Does coffee effect you this way?

[sahmmie]

I started drinking coffee about a year ago. Just one cup in the morning and I felt fine all day. But then a few months ago I started feeling really tired around noon every day, so I started drinking a second cup which kept me feeling great the rest of the day. But now in the last few weeks I'm noticing another big drop in energy and alertness around 3 or 4 pm, so it seems I now need three cups a day to function. I really hate this!

Do coffee drinkers eventually require more coffee the way drug addicts eventually require more drugs to get high? someone told me that coffee does this to people, but I've never heard that.

Just wondering if any of you have noticed this with your coffee intake.

Thanks.

[ollyoxenfree]

Yes, I think you can habituate to caffeine, just like many other drugs.

If you enjoy coffee in the morning, but don't want to drink it during the rest of the day, you may want to find other tactics to improve your energy and fight fatigue. Eat a good breakfast and lunch with protein and some complex carbs, schedule some mild exercise to revive yourself a little during the day, eat iron-rich foods, drink lots of water to prevent dehydration, add some light therapy if you're inside a lot.

When I worked in a high stress career in an office, with a long inter-city commute every day, at one point my coffee intake slowly became astronomical. I changed my lifestyle and changed my caffeine intake too. I still love a cup in the morning, but I rarely rely on caffeine for energy anymore.

[Drummer's Wife]

Not for me. I used to drink soda in that way, though. I felt better if I had one at lunch, and then again for dinner. Now, I don't drink it ever. Coffee - for years I only drank it in the morning. Usually only one cup, sometimes two if I made enough and felt like having another. But I do think some people need a pot throughout the day to function. It just never appealed to me to have any in the afternoon/evening.

I had gave up coffee 2 months ago when I went sugar-free (I can't drink it black), and replaced it with green or chai tea. Now, for about a week or so, I've had it a few mornings where I drank coffee - and others where I didn't with no difference in my alertness. I think I'm just not addicted to that morning cup anymore - and the tea didn't seem to have the same effect on me.

[Mama Metis]

Could be! Caffeine can also mess with your blood sugar, so it may be that it's not really more caffeine you need in the afternoons, but some other pick-me-up. I thought I was addicted to caffeine, but have been able to substitute a snack or another warm beverage in the afternoons and not feel tired. There's definitely a psychological component for me too - it's nice to take a break, and I like the feel of a warm mug. If you're uncomfortable with your coffee intake, maybe try green tea to see if it does the trick?

[cristeen]

Caffeine is a drug and you can build an addiction and a tolerance for it. Some people become so tolerant that they can drink espresso right before bed. Some become so addicted that they suffer physical pain without it (my DH is like this).

The pp had some good suggestions on building energy without caffeine. I will say that i cannot eat pure carbs for breakfast, or even a significant amount of carbs for lunch, or i will feel like i need coffee too. A bowl of cereal, toast or even a sandwich will do me in. I have to have plenty of protein and fat to fuel my body to get through the day.

[sahmmie]

Thanks ladies.

I didn't know coffee could effect blood sugar. Maybe that's part of the problem for me.

We do live in the north and get little sunshine so that could be part of it too.

I'd like to just quit altogether. Yesterday I had no coffee and was tired most of the day. Today I had no coffee and by 10:30 I felt like I was going to crash. I simply couldn't stand being that tired so I caved and had a cup. I was a new person within 20 minutes. It seems I'm addicted to caffeine.

I'm going to try having one cup a day, but at 11 am instead of first thing in the morning. Maybe that will help. If not I'm going to have to quit.

As for carbs, I do save them for supper most days. I tend to eat eggs/cheese/veggies/meat until supper and then have some carbs for supper, so I don't think the crashes are due to carbs, but thanks for the reminder!

Green tea sounds like a good idea. I like it and it's good for you!

Thanks for your input and ideas.

[LeahBoo]

Yes, it is highly addictive. I am addicted to it. I get splitting headaches and back pain when I don't have it (it messes with your spinal fluid, I have heard). I have managed to get it down to a low amount, but can't seem to quit altogether. One cup in the morning, one in the evening. Sometimes I can skip the evening one, just depends on the headache. I've tried to go cold turkey, I've tried to slowly wean myself off. Haven't been able to kick it.

[sahmmie]

Yeah, I'm failing miserably today. I had a cup at 9 am because we were off to Karate and my dh had a fresh pot waiting (he makes coffee on the weekends). I should have resisted because, Alas! By 2 pm I was ready for a nap and had another cup. I wish I had never started this stinkin' habit in the first place.

[karika]

If you want to quit, plan it in a timeframe where you can be totally 'switched off'. Get in bed for the weekend. Eat a small amount of chocolate to help with the withdrawal if you have to. You will most likely have a headache and sleep a lot. Once you have slept it all off, switch to a water process fair trade organic decaf coffee. It tastes different, but can be satisfying too. I drink a brand that is 99.9% decaffeinated. I used to down 5 or 7 mountain dews a day, until it began affecting my health. I quit cold turkey. I slept for two days and had a headache for two weeks. The craving lasted for 2 months. Now I am caffeine free except some found in chocolate. I have contemplated quitting it too, and am currently running self trials to see if it affects my sleep patterns. Good luck. Here is a link to the amounts of caffeine found in various things.

http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database

http://www.happynews.com/living/choc...-chocolate.htm

[sahmmie]

Thanks Karika,

I don't really crave the hot beverage, so I probably won't need the decaf, but thanks for the suggestion.

I eat 100% dark cocoa from time to time and have it in the house. Maybe a bit of that in the morning while going through the caffeine withdrawal will help.

I'll try one cup a day until next weekend and then try to go cold turkey. Ugh... I'm dreading.

[Adaline'sMama]

Yes! It totally made me feel like I needed more all the time, until I was drinking it almost all day everyday. When I quit 3 years ago, it was one of the hardest things Ive ever done. I was super addicted.

[Chicky2]

I've read that in order for caffeine to work "properly" in the body, it needs to be slowly and consistently ingested all day long. Like just sipping it throughout the day. That's why alot of people will make coffee with a scoop of regular and the rest decaf and just sip it all day. My sister is like that. Over the years I've gone from 4 big huge cups a day to half that. That seems to be the least I can drink and not have a splitting headache. I've also heard that if you take an Excedrin in place of the coffee it can help you reduce your need for caffeine. It contains less than a cup of coffee and will be enough to keep the headache away. Haven't tried it myself, though.

[Mama Metis]

Sahmmie, is there any reason you feel like you should quit coffee altogether? I know many people will disagree with this, but honestly I don't think it's that bad for you as long as you can acheive some kind of moderation. Everyone metabolizes caffeine differently, but if you enjoy the way coffee makes you feel you probably metabolize it reasonably well. Coffee can be really bad for some people, but those folks tend to not enjoy it or feel sick on it. Just a thought...

[sahmmie]

Originally Posted by Mama Metis

Sahmmie, is there any reason you feel like you should quit coffee altogether? I know many people will disagree with this, but honestly I don't think it's that bad for you as long as you can acheive some kind of moderation. Everyone metabolizes caffeine differently, but if you enjoy the way coffee makes you feel you probably metabolize it reasonably well. Coffee can be really bad for some people, but those folks tend to not enjoy it or feel sick on it. Just a thought...

Well, the only reason I feel I need to quit is that I have the constant ups and downs in how I feel all day long. So it's like a roller coaster. I'm happy and energetic for a few hours, then become lethargic and miserable until I have another cup, and this goes on all day. I hate it. The funny thing is that I never drank coffee until about a year and a half ago and the reason I started is that my dh told me about research that shows coffee can have some benefits for the heart and also cancer prevention. So, I started drinking one cup a day in the morning and for a while that was fine. If I wasn't addicted to it and didn't NEED it to function, I continue drinking that one cup per day.

The other thing is that I have diverticulosis and I suspect (but not 100% sure) that coffee and/or caffeine causes flare ups for me. I'm having a bout of diverticulitis right now and I think it may be from the drastic increase in coffee over the last few weeks.

Anyway, I'm on day 4 with no coffee and it's going pretty well. I'm a little tired but no more giant changes in energy level. So, I think I may just be too hypersensitive to caffeine and should avoid it.

[mamadelbosque]

If I drink it (or consume any source of caffeine regularly) I (or anyone) absolutely do get used to it to the point of addiction. Thats actually why I try to avoid drinking too much pop or coffee - so that on those occasions when I really *DO* want to be awake, I know all I have to do is drink a coke or a mountain dew or a cup of coffee or whatever and I will be awake

[sahmmie]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

If I drink it (or consume any source of caffeine regularly) I (or anyone) absolutely do get used to it to the point of addiction. Thats actually why I try to avoid drinking too much pop or coffee - so that on those occasions when I really *DO* want to be awake, I know all I have to do is drink a coke or a mountain dew or a cup of coffee or whatever and I will be awake

Hmmm... That makes sense. I know coffee used to give me a big perk, but not anymore. You're right that it's good to save it for when you really need it.