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Micro-Dosing Caffeine

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Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#11

Post by geon »

Terr_ wrote: post #3

> wired [...] withdrawals [..] I’d love to hear how other people manage their caffeine intake (even if it is complete dependence). Or the polar opposite: I sometimes wonder if I have a caffeine in sensitivity, and whether there's a good way to objectively measure my experience versus the average. The suspicion comes from how some folks (like in this blog) will talk about how they very clearly perceive being "wired" o…

I think ADHD is linked to caffeine insensitivity. I experimented with caffeine at uni, but never noticed any effect. I would drink a 33 cl coke, containing some 30 mg caffeine.

Some 10 years ago I tried caffeine tablets in the mornings. They might have been 100 mg. I would take a tablet 30 min before work. That time, it would take the edge off my morning sleepiness which I’ve suffered from my whole life. But instead I would crash completely at 3-4 in the afternoon, so it didn’t feel worth doing.

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#12

Post by sandspar »

thomasvn wrote: post #8

I've grown to dislike the dependency on espresso, but love the taste of it. I aim to have a single coffee a day and resist any temptation to have another in an effort to maintain my caffeine baseline.

Have you considered drinking decaf?

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#13

Post by satvikpendem »

gatkinso wrote: post #10
toast0 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest thing for me is if I have a caffinated beverage later in the day (say after noon, but especially with dinner), it becomes a lot harder to fall asleep. This can be subtle, but like was tired all day and had a cola with dinner and now can't go to sleep is a pattern. But yeah, if I drink a Trente anything from Starbucks, there's a whole lot of caffine in there and I feel jittery and uncomfortable, and there'…

It helps me to pop an l-theanine if I’m over-caffeinated.

This is in fact why I drink tea over coffee generally, it has a lower amount of caffeine on average and also has L-Theanine which relaxes you.

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#14

Post by satvikpendem »

sandspar wrote: post #12
thomasvn wrote: post #8

I've grown to dislike the dependency on espresso, but love the taste of it. I aim to have a single coffee a day and resist any temptation to have another in an effort to maintain my caffeine baseline.

Have you considered drinking decaf?

I drink exclusively decaf, it's great. I have an espresso machine at home and make multiple lattes a day with no worries about being over-caffeinated.

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#15

Post by herbst »

geon wrote: post #11
Terr_ wrote: post #3

> wired [...] withdrawals [..] I’d love to hear how other people manage their caffeine intake (even if it is complete dependence). Or the polar opposite: I sometimes wonder if I have a caffeine in sensitivity, and whether there's a good way to objectively measure my experience versus the average. The suspicion comes from how some folks (like in this blog) will talk about how they very clearly perceive being "wired" o…

I think ADHD is linked to caffeine insensitivity. I experimented with caffeine at uni, but never noticed any effect. I would drink a 33 cl coke, containing some 30 mg caffeine. Some 10 years ago I tried caffeine tablets in the mornings. They might have been 100 mg. I would take a tablet 30 min before work. That time, it would take the edge off my morning sleepiness which I’ve suffered from my whole life. But instead…

Did you try l-theanin? That is contained in green tea and arguably one of the reasons you don't get caffeine rushes and withdrawals from excessive tea use.

I use it mostly against anxiety I can get from high caffeine intake.

On the other hand dextroamphetamine works just long enough for an average work day and has much fewer crash symptoms than other common amphetamines. I wouldn't recommend abusing it for work tho, that's a downward spiral IMO.

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#16

Post by WhyNotHugo »

Terr_ wrote: post #3

> wired [...] withdrawals [..] I’d love to hear how other people manage their caffeine intake (even if it is complete dependence). Or the polar opposite: I sometimes wonder if I have a caffeine in sensitivity, and whether there's a good way to objectively measure my experience versus the average. The suspicion comes from how some folks (like in this blog) will talk about how they very clearly perceive being "wired" o…

I've had long periods of my life caffeine-free, and this has given me some interesting (personal) insight into its effects.

After daily consumption, it takes two to three weeks of zero consumption to restore a sane "baseline" where I can operate at the same level of awakeness with no caffeine. Consuming coffee after the third week has a noticeable impact where you can really feel its effect.

Caffeine doesn't make me more focused; it mostly suppresses my tiredness/sleepiness. Being awake does not equate to being more focused.

I don't think that one week is enough to recover sensitivity if I usually consume daily doses.

Generally, I tend to avoid caffeine due to all the other changes in mood / behaviour / sleep. The effects are mostly obvious if you switch to zero consumption for a few months and then take up the habit again.

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#17

Post by 01HNNWZ0MV43FF »

leecommamichael wrote: post #2

Interesting, I have a very similar guideline to using my ADHD medication.

I think I've been using caffeine to s self-medicate for it. When I was on Adderall I stopped craving caffeine. On my new med it's a lot easier to just forget my morning soda that I "needed"

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#18

Post by bmoxb »

sandspar wrote: post #12
thomasvn wrote: post #8

I've grown to dislike the dependency on espresso, but love the taste of it. I aim to have a single coffee a day and resist any temptation to have another in an effort to maintain my caffeine baseline.

Have you considered drinking decaf?

I've yet to have decaf that tastes as good as the regular stuff unfortunately.

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#19

Post by chaorace »

01HNNWZ0MV43FF wrote: post #17
leecommamichael wrote: post #2

Interesting, I have a very similar guideline to using my ADHD medication.

I think I've been using caffeine to s self-medicate for it. When I was on Adderall I stopped craving caffeine. On my new med it's a lot easier to just forget my morning soda that I "needed"

Not surprising when you consider that the impaired executive function associated with ADHD (and mitigated by medication) is known to frequently manifest in the form of weakened self-inhibition.

Anecdotally speaking, whenever I personally go without medication, I am endlessly distracted by even the most basic urges (i.e.: hunger, exhaustion, arousal). Even being slightly peckish would leave me growing increasingly irritated and uncooperative. I've never smoked, but you wouldn't know that by looking at my unmedicated habits -- taking breaks every 20 minutes to satisfy some random urge before I inevitably start losing my head.

Re: Micro-Dosing Caffeine

#20

Post by walthamstow »

>I only drink caffeine on days that I need the extra boost to be productive

Good advice. I do this but slightly differently. I drink a lot of tea, I am English after all, but I only drink coffee when I need a boost. I find myself very sensitive to caffeine/coffee despite all the tea.

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