https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/caffeine-sensitivity-grows-as-people-age
As you have come to suspect, it is indeed possible to develop caffeine sensitivity. Due to certain changes that take place in our bodies as we grow older, this becomes more common as we age. Research shows that older adults clear caffeine from the body more slowly than younger people. In one study, coffee drinkers between the ages of 65 and 70 took 33% longer to metabolize caffeine than did younger participants. A slower clearance rate means the same amount of coffee that someone has been habitually drinking would have an amplified effect. This can cause unpleasant symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, jumpiness, difficulty with sleep, sleeplessness and the “racy” feeling that you describe in your letter.
I’ve been finding that I’m getting some brain fog in the morning, about 2 hrs after waking. Talked to my doctor about it and one of the suggestions, after we cleared all the obvious things that it could be, was to reduce my caffeine intake because of the diuretic effect of caffeine (I do drink water with electrolytes in the morning, but it wasn’t offsetting well enough). Turns out that it worked. So I’m down to the equivalent of 1 cup of full caff coffee. Which kind of sucks because the flavor isn’t as good with decaf.
Just so it’s perfectly clear, I’m not interested in your suggestions for how to fix the issue that I’ve run into, because I’m already talking to a doctor about it and I don’t like to take medical advice from Dr Reddit.
Anyone else had to deal with this?
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I used to be able to drink caffeine pretty much all day and still be able to sleep. Now, if I drink caffeine after lunch, I’ll have trouble falling asleep before midnight. No more afternoon red bulls unless I am traveling, weekend fun ..
I cut down on caffeine consumption to help with my anxiety issues. I have been at 1 cup of coffee for several years now. It was rough at first but now I am used to it and don’t really crave or want another cup.
I’ve definitely had to cut down on energy drinks. But coffee doesn’t bother me
Yep. I take a weaker coffee now in the morning and then have a tea in the afternoon.
I used to drink literal pints of coffee and feel fine.
Now I get jittery if i have too much.
No.
Not really, I have my two cups in the mornings and maybe a small iced coffee right after lunch if there is anything left in the pot that my wife didn’t drink.
No energy drinks. And no sugar in coffee (or any drink for that matter). Seems to work OK for me at 38 with a cup in the morning and maybe afternoon depending on the day.
Nope. I’m still going strong on the caffeine intake. Energy drinks, pre workout , pills 😬
Yep. I used to be able to drink caffeine basically all day and sleep like a baby. Now I drink a Coke Zero at dinner and I’m up until 2am.
Upside: I drink less diet soda now! Way less!
Not a coffee drinker but I feel I’ve had to be more cautious about soft drinks after dinner. There are definitely nights where I’m awake and think that I shouldn’t have had that Diet Coke or whatever.
I’m in my mid 30s and have started having issues with drinking caffeine in the lasts afternoon making me stay up until after midnight. So I think it’s starting.
My wife on the other hand has gone the other way and will drink a cup of coffee at 6pm so she can stay awake until 8:30 when she will almost certainly pass out lol
I drink 1 cup of coffee a day. That is it. I used to drink like a full pot
I Probably drink more now then five years ago
Gave up coffee entirely, only consume tea now. Still love the smell but it was honestly setting my nerves on edge, symptoms disappeared within the week
It’s near zero and pretty much always has been
I never understood the need to take a stimulant in the morning. There have been a couple of days where i didnt get enough sleep and needed to stay awake on the road back when i drove for a living, but aside from that i might drink caffiene in some form one a month and only because Diet Dr Pepper doesnt come in caffiene free.
I avoid moderately high sources of caffeine already (sodas, coffee, tea, energy drinks)
I’d rather avoid the withdrawal symptoms entirely since ‘debilitating headache’ is one of them for me.
Sometimes there will come a time I’m not able to get the daily fix, sure enough the next day is hell on Earth.
My tolerance for caffeine has increased with age, I think mainly because as a person I’ve mellowed out considerably over the last 30 years.
YES.
If anything I’ve increased my intake over 30
The opposite. I need more caffeine just to stop from falling asleep in the middle of the day.
I weirdly hadn’t, it’s something about ADHD and caffeine, I never feel awake enough for it when I drink like 2 cups of coffee in the morning.
I recently ditched it completely, tend to get headaches once I’m habiuated and skip a dose and hate that so off it goes. My sleep is not good either and the less stuff making it worse the better, it’s not that good as a stimulant either, too jittery, shame it’s the only legal widely available one.
Certainly, I don’t go around with a coffee cup dangling from my finger like I used to my 20’s. My service days helped to ramp up my perceived need for large amounts of caffeine throughout the day, and I carried that mindset forward deep into my thirties. Around that time I attended a conference where coffee all day long was just part of the deal, but we had this one presenter that talked about that, about our all day consumption of caffeine and recommended come mid day to switch to water to help keep our energy up. I took her up on her suggestion and it has been part of my routine ever since. I still start out my day with a full press pot in the morning, and still tend to have a cup in the afternoon, but that is about it. Sipping it all day long doesn’t work for me anymore and I know if I have a cup too late in the day, say after four, it impacts my sleep. We learn to moderate our intake of things as we get older or we pay the consequences of our actions. Less caffeine, no alcohol and precious little sugar have changed my body and my outlook on life here at 67. C
Yea, particularly the last two year (32-34)
Big time! In my early 20’s I’d get a quad Americano and be happy as a clam. Now it’s one cup in the morning and I’m good.
That’s interesting. I have been experiencing brain fog lately; ever since having COVID a few years ago and being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder it’s been worse. But I’ve also always had ADHD and some other things that have caused it intermittently.
I’ve tried ADHD meds but they don’t work super well for me. Wellbutrin worked pretty well but exacerbated latent hand tremors to the extent I had to get off of it. All that is to say, my only recourse is to rely heavily on caffeine for the headaches and brain fog on the bad days. It kind of works but kind of doesn’t. If I don’t have the caffeine the headaches definitely make it harder to overcome the other stuff, though.
Feels like a bit of a double bind, I think. The idea that caffeine could affect me more strongly for less intake sounds kind of attractive on its face, though I know that’s not really the intent of your post. I don’t typically notice the negative effects of coffee and haven’t since I started drinking it regularly about a decade ago, but I’m only 31.
Doesn’t really seem like there’s any other way to get around it for me, unfortunately. I could go cold turkey but would probably lose my ability to do my job completely.
Had to? No. Choose to? Yes.
I stopped completely just before Covid.
I have IBS. It turns out alcohol and caffeine are two of my triggers. I no longer drink either.
I haven’t *had to* but I did choose to. Decaf products are SOOO much better than they were only a few years ago, why not remove an addictive drug where possible?
Nope. I just need more. I’m 47 have a physically demanding job. 2 cups of coffee before work. Drink a sugar free monster on the way into work. Soda or sweet tea after lunch. Now if I over eat I get real sleepy
I tried to about six months ago, I only really drink coffee so I made the decision to not drink any after eight pm, I woke up the next morning with the most horrific headache I’ve had in years, a quick Google search led me to believe it was caffeine withdrawal and apparently I’m really rather addicted to caffeine and my body wasn’t ready for me to reduce my intake, I’ve just turned fifty two and am still on six to eight mugs a day.
Yep, I have to minimize caffeine after like 2pm now.
Not at all. Runs in the family. When my parents were in there 80s they used to make a pot of coffee to drink before they went to bed!
I used to be up all night if I had coffee after 12pm. Then I had two young children and started drinking coffee all day everyday. Now they’re a little older (2 and 5) and I’m dialing it back a bit but I still drink a ton of coffee. I don’t hesitate to enjoy a special coffee drink later in the day but I don’t need to go nuts any more.
It’s wild how everyone is different.
Caffeine has limited affects on me. Could have a large coffee at 4pm no issues sleeping. Could have coffee after dinner, if I wanted to, no issues.
Now sugar? Yeah, that will prevent me from sleeping.
Yeah, I recently quit. I was an espresso in the morning and 1 cup later in the day for years. Loved it.
Now that I stopped, which was actually pretty easy, I feel much more relaxed. Less stress, less irritability, sleeping better.
I used to drink about 16-24 oz coffee daily from ages 20-38, but when I got promoted I found my anxiety was through the roof. Now I drink about 10-12 ounces on weekend mornings only. I also avoid most soda altogether, but if I have one it’s usually caffeine free and if not try to keep intake to before 3pm.
Never started. Already have problems falling asleep at night. Went through a brief period where I was going through high stress and decided to use alcohol to help “take the edge off” but I was getting buzzed every night. Decided to stop after a few weeks. My rational mind can overpower any addiction I have encountered thusfar, but if I didn’t have that I can see how easy it is to fall into addiction.
I drink several energy drinks daily. I used to drink 2 energy drinks with 300mg of caffeine each, daily. I cut back to energy drinks that are only 200mg or less each, and now if I have more than two of those a day (so same caffeine I used to deal with easily, but from 3 drinks instead of 2), I get feeling sick and heart racing and all the negative side effects people talk about but I never have issues with.
I’m 43 and go days without caffeine. Then when I do I need like 5 cups to feel anything.
Looking forward to not needing that amount!
My caffeine intake was never high to begin with, so, no. I can’t remember the last time I had a soda and I don’t drink coffee and the tea I drink is decaffeinated. My only source of caffeine is my pre-workout and I made sure to pick one that doesn’t have much caffeine in it.
I’m 48 and have basically replaced my blood with caffeine at this point.
I probably drink more now.
32 and no caffeine for the last 3 years
Yes.
Not because it kept me up but because I’ve gotten more concerned with my blood pressure.
Early 40s. No more caffeine. Was getting heart palps and anxiety. The whole “death before decaf” thing is nonsense. I have a decaf americano and a latte most days and it tastes the same. Now, if I don’t have the decaf I start to get cranky.
I had to reduce mine because of anxiety. I used to drink 3-400mg of caffeine per day, minimum.
Now? I max out at 100mg and try to drink only 60mg per day. Been so much better for sleep and my anxiety.
I have started drinking more coffee, but restricting it to before late afternoon.
Yeah, I wake up at like 3am with anxiety if I have a lot of caffeine throughout the day or late at night.
Caffeine can only be processed over time and so as you drink more and more it accumulates and the effects can sometimes occur later. Sleep is more and more important and it just reduces your quality of sleep so much.
I also have ADHD and caffeine doesn’t have the pick me up effect for me. In fact it can make me tired. So I found myself in a cycle of using caffeine to fall asleep and then not getting great sleep because of it.
Oh and on stimulants, the caffeine caused my heart rate to spike so I just dumbed it down.
Yea I switched to decaf at 36. I still have the occasional coffee but never after 2pm. It has made a big difference now.
Yep. I can no longer have more than one coffee in a day if I want to have a decent night of sleep. The only exception is if I’m doing something active (like traveling), where I’m likely spending more energy than usual.
I cut out all caffeine when I was in my late 30s. Started just having to decrease it (jitters, couldn’t sleep), and ultimately had to give it up entirely. Got REALLY sensitive to it, where even chocolate or decaf would set me off. Now I have to be careful about things like hot chocolate and not have it too frequently as I feel like it builds up in my system.
I really miss coffee, but honestly I sleep so much better, and wake up better too. Wide awake, just before my alarm, and definitely feel better Than when I was drinking a bunch of coffee in the morning.
If anything my intake has gone up. But I don’t drink coffee after about 10am. I drink absolutely no caffeine after ~6pm.
How long do these caffeine effects linger after switching from caffeinated to decaffeinated.
1 cup a day, maybe 1 more on weekends. The clarity boost wasn’t there and I was honestly more foggy with more caffeine. Adjusting the sleep schedule certainly helped as I’m no longer doing 6-6.5 hours of sleep, I’m between 7-8 most days.
I try to delay my intake for a few hours in the morning. Seems to help for me. I honestly think I’d be fine without, but I just enjoy it.
Here is the cycle I was in.
Sleeping like shit. Overweight. Dieting wasn’t working. Lifting was helping a little. after decades of denial I was having scary Brain fog and memory issues. Dates and appointments…those types of things.
I got a sleep study done. Got a CPAP. It helped a lot but not as much as I’d like. So my girl and I switched to decaf and almost instantly my restful sleep improved. My workouts were stupid hard for about 2 months but have recently gotten back to normal. My dieting is not effective and my stress and anxiety are essentially gone.
I doubt Ill ever abuse it again. Its a tour tool from now on.
You get used to the decaf. its like any coffee. Gotta find your brand.
Cheers
My rule turned into no caffeine after noon when I hit fifty. I found it was interfering with my sleep which is tenuous enough from aches and pains. I used to really enjoy a cup of coffee with dessert after a good meal but now it has to be decaf which isn’t quite the same.
No and it’s a problem. I’m thinking of trying 75 hard without caffeine. I might die
I have what many probably think is a weird practice; I take a 100 milligram caffeine pill in the morning as soon as I wake up. The pill also has l-theanine in it, which is supposedly an anti-anxiety substance so you get less jitters. 100 milligrams of caffeine isn’t a lot but you can also find 50 milligram pills. I read somewhere that a teacup of coffee contains 80 milligrams.
A big part of the reason I do this is because it’s easy for me to get caffeine withdrawal headaches when I drink coffee and I miss a day. If I only drank a teacup of coffee I’d probably be ok but I like a big mug of coffee. The flavor of coffee is heaven so it sucks that I no longer drink it but I’ve gotten over it. But it’s nice that I get my little jolt of caffeine first thing in the morning and don’t have to wait until I make or buy a mug of coffee.
L-theanine helped with my brain fog.
I’ve been experimenting with reducing my intake to better control my mood.
Am I anxious in the morning, and crashing in the mid afternoon because of the coffee? Very well could be.
Why do I need coffee in the morning if I get good sleep the night before? Am I more likely to get good sleep if I skip the coffee?
I’m down from a pot a day, to half a pot every other day or so. I haven’t kicked the habit, I still use it, but I’m more mindful of it. I only use it when I have more of a need for it, like later in the week when I’m running a sleep deficit, or if work is making me run hard.
I don’t like being addicted. I shouldn’t “need” anything but food and water. Like my dog. Hallmark of addiction is if you can stop. I can kind of. I don’t want to entirely. I might be mildly addicted.
It is a drug. I’m a drug addict. Just because it doesn’t destroy peoples lives and is universally accepted, doesn’t mean it is not a psychedelic drug. Cigarettes used to be accepted too.
In my ideal world, I’d stop using coffee, and sleep 16 hours a day. If I’m foggy 2 hours after waking up, a nap will fix that, or, I can just do things that it is ok to be foggy with. But I have responsibilities. Is it the coffee or the responsibilities that are my problem? Hopefully when I get to age 65 I won’t have to hustle anymore, my time can be my own with no need to chemically push myself. Or maybe I’m cutting back now because I’m not able to metabolize it as well.
I gave up beer in a similar fashion. I saw it wasn’t doing me any favors, making me crabby and needing coffee the next day, so I cut that out almost entirely. I’ll still have one if someone puts it in my hand, but I won’t buy it, and I won’t have a second.
The pharmaceutical industry is spending billions and making trillions trying to find the answer to all life’s problems. Might be, the answer is in these ancient drugs, that we found them thousands of years ago. Maybe we don’t need an SSRI to ward off the depression, we need a cup of joe get us through the fog of the mid morning depression. But like that SSRI, if you keep taking it, you get used to it, and it stops doing anything for you. Folgers, and Eli-Lilly both want you to believe that you need to keep taking it so they can keep taking your money, regardless of if continuing it does you any good. Doctor is going to tell you to go to Eli-Lilly. Your barista will tell you to go to Folgers. Same thing really.
for me, anythign more than a cup and i’ll have some sort of acid reflux.
L-theanine when consumed with coffee makes it so that I never get caffeine jitters. Look into that. It’s a natural ingredient that is in tea but not other things with caffeine that lowers the spike of caffeine.
I still try to reduce afternoon caffeine just for being able to sleep at a normal time. But I’ve just always been sensitive to caffeine.
The older I get, the more I drink.
48m. I think i have experienced this. A few months ago I was feeling kind of crappy and having weird energy swings and occasional light jitters so i started changing my coffee intake and progressively felt better. Started with a 50/50 decaf , then 70/30 , then 85/15. And now i am at 4 days coffee/caffeine free.
I haven’t necessarily given it up forever but my plan is to trade what was once a daily addiction into enjoying the occasional cup every so often.
I wonder if i will notice it in my wallet. I was spending $2 to $6+ dollars a day on my habit. All depending on which coffee shop i went to or if i had more than one cup that day.
I drank coffee every day for years.
Once i turned 32 it started to give me serious anxiety and eventually panic attacks.
I have zero caffiene now because of it.
Kind of. I’ve always been sensitive to caffeine and have limited myself to two cups a day, max. I just tend to not sleep well and get really groggy if I drink anymore. As I’ve gotten older, more things tend to drive my anxiety levels. Work, kids, sociopolitical environment… as I become more aware of this high pressure environment, my anxiety levels have gone up. The more caffeine I consume, the more my anxiety goes crazy, to the point that I have a physical tell: twitching eyelids that last for weeks at a time. Since I love my black coffee, I’ve had to go half-caf
No, as far as I can tell, age has not effected my caffeine intake. What has caused me to reduce or increase my caffeine intake throughout my adult life was the mental focus required to do my job. (As I understand it, ADHD plays a role in that for me.)
I’ve worked some jobs that took practically no mental focus (cooking in an Air Force dining facility) and found that I didn’t drink much caffeine, typically 1-2 soft drink in a day (12 oz each). I found when I moved into a job that required more mental focus (storeroom, Deployment Readiness, facility management, etc), I would be drinking coffee in the morning and 1-3 soft drinks throughout the day. I’m actually now intaking more caffeine on a regular basis than any other point in my past. But I recently-ish (about 2 years ago) started working cyber security, which requires more mental focus than any of my previous jobs. I find myself having a coffee in the morning and then 2-3 energy drinks during the day (typically 16 oz Monster).
Your situation and the linked article are interesting. The article didn’t mention this, so I wonder if physical fitness plays a role in this slowing effect of caffeine leaving the bloodstream. I’ve always been super active, plus another study shows that the Basal Metabolic Rate of adults aged 20-60 barely changes. During those ages a person’s lowering metabolic rate is due almost entirely to less physical activity.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
I definitely had to reduce – used to drink a pot of coffee a day now it’s down to 1 or 2 cups max. For me it’s all to do with sleep.
I made the switch to decaf for the rest of the work day and honestly, you get used to the bland taste.
Absoloutely, I used to drink way too much, but now I rarely drink coffee or tea and I cut soda to ~once or twice a month, and switched to sparking water. The only caffeine I regularly get in these days is my pre-workout, and I try not to take that if I’m working out late in the day.
I know you’re not interested in suggestions, but I take Ashwaganda for brain fog, it also helps with anxiety and sleep.
Yep. I can’t sleep if I have caffeine after 2 and I am constantly peeing when I do consume it
About four or five years ago, I stopped drinking caffeine altogether. I drink only water, occasional sports drink, and one glass of apple juice a day. It made a massive difference on my stomach health.
Yep, sure have. Mostly because it works as an diuretic and I already lose a lot of water due to perspiring when exercising. These days my mouth feels like cardboard if I drink normal coffee everyday. I’m actually switching to decaf thanks to this. Thank heavens there’s high quality decafs available.
Yes. Even if you can fall asleep after consuming caffeine later in the day your sleep quality will drop.
As someone with ADHD no I have not, I’ve never felt caffeine unless I get to the extreme end of consumption, but I have reduced it myself just for the sake of long term health.
I usually have water first thing in the morning. Used to work as a barista in early 20s. I drank a STUPID amount of coffee. Cant do that anymore at age 36. Now I’m down to 3 a day. I drink alot of water all day. Prioritize plant-based food, exercise and sleep.
Caffeine doesn’t really have the normal affect on me. I drink it for its calming effect and for the taste (either hot with milk and sugar, or hot/iced caramel macchiato). I prefer the warm ones in winter.
Yeah coz I’m a bad sleeper. I stop at around 3pm and probably should have less.
According to renowned sleep scientist Matthew Walker- there is no safe time of the day to consume caffeine; even 7am. His studies prove it. I’ve drank caffeine for 10+ years, decided to stop. My sleep quality is unmatched. Now that my rest how it’s designed to be, I no longer need or crave caffeine; in fact somewhat repulsed by it.
I halved the caffeine content of my pre workout(only caffeine I take). But that’s not a brag. I halved it from 400mg per serving cuz 30s me gave it a thought and decided 400 was a bit much 😂
I did, and it had a positive impact. I only take caffeine as coffee, and no more then two cups a day – one in the morning and one early afternoon (the second one at least half decaffeinated by the way)
I haven’t had to but I’ve chosen too. I find I can still stay up as late as I want too, and sleep the sane, so idk why I quit
two cups max, always
Oh ive had to keep increasing it! I didn’t intentionally or regularly drink things for caffeine in my 20s. In my early 30s, I had to start drinking tea every morning. In my mid 30s when I had kids, I needed a lot more. And in my early 40s I hit a point where my energy tanked and I can’t make it through the day without passing out if I don’t get enough.
Had to? No. But I have because my caffeine intake levels were not gonna be good for me long term.
i drink redbulls before going to bed, can fall asleep fine but have vivid dreams all night. i should stop
Yes. I’m late 30’s and had to switch from coffee to tea.
For me, coffee started triggering migraines
No. One large strong cup every morning from age ~20 through going on 68, and I ain’t about to change now. It’s always made me have to pee multiple times between 10 AM and noon, and the usual prostate expansion has increased that a bit, but it’s a small price to pay for the pleasure, which as I understand it is not unhealthy and in fact is probably healthy.
I’ve never experienced any headaches or other physical symptoms from drinking it or on occasion not drinking it. It generally makes me more alert and productive for most of the day, but I can be plenty alert w/o it. (I ride a bike through traffic to get to work, then make my coffee there.)
I developed brain fog when I was 25, I just woke up one day and felt different.
I had to give up caffeine when I was 30 because I had a panic attack. I straight up thought I was having a heart attack, it was terrifying.
I did start drinking decaf this last year though and it’s enough for me because I like the taste.
Yes. I got to the point in the early 2020 where I could feel my heart racing. So I switched to tea.
Now I just have to control my tea intake.
I can still pound a Mountain Dew and then go right to sleep. I don’t drink coffee or tea so I don’t know if that is different than soda.
Not really, I still drink the same amount. I just can’t drink my after 11am or I won’t get to sleep.
I havent noticed any sensitivity. I have likely increased the last 5 years. I typically keep total to under 200 mg a day, but sometimes will go up to 300-400 mg.
I didn’t really have caffeine until I was 25. I have always been a slow metabolizer. I feel high off it, like it hits me like a drug as strong as weed. Honestly feels similar to like a shorter-lasting adderall. In spite of that, in my late 20s and onward it became more of a daily thing; I had a lot of jobs where I had to be “on” for customers/clients and so I’d have 200-300mg a day to be peppy and sharp.
I quit every year for 40 days and always notice a big difference. Never get withdrawal per se, but the first few weeks feel kinda slow and dull. But then I realize I’m sleeping way better and have way more energy than I did even on my most caffeinated day. Physiologically, caffeine does not give you energy; it just makes your nervous system confused about how tired it is.
When I start back up again I notice its chronic effects more clearly too:
• my sleep immediately takes a hit, and then I get locked into this cycle of waking up tired and having more to compensate, and so on.
• I tend to feel more robotic/intellectual/stuck in my head and have trouble accessing my emotions
• I feel more restless and more prone to addictive behavior. I kinda get in this mode of seeking new stimulation, and find myself scrolling my phone or mindlessly snacking way more.
• I think it irritates my bladder. I can’t quite put my finger on it but when I have a lot of caffeine I feel a hint of urinary tract symptoms.
For these reasons I’m trying to cut back, or treat it like something like weed or drinking where I have it on occasion but never regularly. One year I only allowed myself to have it one day of the week (Friday), and I found that really helpful. You could try that as a cutting back strategy. You can lower your tolerance pretty quickly to the point where a single tea or a soda is strong enough to feel.
I’m 78 and I’ve been an espresso convert since the 1980’s. I drink two lattes most every morning that I make with two shots of espresso in each. I infrequently drink another late in the day which often will delay my going to sleep, but I don’t find that that’s a problem as it doesn’t interfere with my life.
yes, to caffeine (green tea, 6 cups/day) having a stronger impact on my need to urinate as I’ve aged
Yeah caffeine messes with me a lot nowadays. I LOVE coffee but have mostly swapped over to swiss water decaf that I make through my espresso machine and grind the beans myself. Sometimes I have a regular coffee but trying hard not to get addicted again to caffeine as I get bad withdrawal when trying to go off. Me on daily caffeine means more body jitters, poor GI and less sleep, but it does feel like rocket fuel to get myself up and running in the morning at work. Used to be able to pound a few thermoses in college no problem, nowadays I pay the price if I do that.
nah, I’ve been upping it, feel great. although i might have undiagnosed adhd because i only drink black coffee for the flavor; i get no energy boost from coffee, i can go to sleep immediately after drinking it
In my 20’s I’d drink coffee all work day. It was getting gross, as I smoked regularly and drank like fish after work. Sweating all the time and the smell was even getting to me. Slowed down coffee significantly. If I wasn’t drinking beer I was drinking coca-cola. Throw in energy drinks in the early 2000’s when they first started making a splash and I was wired for sound!
44yo now and I’ll have 1 cup of coffee in the morning on work days, MAYBE finish half of it. When I’m at home I’ll have caffeine free diet cola. I might make 1 cup of coffee on the weekend, but again, barely finish it.
My caffeine resistance has outpaced my caffeine sensitivity. I’ve found I have had to increase my caffeine intake to get the same effects as before.
I’ve always been very caffeine sensitive, but that’s probably because I just haven’t had all that much in my life. I never drink coffee, tea or energy drinks and only have a Coke a few times a month.
As is the case for most people, my sleep has gotten a bit worse as I’ve aged, so yes, a Coke in the afternoon/evening is harder to sleep on than it used to be.
I don’t touch caffeine. My sleep is immaculate.
I even take naps. When I nap I have the beat dreams.
I limit myself to like one soda a day (2 or 3 for family parties)
Funny enough, I just started drinking coffee two years ago at the age of 45. I never drank it because I never figured out the taste that I like, but was at my uncle’s place and he made me an ice coffee and it was great.
Now six years ago, I was really caffeine’d the fuck out. I always insisted that I needed it so I was literally drinking Monster Energy drinks and caffeine pills to “wake up” for my job. Had to put a pause on that after going to the ER for heart palpitations.
I can take pre workout and fall asleep an hour later, so no. I have a stupid high caffeine tolerance.
I did quit it for a while a couple of years ago to prep for a surgery, but my tolerance came right back almost immediately.
Same situation here OP. Problem with brain fog, caffeine intake identified by doctor as main culprit.
I already had to stop with caffeine intake once (aprox 10 years ago for medical reasons) and unfortunately I know what’s coming for me.
With my work schedule and lack of sleep, sooner or later migraines will occur and I will have to “fix it” with pills (I’m usually avoiding) instead of coffee. Hopefully withdrawal symptoms won’t be so bad this time as I am stopping from 2 espressos per day, instead of 6.
In terms of decaf, there are differences in taste and I definitely recommend to test and find the one you like.
I’ve stuck to one coffee max per day unless I’m seriously also deprived for quite a while now. I just did a caffeine detox because I was incredibly sick with a virus so I’m drinking weaker coffee drinks now.
I’ve never been a multiple coffees per day kind of guy but I did drink energy drinks fairly regularly in my 20s
No. 54 and I drink 5-6 double shot flat whites daily. Sleep like a champ, in fact caffeine seems to relax me. Can’t see any reason for stopping any time soon
I was a caffeine addict for almost all my life. Had a few stretches in my 20s where I weened it down. In my 30s I went cold turkey and that lasted a long time, like I finally kicked the habit, and it lasted that way for around 2 and a half years. Then my Father got unexpected ill – like rush to ER and the ICU induced in a coma, ill. Then every morning I’d pack a few large coffee to go mugs. Every day at the hospital I’d have multiple coffees. Mind you I’d be putting in at the start 8 hour days, then 12-16 hour days and a couple 24 hour days in the hospital. Even had a nurse take my name off a reserved family room so she could sleep there – she scumbagged me out of it, while I was visiting my Father, so I slept on a couch in the lobby. Anyway he didn’t make it. I wouldn’t trade that time for anything in the world the getting to say goodbye was important. Fast forward a year or so later, the coffee habit stuck hahaha, but we’ll get there. And as far as nuke going off in my life was concerned, getting into coffee isn’t that bad of a vice, certainly have had worse.
I have, I used to drink at least two 24oz Diet Dews in the morning. Not it’s one 12oz can when I wake up early. That triggers my body to use the bathroom within an hour of waking up. Then I’m done with that business all day.
Only drawback is I can’t just get up and leave. I need a Diet Dew and an hour before I can leave…
Oh absolutely. I abused the hell out of caffeine in my 20s
No, I haven’t had any brain fog or reason to reduce caffeine intake
I have doubled by coffee/caffeine intake over the last 20 years. I also drink a lot of water though.
I feel more sensitive to caffeine now than when I was a kid, at least when it comes to blood pressure. But the effect of the caffeine also feels weaker… :/
I used to drink a lot of coffee when I was younger 17-25 then when I got to my 30s all of a sudden my body started to dislike the caffeine.
Now when I consume Caffeine my heart races and I get the jitters , in very small amounts I’m okay so if friends get me anything I drink most of a small and it will be a French vanilla or something.
Even caffeinated soda gets me sometimes.
I used way too much pre work out when I was younger. I’m 40 now and a Dr Pepper can give me anxiety if not careful. Coffee is alright. I think something about the more natural caffeine isn’t as bad. If you were to give me an energy drink I would need a benzo to relax and not have chest tightness.
Late 30s. Nope.