My wife and I spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning. We went to the hockey game last night and had fountain drinks; she had a Mug Rootbeer, and I had fruit punch. Who would have suspected that they'd be putting caffeine in anything but cola drinks?
The last time we had a sleepless night after the hockey game was when we had lemonade.
And then there was the chocolate lasagna at The Olive Garden last Friday that kept me up all night.
Have you ever read the label on flavored snow cone syrup? Yep, caffiene's in there.
And now they're putting caffeine in bottled water.
As a general rule my wife and I try to avoid caffeine, but it's becoming more difficult to do. I guess we'll have to avoid fountain drinks altogether and stick to bottled juices. And then we'll have to read the labels to be absolutely sure.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Maybe you can take something to help you sleep! The have pills for everything else!
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
but...but.. Mug Root Beer does NOT have caffeine! Are you sure it isn't some other additive that is bothering you?
Farmgirl
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
There is no caffeine in Mug Root Beer. I think Barq's is the only root beer with any. The fruit juice and lemonade sound strange too. Chocolate has caffeine, theobromine, and phenethylamine at least. I support caffeinated water; it is better for the teeth than coffee or soda.
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
Jay is right; OTC antihistamines work quite well. The exact same chemical is sold as an OTC sleep aid, but usually at a higher price.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Yeah, what Farmgirl said -- Mug doesn't have caffeine, though Barq's does.
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
quote: And now they're putting caffeine in bottled water
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
The only bad effect I've had from caffeine was when I took a caffeine pill to keep me awake on a long overnight drive. Holy crap. I couldn't stop shaking and I was having hallucinations. Never, never again.
Otherwise, I have the occasional Coke or Dr. Pepper, but I don't notice any buzz.
Dude, skillery, chocolate lasagna? Time to change your eating habits. Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
I’ve actually taken this before. Seemed to be pretty good.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I've been almost caffeine free for the last two weeks. (I have been drinking lemonade, though--what brand of lemonade has caffeine in it?) It's not hard at home, but it is in restaurants. Restaurant ice water tends to taste like garbage. So lemonade it has been--or alcohol!
After tonight, my reason for quitting caffeine will be past, and I have to make a decision: do I want to stay off now that I've gone through my horrible withdrawals, or do I want to throw it all away to enjoy chocolate and soda (not to mention Cuban coffee!)?
Danzig, I assumed Jay was joking. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that you would recommend skillery take a second drug to counteract the effects of a first drug he doesn't want to take in the first place . . . but dang.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Did you go off it for Lent?
My sister gave up Chocolate for Lent -- I don't know if I could do that...
Farmgirl
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Trust me, afr, you get addicted and you don't know that you are. And you don't get any kind of buzz from caffeine once you are addicted. It doesn't really help you stay awake either. But then if you try to stop having any, you get sleepy ALL the time, and then you get the caffeine withdrawal headaches. Awful!
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
No, FG (Lent's not over yet!).
I gave it up because it also dehydrates you slightly, which hurts your singing voice. I had a singing audition Monday, and a callback tonight, so I gave it up a couple of weeks ago to get it out of my system. Then I ended up with a strained voice anyway due to the performance schedule from Harvey. <_<
I've been doing everything I can this week to try to get my voice back. Tonight will tell if it did any good.
[ February 24, 2005, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Icarus ]
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
I remember calling the consessionnaire at the E-Center after the last sleepless night, and they confirmed that the lemonade was caffeinated.
AFR: Chocolate Lasagna is a new desert at The Olive Garden. It consists of alternating thin layers of chocolate cake and cream cheese topped off with a layer of crumbled bittersweet chocolate.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Yes! Those caffeine headaches are the worst. It’s like a total had hurt too. And pain killers don’t seem to touch it at all.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
mmm...stimulants.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Oh, I doubt I'm addicted. I'll drink something I know is caffeinated maybe once every two weeks, if that. I had a Dr. Pepper a couple of Fridays ago, IIRC. I haven't had to experience caffeine withdrawal yet. But yeah, I can see how the buzz wouldn't be there once you were addicted.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
*just got back from Starbucks*
*has a latte and a chocolatey treat*
[ February 24, 2005, 12:01 PM: Message edited by: ElJay ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I have a craving for...popovers! Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
quote:I gave it up because it also dehydrates you slightly, which hurts your singing voice.
Oh! So those cups of coffee I've been having on my way TO our church choir practice are a bad idea???
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
"Have a popover, Froggie" <- obscure
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Starbuck has a place to get drinks? How is she doing?
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
quote:Mug doesn't have caffeine, though Barq's does.
Out here in Utah, where a significant percentag of the population is Mormon with issues with caffeine, Barq's often doesn't have caffeine.
[ February 24, 2005, 12:12 PM: Message edited by: AntiCool ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Barq's in Utah doesn't have bite Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Diet Barq's does not have caffeine.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Here in MN there's caffienated milk. O_o
I hate the idea of caffiene in everything. No offense Danzig, but water without caffiene is better for you than water with caffiene, and just the same for your teeth.
I avoid caffiene except in certain circumstances in which it is naturally occurring. (Chocolate, sometimes tea. But that stuff still keeps me up all night if I have too much.) I don't drink pop very often.... Water and milk, and sometimes juice.
My rationale is that if we didn't know about the dangers of nicotine et cetera in the fifties, what do we know about caffiene now?
But my personal reason for not drinking it is partly related to my asthma. My medication makes my heart beat faster, and caffiene makes that problem worse. Also, if at some point I am unable to take my medication, I can substitute caffiene for it, because it's a bronchodialator, but if I'm addicted, it will have no effect.
Just my slightly more than two cents.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
All excellent reasons, Ryuko.
*sips latte*
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
quote:Barq's in Utah doesn't have bite
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. If you want to avoid caffiene, then you have to check each time.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
I now have proof that my body is just as strange as my brain is. In the past, at all times, I've had enough caffeine in my body to kill a large horse. About 3 weeks ago I went off caffeine almost completely and had nary a withdrawl symptom - no headaches, fatigue, etc. But I'm just a weirdo.
space opera
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
For pervasive additives, you can't beat high fructose corn syrup. It really IS in almost every processed food you buy. Might as well suck down straight sugar.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 619) on :
My stomach reacts badly to caffeine, so I've been noticing it too lately.
Sunkist Orange soda has it, too, I discovered the hard way.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I'm allergic to pepper. black, white, cyan.. even paprika...
Try avoiding that stuff in your diet =(
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
I just did a no-sugar diet for a month (no candy, cake, jelly, etc.) I've done that before (when I had cavities and couldn't afford to get to the dentist right away). This time I was trying it out for more general health reasons, but it didn't seem to help any, so I'm happily eating chocolate again. (What I missed the most!)
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
SO, it gets harder each time you quit. The first time, it was no big deal, and I became convinced that I was immune to caffeine addiction. The next time, I got slightly more tired, but only enough to notice in hindsight. The third time, I found myself falling asleep all day long every day for a good week. The last couple of times, I got the tiredness and the headaches. The headaches in the last two weeks have been particularly awful. At one point, two weeks ago to the day, I think, I had a headache for about 30 straight hours. It then went away for eight or ten hours but came back.
It's kind of like losing weight, I find. Easy the first time, but it gets harder the more times you try to do it.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Poor Icky.
I won't be back on caffeine for at least a year, by which time I will have forgotten your excellant warning.
space opera
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Caffiene constricts your blood vessels. So when you stop drinking caffiene all the blood gets to rush into your head with its full power!
Fighting that rush requires a lot of ibuprofen. Lots.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Not true, mack. While caffiene does cause constriction, it's due to addiction. Caffiene ostensibly causes the blood vessels to widen, giving you more energy, brainpower, etc (in my case, more oxygen transferrence). When a person is addicted, their blood vessels adapt so that when on caffiene, their blood vessels are pretty much the same size as someone not on caffiene.
But take away that caffiene, and the blood vessels constrict, causing headaches and so on.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Hmm. This makes me wonder what my blood vessels must be doing, then.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
GOIN CRAZY WAH-HOO!!! @_@
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
Icarus - I assumed the same. I would suggest refraining from regular caffeine use, because doing so will make it work better when you actually need it.
Ryuko - Regular water would be better, but if one wants a caffeinated beverage...
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
I cannot believe they would caffeinate lemonade. That's the weirdest thing I've ever heard.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
No, the weirdest is the lemonade beer that Germans drink. Ick.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Interesting article--thanks for the link!
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Well, there you go. I'm wrong and mack is right.
(bows to mack's prowess)
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
One thing we do know is that coffee drinkers have a 60% reduction in the rate of liver cancer.
Also that those who drink up to half a pot (one litre) of coffee per day have a longer lifespan on average than those who don't drink coffee. As well as later onset, slower development, and milder cases of senility, Alzheimers, and other geriatric neurological disorders.
[ February 24, 2005, 07:24 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Really!
Wow. That might affect my decision on whether or not to go back on caffeine after tonight.
Can you link a source for that?
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
quote: I'm taking advantage of Sakeriver's polling ability here . . .
Some of you know that I have been in the habit of quitting caffeine a couple of weeks before each time I have a vocal audition, because I feel that it dehydrates me and worsens my voice somewhat. (Longterm use, that is, not a drink right before singing.) As I mentioned in this Hatrack thread, though, it gets harder to quit each time I readdict myself. I went from no ill effects, to some general tiredness, to exhaustion and mild headaches, to exhaustion and severe headaches.
Most recently, I quit caffeine to audition for Man of La Mancha. It was excruciating at times, but now I'm pretty much off of it. I don't fall asleep without it, and I am not having headaches from it. Tonight is my call-back audition. After tonight I will have a role or not, and I can go back on caffeine if I want to. I mean, I want my voice to be in good shape by the time the show opens if I take a part, but that's a long way away, and they aren't likely to take it from me once they give it to me. And I need to have greater versatility for an audition than I might need for an actual role.
Reasons to stay off caffeine:
Lord knows how hard it will be to quit next time. I wouldn't want a headache like the 30-hour one I had last week--or worse!
Caffeine is physically addictive and it's good not to be addicted to stuff.
Caffeine seems to lose its efficacy when you consume it all the time. People who consume a lot of it can no longer function well without it, and no longer get an intense benefit from it.
My major source for caffeine is diet soda. Most diet soda contains aspartame. A lot of people think aspartame may be bad for you, and specifically--in a sick sort of irony--that it may increase your appetite.
Reasons to go back on caffeine:
Chocolate.
Caffeine-free cola is not always easy to get, and I loves me some.
Diet Pepsi will give me free iTunes. Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi will not.
It's freaking hard to avoid. Totally staying off is painless. So is total addiction. It's the withdrawal that's a bitch. So if I occasionally cosume some without realizing it, because it's freaking everywhere, will I have to go through some form of withdrawal again each time?
According to Aspectre:
quote: One thing we do know is that coffee drinkers have a 60% reduction in the rate of liver cancer. Also that those who drink up to half a pot (one litre) of coffee per day have a longer lifespan on average than those who don't drink coffee. As well as later onset, slower developement, and milder case of senility, Alzheimers, and other geriatric neurological disorders.
So what should I do? Any other reasons Pro and Con I should consider?
[ February 24, 2005, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
quote: I won't be back on caffeine for at least a year, by which time I will have forgotten your excellant warning.
Care to elaborate, Space Opera? Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Yeah - I wondered about that too -- but figured she would tell us in her own sweet time..... Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
I rarely eat/drink anything with large amounts of caffeine. I've decided that there's no point in getting addicted to it until at least college.
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
A long time ago someone here posted a link to a caffeinated soap. I was working 12 hour days at the time and seriously considered it. Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
I make a wondeful caffe mocha soap.
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
And this is a problem.... why?
*works for Starbucks* *sips coffee* *twitch* Posted by MichelleEly (Member # 6737) on :
I gave up soda/pop - whatever you call it where you're at - several years ago. I'll sometimes sip from my husband's glass.
I do drink a ridiculous about of Ice Tea. A blend of green tea, white tea, rooibus, and hearbal teas - the exact mix varies from day to day. Hey, loaded with antioxidants and keeps the weight down naturally. Michelle
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
The only form of caffeine I consume on a regular basis is chocolate, but I'm not consuming even that right now. I'm off sugar for at least the next month, and chocolate along with it.
I'm super sensitive to caffeine. One can of coke at 1pm will keep me awake until 3-5am. That sucks.
But then, melatonin doesn't work on me properly, either. I tried taking it, followed the directions, and promptly fell asleep. At 1pm the following afternoon. Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
I say give up Food and drink altogether! Whos with me? Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
I can survive indefinitely with water and Luna bars (or as I like to call them, chocolately lembas bread).
Posted by jexx (Member # 3450) on :
I am thoroughly caffeinated nearly 100% of the time.
I am immune to mosquito bites, they call me the "Skeeterkiller" and avoid me. My blood accelerates their tiny hearts until they explode.
I am superhuman!
If I go a day without caffeine, the stores in my body keep me from collapsing.
On a sad note, a part of my exquisite and complicated Cuisinart Grind and Brew coffeemaker (DGB-500R) broke off, and D*mned Hubby took the 'reserve coffeemaker' to work, so I will have to figure out how to make coffee the old-fashioned way. *le sigh*
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Though the article states "half", working the numbers shows that there is a 60%reduction in risk of liver cancer in coffee drinkers when compared to those who don't drink coffee. However, green tea also has caffeine and shows no such effect: so caffeine may not have anything to do with the risk reduction. Or caffeine may: there could be relevant synergistic interactions between other chemicals found in coffee (but not in tea) and caffeine.
Then one should also remember that proof of correlation is not proof of causation. The correlation could arise from nothing more than those who choose coffee as their main beverage also choose not to drink as much alcohol.
This was recent news, and so easier to find. I'll be back later when I find others.
[ February 25, 2005, 01:11 AM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Thanks. That's interesting about the Green Tea.
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
Tea has more theophylline than caffeine IIRC. I do not count chocolate, but on the other hand I rarely eat it. Use lightly or eat three pounds so the anandamide kicks in. Edit: I recalled incorrectly. Tea still contains mostly caffeine, although it does have a noticeable theophylline content.
Minor, non-daily consumption will not result in phsyical dependency, as long as you are reasonably aware of the caffeine (and theobromine and theophylline) content of everything you eat. If you want to avoid aspartame, there are caffeine pills, caffeinated mints, and caffeinated water.
[ February 25, 2005, 10:51 AM: Message edited by: Danzig ]
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
On the flip side... one of the benefits of caffiene addiction is tolerance.
I notice a lot of people saying that consuming a small ammount of caffiene will keep them up at night. That's because they have no caffiene tolerance. If you drink a ton of it all day... umm... like I do... then it doesn't keep you up becuase your body is used to it. You no longer fear accidental ingestion.
What you DO fear is missing your fix and ending up with splitting headaches =(
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
I don't have that problem. I practically never consume caffeine, except for chocolate, and chocolate caffeine never seems to cause me problems.
[ February 25, 2005, 05:59 PM: Message edited by: AntiCool ]
Posted by Amka (Member # 690) on :
Getting caffeine tolerance is exactly why I don't drink it a lot. It makes it all the more effective when I need it for a migraine.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
"Care to elaborate space opera?"
dpr and Farmgirl, I have no idea what you may be implying....
Ok, here's the truth. I've joined a religious cult bent on world domination. Caffeine is prohibited for the first year because it makes one too shaky around the weapons.
space opera
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
That's exactly what I was thinking, SO.
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
I kind of like it how only dark pop is allowed to have caffine here. It makes it much easier to know which ones to avoid if you don't feel like having something loaded in caffine.
Posted by 0range7Penguin (Member # 7337) on :
I am a complete caffeineaholic I drink like two cokes a day and have somewhere between one too five cups of coffee. I am currently waiting to drop dead of it somehow. Also by the way Space Opera if you are already a caffeine addict then you wont get shaky right? So can I join your cult and still drink caffeine? Please...
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
RD, is Mountain Dew dark?
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
quote: Getting caffeine tolerance is exactly why I don't drink it a lot. It makes it all the more effective when I need it for a migraine.
Me too, except with asthma. (high five)
I didn't even know Green Tea had caffiene for a while... I can drink it without many of the effects, but I still like it decaffienated better. (which is unnatural, but eh.)
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
My Mom, a very devout Mormon lady, for some reason continues to think that green tea is OK. It makes me giggle.
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
quote: RD, is Mountain Dew dark?
Mountain Dew doesn't have caffine...not here it doesn't, because it isn't dark
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Mountain Dew in Canada doesn't have caffeine, but Mountain Dew that I've had in the US does.
On another note. My father drinks something 36 cups of coffee a day. Nope, not kidding. Has done for the last 45 or so years. He's had brain aneurisms, strokes, and heart attacks. Related? Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
MD has more caffeine in it than dark sodas here in the US....more than Jolt does, even.
Posted by Vána (Member # 6593) on :
RD, where do you live?
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
I'm in BC, about an hour from Vancouver and four minutes from the border
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