Re: Caffeine withdrawal advice (was Re: Is Medicine Healthy? addiction to stress)

Ross A. Finlayson (RAF@tomco.net)
Fri, 09 Apr 1999 17:44:40 -0400

If you smoke nicotine cigarettes, and switch to cigarettes with absolutely no additives, you will notice hard withdrawal symptoms. The reason why, I conjecture, is that some cigarette additives are physically addictive. Nicotine is physically addictive, but I have noticed its withdrawal symptoms were less unpleasant than withdrawal from cigarettes with additives.

Anders Sandberg wrote:

> CurtAdams@aol.com writes:
>
> > Caffeine is a diuretic and leaves you dehydrated. Part of the withdrawal from
> > caffeine (not all) comes just from the symptoms of dehydration. So if you
> > go on a caffeine fast, drinks lots and lots of water.
>
> Good advice.
>

I would think if one were to go on a caffeine fast, ie, stopping caffeine consumption, there would be less of a diuretic effect. "Placebo effect." Drink a lot of water after a hard night of alcohol drinking or the next morning, that is where one needs rehydration.

>
> > (Just to tweak the hunters of the Great White Nootropic, caffeine is one of
> > the
> > best nootropics known. :-)
>
> While I agree in general, I wonder how to compare them - nicotine
> affects attention, caffeine wakefullness and alertness, cholinergic
> stuff memory, all have different effects. However, caffeine is
> remarkably non-toxic and easily accessible.
>
> --
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
> asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/
> GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y

Caffeine is good and everywhere, it is possible to absolutely stop drinking caffeinated beverages after a period of high levels of consumption for years. I drank coffee for a couple years, then stopped for a couple years, and do drink it every now and then.

The same goes for anything else except food, water, and air. One can theoretically span long periods of time without food, although those with sugar imbalances may find it more difficult. Water is absolutely necessary every couple of days at least, two or three liters a day at least is recommended. Five minutes or less without air leads to unconsciouness, more than ten or twenty leads to brain damage. These are survival requirements, not recommended dosages.

Fasting as a means to self-enlightenment is not recommended, but it is enlightening.

Life can be said to be addictive, in that it is habit-forming to respirate.

What's the difference between a good habit and a bad habit, and who is to decide? To each his own.

Ross

--
Ross Andrew Finlayson
202/387-8208
http://www.tomco.net/~raf/
"C is the speed of light."