About the time I went through two cases in a little less than a week, I knew I had a problem. I couldn't function without it. I felt myself craving it at odd hours of the day, and the effects it normally induced had decreased because of my abuse.

I speak of course about caffeine. Four cans of Pepsi a day might not seem like a lot to some people (I know I'm not anywhere near the addict that some are), but to me it seemed a very unhealthy level of chemical stimulation.

Lunch on Saturday was the last time I had any caffeine. It was no big deal until about 5:30 Sunday afternoon. Usually if I haven't had at least some caffeine by 3:00 pm, I start getting a splitting headache that won't go away until after I go to bed (once the headache sets in, no amount of caffeine or pain-killers will make it go away). But this last weekend something was off. Instead of the normal headache, I just felt really really sluggish. My eyelids weighed a metric ton and my thinking was very foggy.

I decided to take a quick nap, and the next thing I know, it's 9:00 pm and I don't feel one bit better. Nothing felt normal. Quick change into something better for actual sleeping and it's back into bed to shake off whatever's kicking my ass.

2:00 am I'm wide awake and wondering just what the hell is wrong with me. My skull felt like there was an extra 20 psi inside it (but no real pain, just the sensation of pressure)  and at the same time I had the sensation that my eyes were trying to suck back into my head (a sensation I get whenever I get a sever fever and a bit of dehydration).

I check my temp, and it's all normal. So I get a glass of water and wait to fall asleep again. Five minutes later whatever woke me up has passed and I crash again until 7:00 am. My head's still packed with wool and it feels disconnected from the rest of my body. I spend all day Monday at work in this state, but I've already figured out I'm suffering withdrawls (though I can't discount that the strange Sunday afternoon may have been brought on by something else already long gone).

The withdrawl symptoms subsided Monday night, and I've been making a point to avoid anything with caffeine. The bizarre part is that it hasn't really affected my sleep pattern at all. I still wake up and go to bed at the same time. I thought I would at least feel tired earlier, but that hasn't panned out.

I guess I'll keep going with this for now, if only as an experiment.

Posted in Random Debris by: Will at 10:11 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 470 words, total size 3 kb.

1 I accidentally didn't go cold turkey when I went cold turkey.  Who knew that Sunkist orange soda had caffine in it?  Anyway, it saved me from withdrawl symptoms... now to get rid of the last cigarettes...

Posted by: Wonderduck at January 10, 2008 07:04 AM (ccSyJ)

2 It's at a point where you actually have to look for a caffeine-free label on things just to be sure. I've been using oj, milk and clear sodas as a substitute. Most root beers don't have caffeine, but wouldn't you know Barq's (the stuff I like) has caffeine put it in it.

Posted by: Will at January 10, 2008 07:34 AM (E3UGR)

3 You know, Josh and I have given up soda now. We weren't trying to quit caffeine (although I had mostly given up caffeine with the pregnancy) as much as we were trying to stay away from the nasty shit in diet soda (aspartame). When Josh quit drinking diet pepsi right before we got married, he ended up losing close to 25 pounds and all without actually reducing his caloric intake. I'm thinking diet soda is the devil.

Caffeine - well, I guess everything in moderation, right? There are studies showing that caffeine can help prevent Alzheimer's. All you will find in our house now-a-days is home brewed ice tea and water.

Oh, and for the record, you are far too straightedge

Posted by: Kerith at January 19, 2008 03:10 PM (uS+aN)

4

Well my little experiment didn't last long. I managed about a week before I ended up needing something out of the machine at work, and the only thing available was caffeinated. I haven't regressed completely though. I don't have any soda in the apartment either. Lemonade mix and milk is about it. On the other hand, I am back to my old ways when I'm outside.

Posted by: Will at January 19, 2008 07:48 PM (P2D1U)

5

Oh, and for the record, you are far too straightedge

Straight edge? I haven't heard that in a loong time. That brings back high school memories.

Nah, don't offer him any, he's a straight edger.

Sweet.

Posted by: pajama momma at January 20, 2008 09:10 AM (f3xJa)

6 I've heard "straight-laced" pretty often, but I can't honestly say I've heard "straight-edged" yet. I guess it fits.

Posted by: Will at January 20, 2008 09:40 AM (P2D1U)

7

Straight edge is kind of an alternative term. They dressed  outside the norm, maybe rockabilly, goth, punk, or hippie, but didn't do drugs.

So they're on the edge, but straight laced.

Posted by: pajama momma at January 22, 2008 09:57 AM (f3xJa)

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