A new study that has appeared in the latest publication of the Medical Journal of Australia has shown that the mentally ill should avoid energy drinks as they may result in a trigger of psychosis.
Reports show that a 27-year-old man had suffered two psychosis events after he had started consuming an energy drink known as Demon Shots. The Maori man was already found to be suffering from schizophrenia.
In the first instance, the man drank two 60ml bottles of Demon Shot and later reported experiencing recurrent thoughts, over several hours, of “people wanting to harm him”. “One week later, he drank three Demon Shots over 15 minutes,” said Prof Menkes, who is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Auckland University. “He was observed to be emotionally labile (moving from one point to another) - initially laughing and talkative, later becoming restless, withdrawn and argumentative.” Other symptoms included a rapid pulse and insomnia, which took 24 hours to subside. The case is detailed in a letter published in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia.
Researchers from Auckland University led by Professor David Menkes add that such drinks need to print a warning sign on the labels. He warned that those who suffer from mental illnesses must consume such high-caffeinated drinks with caution. It also needs to be noted that people need to be aware of the symptoms that might affect that and understand when they can reoccur. He pointed out that this would make the drinks dangerous for 45,000 to 50,000 people living in New Zealand who were suffering for a mental ailment.
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