Man who drunk 2L of energy drinks everyday for 2 years was 'hours from death'

24 February 2024 , 22:25

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Andy Hammond had gulped down two litres of energy drinks a day, landing himself in hospital on Christmas (Image: Kennedy News Media)

A man who drank 2 litres of energy drinks every day for two years says he was "hours from death" when he quit.

Andy Hammond, 36, has barred himself from supping the energy drinks for good after he was hospitalised on Christmas Day, after collapsing at his home. The 36-year-old had guzzled two litres every day and picked up a particular fondness to a certain brand when he was a teenager.

But the drinks he believed were "cool" landed him in the hospital as it soon turned out it was "more of a habit" than because he "liked the taste". His muscle memory saw him sinking four cans of 500ML Monster energy a day for two years.

Andy, from Hartlepool, County Durham, began noticing blood in his urine last December and was treated for several severe water infections in the lead-up to his Christmas Day collapse. He was rushed to University Hospital of Hartlepool for scans, which showed the dad had a four-millimetre kidney stone. These painful "stones" are masses of salt and minerals usually found in the kidneys or ureter.

Andy's Monster energy habit landed him in hospital (Kennedy News and Media)

"I've served in the military and been injured in Afghanistan, and nothing compares to kidney stones," he said. "They told me that energy drinks contain a lot of caffeine, phosphorus, and sugars, and there is medical research linking drinks to the formation of kidney stones." Andy aired his fears of future infections to The Sun, claiming it will take him "six months to two years to fully recover".

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He added: "And if I continue getting infections, I won't get any better. For me, it's just water and eating healthily now and staying fit - that's me off them for life now. You always see kids drinking energy drinks. We're yet to see the long-term harmful effect of these drinks since they're quite a recent thing."

Expert information from Personalise says it takes just 15 to 45 minutes for the caffeine to peak in the body. From there, the concentration means you are feeling at your most alert and an improvement to your concentration may be felt. And from there it is a downward slope of caffeine level drops and a sense of fatigue, which may become even worse after five or six hours.

Ewan Gleadow