Why is the FDA Warning About Powdered Caffeine?
Why is the FDA Warning About Powdered Caffeine?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about buying and using pure bulk powdered caffeine. According to their statistics, at least two people have died after ingesting this substance.
What is Powdered Caffeine?
According to the FDA:
A teaspoon of pure powdered caffeine is the same as 28 cups of coffee taken all at once.
Caffeine affects the central nervous system, and too much can overstimulate it to the point where the user experiences convulsions and, as has been seen, death.
- Projectile vomiting
- Gastric distress
- Muscle twitching
- Hallucinations
- Heart palpitations
- Insomnia
- Sensitivity to light
- Psychosis
- Inability to walk
- Anxiety, nervousness
Too much caffeine given intravenously can lead to immediate cardiac arrest and collapse of the body’s vasomotor system. As people age, they become more and more sensitive to caffeine, and they need less of it to get the same stimulant effect.
Caffeine Withdrawal
Caffeine withdrawal begins about 12 hours after the user stops taking it, peaks after one or two days and may take about a week to end. The symptoms are a headache, abdominal pain, pain in the joints, drowsiness, irritability and an overall decrease in energy, motivation and the ability to concentrate. For a person who has been addicted to pure powdered caffeine, these symptoms are far worse than the grouchiness experienced by individuals who miss their usual cup of coffee in the morning.
Treatment for Caffeine Addiction: Inpatient Care
Inpatient care is available for a person suffering from a caffeine addiction. These centers provide structure for the residents and allow them to take advantage of many types of treatments and therapies. One of these treatments might be cognitive behavioral therapy, where the resident is taught to change his or her beliefs and lifestyle to eliminate the abuse of caffeine.
A person in an inpatient care facility attends group and individual therapy as well as group education and other support. They are often given “homework” to help them remember and understand the material that they learned during the day. This might include writing down the warning signs that may lead to a relapse and how to cope with stressors without resorting to drugs. Some inpatient facilities even give vocational counseling to residents or help them earn their GED.
Many people would no doubt be surprised to find that powdered caffeine is such a dangerous and addictive drug when taken in large amounts. Inpatient care can help with powdered caffeine abuse or addiction.
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Thanks for the info! I’ll warn others to stay away from this junk.
Interesting! I had never heard of anyone being addicted to straight caffeine. I know people who drink a lot of coffee of soft drinks finding it hard to go without them and going through withdrawal when they do, but straight caffeine, yuck. I didn’t even know if was something you could buy. I can imagine that someone doing straight caffeine would really suffer from bad withdrawal and being in an in-patient center would be necessary. There they could get the help they need to get through the whole process.