COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A Colorado Springs, Colo., high school banned the Spike Shooter energy drink from its campus and some local convenience stores stopped selling it because students complained of shortness of breath, heart palpitations and nausea after consuming the product, officials said, according to the Associated Press.
Doherty High School Principal Jill Martin told The Gazette that one student was taken by ambulance to a hospital and another was "so shaky and messed up" she was brought to the school office in a wheelchair. Another was taken [image-nocss] to a hospital from her home, she said.
The effects were temporary and the students recovered, school district spokesperson Elaine Naleski told the paper.
Tim Patterson, CEO of Colorado Springs-based Biotest Laboratories, which produces Spike Shooter, said the drink is not intended for anyone under 18. "I don't want these kids consuming the product," he told the paper. "That's not my target market."
He said thousands of consumers have used the product without a problem. The drink's website said it contains 300 milligrams of caffeine per 8.4 ounces. By comparison, a five-oz. cup of coffee contains on average 80 to 115 milligrams of caffeine, according to the report, citing the International Coffee Organization.
The drink's website, www.spikeshooter.com, carries a warning suggesting consumers "Begin use with one-half can to determine tolerance." (Click on Ingredients.)
Naleski said 7-Eleven stores near Doherty High School removed Spike Shooter from their shelves after school officials asked them to limit sales to students.
Doherty Assistant Principal Dennis Vigil said problems linked to the drink dropped off immediately when the school sent home letters to parents explaining that some students had become ill. "It was pretty bad there for a while," Vigil told the paper. "There were four or five days where we were having one or two students a day coming in, telling us they were feeling sick or fidgety."
Biotest, which also produces products it says burn fat or enhance testosterone, also warns on its website that Spike Shooter should not be consumed by people taking certain other medications or if they have high blood pressure or a number of other conditions. It adds, "Keep out of reach of children."
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