Re: Driving under the influence of CFS

July 22, 2006

Oh you better test that coffee out once more while staying at home. Especially

if you need it medicinally. Maybe it was a fluke.

Adrienne

Driving under the influence of CFS

while it would probably be a safety issue to curtail driving privileges for

those of us with severe cognitive difficulties, it wouldn't make me very happy.

So this comment is tongue in cheek. I was out and about, of necessity

yesterday. While initially I thought my brain was in good form for the day,

near lunch time I developed the onset of a nagging headache. If not addressed

early on experience has taught me the rest of my day is trashed as I spend it

horizontally with cool pressure applied to my head, Excedrin or caffeine being

the only remedy that helps. I do my best to avoid caffeine, but on those

occasions it's the worst of 2 evils, and I don't like pain.

I opted for a cup of leaded coffee, figuring I might as well enjoy the

therapy, and I've had a hankering for a cup of mocha. Had it with lunch. The

headache disappeared in time for my required jaunt into town. About 10 minutes

into the trip however, I discovered though the headache was gone, what used to

be sharpened acuity following a dose of caffeine, had turned into increased

disorganized function, fuzzy headedness, buzzy, disconnection between where feet

were supposedly planted and central operations unit (head in the stratosphere

somewhere), dumbed down reaction time. I was not in good shape to be on the

road much less behind the wheel. So, at the outset I garnered what extra

caution I could muster and cautiously proceeded on with the errands that forced

me out of my comfort zone of home. I was assuredly very happy to have arrived

home safely, only twice having to apply the brakes more quickly because of cars

in front of me stopping suddenly, and my not noticing and responding as quickly

as normal. It's a scary world out there behind the wheel when the brain is

elsewhere on vacation.

I do not venture out without good cause on my own. I am not a good candidate

for any driving tasks needless to say.

So, What has happened that my mentition has been blunted with coffee? Up

until now it was a good stimulant. It surely didn't work the same yesterday!

Maybe the mix with milk dulled the effect? I've not used it for stimulant

purposes in milk before. At any rate I won't depend on it for the purpose of

sharpening my cognitive abilities again! (not that it was intended for that

yesterday, but it was an interesting observation how it did not work the same as

in the past)

Diane

July 22, 2006

If the mocha ioncluded chocoloate, chocolate also has theobromine and

theophylline. These are also alkaloids, but with differing effect. Plus

who knows what other chemicals are in coffee? Running water thorugh burnt

vegetable matter is not the way to produce pure *anything*.

When use caffeine, (right now i live on the stuff - probably a bad move as

it amounts to another way to 'push') I use the pills (NoDoz) so I know how

much and what I am getting.

- Bob Niederman

On 7/22/06, dphf <dphf@...> wrote:

>

> I opted for a cup of leaded coffee, figuring I might as well enjoy the

> therapy, and I've had a hankering for a cup of mocha. Had it with lunch. The

> headache disappeared in time for my required jaunt into town. About 10

> minutes into the trip however, I discovered though the headache was gone,

> what used to be sharpened acuity following a dose of caffeine, had turned

> into increased disorganized function, fuzzy headedness, buzzy, disconnection

> between where feet were supposedly planted and central operations unit (head

> in the stratosphere somewhere), dumbed down reaction time. I was not in good

> shape to be on the road much less behind the wheel.

>

July 22, 2006

Bob

I don't think coffee is a good " food " . It's not high on my list of necessary and

needful. It really isn't supposed to be a part of what I ingest at all. Once

in awhile, I " treat " myself. I figured if I were going to get the caffeine hit

anyway I was at least going to enjoy it. And yes, cocoa was in the mocha. It

too is not on my list of ingestibles. Probably the milk shouldn't be either.

So, I made an excuse, used it, and paid for it. In the grand scheme of things,

it was an insignificant event. If very many add up, it'll be a problem.

I'd forgotten about the theobromine/theophylline. Coffee has that too. Funny

thing is, I used to be able to tell because I breathed easier after having it.

Yesterday, I was still experiencing slight air hunger. I finally got around to

ordering the lumbrokinase after being out of it for a couple weeks. I'm still

wondering if that 2 wk lapse has had that great an influence or if something

else is going on. Sometimes conversation is interspersed with little pauses to

catch a deep breath. If I try to, say, make the bed and talk at the same time I

get winded. May be deconditioning, with the lessening activity levels, but I

still seem to be able to lift/carry things as I once did. Just some

observations