Caffeine

Grrrrr · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:38

Me and another OcUK member were chatting recently and came to the conclusion that quite a big wedge of the population must in some way be addicted to or dependant on caffeine.

Earlier this year i went though a phase of taking crazy amounts of pro plus for no particular reason. After a while of this i found myself craving pro plus, i would be sat at my pc thinking about nothing besides going downstairs to take some pro plus. Slightly worrying!

The OcUK member in question was complaining of what i guess would be best described as withdrawal from caffeine after going through a period of drinking several cups of coffee and coke every day. After stopping he suffered headaches and such like.

How many of you find yourself suffering from headaches if you got for a day or 2 with a coffee? How many of you can't wake up, so to speak, in the mornings without a coffee?

Glaucus · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:40

I'm addicted to caffeine, But muh.. life's to short to worry about such things.

Liverpool-Lad · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:40

I have a coffee rarely, I prefer a glass of fresh orange in the mornings.

DEL 707 · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:45

I use to drink a lot of caffeine, too many late nights and long days.
Was always drinking coffee/coke/red bull/various energy drinks, used to drink so much that sometimes my hands would shake

I quit at the beginning off the year, went could turkey, I felt like crap for about a week, no energy, headaches, very irritable.

I still do have the occassional can of coke or energy drink if I've had a bad night, but nowhere near the level I used to, I mostly drink water these days.

Smiley Man · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:47

i'm addicted

if i dont have any form of caffeine for about 6 hours (ex sleep) i get very irritable and tired and i wake up with stiff joints

got a good supply so not gonna bother trying to come off it until after xmas

after lots of reading and research it seems a physical addiction to caffeine is very easy to get, you only need to take say, 200mg a day for 2 to 4 days and stop to get the symptoms

J1234 · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:52

I'm addicted to espressos, have to have at least one a day. Thank god for the espresso machine

Van Hellseek · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:55

i only drink decaf coffee

i probably have a bottle of coke every other day though.

Grrrrr · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:57

Smiley Man said:
after lots of reading and research it seems a physical addiction to caffeine is very easy to get, you only need to take say, 200mg a day for 2 to 4 days and stop to get the symptoms

Wow really? Have you got a source for that?

J1234 · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:58

seek said:
i only drink decaf coffee

i probably have a bottle of coke every other day though.

Doesn't that defeat the object of coffee though?

cmscam · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:58

I used to drink lots of coffee in a day... About 4 - 5 cups a day which I think is a lot !

I then switched to tea. :cool:

I hear some tea can have more caffeine than coffee ! :eek:

KizZ · 18 Dec 2006 at 19:59

I drink Red Bull every morning before college. It wakes me up.

JAMAL · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:00

Caffeine is bad mkay! http://www.caffeineweb.com/?s=nasa&searchbutton=go!

Smiley Man · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:07

Grrrrr said:
Wow really? Have you got a source for that?

seeing if i can find it now

might interest you:

the INTERNET said:
What are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal?

Regular caffeine consumption reduces sensitivity to caffeine. When
caffeine intake is reduced, the body becomes oversensitive to
adenosine. In response to this oversensitiveness, blood pressure drops
dramatically, causing an excess of blood in the head (though not
necessarily on the brain), leading to a headache.

This headache, well known among coffee drinkers, usually lasts from
one to five days, and can be alleviated with analgesics such as
aspirin. It is also alleviated with caffeine intake (in fact several
analgesics contain caffeine dosages).

Often, people who are reducing caffeine intake report being irritable,
unable to work, nervous, restless, and feeling sleepy, as well as
having a headache. In extreme cases, nausea and vomiting has also been
reported.

another INTERNET said:
What happens when you overdose?

From Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-3-R (American
Psychiatric Association, 1987):

Caffeine-Induced Organic Mental Disorder 305.90 Caffeine
Intoxication

1. Recent consumption of caffeine, usually in excess of
250 mg.
2. At least five of the following signs:
1. restlessness
2. nervousness
3. excitement
4. insomnia
5. flushed face
6. diuresis
7. gastrointestinal disturbance
8. muscle twitching
9. rambling flow of thought and speech
10. tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia
11. periods of inexhaustibility
12. psychomotor agitation
3. Not due to any physical or other mental disorder, such
as an Anxiety Disorder.

Basically, overdosing on caffeine will probably be very very
unpleasant but not kill or deliver permanent damage. However, People
do die from it.

i get a fair few of those side affects, i really need to stop

edit - when you bear in mind a normal black coffee is about 140mg its not hard to clinically overdose

n3crius · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:08

i have to get it every morning. first thing at work one of us fills the cafetiere, take it in turns.

if i remember rightly caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the world. coffee is the second most popular drink after water.

i've tried a few times to give it up, it's no use.

Dr.EM · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:10

I don't think I ever have it. I don't have tea or coffee (tried, didn't like) or red bull type drinks. Don't imagine it's in much else except mabye coffee ice cream or chocolates. I doubt I would get addicted, but I have no reason to start taking it anyway

Smiley Man · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:11

Dr.EM said:
I don't think I ever have it. I don't have tea or coffee (tried, didn't like) or red bull type drinks. Don't imagine it's in much else except mabye coffee ice cream or chocolates. I doubt I would get addicted, but I have no reason to start taking it anyway

its a physical addiction - you wouldn't have much choice unless you wanted to feel bad (really bad) for a few days, and when its so easily available and cheap its not a hard choice

n3crius · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:12

Dr.EM said:
I don't think I ever have it. I don't have tea or coffee (tried, didn't like) or red bull type drinks. Don't imagine it's in much else except mabye coffee ice cream or chocolates. I doubt I would get addicted, but I have no reason to start taking it anyway

you'd be addicted if you started, same as the rest of the caffeine junkies.

Smiley Man · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:14

i'll go cold turkey in the new year and report how i feel on ocuk

TaKeN · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:27

I drink decaffe coffee now and rarely drink coca cola.

I was drinking tons of coffee and tea at work but my stomach kept hurting and i would occasionaly need to rush to the toiled ( Not for a pee either )

When i was 12 the doctor said i had irritable bowel syndrome but i basically didnt agree with him because all the tablets he gave me made me worse.

Since ive stopped drinking coffee my stomach does feel a lot better.

But at one point i was addicted

Mp4 · 18 Dec 2006 at 20:32

On an average day at work i drink about 4 cans of coke and 2 cups of coffee, then 1-2 cups of coffee when i get home. Also i used to have sugar with Tea / Coffee , but i've stopped adding sugar so id guess coke adds the sugar side of things.