Teenagers drinking energy drinks.

Noneskull - posted on 09/27/2012

I think you should let him drink them. Its okay to drink 1 or 2 at month, not everyday. They are not bad if you know how to use them.

Maureen - posted on 03/23/2010

Just one additional thought. Remember when long range truckers were known to use ' bennies' which were highly potent caffeine pills. Now they've been replaced with energy drinks.

Jana - posted on 03/23/2010

My brother in law, when he was 30, was drinking almost two a day. He started having chest pain and went to the doctors. The doctor advised him he had a small heart attack. The doctor all said it was due to drug use (cocaine). My sister and her husband promptly advised the doctor and staff that it wasn't possible because of drugs because he does not use them. The doctor did not believe them. They begged for a drug test and got it. The doctor said he would turn him into the police if it was positive. Guess what? It was negative. They were not surprised but most of the staff was. Finally a nurse asked about energy drinks. It was finally determined that these drinks caused this heart attack. After more research we discovered they are even more problematic in teenagers and young adults.

I would suggest not letting him drink them. However, if he does or if you choose to talk to him about moderation.

Tracy - posted on 03/23/2010

Is your son in any kind of athletic program at school or in your city? If so, most coaches now days don't allow (or strongly discourage) their team members to consume sodas or energy drinks because of dehydration. All that caffeine not only makes them jittery, but causes the body to get rid of water from their tissues and they can get serious muscle cramps out on the field!! They do recommend lots of water...one of my son's coaches said (and I ask for your forgiveness on how gross this sounds), "Try to make your pee as clear as possible before a game by drinking eight 8 oz glasses of water a day." It is so hard to drink that much water, yet that is how much we are all recommended to drink. Gatorades (which have no caffeine but do have sugar and electrolytes) are not even recommended during a game - those are ok after a game. I don't kow if this info will help you with limiting his energy drinks, but sports performance is usually pretty important to teenage boys!

Louise - posted on 03/17/2010

Hi,
I am not a fan of these drinks either, but I also know that unless your son is drinking in excess of 4 cans at a time it will have no affect on him what so ever. Caffeine is found in tea and coffee and chocolate and coke products the side affects are headaches and insomnia, and a racing heart rate. The sugar content is very high but unless your child is a diabetic his body will cope with it. Let him have the odd one the novelty will ware off like it did with my boys ignore him if he goes on about how good they are no attention from you will make him bored of the whole topic. He could be using the whole topic as a form of how much control he has. Just monitor secretly how much he is drinking and then decide is it worth the fight to stop him. Hope this helps.

Christina - posted on 03/16/2010

Yes thank you. I've also done a little research since my post and found that there are some energy drinks that are low in sugar and carbs but still have the caffine. So it's a little relief but not much. :)

I will work on a plan and try setting some limits as suggested.

Jodi - posted on 03/16/2010

I am not a fan of energy drinks either but have decided not to continue to wage war over this issue. Instead my son (who was about 14 when he started drinking energy drinks) and I have discussed what the limits should be. i.e. time of day, quantity, frequency. It became easier for him to recognize the need for limits after he drank two drinks in a short time the day of his 8th grade graduation....the drinks mixed with his anticipation caused him to have an anxiety attack...lesson learned. He is now 17 and a junior in HS - he limits himself to 3 drinks a week (always bought with his own money) and drinks them in the morning (so it doesn't interfere with sleep). Hope this helps.