Caffeine

[HCL]

The Basics

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Introduction
Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid with stimulant properties. It is used to elevate mood, increase energy, and block fatigue. It is both safer and far less euphoric than stronger stimulants like amphetamine and cocaine. Tolerance to it can be built extremely rapidly.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world.

Timeline of Experience (Erowid)
Onset: 15-45 minutes (dependent on form and stomach contents)
Duration: 1.5-5 hours
Residual: up to 24 hours

Note: Caffeine's desirable effects peak for about an hour, so frequent low-level redosing can effectively prolong them.

Caffeine Effects (Erowid, Erowid Experiences Calmclinic)

• Increased alertness
• Decreased boredom
• Increased energy
• Greater performance on endurance exercises
• Greater performance on simple, repetitive tasks
• Excitability
• Elevated mood
• Reduction of anxiety (Calmclinic)
• Euphoria (rare) (Erowid Experiences)
• Increased heart rate

Dosages (Erowid)

(Oral Caffeine Dosages)

[table="width: 70, align: left"]
[tr]
[td]Threshold[/td]
[td]10-20 mg[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Common[/td]
[td]50-150 mg[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Strong[/td]
[td]150-400 mg[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Very Strong (or with tolerance)[/td]
[td]400+ mg[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Lethal Dose[/td]
[td]3-20 grams oral[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]LD50[/td]
[td]192 mg/kg in rats[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

Method of administration
Oral
Caffeine is usually consumed in a liquid form. This route has excellent bioavailability and is difficult to accidentally overdose on because it is absorbed so rapidly. Negative effects will appear quickly and the user can easily tell when they need to stop their consumption.

It can also be taken in pills. This is a more dangerous method, as their absorption is slower and a greater amount can be consumed at one time. A large portion of overdoses have occurred this way.

Insufflation
This route is not very well documented. It would presumably have a more rapid onset than oral use.

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Contraindications and Overdose (Erowid)
A caffeine overdose can cause panic attacks, severe nausea, and tachycardia. Delirium and seizures can also occur in particularly extreme cases. While caffeine is safer than most other stimulants, it is not harmless, and a number of people have died or become seriously ill because they did not appreciate its potential dangers.

Alcohol and caffeine are a dangerous combination, as the caffeine will block enough of the alcohol's sedation to make a user feel less drunk than they are while failing to counter most of its depressant effects. It also seems likely that the added mood-lift from caffeine would lead to even more seriously impaired judgement than with alcohol alone, but this is merely speculation on the part of the author.

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Possible Drug Interactions
Caffeine will add to the effects of other stimulants.

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Pre-Existing Conditions That Should Not be Mixed With Caffeine
Caffeine can be dangerous for people with heart conditions or disorders that prevent their bodies from metabolizing it properly.

Negative Short-Term Side Effects (Erowid)

• Nervousness and anxiety at high doses or in sensitive individuals
• Tachycardia
• Insomnia
• Dehydration
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Muscle tremors
• Decreased coordination
• Heartburn
• Headache
• Muscle cramps
• Irritability
• Seizures at very high doses
• Delirium at very high doses
• Energy levels and mood will often decline after caffeine's main effects have ended (crash)

Negative Long-Term Side Effects (Erowid, news-medical.net)

• Sleep deprivation
• Possible heart damage with chronic high usage
• Acid reflux
• Stomach ulcers

Addiction and Withdrawal Issues
Because of its mood-enhancing properties, caffeine is a somewhat effective anxiolytic (though it can also have the opposite effect) and antidepressant. It also reduces fatigue. Using it frequently for any of these purposes can easily lead to addiction and physical dependence. While it has a more favorable side effect profile than many SSRIs and other antidepressants (Mayoclinic), the speed with which it builds tolerance limits its usefulness in this role, though long-term usage still appears to be associated with a lower risk of suicide (businessinsider.com).

Caffeine addiction is usually far less damaging than addiction to other stimulants or drugs in general, likely because it does not reliably cause euphoria or mask the user's negative emotions beyond a small extent.

Cessation after frequent use can lead to an unpleasant withdrawal syndrome:

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms (Energyfiend):

• Craving
• Depression
• Lack of focus
• Hypersomnia
• Lethargy
• Headache
• Body aches

Harm Reduction
Caffeine may be dangerous for people with heart problems. It may temporarily help or worsen anxiety disorders, depending on the amount consumed and the individual's reactions. Physical dependence and tolerance can be avoided by using it on an occasional or semi-regular basis, though this will maximize its negative effects as well as its positive ones.

Caffeine is not an effective long-term treatment for sleep deprivation, although it is often used as one. Over time, tolerance is built up, and most of the apparent reduction in fatigue comes from alleviating the symptoms of withdrawal.

Legal Issues
Caffeine is legal in America, Canada, and almost everywhere else.

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History of Caffeine
Fill in later.

Chemistry (Erowid)
Name: Caffeine
Chemical name: 3,7-Dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione
Alternate chemical names: 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine; 1,3,7-trimethyl-2,6-dioxopurine; coffeine
Alternate chemical names: thein; guaranine; methyltheobromine; mateine (Wikipedia)
Chemical formula: C8H10N4O2
Molecular weight: 194.19
LD50 Dog: 140 mg/kg oral
LD50 Rat:105 mg/kg IV
LD Low (Lethal Dose): Human deaths reported at less than 4 grams oral.

Mechanism of Action (news-medical.net)
Caffeine mainly acts by blocking the binding of adenosine to its receptors. This leads to a reduction of fatigue, its most well-known effect. It also somewhat increases the levels of many neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, glutamate, epinephrine, dopamine, and, in high doses, norepinephrine (worldofcaffeine.com).

Preparation
Caffeine can be created by man in the laboratory; more commonly, it is extracted and/or brewed from any one of a large variety of natural plants, trees and related food sources found all throughout the world.

Trip reports and links

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Trip Reports
http://www.erowid.org/experiences/subs/exp_Caffeine.shtml

References
http://worldofcaffeine.com/caffeine-and-neurotransmitters/
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/caffeine/caffeine.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine
http://www.news-medical.net/health/Caffeine-Pharmacology.aspx
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ssris/MH00066
http://www.businessinsider.com/coffee-consumption-linked-to-suicide-2013-7
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/causes/coffee
http://www.energyfiend.com/caffeine-withdrawal-symptoms-top-ten

 

[HCL]

I need to find some more information about insufflating it and fill in a few things. In the meantime, feel free to suggest anything. I'm going to bed.

Fun fact: this was written during a caffeine crash.

EDIT: I still have to find some more sources, but at the moment it's just a forum post and not an article.

 

[1BiPolarBear]

Information on insufflation is mixed, everything from pointless and non-effective, to a huge cocaine like rush. From personal experience I would say it is the same except less caffeine is needed for the same effect, personally would not suggest it because of the added annoyances that come with any insufflation.

 

[HCL]

Is it possible to be awake with caffeine for 2-3 days without extreme tiredness/lethargy? If so, I'm aware that the doses would need to be extreme, and thus, harmful for the heart and general well being, but as an occasional necessity, for times when amphetamines are not available, I'd like to try it, if there are enough people who agree it's possible.

It would block the fatigue to some extent, but you'd probably start hallucinating after a few days. I also doubt it would be as effective as amphetamine, because it does not increase dopamine or norepinephrine to nearly the same degree.

You'd have to ask someone else for a definitive answer. I have never tried to use it in that way.

 

[Vaya]

Hey, hey! This is ace! Thank you for your contribution; once I see that it makes it onto the Wiki, you'll not only be credited for the information but Ill PM you a link to it!

Once again, thank you for your effort!!


~ Vaya

 

[1BiPolarBear]

Added annoyances being just the general discomfort of having powder shot up your nose, plus if you're not careful it could lead to infection (this is rare though I think). Neither of these is very serious problem, but this administration (in my opinion) doesn't have enough pros to out weigh even these few cons.

 

[HCL]

Hey, hey! This is ace! Thank you for your contribution; once I see that it makes it onto the Wiki, you'll not only be credited for the information but Ill PM you a link to it!

Once again, thank you for your effort!!


~ Vaya

You're welcome, but there are still a few things that I could give credit for. I'm concerned that might lead to some problems if it turns into an actual article. Can I have until tomorrow to fill them in?

 

[Vaya]

You're welcome, but there are still a few things that I could give credit for. I'm concerned that might lead to some problems if it turns into an actual article. Can I have until tomorrow to fill them in?

Surely

Preliminarily...

 

[HCL]

Added one more source and some text edits.

Fun fact: these changes were made during mild caffeine withdrawal, because the author is an idiot who drank it almost every day for two weeks and now needs to reset his tolerance.

EDIT: more sources. Should be about good at this point.

Actually, I have a question. A couple of the points in this article are conclusions that I drew myself by examining caffeine's properties. Is that acceptable?

 

[Lazaraus45]

I enjoyed reading through this, I wasn't aware of caffeine's effectiveness as an antidepressant, the more you know. My main criticism with this is how vague "Tolerance to it can be built extremely rapidly." is on a forum that includes substances where tolerance can build within hours, if more specific info could be found that would be awesome since I personally am curious as to how rapid tolerance builds to caffeine as well as how quickly it goes away.

Keep up the awesome work and good luck with the withdrawals, as most people know, going without your daily fix of caffeine sucks -_____-

 

[HCL]

I enjoyed reading through this, I wasn't aware of caffeine's effectiveness as an antidepressant, the more you know. My main criticism with this is how vague "Tolerance to it can be built extremely rapidly." is on a forum that includes substances where tolerance can build within hours, if more specific info could be found that would be awesome since I personally am curious as to how rapid tolerance builds to caffeine as well as how quickly it goes away.

I think it only takes a week or two. Not sure where I read that.

Keep up the awesome work and good luck with the withdrawals, as most people know, going without your daily fix of caffeine sucks -_____-

I think they're basically done with at this point. I just got a headache for two days and some unpleasant drowsiness.

 

[Vaya]

Actually, I have a question. A couple of the points in this article are conclusions that I drew myself by examining caffeine's properties. Is that acceptable?

As long as they're sound, I believe it to be appropriate for our purposes.

What would help me, especially, is for you to point to which source each of your sections was derived from. That way, I can create a superscripted number after said information that can then be referred to at the bottom of the page. Check out my methamphetamine wiki article for an example of what I mean - I use the methamphetamine article as the prototypical way a Wiki article ought to look.

Thanks again, really, for all of your dedication and contributions

 

[HCL]

As long as they're sound, I believe it to be appropriate for our purposes.

What would help me, especially, is for you to point to which source each of your sections was derived from. That way, I can create a superscripted number after said information that can then be referred to at the bottom of the page. Check out my methamphetamine wiki article for an example of what I mean - I use the methamphetamine article as the prototypical way a Wiki article ought to look.

Thanks again, really, for all of your dedication and contributions

Some of them use multiple sources, though. Could I put the superscripts in myself?

EDIT: Sources specified in parentheses.

 

[Vaya]

Ah! That's great; when I transcribe it into MediaWiki format, I'll visit each link and reformat it to look like this.

Great job :D

 

[ebola?]

Timeline of Experience (Erowid)
Coming Up: 15-45 minutes (dependent on form and stomach contents)
Duration: 30-60 minutes
Coming Down: 2-3 hours
Residual: up to 24 hours

Go home, Erowid--you're drunk!

ebola

 

[HCL]

^
I could have sworn I'd seen that there.

Something got mixed up here.

 

[ebola?]

If you're having efficacy problems, I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems, but a bitch of rapid catabolism ain't one.

ebola

 

[Vaya]

If you're having efficacy problems, I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems, but a bitch of rapid catabolism ain't one.

ebola

L-O-L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy shit
That one got me!

 

[TheGrasshopper]

Is it possible to be awake with caffeine for 2-3 days without extreme tiredness/lethargy? If so, I'm aware that the doses would need to be extreme, and thus, harmful for the heart and general well being, but as an occasional necessity, for times when amphetamines are not available, I'd like to try it, if there are enough people who agree it's possible.



Added annoyances, such as?

Nausea is a huge factor in this, will it keep you awake? to some extent yes, but the added nausea from sleep deprivation mixed with a mostly empty stomach from the appetite supression and of course the nausea from caffeine alone, it makes for a very uncomfortable ride. As far as keeping you awake, your going to put some effort into this aswell. (as opposed to taking a stronger stimulant where sleeping is not even an option while effects are peaked)

Some friends have had more success with Propylhexadrine inhalers but the lavender scent that is usually added (to help limit abuse) is something one might have a hard time getting used to.

 

[ebola?]

Some friends have had more success with Propylhexadrine inhalers but the lavender scent that is usually added (to help limit abuse) is something one might have a hard time getting used to.

Why would someone want to stay up for 3 days?

ebola