‘My mom bought a Costco pack of Alani’: Teen drinks Alani Nu energy drinks. Then she collapses
A high school student’s life was forever changed after she collapsed from drinking too many Alani Nus.
Louisville, Kentucky-based TikToker Cam Jarrell (@cam211294) went viral after sharing her story of what happens when you have one too many Alani Nu energy drinks. Her clip, which earned more than 14 million views, has Alani Nu fans quaking in their boots.
Jarrell’s TikTok is just a single photo–but it paints a horrific story. In it, she is sitting up in a hospital bed with several wires taped to her forehead. The text overlay reads, “In case anyone needs a reminder to stop drinking Alanis.” She tags the location as the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.
After her initial clip went mega-viral, Jarrell shared a storytime. In it, she explains exactly how she found herself unconscious in her high school hallway.
What happened?
According to Jarrell, she began drinking the Alani Nu energy drinks in her freshman year of high school. She says she would drink one “every school day.” The TikToker shares that the breaking point came during her sophomore year. She suddenly felt dizzy during her Chemistry lab class.
Eventually, Jarrell asked her friend to walk her to the nurse’s office because she was convinced she would “fall down in the hallway.”
After the assistant teacher offered to walk her to the nurse, Jarrell says she suddenly collapsed.
The TikToker says she was unconscious for around seven minutes, and after she came to, she could see and hear but could not move. She remained in that state for an hour and a half.
Jarrell says she stayed at the hospital for about 2 hours while they ran some tests on her. After she was discharged, the TikToker says she slowly gained back her energy after resting and eating. When her test results came back, the doctors told her the collapse was more than likely caused by all the Alanis she was drinking. Needless to say, she was promptly banned from drinking a singe drop more.
“They said I could still have some caffeine, just not that much in that kind of drink,” Jarrell says before pleading with Alani Nu to create a decaffeinated version.
How much caffeine is in an Alani Nu can?
According to the Alani Nu website, one can of the energy drink contains 200 milligrams of caffeine. But is that too much? Well, it depends. The Food and Drug Administration lists 400 milligrams as a “safe” amount of caffeine to consume in one day. However, the regulatory agency says it can affect people differently, depending on their sensitivity. While Jarrell only had 200 milligrams a day, it is likely the consistency added up and perhaps she eventually became sensitive to it. This can be more probable considering she is only a teenager.
“Too much caffeine in children and teens can cause increased heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, and lead to sleep problems, digestive problems and dehydration,” the site states.
The rise in popularity of Alani Nu drinks
As many viewers pointed out, it might seem unwise for a teenager to drink so much caffeine in one day. However, Jarrell would not be the only young person to be a devout fan of Alani Nu.
The beverage has become popular among Gen Z women and girls, having gone viral on TikTok over the past few years. Even celebrity Kim Kardashian partnered with the brand for a limited edition drink.
In an April 15 article by Bloomberg, the news site wrote about its prominence among influencers, with the hashtag #alaninu being used in 100,000 posts on TikTok.
“Social media has catalyzed the brand’s growth: Alani Nu’s U.S. sales jumped 69% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier,” Bloomberg stated. The brand was eventually bought by another cult-favorite drink, Celsius, in February for $1.8 billion. This paints a very clear picture of the large fandom the energy drink has–even if it has already been recalled in Canada, and horror stories like Jarrell go viral.
Viewers are conflicted over Alani Nu
In the comments section of Jarrell’s initial TikTok, viewers issued warnings against Alani Nu.
“200 mg of caffeine vs. the 68 mg in a red bull,” one wrote. “Yeah me and my wings staying far away.”
Others called out Jarrell for drinking so much caffeine at an early age, with one commenting, “Energy drinks are for people who work over 40 hours, Anyone else should just be drinking tea.”
In her story time video, many commenters defended Alani, implying Jarrell’s collapse was due to something else.
“Stop blaming Alani Nu!!!!! It’s not the drink it’s the caffeine!” one said.
Another wrote, “I had similar experiences around your age, and I was diagnosed with POTS. Maybe something to look into!”
Since Jarrell has not shared any further medical results with viewers or addressed these comments, it appears she will ensure to stay away from Alani Nu cans in the future, just in case.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Alani Nu and Jarrell via email.
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