Man Who Drank Seven Liters Of Soda Daily For A Decade Suffered Terrifying Health Fallout

A doctor is urging people to be mindful of how much soda they consume after one man ended up in a dire health crisis from years of overdoing it.

The popular YouTube channel Chubbyemu, which highlights unusual but real medical cases to spread awareness, recently shared the story of a man known as BA who drank seven liters of soda every single day for over 10 years.

BA, a 48-year-old father, suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors were shocked by what they discovered.

According to the doctor in the video, BA had been living a fairly typical life. But when he landed a new office job at age 30, things started to shift. The workplace offered unlimited free soda and that’s where the trouble began.

If you work somewhere that offers free drinks, you might want to think twice about how often you take one...

As time passed, BA gradually started drinking more and more. What began as an occasional treat soon became a daily need, and eventually, a serious addiction that impacted his health in unexpected ways.

Put the sugary caffeinated drink down... Getty Stock Images

'The more he drank, the thirstier he felt'

Reports say BA would wake up feeling parched and the first thing he’d reach for each morning was his usual soda.

"But the more he drank, the thirstier he got. In the bathroom, for the 10th time in two hours."

His symptoms grew worse. He started feeling short of breath and was plagued by stomach aches. He also experienced severe brain fog, which caused him to slur his speech and even stutter.

Eventually, BA lost consciousness and collapsed at his desk, leading to his hospitalization.

The patient drunk seven liters of soda every day for a decade annabogush/Getty stock image

Devastating health consequences of seven liters of soda everyday for 10 years

Doctors discovered BA had slipped into a diabetic coma. His blood sugar levels had been dangerously elevated for at least three months due to his high sugar intake.

In addition to that, he was also dealing with high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.

Since BA didn’t think his soda habit was linked to his health issues, he didn’t tell his doctors about it. As a result, he was simply advised to eat better and exercise more.

BA eventually made some changes, like switching to sugar-free soda half the time. But after leaving his job, he began buying soda in bulk for himself.

One day, he felt weak again after getting out of bed. He was making constant trips to the bathroom, and he ended up collapsing once more.

This time, doctors took a closer look. Along with a history of diabetes and high blood pressure, they found that BA was suffering from a severe condition known as hypokalemia — extremely low potassium levels.

The patient kept drinking sodas in hospital Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty stock image

Life-threatening consequences

Hypokalemia can be incredibly dangerous, and in BA's case, it had reached life-threatening levels.

Doctors later found out that his kidneys were failing. His muscles were also breaking down and leaking harmful substances into his system — a condition called rhabdomyolysis.

He was put on IV fluids for treatment, but he was still extremely thirsty. He called his wife and asked her to bring him something to drink more soda.

After drinking the soda, his dry mouth and headache went away. But the following day, his condition hadn’t improved. Tests revealed he was still suffering from hypokalemia. Even more concerning, he had passed 15.1 liters of urine in 24 hours, far more than the fluids he had been given through the IV.

Doctors were puzzled. The fluids they were giving him were just being flushed out, along with the potassium his body desperately needed. How was this happening?

A medical student eventually noticed BA’s wife bringing him sodas. After digging into the ingredients, they realized the sugar and caffeine were likely behind everything.

He was even getting sodas snuck into hospital Rapeepong Puttakumwong/Getty stock image

Why excess sugar and caffeine consumption can be so dangerous

"In the kidneys, huge excess sugar from drinking one to two gallons of soda every day for 10 years can make it harder to absorb water because the water will want to stay with the sugar." the doctor in the case explained.

In addition to the sugar issue, caffeine played a big role. It interferes with a molecule that normally helps dilate blood vessels and promote better sleep and hydration.

This same molecule also helps the kidneys retain water by reabsorbing sodium. But the caffeine in BA’s soda was causing his kidneys to push sodium into the urine, which led to extreme fluid loss.

All that excess urine meant his muscle proteins started floating in his blood. This overwhelmed his kidneys and made his muscles even weaker.

What happened to BA?

Thankfully, the doctors were able to get BA’s condition under control in the end.

They told him he had to give up soda. Once he did, his potassium levels began to return to normal. His kidneys started working properly again, and the weakness in his muscles improved. He finally started feeling more like himself.

The doctor also warned that even diet sodas can pose risks, especially since many still contain caffeine. And caffeine-free diet sodas? They’re not necessarily harmless either.

"So take the study results with what you will. Type 2 diabetes and all its comorbidities like heart problems and nerve damage. Hypokalemia and all its consequences and kidney stones are what we're thinking of when we're speaking of excess chronic soda ingestion."

Bottom line? Enjoy soda if you like, but do it in moderation. If you don’t need to put it in your body, maybe it’s best not to.