Caffeine—can't live with/out it

March 20, 2007 11:50 AM

Caffeine is killing me but I need it to work well. Is there an alternative?

I work in a 'creative industry' and need to generate good ideas on a daily basis. Pretty much all my career I've drank a lot of coffee. Last year I was found to have high blood pressure (a family trait), so I cut it out. I suffered badly for a week or two, but became clean. The trouble is that I kinda lost my mojo. Over the past two weeks I've been reintroducing caffeine and, wow, the buzz is good. I've realized that it's just what I need to work well. But caffeine is slowly killing me. So is there an alternative? Maybe even a lifestyle change? Background info: I'm overweight and pretty unfit, and spend all day at my desk. However, I don't smoke and have never taken drugs.

posted by humblepigeon to health (37 comments total)

I'm guessing being overweight and unfit is slowly killing you as well. A lifestyle change which targets these aspects will be a step in the right direction. As for cutting out caffeine: I think whether or not you need to do this depends on how much you consume.
posted by puritycontrol at 12:00 PM on March 20, 2007

Well, I don't know the extent to which you must avoid caffeine (my dad can't have any beyond the amount in decaf coffee, because of his heart) but my mom has cut back to one cup of coffee a week. She drinks it on Friday and feels great for one day of every week.

I figure it's a good middle ground between slow death and total non-productivity?

In any case, I look forward to seeing the answers you get, as both boyfriend and I have health reasons for wanting to quit the coffee but it's hard to be a student without it.
posted by crinklebat at 12:03 PM on March 20, 2007

Sitting at a desk all day sucks the oxygen straight out of your brain. Is there any possibility they would let you go for a walk while you come up with ideas?
posted by serena15221 at 12:06 PM on March 20, 2007

Could the effect be psychological? Maybe try drinking decaf coffee.

Another suggestion; at one job I found I always needed a coffee first thing in the morning before I could get anythign done. Then I started cycling to work - not a huge distance but enough to get heart pumping. On days when I rode my bike I would have way more energy and I would be ready to go as soon as I sat down. Try introducing some excercise into your routine.
posted by PercussivePaul at 12:06 PM on March 20, 2007

i also am a caffeine junkie with high blood pressure.

the most important thing to do is get regular exercise. no question there. i exercise in the mornings and no longer feel the need for an XL americano.

try drinking smaller amounts of caffeine every few hours instead of one or two mega doses. you can get most of the same buzz with much less total caffeine intake.

i switched from espresso to assam tea in the morning and matcha in the afternoon.

it takes a while to kick the coffee habit, and it isn't too fun either, but you will get your mojo back.

damn, now i wan't an americano ...
posted by paradroid at 12:07 PM on March 20, 2007

Well, getting into shape will definitely help with your blood pressure. A low-sodium diet wouldn't hurt either.

Who advised you to cut out caffeine? It does increase blood pressure in the short term (i.e. over the course of a dose), but I don't think long-term caffeine use has been linked to clinical hypertension. I wouldn't worry about it "slowly killing" you. Being overweight and unfit is more likely to do that: your weight has a much, much bigger impact on your clinical prognosis than your caffeine consumption.
posted by mr_roboto at 12:10 PM on March 20, 2007 [2 favorites]

Are you getting enough sleep? It seems like a no-brainer, but most people don't, and you really don't see the effects it has on you until you actually get a full week or two of good, quality, restful sleep. When I'm not sleeping enough (which is most of the time), I find that I need caffeine and food to get me going in the morning, and I lack creativity and motivation throughout the day. If I get that extra hour or two a night, it's like I'm a different person.
posted by tomatofruit at 12:33 PM on March 20, 2007

Exercising will do a couple things--it will both help with your BP, as well as give you more energy.

The first 2 weeks are pretty painful and exhausting, but after that, you feel great, and have a ton more energy. (I find if I can force myself out of bed and get to the gym, by the time I get back home I'm wide awake, energized, and ready to start the day.)
posted by gramcracker at 12:33 PM on March 20, 2007

In addition to exercise, taking a B-complex supplement daily has helped my energy level tremendously.
posted by non sum qualis eram at 12:42 PM on March 20, 2007 [2 favorites]

A friend of mine swears by maca
posted by hermitosis at 12:55 PM on March 20, 2007

Regular exercise is your best bet for the long term. I know it's easier said than done, so here's my favorite trick for the short term: when I feel sluggish at work, I get up, go down the hall to an empty conference room, and practice standing on my head for a couple of minutes. Gets the blood and oxygen circulating again and stimulates parts of the brain that are numbed by sitting at a desk all day. If you can't stand on your head, work up to it, or figure out something else you can do in short bursts - jumping jacks, a lap around the building.

(I got nothing re: the actual quitting of coffee, but if you feel deprived, by all means replace the coffee with some other beverage-related ritual.)
posted by clavicle at 1:07 PM on March 20, 2007

Maca's great stuff. Try a Choline/Inositol/Vinpocetine cocktail with a little B-5. None are stimulants, but the first three are great brain nutrition.

(I am not a doctor, but I use all these.)
posted by clango at 1:22 PM on March 20, 2007

Buy a can of regular and a can of decaf. Slowly use less regular and more decaf over a month or two. Eventually you're just drinking decaf. Makes the suffering a bit less, anyway.
posted by IronLizard at 1:25 PM on March 20, 2007

Oh- and PS:

Why not a cup of tea? It's got moderate caffeine, but plenty more chemical goodies which won't blow your gaskets in the same way. Since your tolerance to caffeine is probably way down, a small cuppa with two lumps might well do wonders.
posted by clango at 1:25 PM on March 20, 2007

Modafinil is a possible alternative, if your doctor agrees.
posted by Tacos Are Pretty Great at 1:30 PM on March 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm pretty insane about working out. I also have a coffee cup attached to my hand at all times at work. As a bet, I was able to quit all caffeine cold turkey without much trouble at all; I'm sure the fact that I am fit, eat healthy, etc. is the main contributor.

Get yourself in better shape. That's probably the biggest culprit.
posted by PFL at 1:31 PM on March 20, 2007

Yeah, I agree with lots of others above - exercise. By the answer you've marked "best," it appears that you're more interested in chemical solutions, but more exercise can be good for you in all kinds of ways. Research suggests it may even be good for your creative output, once you get the hang of it and work out consistently -- maybe you can pitch an afternoon run to your boss as a productivity booster?

Also, try reducing caffeine rather than eliminating; I find that, after a week off of coffee, a mug of green tea does for me what the coffee had been doing.

Also, losing weight will really, really help. If you can just drop 200 calories a day (one less soda?), you'll slowly but surely see results, especially if you add exercise, like 20-30 minutes of jogging 3-4 times a week.

Good luck!
posted by rkent at 1:36 PM on March 20, 2007

Tea, with or without milk, is my stimulant of choice -- I can't take coffee at all without stomach upsets and a general crummy feeling. My daughter recently introduced me to Yerba Mate, which is an even better stimulant (to the extent of stopping me sleeping at night) but also doesn't have the destructive side-effects of coffee. For my taste Mate needs to be brewed quite strong, and with non-boiling water (180 F, I've read is ideal.)
posted by anadem at 1:39 PM on March 20, 2007

How much caffeine are we talking here? Did going off caffeine affect your actual BP very much? I'd think that other things like reducing salt intake, getting more exercise, and stress reduction techniques could make more difference than cutting (a moderate amount) caffeine completely out. IANAD though.
posted by DarkForest at 2:07 PM on March 20, 2007

I got off caffeine for the most part and now drink green tea (or any tea) whenever I feel like I need an extra pick me up. Its better for you than coffee and has 1/5th the caffeine. The trick is to never go back to drinking coffee. You'll still get a buzz from 10mg of green tea caffeine as long as you keep doing it in moderation and dont start building a tolerance.

There are other stimulants you can try which are mostly safe and legal like ephedra, but its really the same road to tolerance and over doing it.

For the most part I'm in the same boat as you. My mind isn't racing as much anymore and my output is a bit more steady; which is different but in totally a good way. I dont feel that the stimulated me is truly 'me,' its just me turned up to 11. This will also opens your eyes on how mediocre a lot of your sped up ideas really are. You'll see the over-caffeinated people in your life as these kinda sad creatures.

Sadly, this is an acceptable addiction because it does make people more productive. Its like the opposite of pot, thus the corporate kiss of approval. All your peers are sped up and you have to compete with them. The middle road of a caffeiene-light tea works wonders, but you shouldnt go back to shaking-hands motormouth mode for your sanity and health. Six months from now you'll feel silly for even asking this on askmefi.

btw, don't rationalize going back to being overly-caffeinated because of your industry. Non-creative jobs could demand more time and more work thus another " i need coffee" excuse. Techinical jobs require more brain power. Jobs with strange or long hours. etc. etc.
posted by damn dirty ape at 2:12 PM on March 20, 2007

I like the suggestions here (exercise is the most important. When i get stuck mentally, that helps).

But I have a question: on what basis do you say caffeine is killing you?

If that's from your doctor, then ignore me, but from what I've read, caffeine is really pretty benign, unless you are drinking something like 5 or 10 cups of coffee a day. A small amount of caffeine isn't particularly bad, unless you have really bad blood pressure or a weak heart or something.

I like tea -- not quite as much caffeine as coffee (in most varieties). A cup or two of Earl Grey is the bomb.

If caffeine helps you get stuff done, ritalin and adderal would probably, too, but you'd need a prescription (and the condition they treat). Both are actually much safer than caffeine when taken in clinical doses, and provide a very similar effect. But if it really is your doctor's advice that caffeine should be right out, they would be contraindicated, too.
posted by teece at 2:29 PM on March 20, 2007

I'm the OP, and thanks for the advice. I've noticed in the past that effervescent vitamins have been helpful for giving me a lift, but I realized even before I asked the question that exercise was probably the answer. Many people have pointed out that fitness boosts creativity.

The problem is that I've tried exercise in the past, and I find it hard. Gyms are like prisons cells to me, and I've joined many of them. Additionally, there aren't many resources near where I live.

Are there any original ideas for exercise, bearing in mind I'm a fat 34 year-old desk jockey?
posted by humblepigeon at 2:42 PM on March 20, 2007

P.S. Welcome to MetaFilter humblepigeon!
posted by PercussivePaul at 2:42 PM on March 20, 2007

I vote for trying green tea as well.

I am cutting back on the coffee because I find it affects me too much (it makes me very hyper and garbles my words a bit, WTF). I have tried switching to green tea - it doesn't spike me as much, and I find the caffeine to "burn" longer and give me more sustained energy over more time.

And another vote for exercise!
posted by cadge at 2:45 PM on March 20, 2007

humblepigeon writes "Are there any original ideas for exercise, bearing in mind I'm a fat 34 year-old desk jockey?"

Well, the best way to do it is to find something you enjoy. Since you hate gyms, maybe something outdoors: jogging, hiking, biking, etc. A martial art, maybe? Tae Kwon Do kicked my ass into shape pretty quickly. I've heard great stories about people losing weight with Dance Dance Revolution. Do you have someone you can exercise with? Maybe learn tennis, or racquetball. Did you play any sports in school? Look for an adult league. If you want to watch TV while you exercise, get yourself a stationary bike or treadmill and work out in the comfort of your own home in your spare time. Even just reorganizing your life (where you park, where you get groceries, etc.) so that you have to walk more can make a difference.

There are tons of options outside of the gym, really. Do a AskMe search for "workout" or "exercise"; you'll find a bunch of threads about this.

But getting is shape is probably the best thing you can do for your long-term health.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:02 PM on March 20, 2007

I'm a big fan of exercising at lunch. If I'm having a bad day, it gets me out of the office and in a better mood (thank you, endorphins!).

If you can't stand the gym, go for a walk at lunch. Find someone to walk with; when I first started exercising, the buddy system was useful in getting me to the gym.

If you want something different, there's the Shovelglove workout.
posted by mogget at 3:07 PM on March 20, 2007

To be honest, I think the best way to have energy and concentration at work is to have a job that you really like. This may be a sign that you're not really very into what you're doing right now.

The above reflects my current situation so I have to admit that I'm more than a little biased.
posted by teleskiving at 4:43 PM on March 20, 2007

Flavorful food (a different or really good light lunch) is one thing other than caffiene that helps me with ideas. Also solving a quick puzzle/question sometimes is a good mental break.

Finding a hobby that includes some exercise (volunteering where they're garden or outside work perhaps) & walking are good places to start. I did the camino de santiago in Spain one year, and have loved walking since. Maybe a similar goal/vacation where some exercise before-hand is helpful/needed would be a good incentive.

Also second yerba mate, though if you have high blood pressure it may not be recommended. Look that detail up first.
posted by ejaned8 at 6:08 PM on March 20, 2007

If you need coffee for the energy boost, I agree with everyone who emphasized exercise. Other things that keep me alert and awake are ice cold water and very strong mint gum. It may not work for you, but these are my strategies to avoid coffee as it tends to give me the jitters.



Here's another alternative which is a bit wacky.

Stefanos Karagos posted about a 20 MB MP3 sound file he created that exploits the brain's Frequency Following Response to give the listener a boost of energy, similar to what you'd experience from drinking a coffee. The instructions for use are quite simple; use stereo headphones, only play it once in a session (don't let it loop), and adjust the volume to a comfortable level.

The sound file sounds like a nature tape (birds chirping, etc) mixed with what seems like random noise at a very slowly escalating pitch. I was surprised how much it affected me; a couple of times I found myself actually becoming anxious, before realizing that I was simply being manipulated (by my own doing) by a sound file. Crazy, eh?

(Source of text is here.)

It kind of worked for me, but it could be a placebo effect.
posted by catburger at 8:24 PM on March 20, 2007

We are addicted to caffeine because we are addicted to stress. When our stress levels go down, the need for caffeine goes down. Stress and caffeine drains our vital energy. In the long run we put ourselves in a situation of running a deficit.

For specific suggestions, I encourage you to read a recent post on caffeine and stress on my blog, www.stressedout.org.

There is hope. Good luck.
posted by northwoods at 8:25 PM on March 20, 2007

Can you listen to headphones in your office? I find sometimes music helps. Apart from that, eat well, sleep well, surround yourself with inspiring artworks... and exercise!
posted by indienial at 8:50 PM on March 20, 2007

When my hands start trembling when doing detail painting, I know it's time to cut down on the double espressos. If you simply want to cut the caffeine as I've done, make the morning brew using 1/2 your regular grind and 1/2 decaf grind. Repeat and increase the decaf % over time to where you are comfortable. I started cutting it too quickly...got monkey-hammering headaches.
posted by artdrectr at 8:51 PM on March 20, 2007

oops, ironlizard had it.
posted by artdrectr at 8:54 PM on March 20, 2007

Some say that an apple in the morning is just as good as a cup of coffee. Never worked for me, but it might work for you.
posted by Xere at 9:54 PM on March 20, 2007

I second yerba mate... lots of caffeine, not as much as coffee, but without the downsides of coffee. Wikipedia has a lot of info on it.
posted by melt away at 10:20 PM on March 20, 2007

Guarana,

a good multi vitamin with B -12, a glucose regulator like chromium, a high protein breakfast, like maybe some oatmeal with protein powder. That should keep you going.

Sleep apnea, which will guarantee you never get a deep sleep is something you could check into.

And stay hydrated with several liters of water per day.

That helps me. good luck
posted by redhead at 10:24 PM on March 20, 2007

On the exercise front, can you park a few blocks away/get off public transport a few stops early and walk the rest of the way to work? I can't stand gyms or organised sport, but have been getting 30 minutes of exercise a day lately by walking to work. Even 15 minutes a day is better than nothing if that's all you've got the time/energy for.

Can't help with the caffeine issue, as anything stronger than black tea gives me the shakes... although now that I think about it, since I've been walking to work I've not had the same craving for my first cup of tea once I get there.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 4:52 AM on March 21, 2007