Great question, and I'm glad you asked. Everyone should learn this. Seriously, everyone. Being able to recognize and treat an overdose of any common drug could save a life – either your own, or someone else's. This is exactly why I learned how to administer Narcan and why I encourage everyone I know to do so as well – and while caffeine overdoses may be less dangerous than opioid overdoses, caffeine is also a much more common drug, so your chances of someday encountering someone who is having an overdose (or having one yourself!) are probably pretty high.
So, how do you treat a caffeine overdose?
1) If you think you are having a caffeine overdose, stop consuming caffeine.
This seems kind of obvious, but lots of things that you might not expect contain caffeine, and if you've already had too much, even low amounts in addition can seriously exacerbate your symptoms. Some key things that people might miss include: Starbucks refreshers (did you know that those are fairly caffeinated?), most sodas, tea (less caffeine than coffee, but it's still absolutely caffeinated), kombucha (it's made with tea, and the caffeine doesn't go away when it ferments), chocolate, anything with guarana, matcha, or yerba mate in the ingredient list, a lot of sports drinks and protein bars, and a big one that a lot of people find surprising – decaf (the decaffeination process removes most of the caffeine, but not all of it, and so even though it's safe to drink for most people who "can't have caffeine", you should definitely avoid it if you are already actively having an overdose). Similarly, avoid other stimulants for the rest of the day. If you take stimulant medications for ADHD, for example, don't take your normally scheduled meds while you are overdosing on a different stimulant. The effects can stack.
Caffeine is a diuretic, and dehydration can exacerbate overdose symptoms. Additionally, if the overdose that you are having is severe, you may throw up or experience diarrhea. In theory, even better than drinking water would be drinking something like gatorade or pedialyte to replenish your lost electrolytes... but watch out because, well, see above. Lots of electrolyte sports drinks contain caffeine, and you absolutely do not want to make your symptoms worse by piling on more of the thing your body is desperately trying to clear.
3) Monitor your symptoms.
Most caffeine overdoses are not very dangerous, and will resolve themselves without medical intervention. However, you need to be on the lookout for symptoms that indicate a severe overdose, especially if the overdose is happening to someone vulnerable, such as a child, or someone who has a preexisting heart condition. Especially be on the lookout for: chest pain, seizures, tingling sensations like pins-and-needles, and difficulty breathing. If any of those symptoms are present, or if the person who is having the overdose has a serious preexisting condition that could put them in imminent risk of a heart attack, then you need to...
4) Call poison control and/or go to the ER.
Depending on the severity of your overdose, you may be prescribed activated charcoal, and in extreme cases, you may need to have your stomach pumped. At this level of symptoms, you should not be trying to treat the overdose at home; you should be getting seen by a medical professional. Caffeine overdoses are very rarely fatal, but when they're serious, they can absolutely require emergency medical treatment. If you have serious overdose symptoms, do not delay going to the hospital because "it's just caffeine" and you feel like you should be able to ride it out at home. I promise you that no one is going to think that you're silly for coming in for such a "minor" drug; if your symptoms are serious, it is absolutely serious enough for you to go to the ER, regardless of whether you overdosed by getting dosed with concentrated caffeine powder or pills, or by drinking a single extra venti latte.
tangentwithtanner
izzy806
amandla
blakekathryn
origamiaround
prguitarman
