Microdosing Caffeine

[barefooter]

Over the past couple months I've tried to be able to consume coffee, but no matter what I did (tons of sugar and milk, with meals, taurine, etc.) it always ended with the same low blood sugar anxiety crash after the short lived feel good buzz. For the past two weeks I ditched caffeine completely and overall felt better, but still felt like I could use the lift and improved mental clarity and mood. I recently started taking very tiny amounts of instant coffee, and I seem to finally have arrived at something that works for me. I'd estimate I'm only taking 10mg of caffeine at a time, but with my sensitivity to it, it seems to be the right amount for me. Caffeine powder or pills would probably work well for this too (and allow for more precision in dosing), but I love the taste of coffee so I'm going to stick with the instant coffee.

Anyone else try this and have good results?

 

[tara]

I get crashes eventually from full coffee. I've been having a little decaf (~1/2 tsp instant, with milk, sugar, gelatin) for supper quite often. But even decaf I have to go easy on.

 

[Such_Saturation]

I think if there is a feel-good buzz, there is already a problem, in that it only happens in a fasted state.

 

[tara]

I never have coffee in a fasted state. It can make me feel better after food. But then worse later.

 

[barefooter]

Yeah, I also wasn't referring to drinking it in a fasted state, although with the tiny doses, I can have it away from meals without problems. When I was trying full cups, it would always be with a meal. Maybe buzz is the wrong word, just came to mind as that's how most people describe coffees effects. More precisely I'm just talking about increased energy, improved mental clarity, and better mood. All of which the small doses seem to be providing me with non of the negative crashes.

 

[Such_Saturation]

Yeah, I also wasn't referring to drinking it in a fasted state, although with the tiny doses, I can have it away from meals without problems. When I was trying full cups, it would always be with a meal. Maybe buzz is the wrong word, just came to mind as that's how most people describe coffees effects. More precisely I'm just talking about increased energy, improved mental clarity, and better mood. All of which the small doses seem to be providing me with non of the negative crashes.

But perhaps there was something that kept the cells from getting the nutrients before the coffee hit them.

 

[DaveFoster]

You probably have a fatty liver, and you probably don't eat enough. Neither is your fault.

I'd get my AST and ALT liver enzymes checked, as it's common to have these elevated, particularly with a high-sugar diet.

 

[youngandold]

IMO nobody should take a lot of caffeine or coffee at once.
Best to split it at least 3x/day