# Caffeine, Adrenal Glands & Energy



## Aqualung (Nov 21, 2009)

I figured out something recently that I wanted to share FWIW. I've been wondering for a long time what happened to my energy. I found where it went: I love coffee! I have 2-3 big mugs every morning but sometimes I need a Red Bull in the afternoon to keep me going because I'm tired all day. And I take 3-4 naps every weekend. Then I read how too much caffeine depletes our adrenal glands, which makes us tired. So I tried 2 big mugs of 1/2 decaff & 1/2 regular coffee. Huge difference! No Red Bull, no fatigue & no nap. Went to the gym instead! Then came home & started cleaning the house & getting things done. My gosh, I feel so much better now! I know guys at work that sip energy drinks all day & they look like they're ready to fall out of their chairs. I'm on day 3 of this now & I feel SO much better. I also read that nicotine has the same effect on the adrenal glands as caffeine so that's my next lifestyle change. Going from 6 cigars a day to 0. Or at least 1 or 2. And from 2 big mugs of 1/2 caff to 1.


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## NT the DC (May 31, 2012)

Aqualung said:


> I figured out something recently that I wanted to share FWIW. I've been wondering for a long time what happened to my energy. I found where it went: I love coffee! I have 2-3 big mugs every morning but sometimes I need a Red Bull in the afternoon to keep me going because I'm tired all day. And I take 3-4 naps every weekend. Then I read how too much caffeine depletes our adrenal glands, which makes us tired. So I tried 2 big mugs of 1/2 decaff & 1/2 regular coffee. Huge difference! No Red Bull, no fatigue & no nap. Went to the gym instead! Then came home & started cleaning the house & getting things done. My gosh, I feel so much better now! I know guys at work that sip energy drinks all day & they look like they're ready to fall out of their chairs. I'm on day 3 of this now & I feel SO much better. I also read that nicotine has the same effect on the adrenal glands as caffeine so that's my next lifestyle change. Going from 6 cigars a day to 0. Or at least 1 or 2. And from 2 big mugs of 1/2 caff to 1.


Good for you. So many people have burnt out adrenal glands and the things you've mentioned are certainly huge factors not to mention stress.

If you get any caffeine get it from something that has nutritional value: green tea (minus all the sugar lol), and dark chocolate (minus a ton of sugar ha)


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## Ista (Feb 5, 2012)

INTJ the DC said:


> Good for you. So many people have burnt out adrenal glands and the things you've mentioned are certainly huge factors not to mention stress.
> 
> If you get any caffeine get it from something that has nutritional value: green tea (minus all the sugar lol), and dark chocolate (minus a ton of sugar ha)


What's with you today man, S-bending, loling, ha-ing, forgetting your periods and commas.


* *


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## NT the DC (May 31, 2012)

Ista said:


> What's with you today man, S-bending, loling, ha-ing, forgetting your periods and commas.
> 
> 
> * *


It's probably cause I'm really an ESFP.


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## Ista (Feb 5, 2012)

INTJ the DC said:


> It's probably cause I'm really an ESFP.


Remove your mask dog!


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## fihe (Aug 30, 2012)

interesting, I didn't think that a caffeine overdose would have that effect. I drink probably 8-10 mugs of tea a day, but only 2-3 of them have caffeine.


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## 0vercast (Sep 24, 2012)

Such and appropriate and perfectly timed thread. I tend to drink coffee in periodic spurts and over the last couple days I've had a fair share. Just today I really acknowledged the effects of the drop, or plummet rather, after the initial blast off from a caffeinated beverage.


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## Pete The Lich (May 16, 2011)

*sets down my humungous pop*


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## NT the DC (May 31, 2012)

Ista said:


> Remove your mask dog!












What mask?


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## Ista (Feb 5, 2012)

INTJ the DC said:


> * *
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Derail in 3.... 2... 1... (Forget I said anything. As you were, else there may be no, uhm, ESFPs allowed here.)


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## NT the DC (May 31, 2012)

Ista said:


> Derail in 3.... 2... 1... (Forget I said anything. As you were, else there may be no, uhm, ESFPs allowed here.)


I'm an ESFP stuck in an INTP shell.
Let me out! =) LMFOA <#33


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## Pete The Lich (May 16, 2011)

INTJ the DC said:


> I'm an ESFP stuck in an INTP shell.
> Let me out! =) LMFOA <#33


:dry:


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Ok guys, stop derailing. This is an important thread to me. I've been doing some research about how caffeine causes anxiety disorder. I still think this is the reason I have it, or at least why it's so severe. What do you guys think?


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## Sapphyreopal5 (Jun 11, 2012)

When you consume caffeine, it binds to the adenosine (formula: C10H13N5O4) receptors in the brain. When caffeine (formula: C8H10N4O2) binds to the adenosine receptors, instead of the nerve cells slowing down they (as you could've guessed) increase speed in nerve activity. Because of caffeine binding to the adenosine receptors causing an increase in activity, the pituitary gland believes some kind of emergency is going on, which thus releases hormones to trigger the production of adrenaline (aka epinephrine) from the adrenal glands. 

In other words, when you consume caffeine, your body is essentially in a "fight or flight" response. In basic terms, caffeine puts your body in an emergency state (keep consuming it and you're constantly in a state of emergency basically). The body can only produce so much adrenaline and once it's produced all the adrenaline it can in response to the caffeine, you may experience that "burn-out" some of you are talking about here. Also, as caffeine starts to exit the body, the adenosine hormone will start reattaching itself to those adenosine receptors, thus you feeling suddenly tired eventually, also contributing to the "burn-out" or "crash", however you want to put it.

As you can see in the link below, caffeine (left) and adenosine (right) are similar in molecular _shape_ (but not formula), which is why caffeine is so effective in "fooling" the adenosine receptors and is able to attach to the adenosine receptors so effectively. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caffeine_and_adenosine.svg

Caffeine however is not an all-out evil drug (see links below for more information, as I don't want to type it all out :laughing:).

Bottom line: *moderation* is key. Oh, and try avoiding heavy use of creamers, sugar, etc. when drinking coffee. Caffeine is not a life necessity, but it does have benefits (and negative consequences if overly consumed of course).
@chip I do think it is possible for caffeine (or coffee generally speaking) to _worsen_ the effects of anxiety. Some people, including those who are often high-strung or anxious by nature (or even those who are generally sensitive to caffeine's effects), may do good to avoid caffeine or consume a more limited amount. I wouldn't consider it a primary cause, nor would I say it is an only cause. Caffeine can certainly trigger anxiety or anxious behavior (as it does put the body in a state of emergency as stated above), although there are several factors that contribute to anxiety. Btw how much coffee or caffeine generally speaking would you say you consume?


*For some further reading:
*http://science.howstuffworks.com/caffeine.htm (this is actually a pretty good description as to how caffeine works)

[url]http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-979-CAFFEINE.aspx?activeIngredientId=979&activeIngredientName=CAFFEINE[/URL] (some actual and possible medical uses for caffeine)

http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/health-benefits-caffeine?fullpage=true (some benefits of caffeine consumption)

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/caffeine.shtml (benefits and risks of using caffeine)

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Adenosine-What-is-Adenosine.aspx (basic description of what adenosine is)

http://books.google.com/books?id=TQV6sLzYsOYC&pg=PA212&lpg=PA212&dq=adrenaline+mechanism+of+action&source=bl&ots=nQUjTILcNY&sig=GTB0laWSLuHU9y6w9zKIQ3RVziY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Vl-BUOb-NIWy8QTC6YGgDQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=adrenaline%20mechanism%20of%20action&f=false (a book that discusses the action mechanism of adrenaline in more detail and about the hormone itself)


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Sapphyreopal5 said:


> When you consume caffeine, it binds to the adenosine (formula: C10H13N5O4) receptors in the brain. When caffeine (formula: C8H10N4O2) binds to the adenosine receptors, instead of the nerve cells slowing down they (as you could've guessed) increase speed in nerve activity. Because of caffeine binding to the adenosine receptors causing an increase in activity, the pituitary gland believes some kind of emergency is going on, which thus releases hormones to trigger the production of adrenaline (aka epinephrine) from the adrenal glands.
> 
> In other words, when you consume caffeine, your body is essentially in a "fight or flight" response. In basic terms, caffeine puts your body in an emergency state (keep consuming it and you're constantly in a state of emergency basically). The body can only produce so much adrenaline and once it's produced all the adrenaline it can in response to the caffeine, you may experience that "burn-out" some of you are talking about here. Also, as caffeine starts to exit the body, the adenosine hormone will start reattaching itself to those adenosine receptors, thus you feeling suddenly tired eventually, also contributing to the "burn-out" or "crash", however you want to put it.
> 
> ...



I eat chocolate sometimes and too much sugar which is probably not good for my already sensitive nerves from high anxiety. Any amount of caffeine really screws me up and causes suicidal thoughts.


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## Sapphyreopal5 (Jun 11, 2012)

chip said:


> I eat chocolate sometimes and too much sugar which is probably not good for my already sensitive nerves from high anxiety. Any amount of caffeine really screws me up and causes suicidal thoughts.


It sounds like you might have a very high sensitivity to caffeine. Have you talked to your doctor about it? If not, I would suggest talking to them about this. They may recommend you to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume, or heck even avoid caffeine altogether. As I said before, I would say that caffeine would make what's already there worse in the case of anxiety. As for the suicidal thoughts? The fact you actually get suicidal thoughts to me is definitely something you should look into (again with the doctor visit).
Also, do you experience any other symptoms after consuming caffeine (any physical symptoms to be specific)?

I would talk to your doctor about your possible sensitivity (unusual sensitivity that is), and especially about the suicidal thoughts, as well as about what you eat on a regular basis. I wouldn't attribute it to just caffeine, as consuming too much sugar can also contribute to problems pertaining to anxiety, but this is all based on my personal research on caffeine. You'll probably get better answers from a doctor than you will from here. 



Hare are yet more links that you may find to be of some interest:
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/causes/sugar (sugar and anxiety)
http://www.livestrong.com/article/290683-signs-symptoms-of-caffeine-allergy/ (Caffeine allergy info)
http://doctoryourself.com/caffeine_allergy.html (An interesting article I found about caffeine allergies and connections to some mental/mood disorders)


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Sapphyreopal5 said:


> It sounds like you might have a very high sensitivity to caffeine. Have you talked to your doctor about it? If not, I would suggest talking to them about this. They may recommend you to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume, or heck even avoid caffeine altogether. As I said before, I would say that caffeine would make what's already there worse in the case of anxiety. As for the suicidal thoughts? The fact you actually get suicidal thoughts to me is definitely something you should look into (again with the doctor visit).
> Also, do you experience any other symptoms after consuming caffeine (any physical symptoms to be specific)?
> 
> I would talk to your doctor about your possible sensitivity (unusual sensitivity that is), and especially about the suicidal thoughts, as well as about what you eat on a regular basis. I wouldn't attribute it to just caffeine, as consuming too much sugar can also contribute to problems pertaining to anxiety, but this is all based on my personal research on caffeine. You'll probably get better answers from a doctor than you will from here.
> ...


Not going to mention suicidal thoughts to any doctor. They don't grasp that and they'll try and push pills on me which is bullshit. I have suicidal thoughts because of anxiety so I don't need a doctor to tell me why I do.


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## Sapphyreopal5 (Jun 11, 2012)

chip said:


> Not going to mention suicidal thoughts to any doctor. They don't grasp that and they'll try and push pills on me which is bullshit. I have suicidal thoughts because of anxiety so I don't need a doctor to tell me why I do.


I do agree that doctors too often try to push pills when patients don't need them; however, I was suggesting that to find out what's up with your reaction to caffeine and/or too much sugar. A psychologist would be better pertaining to the suicidal thoughts than a doctor any day.


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## android654 (Jan 19, 2010)

Caffeine also has important metabolic effects that can be positive for anyone dabbling in body building or body sculpting. From what I've read, approximately a 1:1 ratio of lean mass and caffeine in milligrams. I take about 200 mg. a day and I don't notice any negative effects.

Also, soda and sugary coffee? That's a given.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

android654 said:


> Caffeine also has important metabolic effects that can be positive for anyone dabbling in body building or body sculpting. From what I've read, approximately a 1:1 ratio of lean mass and caffeine in milligrams. I take about 200 mg. a day and I don't notice any negative effects.
> 
> Also, soda and sugary coffee? That's a given.


Soda and the sugar content and caffeine. Chocolate with the sugar and caffeine already there as a natural since chocolate contains caffeine. Try drinking that for a few months straight and only that. Horrible.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

ninjahitsawall said:


> https://authoritynutrition.com/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee/
> 
> I think to maximize the benefits of coffee the usual upper limit recommended is 300-400 or so mg/day of caffeine.
> 
> I used to go waaay overboard on caffeine because I used to be on antidepressants for anxiety that turned me into a zombie. So I was relying on caffeine to...not feel dead lol but it eventually wasn't doing a thing and became a vicious cycle of fatigue. I actually thought I had chronic fatigue syndrome. Can't handle that amount of caffeine anymore, I usually have a cup of coffee a day, three at the most (when I am really sleep deprived and need to be semi-functional), and sometimes tea as well.


I believe that coffee or any almost or instant stimulants do cause fatigue, because they over work the organs in our bodies. Especially with low carb diets. There is evidence showing that our brains need carbs, just not crappy refined processed carbs, but vegetables, like tubers. It most definitely is a very vicious cycle. Relying on coffee for energy, when it's a poor source of energy compared to what we actually need.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Kittens Are Awesome said:


> Hey, by the way, there is this man without adrenal glands and quite a few people without adrenal glands, and I wonder what caffeine what do to them? They would be our controls in the experiment, because they cannot get an anxiety disorder. There are a lot of things that contribute to fear, however if you take adrenaline away, then there is no fear. So that would confirm that certain anxiety disorders are caused by that, if anyone was to do an experiment.
> 
> Panic disorder and panic attacks, are not caused by that alone though, they are also caused by the reaction of the hypothalamus. So with certain anxiety disorders, it also requires the brain's communication as well.


Uh, you can't live with adrenal glands. Lol.


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## Kittens Are Awesome (Jun 11, 2017)

chip said:


> Uh, you can't live with adrenal glands. Lol.


You can if you take replacement medication.

You can also live without sufficiently working adrenal glands with replacement medication, such as in the case of different types of adrenal insufficiency. Search them up and you may get a better explanation


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