What happens if you drink to much coffee?

Question

Can you overdose on coffee?

Answer 1

yes, you can, it's defined by

1. Recent consumption of caffeine, usually in excess of
250 mg.
2. At least five of the following signs:
1. restlessness
2. nervousness
3. excitement
4. insomnia
5. flushed face
6. diuresis
7. gastrointestinal disturbance
8. muscle twitching
9. rambling flow of thought and speech
10. tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia
11. periods of inexhaustibility
12. psychomotor agitation
3. Not due to any physical or other mental disorder, such
as an Anxiety Disorder.

Basically, overdosing on caffeine will probably be very very
unpleasant but not kill or deliver permanent damage. However, People
do die from it.

Toxic dose

The LD_50 of caffeine (that is the lethal dosage reported to kill
50% of the population) is estimated at 10 grams for oral
administration. As it is usually the case, lethal dosage varies
from individual to individual according to weight. Ingestion of
150mg/kg of caffeine seems to be the LD_50 for all people. That
is, people weighting 50 kilos have an LD_50 of approx. 7.5 grams,
people weighting 80 kilos have an LD_50 of about 12 grams.

In cups of coffee the LD_50 varies from 50 to 200 cups of coffee
or about 50 vivarins (200mg each).

One exceptional case documents survival after ingesting 24 grams.
The minimum lethal dose ever reported was 3.2 grams
intravenously, this does not represent the oral MLD (minimum
lethal dose).

In small children ingestion of 35 mg/kg can lead to moderate
toxicity. The amount of caffeine in an average cup of coffee is
50 - 200 mg. Infants metabolize caffeine very slowly.

Symptoms
+ Acute caffeine poisoning gives early symptoms of anorexia,
tremor, and restlessness. Followed by nausea, vomiting,
tachycardia, and confusion. Serious intoxication may cause
delirium, seizures, supraventricular and ventricular
tachyarrhythmias, hypokalemia, and hyperglycemia.
+ Chronic high-dose caffeine intake can lead to nervousness,
irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching,
insomnia, palpitations and hyperreflexia. For blood testing,
cross-reaction with theophylline assays will detect toxic
amounts. (Method IA) Blood concentration of 1-10 mg/L is
normal in coffee drinkers, while 80 mg/L has been associated
with death.
Treatment
+ Emergency Measures
+ Maintain the airway and assist ventilation. (See
Appendix A)
+ Treat seizures & hypotension if they occur.
+ Hypokalemia usually goes away by itself.
+ Monitor Vital Signs.
+
+ Specific drugs & antidotes. Beta blockers effectively
reverse cardiotoxic effects mediated by excessive
beta-adrenergic stimulation. Treat hypotension or
tachyarrhythmias with intravenous propanolol, .01 - .02
mg/kg. , or esmolol, .05 mg/kg , carefully titrated with low
doses. Esmolol is preferred because of its short half life
and low cardioselectivity.
+ Decontamination
+ Induce vomiting or perform gastric lavage.
+ Administer activated charcoal and cathartic.
+ Gut emptying is probably not needed if 1 2 are
performed promptly.
Appendix A
Performing airway assistance.
1. If no neck injury is suspected, place in the "Sniffing"
position by tilting the head back and extending the front of
the neck.
2. Apply the "Jaw Thrust" to move the tongue out of the way
without flexing the neck: Place thumb fingers from both
hands under the back of the jaw and thrust the jaw forward
so that the chin sticks out. This should also hurt the
patient, allowing you to judge depth of coma. :)
3. Tilt the head to the side to allow vomit and snot to drain
out.
From conversations on alt.drugs.caffeine:

The toxic dose is going to vary from person to person, depending
primarily on built-up tolerance. A couple people report swallowing 10
to 13 vivarin and ending up in the hospital with their stomaches
pumped, while a few say they've taken that many and barely stayed
awake.

A symptom lacking in the clinical manual but reported by at least two
people on the net is a loss of motor ability: inability to move,
speak, or even blink. The experience is consistently described as very
unpleasant and not fun at all, even by those very familiar with
caffeine nausea and headaches.

Answer 2

You would be puking because you were too full before you could overdose on caffeine. Caffeine however is addictive, and if you have an addictive personality to top, you should be very careful with how much coffee you consume. Other than that, there are currently studies on the benefits of a cup or two of coffee per day.

Answer 3

You will deplete yourself of vital nutrients, and offset your circadian rythym.

Replace with a good quality multi-source green powder supplement which you can get from a health store and you can stir it into water or juice.

The energy acquired will surpass that of coffee and you will stay alert. You can take it up to 3 times per day, but don't take it near bedtime (allow for 5 hours of not taking it before bed)

Answer 4

I suppose you can, as caffeine is a drug. As with any drug, your body builds up a resistance. Some people can drink one cup of coffee and be buzzing around a room. It takes me a pot to stay awake. Just know your limitations and tolerance, use common sense and you'll be fine.