People are turning to ‘nose coffee’ for a jolt of energy – but doctors warn of ‘cocaine-like damage’

MOST of us prefer drinking our caffeine.

But some people are turning to snortable caffeine for a bump of energy.

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Most people get their caffeine hit through drink but now companies are selling powdered caffeine for bumps of energy[/caption]

Max, 32, a business development professional who didn’t want to give this last name, described the powder as “a less intense cocaine minus all the bad side effects”.

Speaking to The New York Post, he recalled trying snortable caffeine for the first time and being ‘blown away’ but how quickly the effects hit him.

He told the outlet the powder doesn’t affect his sleep the way caffeine in drink form would.

“The novelty of snorting is really groovy,” he added. “Thirteen-year-old me would be going nuts.”

He did acknowledge, however, that there’s no way to do this without looking ‘sketchy’.

Max said he snorts 500mg of the powder each week for a hit of energy, mostly while he’s at home.

You’d be right in thinking this trend seems a little too good to be true.

Medical professionals warned that sticking powdered caffeine up your nose could come with some side effects.

Dr Shaline Rao Director of Heart Failure Services at NYU Langone Hospital, Long Island warned that people sniffing their caffeine should always make note of how much they consume and be extra careful to “be precise in delivery”.

That’s because caffeine consumed through the nose will be absorbed into your body much faster than if you were to drink it in coffee or tea, Dr Rao told The Post.

“The key is keeping the amount safe” and “to note the upper limit of uses, to avoid overdose, and [allow] appropriate time between doses,” she advised.

She also warned that regularly snorting caffeine in powder form could harm your nasal passages — not unlike cocaine.

“I would worry that repeat inhalation of caffeine through the nose could result in damage to the nostrils,” she said.

Last summer, gym bunnies were warned against consuming a particular protein powder as it contained “lethal” amounts of caffeine.

Meanwhile, here are seven signs you need to cut down on caffeine.