Caffeine Addiction?

Question

Ive recently come to the conclusion that maybe Im addicted to caffeine or maybe everyone consumes alot. The drink I consume all the time is Pepsi One(similar to Diet Pepsi). It has 36 mg of caffeine in 8 oz(thats the same as a Mountain Dew). I decided to moniter how much I drank in a weekend. And in one weekend, I drank 2 cups of coffee and about 2 twelve packs of Pepsi One. Which totals about 1,014 mg of caffeine for a weekend. Is this exessive? Ive also been having chest pains recently and everyone is telling me its because of all the caffiene. Any truth to that? And how would you recommend I cut down all the caffiene?

To answer your question, yes I go CRAZY without it. Headaches, naseua, shaking, all that

Answer 1

The way I cut down was to choosing a caffeine-free beverage like Sprite. I think Coca Cola Zero has little or no caffeine. YOu could also try diluting your Pepsi with water to cut down gradually.

Answer 2

First of all if Pepsi One has the same amount of caffeine that Mountain Dew has you are ingesting a high amount of caffeine. Mountain Dew has the greatest amount of caffeine in the sodas. I would suggest that you limit your soda intake by cutting it down to one twelve pack a weekend. It would be better to cut it down more than that. I use to have chest pain from caffeine until my doctor took me off of it because it was causing my heart to beat 117 beats per minute. If you drink any hot chocolate you are also drinking caffeine. Caffeine is addictive. It causes your brain to release dopamine into your system which triggers your pleasure sensors in your brain so you want caffeine again to give you the same high. You may also experience head aches when you decrease your caffeine intake. Take some over the counter pain killer such as Ibuprofen. Hope this helps but you should cut down on the caffeine.

Answer 3

I would certainly say you are consuming excess amounts of caffeine. Soda, even diet soda, is not good for the body. Neither is coffee for that matter, particularly if you add sugar and creamer, which can be high in fat. Caffeine is a drug, and like many drugs, the body can become dependent upon it and cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms when you are deprived of it.

You must decide for yourself what is higher on your list of priorities: your health, or your craving for these beverages - and the caffeine they contain. Since I do not know your health history or level of personal fitness, I can not in good conscience recommend a method for you. I can tell you that going cold turkey will likely be very difficult for at least a week, but you can help fight the withdrawal with a new plan. Many people find time for vigorous exercise in the mornings and eat a very well-balanced meal that is low in fats and simple carbohydrates (i.e. sugars). Before trying it, I recommend you speak with your doctor in detail about your concerns. There may be less dramatic methods - but in my experience proper nutrition and exercise is good advice for everybody.

Answer 4

Yes you do have a Caffeine addiction you need to cut down (like one cup a week) slowly it will cause you headache's if you don't. Caffeine over stimulates the brain which is not good. I only have 1 cup a day of coffee and drink diet no caffeine soda's. Decaffeinated tea is another choice. Of course the best is water!

Answer 5

If you're drinking that much pepsi, I'd say the caffeine is the least of you problems. Artificial sweeteners are toxic. You'd be better off drinking the regular with the real sugar.

BTW, it probably is too much caffeine, but see your doctor about your chest pains. Your friends probably aren't medical professionals.

Try having one less can of soda a day til your down to just the coffee.

Answer 6

Yes caffenine can attribute to a lot of different medical conditions, including the problems you have been experiencing. Start by cutting your caffine consumption in half. Dont go for caffeine free pops, cut your pop intake in half. All of that sugar is not good for your system or your teeth. Drink water of fruit juices during the day to sub the pop. A cup or two of coffee is fine in the morning, but if you cut the pop in half that will make a great difference. Good luck, im addictied too, coffee is mine, i cut my intake in half and i am not so onedge or irratable anymore. Good luck and good health to you!

Answer 7

If you get caffeine withdrawals when you don't drink any then you are probally addicted. Do you get a headache when you haven't had caffeine for awhile?

Answer 8

I think you should cut down all the caffiene

Answer 9

What is it?

Caffeine is an alkaloid, which is a compound found in cola nuts, cacao beans, tea and other plants.

The caffeine is present in different amounts according to the different plant sources.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, heart muscle and respiratory system. It has diuretic effects (increased urine) and delays fatigue.

Theophylline and theobromine are other alkaloids, which are also present in some drinks. These compounds are very similar in chemical structure to caffeine.

Theophylline is found in small amounts in tea but has a stronger effect on the heart and respiratory system than caffeine.

Theobromine is found in cocoa products and small amounts in tea, and is mainly responsible for the stimulating effects in cocoa products.

Caffeine tablets such as NoDoz can be obtained without a prescription and are used to increase alertness.

Caffeine has been used as a weight-loss aid in the past because of its ability to improve metabolism. But it has not been used for this purpose for many years because there is no evidence that it helps people to lose weight.

Caffeine is also used in combination with painkillers such as aspirin to provide headache relief, but there is little evidence for its use for this purpose.

How much is too much?

A high intake of caffeine at once can cause caffeine-induced mental disorder. The symptoms include restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, stomach upset, muscle twitching, incoherent speech, heart palpitations and excessive alertness.

In most cases an overdose of caffeine will not kill you. However, it can be fatal. A lethal dose is estimated at 10 grams. However, a toxic dose will vary from person to person.

Even at much lower doses, too much caffeine can have unwanted side effects.

If you are drinking more than 10 cups of coffee a day you should seriously consider reducing your intake.

Moderate caffeine consumption is considered to be about 300 mg, which is equivalent to 3 cups of coffee, and varies depending on the strength of the coffee.

The American Medical Association has reported that moderate coffee drinkers should not be concerned about their health provided they also lead a healthy lifestyle.

There is no evidence linking caffeine consumption to cancer or heart disease. Some recent research has suggested caffeine may increase homocysteine levels (a risk factor for heart disease). The actual clinical implications of this are unknown at present.

Coffee consumption can cause a rise in blood pressure for a few hours in people sensitive to the effects of caffeine, but this is less than what is normally experienced from climbing stairs. However, patients with high blood pressure should talk to their doctor about caffeine consumption.

Large caffeine consumption in the elderly has been linked to an increased risk of hip fracture and loss of bone density.

It may also aggravate the effects of irritable bowel syndrome.

High coffee consumption has also been linked to problems in pregnancy. Caffeine has caused birth defects in rats when consumed at a comparable level of 70 cups a day for humans. There is no evidence that caffeine is linked to birth defects in human babies.

The strongest evidence is that caffeine may reduce a baby's birth weight. However, this effect is confined to mothers who also smoke during pregnancy, and even then the evidence is borderline.

Caffeine has also been shown to reduce sperm movement.

Withdrawal effects:

Caffeine withdrawal can produce several side effects. These include:

Headaches
Irritability
Nervousness
Restlessness
Tiredness

Hints for cutting caffeine intake:

Reduce the amount of caffeine slowly to help avoid withdrawal symptoms. Cutting down at a rate of about 1/2 cup a day seems to avoid most side effects.

It may be helpful to keep a guide of how much caffeine you are consuming (including soft drinks) per week and begin cutting down slowly.

Some people prefer to suddenly stop drinking caffeine by going "cold turkey", however, the withdrawal effects can be quite severe with this method.

People experiencing withdrawal symptoms may find it helpful to drink a Coca-Cola.

Caffeine amounts in popular soft drinks per 12 oz cans:

SOFT DRINK/CAFFEINE LEVEL (mgs)

Mountain Dew/55.0 (no caffeine in Canada)

Diet Mountain Dew/55.0

Coca-Cola/45.6

Diet-Cola/45.6

7 Up/0


Caffeine amounts per 7 oz cups of coffee and tea:

DRINK/CAFFEINE LEVEL (mgs)

Espresso/100

Brewed coffee/80 - 135

Instant/65 - 100

Decaf, brewed/3 - 4

Decaf, instant /2 - 3

Tea iced/70

Tea brewed/40 - 60

Tea instant/30


(Caffeine is sometimes called "theine" when it is in tea).

Chocolate also contains caffeine. A 28 gram Cadbury chocolate bar contains about 15 mgs of caffeine.




Caffeine overdose results in gastrointestinal and cardiorespiratory symptoms
A browse through shelves of ingestable products sold to assist in fitness and sporting performance will reveal that many products contain caffeine, some in quite large quantities. For some the recommended daily dose includes more than 500mg of caffeine. Caffeine may be present in these products from the herbal preparation guarana, as well as being added as pure caffeine. These products include Thermo Blast IV, Thermo Genesis2 and Energy Booster.

Those who take these preparations without reducing their regular caffeine intake from other sources may risk developing what has been termed "caffeinism" which is caused by toxic levels of caffeine. The symptoms include nausea, diarrhoea, indigestion, irregular heartbeat and respiration, light-headedness, jitteriness and frequent urination.1 These symptoms may also develop in those not habitually exposed to caffeine who ingest a moderate dose.

The busy professional who keeps going on 6-8 cups of strong filter coffee per day may be at greater risk than the fitness enthusiast of developing these symptoms. He or she may also experience headache and depressed feelings from caffeine withdrawal at weekends and when on holiday.

Caffeine from tea, coffee, energy drinks/tablets, guarana
Caffeine is ingested from many sources. In many instances people may be unaware of its presence. A standard cup of coffee contains 70-180mg caffeine depending on the strength and method of preparation.1 Instant coffee generally contains less caffeine than coffee prepared from ground beans. Tea contains 20-35mg per cup.1 Chocolate also contains caffeine.

Some of the approved medicines containing caffeine are the diuretic De Witt’s tablets and the sleep inhibitors No Doz and No Doz Plus tablets (all available over-the-counter), and the antimigraine prescription medicines Ergodryl, Migril and Cafergot tablets. These contain up to 100mg of caffeine per dosage unit and the recommended daily dose or dose per migraine attack is up to 600mg. Some soft drinks (Coke, Pepsi and Mountain Dew) and energy drinks (Proton Guarana Blast, V, Stamina, Big Red, Bull Rush and Top Secret) contain caffeine in varying amounts.

Guarana is a dietary supplement which contains caffeine and is quite popular. It is made from a ground extract of the seeds of the plant Poullinia cupana var sorbilis which have a natural caffeine content of around 5%. In some preparations guarana is combined with ginseng. Guarana tablets or capsules are marketed as herbal tonics which are said to increase stamina and endurance and have beneficial effects on the nervous system. A dose unit usually contains the equivalent of about 40mg of active caffeine.

Caffeine withdrawal may cause headache, nausea, depression
Medical practitioners are advised to question patients presenting with possible symptoms of caffeine overdose about their ingestion of caffeine from the less obvious sources such as guarana preparations, dietary supplements used for fitness and energy drinks, as well as from coffee, tea and chocolate.

An individual withdrawing from caffeine because of a chronic toxic overdose may experience symptoms of withdrawal including headache, nausea, nervousness, reduced alertness and depressed mood. These symptoms are most acute during the first 20-48 hours, but they may persist for as long as 7 days.2 Discontinuation of caffeine at even a moderate intake can lead to these symptoms. There is also a danger of developing dependence by having that cup of coffee for the headache caused by caffeine withdrawal.

References
Chou TM, Benowitz NL. Caffeine and coffee: effects on health and cardiovascular disease. Comparative Biochem & Physiol. Part C Pharmacol Toxicol & Endocrinol 1994;109:173-89
Lamarine RJ. Selected health and behavioural effects related to the use of caffeine. J Community Health 1994;19:449-66.