Lawsuit Alleges Teen’s Cardiac Arrest Came From Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade—What Parents Need To Know about Caffeine Drinks
Too much caffeine can have consequences for kids. What experts want parents to know.
GettyImages/Smith Collection/Gado/Contributor
Fact checked by Sarah ScottFact checked by Sarah Scott
Panera Bread is facing another lawsuit over its Charged Lemonade, a highly caffeinated drink the company announced it is now discontinuing. This news is an opportunity to call attention to the potential dangers of caffeine consumption in children and teens.
The latest lawsuit comes after Luke Adams, an 18-year-old from Pennsylvania, allegedly went into cardiac arrest hours after consuming a large Mango Yuzu Citrus Charged Lemonade. He purchased the drink from a Panera Bread in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, according to court documents filed by Adams’ family on May 20, 2024.
Per the complaint, Adams went to see a movie after drinking the beverage. During the film, a friend noticed he was making "unusual sounds.” Two nurses and a cardiologist, who happened to be attending the movie, began performing CPR, according to the family’s attorneys. Adams was rushed to the hospital after receiving shocks via a defibrillator. He also suffered two seizures.
Now, attorneys are pointing to “heavy caffeine intake” from the drink as the cause. According to the Panera Bread website, a large Charged Lemonade with ice has 237 milligrams of caffeine. Attorneys allege that Adams did not know that it was a super-energy drink.
This is the latest in a slew of legal troubles over the beverage, which Panera Bread told People was permanently removed from its menu in May because of a “recent menu transformation.” Parents reached out to Panera Bread for comment but did not hear back by publication date.
In January 2024, Lauren Skerritt, who is 28 and says she had “no underlying medical conditions,” filed a complaint against Panera Bread, saying she had “permanent cardiac injuries” from consuming the Charged Lemonade, according to news reports.
Parents of Sarah Katz, 21, sued the company in October 2023, alleging that the drink factored into her death in September 2022. Katz had Long QT Syndrome Type 1, a heart condition, but court documents allege she was “reasonably confident it was a traditional lemonade and/or electrolyte sports drink containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for her to drink.”
The family of 46-year-old Dennis Brown also sued Panera Bread in December 2023, saying his death that October came after he drank three cups of the Charged Lemonade.
Is It OK for Kids To Drink Caffeine?
For starters, no outside experts could say what caused Adams’ issues without a full review of his medical history and records. But too much caffeine can cause negative health effects. Additionally, Jenna Wheeler, MD, a pediatric critical care physician with Orlando Health, says death from excessive caffeine consumption is rare but possible.
“Excessive caffeine levels are known to have the ability to cause elevated heart rate, known as tachycardia, and blood pressure, also known as hypertension,” Dr. Wheeler says. “They can lead to cardiac arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythm.”
These risks can be particularly dangerous to people with underlying heart conditions, which may be undiagnosed in healthy-looking people, adds Dr. Wheeler. But even people without underlying conditions can experience heart-related issues from excessive caffeine consumption.
While healthy adults can have up to 400 mg of caffeine a day, there is no proven safe amount for children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not give guidance on teen and child caffeine consumption due to insufficient evidence. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages drinks with caffeine and sugar.
Yet, a recent poll from C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital found that 1 in 4 parents of 13- to 18-year-olds report their teens consume caffeine daily or almost every day. But 1 in 3 do not know the recommended caffeine limits for teens.
As referenced in the Mott Poll, some experts recommend capping teenagers’ caffeine intake at 100 mg daily. But Dr. Wheeler suggests always speaking to a health care provider.
“Make sure that you check with your pediatrician or family doctor to confirm that your child has no other illness that would have them avoid caffeine entirely or put them at greater risk for a severe or life-threatening side effect,” Dr. Wheeler says.
What Else Parents Should Know about Caffeine
For some parents, consuming a morning cup of coffee is ritualistic (and helps them focus). However, experts say it’s important to know that caffeine can affect people differently, particularly children and adolescents versus adults.
“Teens have been found to be more sensitive to caffeine than adults, and boys and girls can be affected differently as well,” Dr. Wheeler says.
People notice differences even among peers in a similar age group.
“There also seems to be a difference in how people metabolize caffeine, making some more prone to its effects than others,” says Rose Britt, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with Top Nutrition Coaching.
That's why some people can have an espresso right before bed and still be able to sleep, while others will be wide awake even when they have their last cup of coffee in the afternoon. “If you are a slow metabolizer of caffeine, or caffeine sensitive, the effects may last in your body much longer than someone who metabolizes coffee quickly," says Britt.
But coffee isn’t the only source of caffeine—nor are energy drinks. Britt says you can find caffeine in other products like:
Tea
Yerba mate
Soda
Chocolate
Some candies and gum
Some medications (such as Excedrin Migraine)
While caffeine may provide a jolt to a tired teen or child, it's important to remember children can also gain energy from food. “The body needs energy in the form of carbohydrates and other dietary fuel sources to grow, learn, and fuel physical activity, which is best provided through balanced nutrition,” says Tracy Zaslow, MD, a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.
Energy drinks often provide carbohydrates, says Dr. Zaslow, "but the primary source of energy in these drinks is caffeine, which may make children and teens feel more awake and alert but does not provide the nutrition to perform.”
What's more, Kelly Gajewski, MD, a cardiologist with Children’s Hospital New Orleans, says excessive caffeine consumption may cause children and teens to have difficulty focusing and learning at school.
And Dr. Zaslow cautions that too much caffeine can also cause symptoms including:
Headache
Insomnia
Nervousness
Irritability
Frequent urination or inability to control urination
Fast heartbeat
Muscle tremors
Dr. Gajewski recommends speaking to children and teens about caffeine consumption and consulting a health care provider if they need more assistance.
For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Parents.
