TheaterFire

Does caffeine give anyone else the fear?

Posted by Victorius_Meldrus@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 52 comments

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juanito_f90@reddit

No, grow up.
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

U ok hun?
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juanito_f90@reddit

Yeah I’m fine. Then again, I *can* have a coffee and a can of monster and not freak the fuсk out 🫡
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

Impressive!
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ermCaz@reddit

Really don't know how people drink monster etc.. I used to drink tea first thing, but now I've changed to water and never felt better. Still have 2/3 cups of tea a day, but in between I drink water (2 LTRs).
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nonotthereta@reddit

Yeah. I've become much more sensitive to it in the last few years. I'll find having a coffee even in the early afternoon will leave me feeling way more anxious come night time. I'm not too sure how that works with such a delayed effect. I feel fine after drinking it - better than fine, even. But then like clockwork I'll have a flare of health anxiety or similar hours later.
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Neither_Process_7847@reddit

That's an awful lot of caffeine in a very short time on an entirely empty stomach...
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

It is. I'm an absolute sausage.
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thesaharadesert@reddit

A highly caffeinated sausage
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

Braaaapwurst.
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thesaharadesert@reddit

Cold brewurst
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oscarx-ray@reddit

That's not so much "the fear" as it is tachycardia, it's just a shared symptom between consuming too much caffeine and anxiety.
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

My heart rate was slightly elevated, but not to that much of a degree. My usual resting is around 40, when I checcked my watch I was around 55 - which *is* relatively high for me, but nowhere near tachy.
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L-0-T-H-0-S@reddit

You're literally describing a caffeine overdose. Over 5g of caffeine (as little as 3g) can potentially be fatal - it depends entirely on how much of the stuff your body can safely process. A double teaspoon of Azera typically contains about 120–160 mg of caffeine. A standard 16 fl oz (473-500 ml) can of Monster Energy contains about the same 160 mg of caffeine - that's 0.32g of caffeine combined, roughly the same as drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee simultaneously. While 320mg is generally safe for *daily* consumption for many people, taking it all at once can overwhelm your system if you're sensitive, leading to the rapid heart rate, shaking, and anxiety you described. Maybe not making a habit out of that wouldn't be a bad idea.
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Remote-Pool7787@reddit

Stop making stupid decisions like having a can of monster straight after a coffee
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

Thanks, that's great advice!
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Vocalsoul@reddit

Yes I've switched from coffee to green tea with mint. Much better
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destria@reddit

Yeah caffeine on an empty stomach does this to me. I've felt heart palpitations even. But yes that feeling of anxiety in the pit of your stomach is very familiar to me.
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leclercwitch@reddit

I can’t drink coffee at all. It makes me shake, gives me a bad stomach, and severe anxiety. And that’s just a normal coffee! Can’t drink energy drinks either.
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banwe11@reddit

Yeah, I get 20 mins of feeling on top of the world and then it gives way to jitters and anxiety. For me Costa coffee is the worst - if I have a Costa Americano in the morning, I can still feel it when I go to bed. My parents, on the other hand, drink tea and coffee all day with seemingly minimal effects, and my mum even drinks coffee before bed as she claims it helps her sleep.
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VisibleOtter@reddit

I can’t have caffeine because of similar issues. I used to be a pretty decent amateur cyclist, winning local and national events, stuff like that. I had a very slow and strong heart rate. I quit racing about 20 years ago, and within about 3 months my heart went to a really bad arrhythmia. I ended up in ICU and had it bought back into shape the following day. Tests revealed nothing serious, and the cardiologist suggested that after caning my cardiovascular systems for the best part of 30 years, my heart went a bit wobbly when it wasn’t asked to work so hard any more. He suggested that I avoid stimulants in future, so I went caffeine free. About 6 weeks ago I accidentally had a very strong coffee (the order got mixed up) and within about 20 minutes my heart was pounding and I was as jittery as fuck. I stood up, and my heart stopped beating for what seemed like 5 or 6 seconds and then came back online with a mighty jolt. It was terrifying. I can’t imagine what necking cans of Red Bull would do to me.
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mdmnl@reddit

Nope. Had a Greggs Americano at 0800 and now a can of Mango Mayhem and that's a slow start to a Saturday...
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scrotalsac69@reddit

You do realise that having the monster probably screws your supposed fast. That much caffeine and assorted other stimulants when you haven't eaten will cause things to happen.
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ImmediatePiano6690@reddit

It won't screw with their fast, but their body will be an absolute shit show, and if it's regular enough could potentially start heading towards diabetes as they're just sugar, water and caffeine essentially.
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scrotalsac69@reddit

Sugar is an energy input, the whole point of fasting is to stop energy inputs. It is no different to not eating if you have a blood test. Having a can of monster would push the results straight into being diabetic based on fasted blood glucose. Calories and energy don't just come from solid food
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

I only tend to drink sugar-free soft drinks. I find the sugared ones too syrupy.
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scrotalsac69@reddit

Makes sense, I try to as well
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ImmediatePiano6690@reddit

Welcome to the wonderful world of loopholes, as they're still allowed to actually eat food in a limited amount. In this case it's that they don't specifically state that such fluids aren't allowed. nonetheless it doesn't matter because, as I previously mentioned, there's a lot bigger issues than messing up a fast.
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Edixx77@reddit

In the morning its great uplift in the afternoon it just gives you anxiety and lower appetite for food
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Oryxx71@reddit

No, infact I've never had so much as a buzz. Interesting to see how it affects others.
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MonsieurGump@reddit

I go the other way. About an hour after coffee I fall asleep!
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hill_79@reddit

Apparently this is common for people with ADHD, which is medicated with stimulants
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resident_queerdo@reddit

I'm AuDHD. No longer on stimulants as they stopped working for me (my brain tends to get used to stuff). Couldn't have caffeine while on stimulants as it made me nervous, am now self-medicating with caffeine. I mix regular and decaf coffee for a gentle boost and make it pretty weak. If I have the real deal, I mean freshly ground and full strength, I may crash and want to lie down. But I enjoy a regular low key caffeine level in my bloodstream.
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Tigweg@reddit

I took a large can of Monster from a student of about 11 years recently. It contained 420mg of caffeine. That's about the same amount of it as this coffee loving adult consumes in a day
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

I usually only have one as a treat on Saturdays, or if I'm planning a run. There's a young lad at work who's absolutely hooked on them, though. He goes through to the tuck shop in the morning for two cans and then buys at least another 4 or 5 during the day. He's always got one on the go when you walk past his desk. He looks dreadful, too. He's almost 30 and has the build of a 12 year old, except his head is adult-sized, and he constantly has this haggard look to his face like he's just come off three stag do's on the trot. Poor bastard probably hasn't slept in months.
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Sea_Director_4439@reddit

Yep. Caffeine can be a fucker. I stick to tea.
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hill_79@reddit

Tea still has caffeine in it, roughly half what's in coffee but still, if you're drinking several cups a day it has a cumulative effect
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CryptographerMore944@reddit

It's not just the caffeine in coffee that causes anxiety though. The l theanine in tea relaxes and focuses your mind. I've started swapping coffee for yerba mate in the morning followed by a couple of cups of green tea throughout the day. My energy levels are a lot more consistent (no mid day crash) and my stress and anxiety levels have nose dived. 
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Sea_Director_4439@reddit

Yes
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fickle_tartan@reddit

I was going to say caffeine sensitivity is a thing but honestly I think the average person (excluding those of us with ADHD!) wouldn't feel too great after a strong coffee *and* a monster on an empty stomach. An increase in heart rate/blood pressure causing some anxiety (and vice versa) is pretty normal so it makes sense if you overdo it a little on a stimulant that you might freak out.
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

Yeah. I drink enough coffee in an average work day to be pretty certain I don't have a general caffeine sensitivity! I rarely have an energy drink so early in the morning though and hardly ever within at least 3 hours of my last cuppa. It has happened a couple of times in the past, so I knew what it was. I'm just an idiot occasionally. 🫠
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Lavidius@reddit

Was it sugar free? If not could have been a sugar overload
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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit (OP)

Always sugar free. I can't stand the sugared Monsters, syrupy awfulness.
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ImmediatePiano6690@reddit

The fear? whatever the fuck that is it's most likely a no. Yes, I'm sensitive to caffeine so a good coffee, can get me rather active, but a proper coffee gets me really hyper and enough energy to do all sorts.
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duskyduchess@reddit

I hate coffee for this reason
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LadyNajaGirl@reddit

Wow! Caffeine can do this. But I’m actually chuckling at ‘Cardiac related mischief’ and I may attempt to use this in a sentence today 🥺
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ohsaycanyourock@reddit

I don't like coffee, but the one time I did try it I had like half a cup and was immediately jittery and panicky. I literally can't fathom how people drink several cups of it every day and are fine 😆
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Mork-of-Ork@reddit

Nah, it makes me sleepy. I do have ADHD though to be fair.
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ResplendentBear@reddit

Used to feel odd if I had 3 pints of diet coke at the pub and lunchtime.  Very jittery.  But that was like drinking 5 cans of coke in an hour and a half. And I've had plenty of odd nights way back after getting on the vodka red bulls.  Coffee has given me such a buzz I've felt it should be illegal. Generally the answer is stay away from dirty energy drinks.
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rainbowsaintreal@reddit

Yes it will do this caffeine , I had to stop using it as it pushes my anxiety through the roof I used to love mango loco 😜 I still do but I just can’t do it any more
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snarkmaiden5@reddit

Cardiac related mischief made me lol. Yeah even low amounts of caffeine can do that with me sometimes if im already a bit on edge. I sometime think its not worth it then I think ah fuck it it'll be fine
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