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I am an over-the-road truck driver. For years I consumed up to a pot of coffee a day, if not more.  Then the sleep issues started.  Once I was diagnosed with sleep apnea I became hyper  vigilant about anything having to do with the quality of my sleep   To my surprise, I discovered I have a gross IN-tolerance to even the slightest amount of caffeine.  This so astonished me considering my past track record of consumption!    If I drink a single cup of coffee at 6AM,  it's still in my system at 2AM the following morning and I have difficulties falling asleep.  I have learned this goes for ANYTHING with caffeine in it - soda pop, chocolate, hot chocolate, even decaf coffee has just enough of a trace left in it to have me tossing and turning for hours in pursuit of sleep.  

Several years ago I had a severe allergic reaction to ibuprofen.  I had taken it for years with no problem and then suddenly, out of the blue, I go into anaphalactic shock  complete with hives so bad it swelled my throat shut.   The Doctors advised me to avoid it in the future. Duh!  ( ya think?)

So here is my question, is it possible to "grow into" a caffeine intolerance?  Has anybody else experienced this?  Is it just an old age issue or could I becoming allergic to it?  

Thank-you in advance for your input.  I love this website!  You have taught me a lot!

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I love my wine... and i seem to love cheap wine. Its hard to resist the very large $11 dollar bottles of Barefoot.

It's even harder being in your 20's and going out with friends to bars knowing that I have to go home and "hook myself up" to a machine. I miss going out and being un-informed. Ignorance was bliss.. but i was also exhausted.
I know that drinking is bad before bed for everyone but I always hated that its one more thing that I have to worry about more than others.

*Sigh*

ZolliStar said:

I spend a ridiculous amount for wine because I buy those little single-glass bottle. The wine is average and the price for it is (in fact, given the wine quality) well above average.

BUT if I buy a regular bottle of wine, especially good wine, I just know myself: one glass will seize my heart, prompting my intellect to flee, and I'll pour a second glass, which may morph into a third....

Fortunately, it's Lent. Sundays are excepted and I've given up alcohol. So my single glass last night will be it until Sunday, March 4th.  (And I bet you think I'm keeping track.)



Banyon said:

I speak with the intellect - 6-ounce glass.

The heart says to have a 20-ounce goblet.

Zollistar - you sound so much like me it's fascinating! I. too, used to grind my own beans. And back when I could afford it ( I used to work at NASA ) I thought nothing of spending 30.00 per pound for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. Warm Merlot, nuked for 10 seconds, was my evening staple. I buy the large bottle, pour myself a nice sized glass and then immediately HIDE the rest of the bottle in the cupboard BEFORE sitting down to enjoy my glass. LOL. As for morning cups of ???? I really like a hot cup of broth believe it or not. I pop open a can, dump it into my mug and nuke it for 2 minutes. Chicken is my favorite. My ex boyfriend was a contractor who ran with the big boys, so to speak. He got told he couldn't have coffee anymore and about went nuts! I turned him on to drinking hot broth and he loved it. Last time I saw him, his boardroom sideboard was equipped with pots of broth instead of coffee. It is a really nice substitute!

Oh, how I hear you, Brittany!

That said, all I can say is I'm grateful to know the reason for my constant previous exhaustion and I'm thrilled that there is something I can do about it. The "something" may have it's drawbacks but...it's something that works.

I wish there were not all the other et ceteras (cutting out alcohol, computer use at night, "powering down" in the evening by relaxing and reading, etc., etc.) that also make a difference.

But oh! What a wonderful difference all those et ceteras make. They're worth the price of admission, a price I'll pay -- even pay (mostly) gladly.

btw, I have a friend who is an alcoholic. I never knew it because he's out happily with us drinking his soft drink, at his home, pouring drinks for us, etc., etc.  He just knows that he can't drink and doesn't. He's my inspiration and proof that it can be done with grace, charm and even without angst.

Brittany said:

           I know that drinking is bad before bed for everyone but I always hated that its one

           more thing that I have to worry about more than others.

*Sigh*

Alcohol for me is a bit of a mystery. I had to give up the beer and wine in the evening. It messed with my sleep almost as bad as coffee. But hard alcohol, brandy, whiskey, etc. doesn't seem to adversely affect my sleep the same way. So now, when I come home off the road, I have a whiskey, two fingers, straight, and sip on that while I'm unwinding. Black Velvet is an excellent sipping whiskey. Brandy is another one of my "medicinal" go-to's.

So now I enjoy a glass of wine in the late afternoon when I'm on the computer ( lol) but try to get in an evening walk if time permits. Lord! The extent we go to in pursuit of a decent night's sleep! Take care.
Banyon, I really liked your answers here. You make a LOT of sense. Thanks for your input.
If I drink coffee, yes, But only if I drank coffee the day before. How's that for a twist?

Broth!  How interesting. We should put out a call for caffeine substitutes.

I drank Lady Grey tea yesterday and today. It claims to be naturally decaffeinated. A breast-feeding friend told me she switched to it because ordinary tea made her baby crazed from the caffeine in regular tea.

I rather like Lady Grey. In addition, I adore licorice in any form. So I'm happily drinking a licorice tea. I'm going to focus on how much l like these two items and not think about how much I miss coffee (even though I do.)

As far as I'm concerned, a good night of sleep is worth any price of admission I have to pay.

Thank you for bringing up this subject and the subject re: computer use at night. They've proven very helpful. Indeed, I think they're helping me turn the corner.

PS:  I think one reason we apneacs are so addicted to caffeine is that it was so necessary to helping us stay awake.

Kate said:

Zollistar - you sound so much like me it's fascinating! I. too, used to grind my own beans. And back when I could afford it ( I used to work at NASA ) I thought nothing of spending 30.00 per pound for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. Warm Merlot, nuked for 10 seconds, was my evening staple. I buy the large bottle, pour myself a nice sized glass and then immediately HIDE the rest of the bottle in the cupboard BEFORE sitting down to enjoy my glass. LOL. As for morning cups of ???? I really like a hot cup of broth believe it or not. I pop open a can, dump it into my mug and nuke it for 2 minutes. Chicken is my favorite. My ex boyfriend was a contractor who ran with the big boys, so to speak. He got told he couldn't have coffee anymore and about went nuts! I turned him on to drinking hot broth and he loved it. Last time I saw him, his boardroom sideboard was equipped with pots of broth instead of coffee. It is a really nice substitute!

Good point! As an apneac, we really were driven to extremes trying desperately to stay awake. I can remember as a child, getting my butt spanked because my parents kept finding me outside, hiding under a pine tree, fast asleep at all hours of the day. 50 years ago, sleep apnea was unheard of. We've come a long way....

You know, ZolliStar, I'm the same way.  I love my coffee.  Forget the alcohol, it will keep me awake.  I quit the coffee.  I tried de-caf, which is just less caffeine.  It didn't effect me.  Coffee helps with my headaches.  Whether I drink it or not doesn't effect my sleep.  I guess I'm just weird.  



ZolliStar said:


Every time I quit when I was a heavy coffee-drinker, I did it gradually. Withdrawal was awful, otherwise.

Now that I'm down to One Serious Cup in the morning (I lived in Europe: I know about good, strong coffee -- and love it that way) now that I'm down to that single cup, I've found that I can eliminate coffee without all the bad withdrawal symptoms. If I develop a headache, however, sometimes I immediately drink half a cup of coffee, which  usually does the trick. Not always, but usually.

Again, kudos to Kate: she's the one who brought this to our attention. I suspect there's something to it.

I'm already trying to think of a different, pleasant substitute for that wonderful cup of morning joe that I've enjoyed for so many decades.

Thinking....thinking...thinking....

Banyon said:

If you decide to quit make sure to gradual taper off over a week or so. If you are drinking 32 or 40 ounces I would drop 4 ounces per day - acutally measure out your daily allocation. Quicker cessation might cause bad headaches or other withdrawal symptoms.

 

 

 

You're not weird, Pamela. Some have great tolerance for caffeine. My college roommate used to say that she could fall asleep with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Likewise, I have a good friend who is truly addicted to caffeine -- and sleeps like a baby. Needs six hours of sleep, gets it, and sails through her day, coffee in hand, always in hand.

We just have to accept ourselves as we are. In some ways, sleep apnea is a voyage of self-discovery.

Pamela Snook said:

You know, ZolliStar, I'm the same way.  I love my coffee.  Forget the alcohol, it will keep me awake.  I quit the coffee.  I tried de-caf, which is just less caffeine.  It didn't effect me.  Coffee helps with my headaches.  Whether I drink it or not doesn't effect my sleep.  I guess I'm just weird.  



ZolliStar said:


Every time I quit when I was a heavy coffee-drinker, I did it gradually. Withdrawal was awful, otherwise.

Now that I'm down to One Serious Cup in the morning (I lived in Europe: I know about good, strong coffee -- and love it that way) now that I'm down to that single cup, I've found that I can eliminate coffee without all the bad withdrawal symptoms. If I develop a headache, however, sometimes I immediately drink half a cup of coffee, which  usually does the trick. Not always, but usually.

Again, kudos to Kate: she's the one who brought this to our attention. I suspect there's something to it.

I'm already trying to think of a different, pleasant substitute for that wonderful cup of morning joe that I've enjoyed for so many decades.

Thinking....thinking...thinking....

Banyon said:

If you decide to quit make sure to gradual taper off over a week or so. If you are drinking 32 or 40 ounces I would drop 4 ounces per day - acutally measure out your daily allocation. Quicker cessation might cause bad headaches or other withdrawal symptoms.

 

 

 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/buzzaire.shtml

"Here at ThinkGeek, we've done our best to find new and advanced ways to keep you, our customers, alert and awake. We've introduced caffeinated soap and caffeinated hot sauce, we offer the most caffeinated beverages and mints available, all because we understand the need for that extra somethingthat only caffeine can bring. And now ThinkGeek Labs is proud to present the most revolutionary caffeine delivery system available: Buzzaire.

Buzzaire is, quite simply, a caffeine inhaler. One squeeze, one inhale, and you've just rushed 150mg of caffeine into your blood stream. Mints or drinks have to go through your digestive tract first before partying in your blood (or through your skin, in the case of caffeinated soap). But the lung/blood barrier is the fastest way (other than injection or IV) to get caffeine into your system. Not only will you get one heck of a rush, but you'll also freshen your breath! A hint of peppermint oil in each puff will give you a little extra perk with its peppy zing. Buzzaire can beat up yourair!

Warning:Do not take more than 4 doses in a 24 hour period. Too much caffeine can be fatal. If any abnormal symptoms develop, please consult your doctor. Not to be used by children or pets.

Each package contains:

  • 1 Inhaler
  • 2 Buzzaire Cartridges (each with 100 doses)"

It says each dose is 150 mg of caffeine

 caffeinated soap and caffeinated hot sauce ??? soap?

They also sell beverages and candy with caffeine.  Maybe this product would be attractive to college students.  I like the taste and aroma of that first cup of coffee though I don't seem to miss it if I skip my morning cup.  Lucky for me I don't drink so I don't have that pleasure to curtail.  Still, although I'm slowly whittleing down the list I'm on enogh medicine to totally effect my sleep architecture.

 

I'm not associated with  ThinkGeek in any way.


 
Janna Mantua said:

Lol, harsh. Neither. I've tried caffeine pills before, so I'm curious to see if they have the same effects. The pills make me way more jittery than a cup of coffee.

http://www.amazon.com/Venture-Safety-Glasses-Copper-Blue-Blocker/dp...

These are the blue block glasses I got from amazon.com for 4.00. I really like them! After reading all the stuff about how damaging blue white light is to human eyes, I now wear them any time I am on the computer.

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