Drug info - Drugs-Forum caffeinism level

[Paracelsus]

Please add your answers to the poll.

I was just wondering how popular caffeine is amongst our readers.

I personally drink caffeinated soda and coffee rarely, energy drinks about once a week or less, and, depending on the circumstances, high-dose caffeine in pill form (400-600 mg) about once a month. Voted once in 7-14 days.

Include: coffee, guarana, yerba, pure caffeine (pills or anhydrous), energy drinks, etc.

Exclude: caffeine in antigrippals and painkillers, small amounts of chocolate.

[Alicia]

Swia never been a real lover of coffee or caffeine due to how it tends to upset her stomach makes her agitated as well.

[old hippie 56]

Strong coffee right now, ice tea in the afternoon.

[Heretic.Ape.]

caffiene junky. Wash down a couple energy pills with and energy drink and maybe have another energy drink later in the day when the crash starts to hit. Some people say this is why I'm an insomniac but what they don't realize: I was an insomniac many many years before I ever drank a caffeinated beverage and still don't sleep at night even when I cut myself off. I use so much caffiene because I have a real problem with feeling good during the daylight hours (weird, I know) but I always start feeling great at around midnight. Some sort of anomoly with my body clock; kind of like seasonal affective disorder except in 24 hr cycles and kind of backward. Sometimes I think maybe I have some type of allergy to the sun.
h.a.

[grandbaby]

Much coffee (12+ cups in winter, 2-3 cups in summer) from morning until 4PM. Used to not bother me to drink coffee all night until bed - now can only have 1 cup after dinner or I'm hooped for sleep. Rarely drink carbonated drinks of any sort, so cola maybe 4x per year. Rarely energy drinks - maybe once every 2 months. Forgot to drink coffee at all during a hot spell one weekend & got massive headaches... sure sign of addiction. Doesn't bother me much, as it's not physically or mentally debilitating, not too expensive, and not a pain in the ass to procure. Will probably try to break the addiction sometime next year.

[tayo]

the only reason i drink any form of caffeine is because it happens to be in yerba mate, and the reason for drinking yerba is for health purposes.. it's so nutritious!

[Swimster]

swim wishes there was a choice like: "i drink it regardless of what i do during the day, just to keep me awake"

....because drinks one in the morning, then a couple through the day.

...dosen't really matter to me what im doing.

[blainy]

caffeine is one of my fave substances at the moment..that and thc..i must be consuming anywhere from 80mg to 500mg of caffiene a day

[candy_kid]

caffeine seems great, but then suddenly you're drinking it to stay awake at times when you should be naturally- and the once 6 hour high is now baseline for 4 hours and then massive crash... yea, passing on that

[Paracelsus]

Originally Posted by tayo

the only reason i drink any form of caffeine is because it happens to be in yerba mate, and the reason for drinking yerba is for health purposes.. it's so nutritious!

Really? I think one would be better off eating enough fresh fruit and vegetables.

Originally Posted by candy_kid

caffeine seems great, but then suddenly you're drinking it to stay awake at times when you should be naturally- and the once 6 hour high is now baseline for 4 hours and then massive crash... yea, passing on that

That is very common. The vast majority of adults in the 'civilized' world experience this. On the short-run, caffeine does improve alertness and cognition. When used chronically, it's physically addicting*- one needs caffeine to be half as alert as normal. That is - besides cardiovascular stuff - the main reason why I only use it occasionally.

*Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist and an acetylcholine releaser. With chronic use of caffeine, the brain adjusts to the presence of caffeine by upregulating adenosine receptors and decreasing acetylcholine activity. On withdrawal, adenosine neurotransmission will be higher than normal (because adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, this causes tiredness) and ACh neurotransmission lower than normal (cognitive problems, headaches).

[Joe Duffy]

I mostly drink water, the occasional mug of tea and coffee rarely ever now.

[zera]

Swims on red bull now, but only because they didnt have benzedrex at the grocery store. In fact swim uses propylhexedrine a lot more than caffeine, its a far superior compound.

[Paracelsus]

Originally Posted by zera

In fact swim uses propylhexedrine a lot more than caffeine, its a far superior compound.

...and, from what I've read around here and from what I suppose, most likely a far more damaging compound. Consider amphetamine-caused neuron damage, stronger sympathetic effects (compared to caffeine), and gastrointestinal problems from eating the cotton. Not that I am totally against propylhexedrine, but it doesn't seem to be too healthy with excessive use.