AT the height of her addiction, Kayleigh Judge would shun food and lash out at others if she didn’t get her fix.
But Kayleigh’s problem wasn’t drugs or alcohol - it was energy drinks.
At her worst, the mum from Moray in Scotland would consume 15 litres of Lucozade Orange a day - a habit which she believes has left her with dangerously high blood pressure.
And she admits: “I was as addicted as any drug addict.”
Kayleigh, 36, has banned her teenage sons, Tyler, 16, and Lee, 14, from having drinks like Red Bull and Monster in the house - and would like to see a total ban on the products.
The restaurateur tells The Sun: “Often, I’d pick up six 500ml bottles on the way to work, then six more at lunchtime and six more on the way home – then I’d work my way through six 1-litre bottles in the evening, totalling 15 litres in 24 hours!
“I was in my late twenties, my first marriage was ending and I had two small kids to look after.
"It was a way of coping with all the stress and it became a meal replacement and my best friend.”
She can now see that she suffered withdrawal symptoms.
Kayleigh says: “If I didn’t get my fix, I became a truly nasty person and would lash out.
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"I’m sure my energy drink addiction was a significant contributing factor in my relationship ending.”
Energy drinks typically contain 32mg of caffeine per 100ml, roughly the same amount as a cup of filter coffee. Lucozade Energy has around 12mg per 100ml.
Cold turkey
At 30, Kayleigh was diagnosed with chronic high blood pressure.
She was put on medication to lower it and decided to go "cold turkey" by swapping Lucozade for other carbonated drinks like Diet Coke and Fanta.
She still has the occasional bottle of Lucozade as a “coping mechanism”.
Kayleigh says: “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
I’m sure my energy drink addiction was a significant contributing factor in my relationship ending... I don’t see why these drinks exist. They’re hugely harmful
Kayleigh Judge“I won’t stock it in my restaurant or let my sons have it in the house.
“We have so many arguments because they see energy drinks as cool.
“Lucozade is marketed as a ‘sports drink’ when it’s just as dangerous and addictive as Monster or Red Bull. Any kid can buy it from a shop.
“I don’t see why these drinks exist. They’re hugely harmful and I wish I’d never started on them.”
