Rant - Protecting us from ourselves

[donali 57]

<rant>

Okay, I'm sitting here, contemplating my caffeine addiction. I had been pretty much off of caffeine for many months - not a conscious effort to avoid caffeine, but a conscious effort to drink more Water and do herbal teas - the herbal teas I was choosing just happened to be caffeine-free.

Anyway, the last several months of this fill I got in October I have gotten into the habit of drinking a big mug of hot tea with half-and-half and artificial sweetner first thing in the mornings, and that has snowballed into about 4-5 big mugs of hot tea each day that I am at work. My big mug holds two of those cardboard coffee cups worth. I am only using one teabag per mug, however the teabag sits in the mug until it's empty. So figure at least 4-5 teabags worth of caffeine each work day.

Monday and this morning I woke up with a rip-roaring headache. Headaches are unusual for me. So I've been trying to figure out why, initially thinking it was a lack of sleep, but now I'm thinking it's overnight caffeine withdrawal.

On to the rant. I have been sweetening my tea with a liquid sweetener called Huxol that I got from Germany. I like it a lot, and my friend brought me 4 bottles when she came to visit last year. I can't get it here in the U.S. because it contains saccharin. Remember saccharin? It's been banned in the U.S. for forever, it seems, after the FDA determined that it could cause cancer at very high doses (doses that seem impossible for a human being to consume each day for the length of time it would take to get that result).

So, because of my caffeine addiction, I have been running through this sweetener like there is no tomorrow. I am now on my very last bottle, and I only have 2 inches left. I figure I am going through about .25 inches a day. My DBF has been tasked to get me some more, but he has been to 5 different stores in Germany, now, and has not seen hide nor hair of Huxol.

I could ask my friend to send me some more, but she's on the German economy, and it would cost a fortune in postage, where as DBF can use the U.S. post through the military.

I am starting to panic... without the Huxol, the tea will just not be the same with SweetnLow, or Equal. I cannot stand Splenda. I am facing.... (da da duuuuuh!!!!) the end of my caffeine habit as I know it.

This displeases me (in spite of the suspect headaches :sick ). So, I'm pissing and moaning to myself about the fact that saccharine is no longer available in the states (sing along with Gilda Radner: "Goodbye, saccharine..."), thinking that I'm not that thrilled about being protected from myself and my bad habits by the FDA. And then it hits me - alcohol and cigarettes are legal, and cause waaaaay more damage everyday, at everyday usage level than saccharine ever did/could, and THEY are not illegal!!! (no offense to drinkers/smokers out there). Now I am doubly pissed! I could not possibly drink enough saccharine to be afflicted with the diseases those poor mice came down with.

Does anyone else see the irony here? I think these caffeine withdrawals are making me downright mean and unreasonable... Caffeine should probably be banned, too....

shhhhhhh!!! Don't tell the FDA!!!! lol

</rant>

[Vera 7]

Get it together girl, don't go postal on me now. Have your BF look for Zum Sussen as well. I believe its a brand name for Huxol.

Hey, I have my addictions, don't get me started.

Never tell the FDA

[GeezerSue 7]

There is a school of thought that says that real live sugar is better for us. I imagine you've already considered and dismissed that concept for very good reasons. Depending on who's measuring, a teaspoon is only +/-16 calories and, for some, far more satisfying.

[donali 57]

Real sugar tends to flip me out... So if I'm going to have it, I want it in cake, Cookies, and candy... Preferrably chocolate... lol Lots of frosting...

Hmmm... What the h$*!! am I drinking tea for?!?! Gonna get me a can of hot frosting... lol

Caffeine-schmaffeine! Bring on the SUGAR!!! lol

Uh oh... Here come the men with the little white coaa;sdlkf[pawogjal;ksjd asdf asd;f asdf a ?

[Alexandra 55]

Takea deep breath, Donali...or at least let us know where the men in white coats are taking you! We'll come get you out, after you've had a little rest.

Artificial sweeteners are very hard to replace when your favorite disappears. My father, a diabetic, mourned the day they took cyclamates off the market for years and years. Personally, I like the way Equal tastes the best but now use Splenda because of all the bad press. I despise Sweet & Low (but isn't that just saccharine?).

The problem with going back to regular sugar is that the fake stuff is many, many times sweeter than sugar. When I have my morning 20 oz coffee, if I have to use sugar it takes something like 5 teaspoons to get it where I like it! That's two Equals or Splendas, and they don't cause the sugar sleepiness I get later, too.

[donali 57]

Vera -

You are absolutely right - my bottle is actually called "zum Sussen", with the "HUXOL" brand above.

I actually took a digital pic of the bottle and emailed to DBF so he could get the exact thing.

OMG!!! Alexandra, you're RIGHT. There is saccharin in the "Sweet Thing" packet I have (pink like SweetnLow). I guess that outcry by dieters everywhere did get that saccharine ruling rolled back (or it never happened because of the outcry.)

The zum Sussen has fructose, cyclamate and saccharin as sweetening agents in a liquid form.

The Sweet Thing has Dextrose and Calcium saccharin as sweetening agents in a powder form.

I'm still feeling weirdly wired from the tea (I think it's the tea).

Thanks, all, for letting me rant, and being willing to bail me out of the funny farm after I cooled down a bit!

[Vera 7]

I'm still feeling weirdly wired from the tea (I think it's the tea).

I think I see your new picture evolving :laugh :bandit

[athykay 9]

I can totally relate, I have not even had my surgery yet and everyday I think about not being able to drink my Diet Coke and coffee every day. OH MY GOSH WHAT WILL I DO!!!

Kathy

Dr Lopez

May 21st

Count down!!!!!!!!! 9 dayssssssss

[Debra 0]

I am facing.... (da da duuuuuh!!!!) the end of my caffeine habit as I know it.

Umm, Donali, ummm, well, first you were saying that your caffeine habit had gotten way out of hand, then you were complaining that it had to change. Maybe it's one of those "all things happen for a reason" type thing!

Instead of looking for ways to continue the habit that you don't think is a good one, now is a great time for change!

Try some catnip tea. It really is a great help w/ caffeine addiction.

Oh, and thank you very much for the opportunity to offer advice to YOU! I so appreciate all that I have learned from you!

[donali 57]

Thanks, everyone.

Debra, you are so right. :think I honestly do believe this was fate's way of letting me indulge, and then cutting me off. lol

It is soooo much easier to get into "bad" habits than good ones. Why is that?

Anyway, I will enjoy through the end of my sweetener, and then I have good motivation to resume my more healthy habits of herbal teas and good ol' plain Water.

I'm looking forward to it. Really...

[DeLarla 22]

Did I read correctly? You were having caffeine-free, then switched back to regular, of which you consume 5 cups per day? Is that accurate?

Regular tea has 55 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Five cups equals 275 milligrams of caffeine daily. You also said you keep the tea-bag in the cup, so you're getting even more caffeine.

coffee has 125-185 milligrams (depending on strength.) So you're consuming the equivalent of 2 pretty strong cups of coffee daily.

Addiction is weird. I used to be a coffee & Diet Pepsi addict. It got so out of control that I challenged myself to quit. I quit cold-turkey for about six months. But then I started again. However, once I started up again, my body wasn't able to tolerate the caffeine. Two cups of strong black coffee in one day is enough to raise my blood pressure from all the anxiety the caffeine gives me.

I'm not familiar with the sweetener that you're hooked on, but I know that I was hooked on artificial sweeteners as well. During my Diet Pepsi days, I would rather go without than drink a regular sugar Pepsi, because I needed the chemical fix.

However, a few months ago I was diagnosed with Sarcoid Disease (Sarkoidosis) which is an autoimmune disease. They found granuolas (or granola or some weird mass) on my lungs. It's one of those diseases that lay dormant, so maybe I'll never get sick again, but maybe it will come back with a vengeance. Nobody knows the exact cause of Sarcoidosis, but I recently read a study that said I could have gotten it from Aspartame (Equal.) As of that day, I decided to use plain old Sugar - tried and true since the beginning of time, and at 41 years old, I finally have an excuse to use the damn stuff guilt-free.

However, Donali, I agree. The world is full of ridiculous hypocrisies. Is anyone familiar Alcoholics Anonymous or "AA"? Since AA began, they've given birth to the same meetings for other addictions: Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc. I've gone to many AA & OA meetings. During AA meetings, the "sober" alcoholics suck down packs of cigarettes while drinking pots of coffee and eating piles of candy and sugar goodies (replacing the sugar they crave from the alcohol.)

Could you imagine if I sat in an Overeaters Anonymous meeting while drinking a bottle of tequila and snorting a plate of cocaine?

Did I just babble all that without making a point?

[~c~ 1]

Pretty much but that's ok!

Chantal

[Debra 0]

You slay me!!!

Actually, it is a very very very valid point! Last year a friend of mine died from liver failure(?). Basically, she drank herself to death. As I sat there being mad at her (part of grieving, of course) I realized that I was killing myself with food. Quite sobering. (No pun remotely intended)

Good thing we all have each other. As much love and support as there is here; what we are undertaking is a big difficult thing. I can't imagine being as upbeat and positive about my pending surgery had I not found this board!

[donali 57]

Two strong cups of coffee doesn't sound as bad of an addiction as 5 cups of tea.

I'm still on the countdown to get back to more healthy/natural liquids. If only plain ol' hot Water was as satisfying, I'd skip all the other stuff completely. Well, at least until my next obsession kicked in...

A friend's uncle was a severe diabetic, and checked into the VA hospital periodically when his health would get really bad due to uncontrolled diabetes. He always did really well at the VA hospital, even though he would attend any and all meetings offered (AA, etc.) so he could have the free donuts, Cookies, whatever, even though he never had the problems the support groups were for. lol

[~c~ 1]

That's too funny Donali!!

I saw a show a few weeks ago about how people would crash parties,weddings ect and they would have hidden cameras and had to compete to make people beleive they belonged there.One girl had to make people believe she was hired by the family of the bride to read their auras and also dance with the brides father.Each stunt had a certain number of points,the more outrageous the stunt the more points!!

Your uncle story kinda reminded of this...maybe rambling on without a point is contagious today LOL!!!

C