Woman drinks sugar-free Red Bull The Pink Edition for the first time. Then she looks at her lips
If you’re like this writer, a Pink Edition of Red Bull seems like the perfect energy drink for your Barbiecore life. However, one customer says she got more than she bargained for after trying the caffeinated berry beverage.
“So I’m about 1000% sure that I’m allergic to this flavor of Red Bull,” TikToker Ellie says to begin her viral video. She then holds up a can of sugar-free Red Bull, The Pink Edition, which is wild berry flavored.
Ellie explains that the day of her recording is the first time she’s tried the special offering. “I’ve had other flavors before and have never had any type of reaction to them whatsoever,” she says. “But this one, um.” She then moves her hand from in front of her mouth to show off her swollen bottom lip. “Y’all see this?” she asks. “My lip don’t normally look like this—at all.”
Ellie says her lip is “hard” and that the skin is shiny from “stretching.” She says the seeming allergic reaction began with itching, then she saw a “little knot” on her lip that gradually kept growing larger.
“I took a Zyrtec. I’ve used an ice pack. Nothing is helping,” she says. Ellie adds that if the swelling does not go down soon, she will go to urgent care.
What’s the difference between the Pink Edition and other Red Bull flavors?
On its website, Red Bull states, “All Red Bull Editions are based on the same unique formula as the original Red Bull Energy Drink and contain many of the same functional ingredients, but they differ in flavor and can design.”
The Pink Edition has flavors of raspberry and verbena. The ingredients in the original Red Bull and the sugar-free Pink Edition are largely the same. Both include carbonated water, citric acid, taurine, natural and artificial flavors, caffeine, colors, niacinamide, pyridoxine HCL (vitamin B6), calcium pantothenate, and vitamin B12.
The flavors differ in that the sugar-free Pink Edition also contains sodium citrate, sucralose, acelsufame K, and xanthan gum, while the original flavor also contains sugar, glucose, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and magnesium carbonate.
Why did Ellie have a reaction?
Google Gemini suggests the most likely reason Ellie had a reaction to the Pink Edition but not other Red Bull flavors is differences in ingredients. It also suggests that a caffeine or taurine allergy could be the culprit, but given that these allergies are less common and both ingredients are present in other flavors of Red Bull, this seems less likely.
Gemini suggests that differences in the “natural flavors” of the Pink Edition may have caused the reaction. As Healthline reports, “because natural flavor mixtures often contain many different chemicals, some people may experience adverse reactions.”
Additionally, Gemini suggests that other ingredient differences, or differences in the quantities of shared base ingredients, may also account for Ellie’s seemingly selective allergic reaction.
In an update video, Ellie says she went to urgent care after the swelling got worse. When she got to urgent care, her blood pressure was “through the roof,” and the swelling continued. Within 20 minutes, she was told she needed to go to the emergency room. She says she was checked out of urgent care quickly because her throat was itching, and workers were scared it was going to close up.
At the emergency room, she was given Benadryl, an EpiPen shot, and “a bunch of other stuff” because workers thought the reaction may have been a rare side effect of the blood pressure medication she was on. After four hours, the swelling had gone down some, but she was kept overnight so doctors could monitor her and make sure her throat didn’t close.
In another update video, Ellie says she was diagnosed with angioedema of the lips. Doctors were unable to determine whether the Red Bull or her blood pressure medication caused it.
“There’s no way for them to know which one it was,” she says. “They basically just told me, you know, ‘Don’t drink no more Red Bulls,’ and also they’re changing the blood pressure medicine that I’m on.”
What should I do if my lip swells after I drink Red Bull?
Heathline reports that there are many things that can trigger swollen lips, including food allergies.
“The only way to treat food allergies is to avoid foods you’re sensitive to,” it states. “If you experience swollen lips after eating a meal, keep a food diary and note any allergy symptoms you have. This can help you narrow down what’s causing your allergies.”
Healthline also notes that swollen lips can be a symptom of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that you could experience with any type of allergy, “within minutes or more than half an hour after encountering an allergen.”
“Anaphylaxis requires immediate treatment with an injection of epinephrine (EpiPen),” the site states.
It adds, “Most of the other causes of swollen lips don’t need emergency treatment, but you should still follow up with your healthcare provider to make sure there’s nothing else going on.”
Ellie experienced angiodema, which Healthline defines as “a short-term condition that causes swelling deep under your skin. It can be caused by allergies, nonallergic drug reactions, or hereditary conditions. The swelling can affect any part of your body, but it’s most common in your lips or eyes.”
Itching is also associated with angiodema. The symptoms of angiodema typically last between 24 to 48 hours. The condition is treated with “antihistamines, corticosteroids, or epinephrine injections.”
@its.me.ellieeee When I tell yall my lip hurts sooo bad. I’ve never had any issues with the other flavors. I guess this one just doesn’t like me smh #redbull #allergicreaction ♬ original sound – Ellie – Lifestyle & Locs
As previously mentioned, most swollen lips will go away on their own. However, MedicalNewsToday notes, “Anyone with swollen lips should see a doctor if they are experiencing severe symptoms, such as those associated with anaphylaxis.”
Heathline adds that in the meantime, “over-the-counter NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (Advil), may help reduce swelling.”
The Mary Sue contacted Ellie via TikTok comment and Red Bull via chatbot contact form for more information.
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