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Caffeine use disorder

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Re: Caffeine use disorder

#51

Post by muzani »

danieltillett wrote: post #10

The thing to remember with caffeine is its half-life in non-smokers is 8 hours (it is 3 hours in smokers). I have a rule to never have any drink with caffeine after midday - if I break this rule even by an hour I suffer that night and the next day. Caffine is a morning drug.

It varies a lot per person.

The effects are 6 hours for me, less than 1 hour for my father (who smokes), and can last over 18 hours for my wife and mother-in-law.

I haven't seen the studies on caffiene half-life, but I suspect the variation is very high.

I personally take it early morning and after a siesta.

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#52

Post by rodionos »

RankingMember wrote: post #45
rodionos wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I made a lot of good decisions based on incomplete data, and I'm not sure why you labeled this story fictitious. Here's some background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_III_of_Sweden's_coffee_...

If you want to drink coffee, drink coffee. Using a goofball medieval study (with a sample size of literally 2 people) to justify your personal choice is pretty silly.

Your problem with sample size in this particular case is that you fail to account for its duration. Convert sample size to temporal units and you might draw different conclusions since p-values might not look as bad now. An average FDA trial is 3 years, so assuming the prisoners lived for 40 years on their prescribed caffeine diet, you get sample size of 2*40/3 = 26.7. Not bad for 17th century. Last but not least, turn off --verbose mode.

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#53

Post by vraid »

rodionos wrote: post #12

This discussion about coffee has become too scientific. When I was a child, my parents would not let us drink coffee, but tea was not only allowed it was part of daily routine as long as I remember. We didn't question. When I grew up someone told me the story about two life-term prisoners in medieval times, one of them allowed to drink only tea, the other coffee. The coffee-guy lived longer. That was enough for me to…

Calling this medieval is doing it a disservice. The study took place in the late 18th century, during the height of the enlightenment.

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#54

Post by discreditable »

AI_Overlord wrote: post #14
danieltillett wrote: post #10

The thing to remember with caffeine is its half-life in non-smokers is 8 hours (it is 3 hours in smokers). I have a rule to never have any drink with caffeine after midday - if I break this rule even by an hour I suffer that night and the next day. Caffine is a morning drug.

I can drink coffe at night before going to bed and still sleep like a baby. I wonder if something is wrong with me.

For me I've found that it takes a while to take full effect. I normally go to sleep around 9:30. If I drink a cup at 9pm I'll fall asleep okay at 9:30. If I drink a cup at 6pm, I'm going to have problems sleeping.

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#55

Post by WalterSear »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #23
prodmerc wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh, I get fewer headaches and wake up easier with coffee.

That's because you're addicted. You're dependent on it to wake up, and when you don't use it, you get withdrawal headaches. You may need to go about a month caffeine free to see the benefits

I went almost two months without caffeine at the end of last year, I muscled through at first, but about week six I realized I was just as tired as day one.

I felt cheated :)

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#56

Post by Sander_Marechal »

Pitarou wrote: post #37

I've given up caffeine for Lent[1]. It's been hard. Beforehand, I knew I had a bad coffee habit. In a typical day I'd drink, maybe 6 or 7 mugs of strong coffee. I'd tried to cut down many times, but never succeeded; there just seemed to be too many reasons in my life to have another coffee. So when Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent) came, I thought, "Now's the time to quit." The first day was fine. I didn't notice any…

My experience is pretty much the same. I sleep and function just as well (or badly) without caffeine now as I used to do with several cups of coffee, before I quit (2 years ago). The big bonus for me is in the mornings. I don't need several cups of coffee to wake me up anymore. When I get up I am as awake as I used to be after breakfast.

Be careful when you try to drink it again. One cup of coffee is enough to get me from a hard-to-focus-after-lunch-dip to fully awake and focused. If I drink another cup I become all jittery and have symptoms resembling a minor panic attack.

Good luck!

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#57

Post by RankingMember »

rodionos wrote: post #52
RankingMember wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want to drink coffee, drink coffee. Using a goofball medieval study (with a sample size of literally 2 people) to justify your personal choice is pretty silly.

Your problem with sample size in this particular case is that you fail to account for its duration. Convert sample size to temporal units and you might draw different conclusions since p-values might not look as bad now. An average FDA trial is 3 years, so assuming the prisoners lived for 40 years on their prescribed caffeine diet, you get sample size of 2*40/3 = 26.7. Not bad for 17th century. Last but not least, tu…

Are you seriously comparing an FDA trial to a 17th century trial? If you don't see the absurdity of trying to equate the quality of those two I don't know what to tell you, setting aside your idea that a "26.7" sample size would be anywhere near significant enough to draw any sort of meaningful conclusion.

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#58

Post by swah »

Pitarou wrote: post #37

I've given up caffeine for Lent[1]. It's been hard. Beforehand, I knew I had a bad coffee habit. In a typical day I'd drink, maybe 6 or 7 mugs of strong coffee. I'd tried to cut down many times, but never succeeded; there just seemed to be too many reasons in my life to have another coffee. So when Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent) came, I thought, "Now's the time to quit." The first day was fine. I didn't notice any…

I'm only giving up coffee, not caffeine, but I still miss the real thing a lot. I didn't have any headaches though.

I'm not sure how much caffeine I'm able to administer through mate - but it must be much, much less.

I also haven't noticed it influencing my sleep or anxiety - I'm still anxious and I sleep well most days.

I just couldn't taste the thing anymore, it was very bland..

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#59

Post by swah »

speeder wrote: post #33
mcculley wrote: post #8

I weaned myself off of caffeine entirely seven months ago. Being free of caffeine has greatly improved the quality of my sleep and made my mood more even throughout the day. I really appreciate being able to jump straight out of bed in the morning without depending on that coffee to get my brain working.

I tried a couple times to get off caffeine, never worked properly... I don't feel obvious caffeine effects, but I need it to not be a wreck. Later I discovered I was self-medicating my ADHD... Now I am taking proper ADHD meds, and this allowed me to greatly reduce my caffeine use (that was wandering into dangerous and expensive territory, with me needing to drink litres of red-bull clones to work), still need it some…

Do you still live in Brazil? I've read criticisms here on HN, of doctors too eager to diagnose ADHD (specially in children) - did you felt that your doctor was aware of those issues?

I ask because I'm not sure if I have ADHD or just regular anxiety/lack of focus that could be fixed by exercising/meditation/finding another job. And I don't want to go to the doctor to get hooked on drugs I don't need...

Re: Caffeine use disorder

#60

Post by PKop »

prodmerc wrote: post #17
bryanlarsen wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Benefits of quitting caffeine for me : - fewer head aches - much better sleep - reduced mid afternoon blahs - easier wake ups - ability to use small amounts of caffeine for medicinal purposes. (by itself or to enhance the effects of other drugs)

Huh, I get fewer headaches and wake up easier with coffee.

You have to give it up for about a month to really compare the difference. I speak from experience. Long term after quitting there's no comparison: much easier to wake up and much easier to fall asleep (for me).

If you're comparing how you feel drinking coffee, to how you feel a few days after quitting, then of course the coffee will feel better.

If this doesn't describe your situation, then disregard.

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