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A man has died from ingesting a huge amount of caffeine powder, leading to him taking around 200 coffees-worth of caffeine in a short amount of time.
Tom Mansfield, 29, was a father of two and a personal trainer, possibly taking the caffeine as a performance enhancer. Caffeine is often taken by gym-goers to improve performance and supposedly increase fat-burning, but should be taken with caution and in the recommended doses.
An inquest heard how Mansfield made a tragic mistake in using scales that measured in grams – not milligrams, the recommended dose range for the powder – causing a massive overdose.
According to an inquest, reported by the BBC, Mansfield miscalculated the amount and immediately felt unwell. With a rapid heart rate and complaints of chest pain, he began to foam at the mouth and an ambulance was called. He was transferred to Glan Clwyd Hospital in Wales, where paramedics attempted to resuscitate him for 45 minutes before pronouncing him dead.
The official cause of death was caffeine toxicity.
The specific caffeine powder used by Mansfield was produced by Blackburn Distributions. It has a recommended dosage of 200mg, with a maximum daily dosage of 400mg.
It was suggested that when he weighed the powder, he used a scale with a range of 2-5,000 grams, which lacks the resolution to go into the milligram range and may have resulted in Mansfield weighing a far higher dosage than required. Upon post-mortem examination, it was discovered that he had a blood caffeine level of 392mg per litre of blood.
The case offers a stark reminder of the importance of thoroughly checking supplement dosage before taking them, as some may have lethal consequences if taken incorrectly.
