What Role Does Caffeine Play in Your Life?

[dhawkins78412]

I'm kind of an herbal supplement /vitamin user. Thats' why I like the world health online website. It even lists herbs and supplements to get one off caffeine. I've been taking calcium tabs already. I almost always take a multi vitamin/mineral just about every day along with other vitamins and supplements. I'm really trying hard to get off the caffeine. Mostly b/c of a utube video I found which I really like. Its for panic attacks.

The guy says caffeine could contribute to bringing on panic attacks. I really like what the guy says. He says get off the caffeine completely, you don't need it.

Anyway each to his/her own. I just started taking amitriptyline(last night) to go along with my pain med gabapentin. Geez that med knocked me out. So I drank about 7 oz of soda to counteract the drowsiness. I'm saving the rest. I might drink some more tomorrow if it makes me that groggy.

 

[QuietNow]

I've noted (like moog above) that when I'm stressed my caffeine intake skyrockets. However, now that I'm on a medication bundle that is leveling me out, I'm finding that I don't crave caffeine. And interestingly, when I don't have coffee or soda for 5 days or more, I'm not getting the withdrawal symptoms of the caffeine. I used to get a raging headache that nothing would fix (even drinking caffeine wouldn't stop that headache until several hours passed), nausea, and sensitivity to light.

I'm drinking a lot more water these days. Though I do appreciate a really good cup of coffee every once in a while. I'm close to dumping soda completely now.

 

[James B.]

QuietNow - same for me, I could've written your first paragraph. Is IS interesting isn't it?

 

[QuietNow]

The LifeHacker site describes caffeine's effect on adenosine in the brain. Just search for LifeHacker and caffeine to find it. Basically, caffeine doesn't actually stimulate anything. It just blocks the receptors that tell your brain that you are over-stimulated and need to go sleep.

The meds that we take may be blocking the same receptors or acting on other receptors that ends up lessening caffeine's effect. So it makes perfect sense that the withdrawal symptoms don't occur.

And there you go. Now I'm going to go get a cup of coffee. ;-)

 

[anni]

Oh my. I've been watching this. I don't understand the receptors, etc. but was rather hoping noone would uncover anything horrible about coffee since you all sound like you know what you're talking about. It's just that we've probably all given up so many bad habits, do we have to abandon ALL of them?

I THINK it transpired that coffee is, in fact, ok, meds and all? Sigh. One can only be SO good, after all.

 

[James B.]

Reading I did on specialized sports suggested that it took 2 weeks of no caffine to "clear" the receptors in the brain. Meaning, to actually be free of primary (three day headache) and secondary withdrawl affect (varying in degree from individual to individual) a (roughly) 2 week period was required.

For me it would be ideal to clear caffine for 2+ week intervals at regular periods. Since I am kinda disorganized to begin with, this method seems a little unrealistic. Have added back a milder caffine source (instant coffee) to my morning due to problems (probably post surgical) with some pretty serious constipation. No joke.

In all honesty, if I moderate my intake (one cup of instant a day) and feel few if any possible negative side effects, a "single dose" of caffine doesn't seem like its harming me. I had to use something, and when I re-introduced coffee, I became regular again. The two week concept for clearing the receptors was kinda validated in my test, where it took three days of coffee use to finally have the diuretic effect needed, eliminating serious constipation.

Plus, almost always can get out in the morning and burn-off some energy, probably helping eliminate the chance for negative side effect. The act of voluntarily re-introducing coffee was interesting, smelling the coffee in a book store coffee shop and feeling like "just having a cup" for fun, but didn't.

Several times in the PM when I have felt like coffee, have consumed 12 to 24 ounces of cold water and perked up right away. No doubt, adding coffee to my already dehydrated system would have produced unwanted negative side effects.

 

[dhawkins78412]

Well, I'm still struggling to get off the 7 oz diet cokes. I know its more psychological than physical. Just don't feel I'm ready to totally give it up yet. Feels good to drink the diet coke in the morning. Really I barely have any affects. I know I need to get off it completely. Like someone said its a crutch-substance abuse. I have some books from our mental health section that deals with substance abuse and PTSD.

Excess caffeine intake is listed as an abused substance. I need to get reading the book. Hard habit to break.

 

[dhawkins78412]

I take a little of the amitriptaline. That knocks me out, like trazadone did. Trazadone is wicked. I had to get off it and that was a trip. I could barely sleep for a week. I was having stomach pain with the gabapentin so I quit taking that one. It helped my pain but I couldn't take the stomach pain. Same thing with hydrocodone. I felt ill and nauseated. I dont' know how people can take it.