Lately, as part of my systematic phase-out of the antidepressant I was taking, I’ve also been easing back on my caffeine consumption. The drug I was taking had me feeling so zombified that I was drinking a large iced coffee in the morning and then TWO 24-ounce Diet Pepsis in the afternoon, and sometimes some other caffeinated soda or other beverage in addition to that, just to give me the energy to move my ass from Point A to Point B. That’s three or four times as much caffeine as I used to consume prior to taking a medication that in theory was supposed to make me “feel better”. To no surprise at all, as I have been ramping down the med, I am finding that I don’t need so much go-juice. Which is not to say that I am going completely Sanka, I’m just returning to a level that isn’t somewhere north of TOTALLY FUCKING BUZZED just to have energy to get through the day.
I am generally not one to go for the decaffeinated versions of ordinarily caffeinated beverages; I gave Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi a go for a while, but there’s something off about it that I can’t quite put my finger on. And don’t even offer me decaf coffee. But some people do, and the question for them invariably becomes “did they give me decaf or not?”. Bridget, who actively avoids caffeine because she’s too sensitive to it, routinely finds herself wondering which she really got, and the harsh reality is that a lot of places lie to you and give you whatever they feel like giving you, so something like these caffeine detection strips might be a good stocking stuffer for her.
We keep Charlotte caffeine-free. It was our desire to do this that led me to the knowledge that Sunkist orange soda has caffeine. That’s a bummer, because it’s also the best orange soda, in my opinion, but luckily it’s the only national brand that does. Charlotte has made it to the advanced age of 8 without becoming one of those kids who craves Coke/Pepsi. In fact, she actively dislikes the taste of cola, and we do nothing to dissuade her of that. Once, when being babysat at someone else’s home, she was given some Mountain Dew and she *LOVED* it, but it wound her up for three days. Charlotte tends to confuse sugar-free and caffeine-free, since we try to have it both ways on that score, and, again, we’re not exactly rushing to clear that up for her. Meanwhile, she has developed a taste for Fresca, which I also like a lot, which fits both categories.
As the cooler weather starts to arrive, I’m also transitioning back from iced coffee to hot coffee, and that almost always results in me drinking less of it. Iced coffee is too easy to suck back, while hot coffee forces you to sip and linger over the drink. Indeed, I am often likely to drink only half of my standard morning mug. I don’t know why hot coffee gone cold is so unappealing, but it is. Since the caffeine content of coffee is so much greater than that of cola, that has a bigger impact than dropping that second giant Diet Pepsi.
I had wondered if you were on antidepressants, or rather had figured you probably were. Can I ask which ones you’re getting off now? (I’m happy to drug-geek all day, but I know some people prefer to keep that stuff more private.) I’m at 40 mg. Prozac/10 mg. Adderall at present.
I can’t have both caffeine and Adderall, but I drink decaf because I need my coffee. I’ve been hooked on the stuff since all those 36-hour D&D games in high school. I have decaf green tea too. No soda, though. I don’t want HFCS, and most of the artificial sweeteners taste funny to me. I like flavored seltzers, though, and I’ll happily drink the fancy sodas that are made with sugar. (Some local brewing company makes a maple cream soda that is amazing.)
To my experience — and I have a lot of it — Wellbutrin is the champagne of antidepressants. Not only does it lift my mood, it decreases my appetite. It’s the only thing that’s given me any kind of consistent, lasting benefit.
Fresca RULES. Period. The only tonic I will drink, other than tonic water.
I’m going to ask Hanukkah Harry for some of those decaf test strips.
Tonic….yeah, you’re a local.
Charlotte and I are both big Fresca fans; I am especially enamored of the peach citrus variety.
Peach… citrus… Fresca?!? I have told Adam that he now has a new quest. I must have peach citrus Fresca.
Gretchen – yeah, I’m hearing good things about Wellbutrin. I think I want to talk to my prescriber about it.
Peach Fresca is sometimes hard to find. AFAIK it’s only available in cans, and not all the Eastern MA supermarket chains carry it. If you’ve got a Roche Bros. near you, start looking there.