Acute hepatitis after heavy energy drink use ‘a warning to the consumer,’ liver specialist says

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Construction worker relied on 4 to 5 bottles a day to get through his shift

A construction worker who consumed an excessive amount of energy drinks developed a rare case of acute hepatitis, say doctors who want patients to know about the potential risks to the liver from such over-consumption.

When the 50-year-old man started heavily consuming energy drinks over a three-week period, he started to lose his appetite and experience worsening abdominal pain, followed by nausea and vomiting. When he developed dark urine and jaundice, he went to the emergency department.

The construction worker told doctors he didn’t drink, smoke or use illicit drugs, but that he used energy drinks to help him get through his labour-intensive workday.

Each bottle of his energy drink, which was not named in the study, contained 40 milligrams of niacin, or 200 per cent of the recommended daily limit, the researchers noted. The man said he consumed four to five bottles a day for more than 21 days straight.

Energy drinks contain several ingredients in high concentrations but vitamin B3 or niacin is the only one associated with liver damage, the authors said.

The man’s lab test results also suggested evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection.

“I think this would have happened to this individual even if he did not have hepatitis C,” Dr. Yoshida said.

“He was really jaundiced. This guy was lucky he didn’t need a liver transplant,” Yoshida said.