prillalar | Caffeine: the miracle drug

About two years ago, I was drinking two or three cups of coffee a day, plus iced tea and the occasional Coke. I was jittery and my stomach hurt. So one day, I decided: enough!

I cut down to one cup per day for a week, then went off caffeine entirely for a month. After that, I started drinking decaf coffee.

I felt so much better without the caffeine. No more hurty stomach. No more irritability (well, less irritablilty, anyhow). I slept a lot better -- something I've always had trouble with.

And then I discovered the amazing benefits of caffeine as a medicinal and recreational drug.

When I'm not taking it in on a regular basis, a little caffeine gives me an amazing buzz. If I have a bad headache I can't shake, a hit of caffeine will often cure it. If I need a burst of creative energy, a little coffee will give me the jolt I need to think, think, think and write, write, write.

One half-caf americano and I have super powers!

So I did that tonight, to try to burn through more of my WIP. And it worked.

Does anyone know how to shut it off now? Else I'll have to go out and see if any crime needs stopping.

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I was sans caf for four years because of a heart arrhythmia. Then I figured out that caf had nothing to do with the problem-- no effect on my arrhythmia at all. I learned this after falling off the wagon in the UK, where decaf is hardly acknowledged--along with artificial sweetener. 1,000 cuppas and 5 pounds of sugar later, I was once again an addict. I have remained so ever since. Caf is goooood shit. But I know what you mean about the crankiness. I am a freaking wreck before my morning Pepsi One. And if I don't have caf by noon, it's a full-blown migraine for me.

Have you bought a cape? It probably won't help with the coming down off the caffeine buzz, but it's almost a necessity for fighting crime.

I stopped the caffeine just before Christmas either three or four years ago, because it was making my heart skip and that was stressing me out and making it impossible to sleep.

Quitting kinda sucked--I resented having to do it, I wanted one vice, just one, dammit! and I was pretty addicted.

Now after many pure years I have decided that I am 'allowed' a latte with caffeine on any day after which I haven't slept and I want a clear mind and a few hours of work or I'm overtired and need some sharpness for emotional processing.

And it's the same thing you describe: buzzz!!! Sharpness!!! Fun!!!

The way I shut it off is to not have it after noon.

Mmmm, now I want some.

Damn! There was a cool silver cape at Value Village a couple weeks ago, but I thought the price ($14) was too high so I didn't pick it up.

I have a Boy George costume somewhere from the last 80s party I went to -- maybe that would do.

I've got to say, that's the thing I like best about the no-caffeine thing: I can get up in the morning and be awake, regardless of whether or not I've had anything to drink.

Value Village? Hee! You know, this only reinforced quaint Canadian stereotypes as we are inundated here with Value Cities. Of course, the peaceful village connotations are made possible with masked Boy George crime stoppers such as yourself.

The way I shut it off is to not have it after noon.

See, this is the part that's problematic when one has already ingested said caffeine at about 4 PM. *g*

Ah well, I got a good 4.5 hours of sleep. So long as I don't have any coffee *now* to keep me awake, I'll won't spiral back into addiction.

This all sounds like good substance-planning on your part.

I do so miss being a bubbly hyperactive thing 24-7. But I don't miss (simultaneously) being tired all the time.

Right there with you. I hadn't considered taking it recreationally until you suggested it a few weeks ago, and boy, did it pull me right out of the vidding trough I was in.

My rule, though, is Only On Weekends. The consequences aren't as dire if I don't get much sleep on Saturday night.

The only way I've been able to "come down" is through judicious applications of wine, but I suspect there's a spiral of madness lurking there.

Total Junkie.

If I don't have something before work, I'm dragged out.
If I skip my lunch fix, I'm drowsy in the afternoon.
No caffiene at dinner? I'm cranky all evening and can't write.

Driving 500 miles? Takes a 12 pack.

I commend you for kicking the stuff.

I learned this after falling off the wagon in the UK, where decaf is hardly acknowledged

[g] That sounds familiar. Though when I went to the UK (1999-ish), I was a serious addict and had fun going to coffee places and ordering a 4-shot mocha. The baristas would look at me for a few seconds, then hold up four fingers and repeat, "Four shots?" in their lovely London accents. "Four? Are you certain?" Yes, love, I'm certain. Gimme four shots of your strongest. Then

lexin, with whom I was staying for the trip, introduced me to the wonderful English custom of tea with milk. [happy sigh] That's been my drink of choice for the past 3+ years; I keep the local import shop in the black with my tea purchases (no pun intended).

I used to be a total Mt. Dew junkie, but I didn't like the crashes afterward, so I cut it out completely. But I had to get up super early this morning to print something out at Kinko's before my 8AM class, so of course I had coffee...

Now I seriously have to pee like every three minutes. I guess leaving class every three minutes is better than sleeping through the whole thing...?

I drank tea for years and years. It was what we drank at supper when I was growing up. I wonder why I was able to sleep *then* and not now. *g*

Hee, I'm a pusher. *g*

I didn't stay up late drinking, as I felt that would be counter-productive.

Unfortunately, I think I also got some caffeine the next day when the barrista gave me the wrong shots! I was drinking my coffee and I started to feel paranoid and anxious. I noticed that the coffee tasted quite bitter. So I poured the rest of it out.

It's really made a difference for me. It's not too late! You could still do it!

We always have to warn Americans when they come to Canada because Mountain Dew here isn't caffeinated. There's some weird regulation that only drinks of a certain colour can be caffeinated or something like that.

I know what you mean! (Except I was never really drinking it every day, except for when I was working nights-- after I stopped that, it was back to no caffine.) Now at work I sometimes ponder "will this be the day I indulge in an Americano?" And when I do I am truly a happy productive little worker, and my time perception gets all weird and the day flies by. I pitty people who can't get high off a weekly coffee treat.

I cure bad headaches with salt. Seems to work almost every time.

Caffeine: the miracle drug

From the realm of sad but true....

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Me too!

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Re: Me too!

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Re: From the realm of sad but true....

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