Why is a little caffeine pill bad for me? Or is it?

Clarissa

Clarissa

Cathlete
I have a very hectic schedule as a personal trainer/mother. I wake up daily before 4:30 am, see 3 clients straight in my home gym, then take care of three small children all day (one of which is a newborn) and then from 5-8pm (sometimes 9pm) work w/ clients again. (note that I see clients only when DH is home at either end of the spectrum). Then after clients, I bathe and feed baby...then go to bed and have "groundhog day" all over again. LOL! My day of rest (if there is such a thing!) is SUnday, provided that I dont' schedule makeup sessions.

Well, a week ago my DH bought some caffeine pills for himself. Just plain CAFFEINE from GNC...nothing else in them. I took one at 5 am the other morning and ...BAM!!!! - I loved it! I have never been a coffee drinker. I get the jitters. But the pill does NOT give me jitters at all, I have found. This caffeine pill gave me energy, made me happppppeeeeeee, and kept me going, until about 9 am, which was good enough for the morning. I did NOT take another one although the dosage is 3 daily.

I am taking them each morning now since last week but everyone in my life is getting on me that I am "stupid" and am going to "kill myself". Not my DH but clients, friends, and parents, etc. Why? Why is it different for people to lug coffee mugs around all day and I just take one little pill to help me stay awake and energized and I get criticized? Please help me understand. I need these pills, I think.

By the way, I will mention I am hypotensive...I run about 80/50 BP but sometimes higher. BUT keep in mind that my friends and family do not even know this. I didn't really know it until baby number 3 was born... Thank you so much in advance for your help!
 
You answered your own question. "I need these pills, I think."

I suggest getting rid of a client or two and getting to bed earlier. But, if DH says it's okay, who are we to dispute it.
 
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Well, those pills are usually what, the amt of caffeine in 2 cups of coffee? I think that as long as you don't have any thing else with caffeine in it throughout the day, and the pill is only caffeine, with no other goofy additives, it's probably ok for a short-term solution. Be warned that if the one pill seems to stop being effective, that's a sign of dependency. I think that a healthier method of getting caffeine is by drinking green tea, and you can even get that in pill form.

Getting over a caffeine addiction can be a bear. Super bad headaches, crankiness, etc.

I have a one diet coke per day habit, which everyone says will kill me, and I drink one green tea and take a ginseng and green tea tablet each day. The funny thing is that a hotel that held a convention of dietitians said that they couldn't keep up with the diet coke demand.

I've also heard some sort of caffeine-insulin connection, but as far as addictions go, caffeine is probably healthier than my vacation chips and dips addiction.
 
Ask your Doctor. I asked my Internist since I have HBP. (I love him by the way) He said try it and we will just monitor you. I was taking zylene which made me feel wonderful beyond wonderful. After about 3 months I was exhausted and found out that it had depleted my potassium and raised my BP:mad::mad:

side note..Zylene is also a diuretic which caused my problem.
 
I second checking with your doctor. I agree that many people are caffeine addicts - I drink a couple cups of coffee in the AM and occasionally a cup or two in the afternoon depending on the day I am having.

Then again, there was a time when I had no caffeine and I'm not sure it mattered - but at that time I was sleeping better also.

You may want to look into a way to get a little more sleep though - do the kids take naps at the same time where you could catch a little "power nap"? I remember when all 3 of mine did and it was wonderful. Mine were less than 4 years apart though.

Or how about a short rest when DH comes home in the evening? Then continue with the "family routine" for the night time?

And silly me for asking, but are you exercising or just training? Wondering if you need some endorphins to help keep you going?

All my .02 of course ! ;)
 
Clarissa - You mention that you have a newborn. Are you breastfeeding? If so, you don't want to be taking those pills.

Definitely check with your doc, but it really sounds like you need more sleep.
 
No, Gayle :) He is near 4 mos now actually. I am bottlefeeding.

I workout hard-core of course 6 days a week on my own (STS and sprints, etc) - not working out w/ clients although I do assist them..

I suppose I should call my Dr as I have the low BP thing...

Thanks peeps!!
:)
 
I recommend dropping acid. Not only will you be able to do ten things at once but you will able to do it all with your favorite cartoon characters.
 
Just as another note - my mom was told to cut out all caffeine due to links between caffeine and breast cancer. I have seriously cut down on my intake as well because of that.
 
GMonkey said:
Getting over a caffeine addiction can be a bear. Super bad headaches, crankiness, etc.
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This is soooo true. I am so addicted to caffine, . . . .coffee, . . diet coke, tea, . . you name it. I've tried to stop and I turn into a demon when I've tried. For me is it an ongoing cycle, . . I have insomnia and don't sleep at night so when the day comes I need the caffine to keep me going. I used to take a GNC mulitviatmin active pack that came with a sort of enegy pill that thing got my heart racing like crazy and so I cut it out. I agree with all the other posters who said talk to your Dr. just to be sure, and cut out the other caffine products.
 
The "evidence" of the harmful effects of caffeine remains murky, and the studies that attempt to tie caffeine consumption to various other illnesses up to and including cancer continue to contradict each other. For some reason, caffeine is a favorite whipping boy of the research community; when it runs out of ideas for original research, another study on caffeine's effect on XYZ is coughed up. And almost every study that points to a link between caffeine and XYZ is negated by another study.

There is a difference between addiction - in which, among other characteristics, one has to take ever higher dosages of the same substance to be gratified (as with alcohol and certain other mood-altering drugs) - and dependence or tolerance. Caffeine dependence or tolerance is certainly common. But it's by no means a given that caffeine dependence is a health risk, especially if your daily dosage is moderate.

Clarissa, if you find that your little single daily caffeine pill makes you happy, I don't think this is cause for alarm. You know your own body well enough, and you have enough empirical knowledge through your PFT education and certification, to know when you're going down a dark road.

For me - if anyone, and I mean ANYONE, tries to get between me and my two strong cupsa ever morning they better have their Kevlar on. And just in passing - I like to quaff some of mine during my morning workout hydration breaks. It's my little way of stickin' it to The Man.

A-Jock
 
Aquajock said:
The "evidence" of the harmful effects of caffeine remains murky, and the studies that attempt to tie caffeine consumption to various other illnesses up to and including cancer continue to contradict each other. For some reason, caffeine is a favorite whipping boy of the research community; when it runs out of ideas for original research, another study on caffeine's effect on XYZ is coughed up. And almost every study that points to a link between caffeine and XYZ is negated by another study.

There is a difference between addiction - in which, among other characteristics, one has to take ever higher dosages of the same substance to be gratified (as with alcohol and certain other mood-altering drugs) - and dependence or tolerance. Caffeine dependence or tolerance is certainly common. But it's by no means a given that caffeine dependence is a health risk, especially if your daily dosage is moderate.

Clarissa, if you find that your little single daily caffeine pill makes you happy, I don't think this is cause for alarm. You know your own body well enough, and you have enough empirical knowledge through your PFT education and certification, to know when you're going down a dark road.

For me - if anyone, and I mean ANYONE, tries to get between me and my two strong cupsa ever morning they better have their Kevlar on. And just in passing - I like to quaff some of mine during my morning workout hydration breaks. It's my little way of stickin' it to The Man.

A-Jock
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LOL!!! Thanks! ;)
 
Aquajock said:
The "evidence" of the harmful effects of caffeine remains murky, and the studies that attempt to tie caffeine consumption to various other illnesses up to and including cancer continue to contradict each other. For some reason, caffeine is a favorite whipping boy of the research community; when it runs out of ideas for original research, another study on caffeine's effect on XYZ is coughed up. And almost every study that points to a link between caffeine and XYZ is negated by another study.

There is a difference between addiction - in which, among other characteristics, one has to take ever higher dosages of the same substance to be gratified (as with alcohol and certain other mood-altering drugs) - and dependence or tolerance. Caffeine dependence or tolerance is certainly common. But it's by no means a given that caffeine dependence is a health risk, especially if your daily dosage is moderate.

Clarissa, if you find that your little single daily caffeine pill makes you happy, I don't think this is cause for alarm. You know your own body well enough, and you have enough empirical knowledge through your PFT education and certification, to know when you're going down a dark road.

For me - if anyone, and I mean ANYONE, tries to get between me and my two strong cupsa ever morning they better have their Kevlar on. And just in passing - I like to quaff some of mine during my morning workout hydration breaks. It's my little way of stickin' it to The Man.

A-Jock
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Right on sista'!
 
There is actually a really, really fun book to read on the subject of coffee by a real coffeephile named Corby Kummer, obliquely titled "The Joy of Coffee". There is a very gratifying chapter on caffeine that makes caffeine-philes like me very happy. One thing that I found interesting is that caffeine consumption tends to be self-limiting, and people don't normally go over their preferred dosage very often or they get the jitters and swear off it for a few days. The whole book is a romp, though, so check it out. (It also has some mouth-watering cookie recipes using coffee.)

Clarissa, the only suggestion I would make is:

ESPRESSO IS A HELLUVA LOT TASTIER THAN A CAFFEINE PILL!

Trust me. Would this baldie lie to my beloved Clarissa?

Give it a try!

A-jock
 
If it's just one pill, and that one pill is equal to the caffeine in two cups of coffee, I don't see why that would be a big deal. Do the people who have been cautioning you IRL drink coffee or cola products? Why would the pill form be so much worse, I wonder...

One thing that I found interesting is that caffeine consumption tends to be self-limiting, and people don't normally go over their preferred dosage very often or they get the jitters and swear off it for a few days.
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That's really interesting, and something that I would have to say is surprisingly true of my long history with coffee! Now I have to read the rest of the book :D Thanks for the rec!

I'm a firm believer in the 'performance enhancing' effects of coffee - my brain kicks into gear a lot faster, I feel a sense of well-being because I'm not fighting fatigue and morning foginess, and I really enjoy the roast-y flavor and smell :) It's as close to aromatherapy as I'm gonna get!
 
GraceNote said:
I'm a firm believer in the 'performance enhancing' effects of coffee - my brain kicks into gear a lot faster, I feel a sense of well-being because I'm not fighting fatigue and morning foginess, and I really enjoy the roast-y flavor and smell :) It's as close to aromatherapy as I'm gonna get!
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Me, too, Gracie, but for me I must say - as the Kummer book underlines - that caffeine improves my intellectual speed but not my intellectual power. I still screw up the morning crossword puzzles - in pen - but I screw 'em up a lot faster, and that's gotta count for something.

Another side effect of caffeinated coffee for a lot of people is . . . (WARNING: SCATOLOGICAL INFO COMING UP! SEE BELOW:)















It helps you go #2 in the ladies room a lot, lot better! And, as before, a lot, lot faster.

Knowledge is power.

A-Jock
 
sad as it is, i have never had expresso! like i said, no coffee for this girl!

I'll look into that book...I frequent barnes & noble a lot...cool, thx! ;)
 
Aquajock said:
For me - if anyone, and I mean ANYONE, tries to get between me and my two strong cupsa ever morning they better have their Kevlar on. And just in passing - I like to quaff some of mine during my morning workout hydration breaks. It's my little way of stickin' it to The Man.
A-Jock
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A-Jock, you're my hero. :D
 
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