Saturday, December 03, 2005

Eyes Wide Open

A little over 3 years ago, I went to see the eye doctor. I figured it was an appropriate time to ask him a question after he had just tested my eyes. "Hey, Doc? Any idea why I feel this pulsing in my eye every so often?" He went on to tell me about a condition that causes it and sometimes eye twitches that is normal but brought on by lack of sleep and/or caffeine. Now, I always thought caffeine was a good thing. I drank Jolt cola like a madman when I was going to college and working 2 jobs to support myself. And, I had normally been drinking two 20-ounce bottles of Diet Coke every morning and a few more scattered throughout the day. It was at that time that I went caffeine-free.

It is an amazingly difficult battle to cut out the wakey-wakey drug. It's in chocolate, tea and most soft drinks. I was already drinking diet drinks at the time so trying to find something without calories and sans caffeine was incredibly difficult. Go into a 7-11 and count how many bottles of Diet Sprite, Diet 7-up, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke or Barq's Diet Root Beer you find there. There aren't many. They figure that you'll drink what's available because you wouldn't be paying more for it at their store if you didn't have to have it now. But, with all the little pitfalls, I stayed caffeine-free for 3 years. Yes, I said "stayed."

It was an early morning on one of my days off that I broke my abstinence. I was tired and stressed after going weeks without my car. I started thinking about why I was avoiding caffeine. Notice that after talking to the eye doctor that I didn't say, "I need more sleep!" It's that night owl thing that I have going on. I'm afraid that important things are going to happen and that I'll miss them. Children do that. Anyhow, I threw caution to the wind and gave up my issues. Now that I have that new shift (5 pm to 1 am,) I find myself drinking the stuff more. I even found a cool chart to help guide me into the jitters. Who would think that Diet Coke had more than Classic Coke? Go figure. Anyhow, no eye pulsing or twitches yet and it's only been a few months. Scientists are even saying that it can increase short term memory. I think I just need to sleep more.

13 comments:

Bar L. said...

I agree...just thinking of your schedule tires me out! I have two cups of coffee a day and will NOT give it up :)

LoraLoo said...

They'll be prying caffeine out of my cold, dead hands. I know others who have "given the stuff up" and still don't really understand why.

Bar L. said...

HEY! Aren't you getting a SIRIUS radio tomorrow? Did I tell you how much I love mine? Let me know what your fave stations are. Hmmm, I feel a post coming on about satelite radio....

Fred said...

As I'm typing this, I have a Diet Coke right next to the keyboard. I'd be nervous if I didn't have my trusty can with me at all times.

I'm not addicted at all. Really.

Anonymous said...

I've been drinkin caffiene for so long that I can't even get past the withdrawal headache part of giving it up.

Was forced into the hospital once for ten days. During that time, no caffiene of course. I got migrains and a small nose bleed. The doc ran a CATscan bec he was worried. I tried to tell them, "All I need is a Coke PEOPLE!" I see no reason to put myself through that again..lol.

Anonymous said...

Is a 'migrain' the same as a 'migrane'? Sorry, I'm tired. Off to sleep now :)

David Amulet said...

I know what you've been through -- I went off caffeine about 6 years ago. I still get some, of course, in so-called decaffeinated coffee ... but the benefits have been clear. Save yourself! Stay clean!

-- david

Unknown said...

Well that explains the twitches I get in my eye sometimes...I drink caffeinated beverages cause it helps my allergies, it dries my sinuses out.

Anonymous said...

Hey! I used to get that eye twitch! I'm not a huge caffeine person though. I'm guessing it's the whole sleep thing. I've been working 11:30pm - 8am fro over a year now. And pretty much on and off for the past 3 1/2.

It's funny because I always hate to think of what I'm missing out on when I'm sleeping especially since I do it during the day. Usually, the exciting stuff happens at "weird" hours and so everyone calls me 'cause they know I'm up. It rules.

Anyhow, I feel you, man! =P Maybe you should put in overtime this week. I heard you were gonna be broke. Brat!

Lee Ann said...

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you will be around more often.

bri said...

i've tried to quit "the sauce" (my term for coca-cola) too many times to count... i've never been 100% successful... more power to you for doing it for 3 years! thanks for reading my blog, i love comments! come back sometime :)

RT said...

Why would anyone want to give up caffeine? That's just insane!

8)

Unknown said...

I got off Coffee for three years and just recently started up again. I refuse to give up my caff..I only have two cups in the morning of java..but I do occasionally drink a few Mt.Dew Code Reds during the day which will keep me up all night if I drink them after six pm..

Caff is also said to help asthmatics..which i am one.