I wrote here) signaled to the other car whether they had something to drink for us. And that's how I ended up in-flight tanking energy drink.

That was after I stopped drinking energy drinks because I could basically feel them dissolving my teeth. I know regular soda is pretty much just as bad, but there's still something about those drinks that feels like they might be taking the whole idea just one step too far.

Well keep in mind I was born on May 4, 1985. On I was 21 in 2006.

Well, I went to Duane Reade store and I check the Monster Energy Drink can size. It's 500 ML.

[The Fury]

My energy drink story is something that just deepened my preference for coffee.

Years ago, I quite caffeine. I was doing pretty good too. I even had more energy, I was sleeping better, my mental health was improving... Then my job put me on a shift that started at 5am.

I didn't have time to brew coffee, so I gave my roommate money to buy me some energy drinks and every time they went to buy groceries they came back with a flat of Rockstars. I drank at least one, sometimes two every morning before catching the train to go to work. Either because of what was in the drinks or because I wan't properly nourished, the Rockstars mostly just made me feel like I'd been kicked in the guts. I wasn't sure of the actual health effects I was experiencing, but it felt like these energy drinks were gradually killing me.

After a while, I got put on a more sane work schedule and I switched back to coffee and I felt so much better. I didn't feel my heart race, nor did I feel like I'd been kicked in the guts. I remember thinking, "Ah, coffee. Let's never fight again."

[BisectedBrioche]

How does one fit 5 litres (one can of Monster is 500ml) in their stomach?

[ZamielVanWeber]

Caffeine stimulates digestion. Honestly the list of things that he did not destroy by drinking that much Monster in one go is shockingly long. I have roundly chastised my friend for drinking 600mg of caffeine in a day; I could not imagine anyone I care about drinking 3000mg in a day.