The consequences of caffeine after too many cups (or cans)

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating five deaths and a heart attack for possible links to consumption of Monster Energy Drinks, an agency spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Caffeine, the fuel of the fabled all-night cram session, is causing controversy in the news this week.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating energy-drink manufacturer Monster Beverage following the filing of a wrongful death suit against the company. The suit was filed by the parents of a teenage girl who passed away after drinking two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy Drink, the Associated Press reported. She reportedly had a genetic condition affecting her heart valves, and suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.

A spokeswoman for the FDA, however, has stated that the reports don't prove that the energy drinks caused the death of the teenage girl or four other related deaths.

The FDA dealings dropped Monster’s stock by 14.2%, but some users say this won’t curb their caffeine habit. Students are notorious for their caffeine consumption, often in large doses.

“I find it really hard to believe that you can accidently take too much caffeine,” said Kyle DeDecker, 22, a recent Iowa State University grad. DeDecker currently works in graphic design in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In his college years, DeDecker said he’d down 2-3 energy drinks -- NOS was his preference -- in a night to stay awake, at worst only getting “a light foot tap.”

The Mayo Clinic estimates that an 8-ounce serving of Monster contains 80 milligrams of caffeine, about as much as a shot of espresso. However, a 24-ounce can contains three servings of the beverage -- 240 milligrams of caffeine. It can also be consumed much quicker, since the beverage is served cold. Monster doesn’t list its caffeine content on the can.

Toxicologists told ABC News this week that a lethal dose of caffeine can be anywhere from 5-10 grams, but the amount varies based on the individual. They also noted that a 2003 Journal of Toxicology article said one woman in her forties survived ingesting 50 grams of the stimulant.

A 2008 doctoral dissertation at the University of Kentucky on caffeine use of freshmen classified “high caffeine users” as consuming more the 200 milligrams per day -- fewer than a single can of Monster. The study also showed that the more involved with school activities a student is, the higher his or her caffeine usage.

“Respondents who participated in organized activity while in college consumed on average 60.7% more caffeine than those who indicated they did not participate in organized activity while in college,” author Gary Eugene McIlvain wrote of the 300 students he studied.

DeDecker said getting the necessary energy can become a financial burden as well. He noted that eventually energy drinks became too expensive for him and he switched to caffeine pills. Each pill contains 200 milligrams of caffeine. But even with these pills, DeDecker's consumption is likely under the average found at the University of Kentucky -- 849.89 milligrams a day, nearly triple the Mayo Clinic’s recommended dose.

Caffeine is synonymous with late-night study sessions, but that 3 a.m cup could do more harm than good. 72.3% of those surveyed in the Kentucky study said caffeine didn’t help them concentrate.

But what about athletes? Many students like to enjoy a pre-race cup of coffee for an extra boost. USA TODAY mentioned in 2011 that these students might want to be careful not to overdo it -- the NCAA lists caffeine as a controlled substance, and if over 15 micrograms per millimeter show up in a urine sample a competitor can be disqualified.

About 82% of the students surveyed in Kentucky felt caffeine was addictive. Drew Mick would tend to agree. Mick, 21, is a senior communications studies major at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He’s been known to drink anywhere from 3 cups to a whole pot of coffee in a day. If he misses it in the morning, he suffers headaches and nausea.

“If I don’t do something about it, such as have some coffee or take some Tylenol, it just gets worse,” Mick said. “Literally the same place, same intensity. It’s awful.”

Caffeine withdrawal is currently a proposed revision to the American Psychiatric Society’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

DeDecker had one final thought as the FDA further investigates the health effects of energy drinks.

“Before the FDA goes out and does anything rash, I think they need to collect all the data about what could have possibly caused it instead of burning caffeine at the stake,” he said. “We’ve had energy drinks for years and years.”

Michael Crowe is a Fall 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about him here.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.