|
|
Article: Caffeine Pills: How Safe Are They?
- Article from:
- Medical Update
- Article date:
- July 1, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Drinking coffee isn't always a practical solution to keeping awake when driving, and some people prefer to pop a caffeine pill in the morning and again in midafternoon for a quick boost, rather than rely on coffee--but is this a safe practice?
Yes, if you're not too sensitive to caffeine. One 200-milligram tablet of Vivarin or other caffeine-containing pill has about the same amount of caffeine as two cups of brewed coffee. In some people, however, even one cup of brewed coffee can cause nervousness, irritability, and rapid heart rate.
The routine use of caffeine to promote efficiency in persons working night shifts was the subject of a study reported in ...