I'm High On...

[+ Gar1eth]

Well I'd like to say life. But in reality it's caffeine.

 

Over the last several months I've found myself often dragging either in the afternoon or evening to the point that sometimes I've had trouble keeping my eyes open. Yes, I know this probably means I should get more sleep. But I also have (BiPap treated) sleep apnea. I doubt that the BiPap totally eliminates my apnea although I feel much better using than I do not using it.

 

I'm not really a coffee drinker. Most of my caffeine throughout my life has come either from soft drinks or tea although in college I would take occasional caffeine tablets. And back when I was working, I would often take an energy drink. But it had been a while since I drank any energy drink routinely.

 

Now cutting to the present time, because of this sleepiness, I've started taking caffeine again multiple days a week (although not everyday). I was initially taking 5-Hour Energy. And it was working, but it has a lot of other junk you probably don't need like mega doses of B vitamins. In fact it gives you 2000 % of the RDA for Vitamin B6. After doing some reading, I found out that overdosing on B6 can cause nerve problems. I don't know how much of an overdose you have to get to cause nerve problems. But I decided I didn't routinely want to be taking 2000% of the RDA when it doesn't really help with alertness. So I've cut back on the 5 Hour Energy in favor of caffeine tablets. They only have caffeine as an active ingredient. They are a 200 mg strength. But I only take a 1/2 of one.

 

And I have to say how shocked I am at how well the caffeine is working. It keeps me awake and brightens my mood a bit. I don't think I'm addicted as I don't get headaches and my mood doesn't crater when I don't take it. I used to laugh (inwardly) at people who needed coffee to get awake in the morning. But now I've joined them except I need it in the afternoon or evening. And of course I'm not that fond of the taste of coffee-at least not without a lot of milk and sugar. So the tablets are a better fit for me.

 

Gman

[+ Avalon]

Instead of coffee what about a soft drink that has caffeine? I don't drink coffee or tea but every morning akin to a coffee drinker I have a sugar-free caffeine soft drink.

[+ Gar1eth]

Instead of coffee what about a soft drink that has caffeine? I don't drink coffee or tea but every morning akin to a coffee drinker I have a sugar-free caffeine soft drink.

 

I drink soft drinks all the time. They never seem to give me the lift the caffeine tablet does. I just looked up the amount of caffeine in a can of Coke. There's 34 mg. If we assume I'm getting about 100 mg by splitting a 200 mg tablet in 1/2, then I'd need 3 cans of Coke to approximate a half a caffeine tablet. But I've had three cans of Coke before at one sitting, and I still don't think it gives me the 'jolt' a caffeine tablet does. Maybe it's because I drink a Coke slower-maybe the sugar decreases the rate of absorption of the caffeine-who knows?

 

Gman

[+ FrankR]

Well I'd like to say life. But in reality it's caffeine.

You had me at “caffeine”! (Insert Jerry McGuire meme here...)

[+ WilliamM]

Instead of coffee what about a soft drink that has caffeine? I don't drink coffee or tea but every morning akin to a coffee drinker I have a sugar-free caffeine soft drink.

 

It is difficult to order a soft drink in the local Starbucks where I read the paper some mornings.

[+ sync]

I can't remember how I lived before coffee.

[+ honcho]

Caffein is also availalble in 100mg tables (JetAlert). In another thread I posted an amazon link, and mentioned that

I pill split the 100mg so I take 50mg morning and mid afternoon. (concern about blood pressure makes me want to take the smallest effective amount I can get away with).

[+ FreshFluff]

I don't like the taste of coffee either. Hearing about caffeine tabs gives me bad flashbacks. I'd take them at 2 AM the day of the exam and find that I was STILL not be able to study but couldn't sleep either.

[Gadfly22]

I've had three cans of Coke before at one sitting, and I still don't think it gives me the 'jolt' a caffeine tablet does.

 

Remember this stuff? 120 mg of caffeine in a 12 oz can.

 

 

Think I tasted it once back in college. Don't remember if liked it or not.

Seriously though before trying stimulants why not just take a power nap. Half an hour or so mid-late afternoon. Works wonders for me when I can. Not practical for working people but I think you said you weren't..............

[+ Avalon]

I think that sugar is more addictive than caffeine. When I was young I could sit down and drink a six pack of sugar Pepsi one can after another. I don't have that craving with sugar free Pepsi.

[+ Gar1eth]

I don't like the taste of coffee either. Hearing about caffeine tabs gives me bad flashbacks. I'd take them at 2 AM the day of the exam and find that I was STILL not be able to study but couldn't sleep either.

 

I remember one final in college. I was up all night and hadn't been getting much sleep for days. I took some caffeine tablets thru the night. The next morning I went to breakfast in the cafeteria-an unusual occurrence in itself as I preferred sleeping until the last minute usually. Now this was December. And the cold might have contributed to it. But my legs were actually shaking under the table, and I couldn't get them to stop.

 

I wonder if that was when I stopped using caffeine tablets.

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

Remember this stuff? 120 mg of caffeine in a 12 oz can.

 

 

Think I tasted it once back in college. Don't remember if liked it or not.

Seriously though before trying stimulants why not just take a power nap. Half an hour or so mid-late afternoon. Works wonders for me when I can. Not practical for working people but I think you said you weren't..............

 

Jolt Cola has been revived. I was just reading last night that it's in Dollar General stores.

 

As for napping-it doesn't work for me. I fall really deep asleep, and either don't want to wake up or wake up more tired than I was.

 

Gman

[+ Pensant]

It is difficult to order a soft drink in the local Starbucks where I read the paper some mornings.

Starbucks? I think their coffee sucks. I’ve only been to one in ten years because I was in Romania and they were the only ones open at 7:30 am. Actually, better than I remember than their USA outlets.

[BasketBaller]

I love good coffee, it's my main vice. I occasionally had a stretch of drinking too much but have managed to stress quality over quantity, I drink less, but better, coffee now. As for soft drinks I was an infrequent drinker, but the introduction of flavored sparkling water has hooked me. I'm certainly not worrying about getting dehydrated these days.

[+ WilliamM]

Starbucks? I think their coffee sucks. I’ve only been to one in ten years because I was in Romania and they were the only ones open at 7:30 am. Actually, better than I remember than their USA outlets.

 

 

My first experience with Starbucks was on the west coast of the U.S., and coffee 'bars' in general, Japan.

 

I live very close to a Starbucks, which for me is more important than the qualify of the coffee. It's a place to get to know neighbors.

[+ Avalon]

I did visit a Starbucks once. It was at a Target store. I wanted to see if they served anything besides coffee.

 

I do not like the smell, taste or look of coffee. Kissing someone with coffee breath is GAG!

[liubit]

I do not like the smell, taste or look of coffee. Kissing someone with coffee breath is GAG!

Great minds think alike, @Avalon.

[+ WilliamM]

I did visit a Starbucks once. It was at a Target store. I wanted to see if they served anything besides coffee.

 

I do not like the smell, taste or look of coffee. Kissing someone with coffee breath is GAG!

 

A Target Starbucks has a limited selection unlike a regular Starbucks. But, you are not going to find a diet Pepsi, although they sell other soft drinks.

[+ Avalon]

A Target Starbucks has a limited selection unlike a regular Starbucks. But, you are not going to find a diet Pepsi, although they sell other soft drinks.

 

I would not want to buy a fountain drink anyway.

 

I prefer to drink straight from the bottle. ;-)))

[+ WilliamM]

I would not want to buy a fountain drink anyway.

 

I prefer to drink straight from the bottle. ;-)))

 

All of Starbucks soft drinks are in bottles. But, a limited selection.

[+ Avalon]

All of Starbucks soft drinks are in bottles.

 

Thanks. I didn't know.

[+ WilliamM]

Thanks. I didn't know.

 

Once you are able to leave your apartment, try Starbucks, easy to talk to people there.

[+ Avalon]

Once you are able to leave your apartment, try Starbucks, easy to talk to people there.

 

I am a very shy person and an introvert. At a party I'm the one that stands off in the corner alone.

[+ WilliamM]

I am a very shy person and an introvert. At a party I'm the one that stands off in the corner alone.

 

It is very easy to talk to people at Starbucks.

[Gadfly22]

It is very easy to talk to people at Starbucks.

It is? Whenever I go to starbucks its full of people staring intently at their phone/laptop and not particularly interested in chit chat. Of course it could be that they just don't want to talk to me.