Sioux Falls Pediatrician Warns Parents About Powdered Caffeine

Avera Pediatrician Dr. Sam. Schimelpfenig says parents should be aware of the dangers of powered caffeine.

"It's easy to get. You can find it on the internet. My guess is powdered caffeine may be attractive to young people. My thought would be that users would think if they need help while studying and those kinds of things---why not take it. If you're an athletic, you might think one cup of coffee is good but this stuff is a whole lot better."

But, Dr. Sam says a dose of powered caffeine is really dangerous.

"A table spoon is like drinking 25 cups of coffee. Who drinks 25 cups of coffee in a day? That's just a crazy amount of caffeine. If you do think 25 cups, it's probably spread out over a day. But, taking powered caffeine would be like taking 25 cups all at once. That's going to cause a lot of medical issues, including seizures and potential heart problems."

The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to five companies that sell powered caffeine, saying their products post a significant risk of illness or injury to consumers.