Woman Drinks 10 Coffees a Day—Then Doctors Revealed the Damage to Her Heart
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A millennial woman has revealed the shocking diagnosis she received after developing an unhealthy habit of drinking 10 coffees a day.
There really is nothing like waking up and smelling freshly brewed coffee spilling out of the kitchen. After finishing that first cup, many people immediately move on to coffee number two. But where do you draw the line?
The Mayo Clinic explains that 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is ample for most adults, equating to around four cups of coffee or 10 cans of cola. That may seem like more than enough, but not for Rachel Finley, 32, who used to drink between eight and 10 coffees per day.
In her early twenties, Finley, of New York, spent weekdays attending college, working a restaurant job in the evenings, and trying to juggle her social life in between. She told Newsweek that she was "perpetually exhausted" and drank coffee throughout her shifts, before turning to caffeine pills to go on nights out.
"Working in restaurants, a lot of unhealthy behaviors are normalized," Finley said. "I was a heavy drinker and also used caffeine pills when I didn't have access to the coffee at my restaurant job."
As much as she knew it was not the healthiest habit, Finley explained that she was not the only person who consumed so much coffee, so it "didn’t feel strange." Many of her friends and colleagues were also using caffeine just to get by, so it felt like the norm.
Finley regularly experienced heart palpitations throughout the day as well as chest heaviness and struggled to get a restful sleep when she was drinking so much coffee . The FDA explains that increased heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, insomnia or sleep disruptions, anxiety, upset stomach and headaches are all symptoms of too much caffeine.
She cut down her caffeine intake eventually. However, it was only at the age of 26 that she came to understand the full extent of the consequences of her excessive coffee drinking in her early 20s.
"A few years later, I mentioned to a medical student friend of mine that I was sleeping eight to 10 hours a night but still waking up feeling exhausted. So, they recommended I get a sleep study done," Finley continued.
The results of the study led Finley to meet with a cardiologist who diagnosed her with an arrhythmia and heart palpitations, "likely from abusing caffeine." Finley never imagined that her previous habits would impact her health so dramatically.
"I'm not going to lie, I sobbed coming out of the cardiologist's office the day he told me," Finley told Newsweek . "I needed to change my lifestyle or risk dying young. It was such a wake-up call."
Caffeine used to be her crutch, but now it is something that Finley actively avoids. She only drinks decaf and undergoes cardiovascular monitoring every year. Since turning her well-being around, Finley is relieved to say that she has not experienced symptoms for several years.
She recently took to social media (@hydrationceo) to discuss the unexpected diagnosis that came from her caffeine addiction. The video has gone viral with over 178,700 views and 15,700 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Finley urges people not to take their health for granted. And her advice? Put down the coffee and energy drinks.
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