UK man dies after caffeine overdose

A man has died after consuming caffeine powder which amounts to 200 cups of coffee, resulting in a caffeine overdose, according to a recent inquest heard about the incident in Ruthin, UK.

Tom Mansfield, a 29 year-old resident of Colwyn Bay, was a personal trainer and a father of two children.

He had measured the powder wrong and took more than the recommended amount. He fell ill almost immediately after drinking the mixture on 5 January 2021, reports BBC.

The coroner's report drew a conclusion of 'misadventure', ruling out the cause of death to be caffeine toxicity.

Gym-goers often use caffeine, recommended in specific doses, for boosting sports performance. Though, experts warn to stay within the limit of recommended amounts.

The hearing was informed that Mansfield had used kitchen scales to weigh his powder which had a range from two to 5000 grams, whereas, he was meant to take the recommended dose between 60-300 miligrams.

He had purchased a 100 gram bag of the powder from Blackburn Distributions. The director Ben Blackburn said in a statement, "The powder should be weighed to two decimal places in milligrams and the suggested dosage was 60-300mg of powder up to twice a day."

He further said, "The scales for the purpose of weighing such small amounts can now be purchased." The company did not include the scales at the time of Mansfield's death, however. "We have also enhanced the usage instructions and increased the prominence of potential side effects."

Mansfield's post-mortem examination report stated caffeine levels of 392 miligrams per litre of blood, whereas, the typical level would be about two to four milligrams per litre from drinking one cup of coffee.

The coroner said it appeared that Mansfield miscalculated his intake and suffered "unintended consequences" resulting in a fatal effect.

Earlier, Tom Mansfield was taken to the hospital after experiencing a racing heart, chest pain and foaming in his mouth shortly after consuming the caffeine powder. When the paramedics reached him, they tried to resuscitate him for about an hour but was later pronounced dead after reaching a nearby hospital.