May 18, 2008
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Sunday Funnies
I found this on my monitor one morning recently, left there by my son for my pleasure and amusement. I’m fond of frogs and addicted to cookies and coffee, so I suppose he supposed it would be a sure winner.
A few days later, the following cat macro showed up. It really grabbed me.
I am personally not currently considering cutting back on caffeine. Much as I abhor addiction in general, this one is very much like the several other addictions I have that doctors prefer to call, “chemical dependencies,” because the addictive substances are prescribed medications. A few years ago, when I told my health care provider that I was addicted to caffeine, other methylxanthines, and capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide, the hot substance in hot peppers), and that my dyspnea worsened if I tried to cut back or quit using them, she advised me not to quit.She said that naturally derived methylxanthines and capsaicin have long been in the pharmacopoeia for treatment of lung disorders. Pills and injectable forms of theophylline, one of the methylxanthines, are commonly used in respiratory crises for patients like me who still have trouble breathing while taking the more popular and less dangerous asthma drugs. I do try to keep my chocolate consumption down except in cases of emergency, and my coffee consumption is relatively low except when I go to NA meetings, especially with the new coffeemaker. …but that’s another story.
Comments (15)
i still have the coffee addiction, and try to avoid chocolate, because it would be so easy to eat a pound or so of it at once. but tell me what constitues a chocolate emergency? (as if i needed one).
Well…I had 2 cups of coffee with my lunch and I fell asleep after lunch anyway.
I guess I just needed my sleep.
@October27 - Last fall my usual asthma medications (Flovent, Singulair, and Albuterol) were so ineffective at helping me get through the triple whammy of pneumonia, flu and common cold, that I was eating squares of baking chocloate for the theobromine and theophylline. It helped for a while, but then the chocolate started making me sick.
Too much of anything can get sickening. I still feel queasy thinking of chocolate. If you’re looking for an emergency that will make chocolate indulgence okay, I don’t recommend that one.
Cute kitties.
You know you’ve had too much coffee when your first aid kit contains two pints of coffee and an IV hook-up.
@SuSu - o.k., duly noted.
capsaicin good for asthma? Neet. I could use it for me knees too.
I never have had a single drop of coffee. Can’t even stand the smell of it…here’s hoping I won’t ever try it and like it. I have enough chemicals in my body from the ADD meds.
You know I love a really good cup of coffee. I quit coffee and was on a tea kick for a while then went back to that good cup of coffee again, Breathing in and out is pretty darn important and if the coffee helps it happen. I lift my cup to that!
dont mess with my caffine,,,,, or my nicotine,,,,,
i consume my caffine in tea tho,,, coffee,,, yuk,,,,
now them caffinated aspirins,,,, they make me sick,,, ive seen people ask for them tho,,,, not me.
@forwhomthebelsentolls - ive never found caffine good for staying awake,,,, just balances the mind,,,,, thats all.
Caffeine also makes you constipated. My doctor made me quit a 3-soda-a-day/one- frappucino-a-week habit cold turkey for a rather painful rectal surgery. It took a month to get over my dependency on it, realizing that I needed more sleep at night if I didn’t want to doze off while driving at 10am. I still allow myself a cherry coke as a treat maybe once a month, but even then if I drink it after 3pm I’m unable to sleep that night. Now I just drink fruit juice and water.
Silly Xanga submitted before I was finished… Anyway, I’m glad it helps you. It was really tough giving up caffeine!
@cakeplease - I have quit caffeine several times after I read about all its negative effects. The first time I quit, I did it cold turkey and the headaches were hell. After that, I tapered off gradually, and it didn’t hurt.
I suppose I’m lucky that it doesn’t constipate me. I know that is listed as one of its effects. I am concerned about the effect of dependency on my heart if I’m ever forced to go cold turkey. My friend almost died in surgery from the combined effects of anesthetic and sudden total withdrawal from a big caffeine habit.
The big irony for me is that I had been clean of caffeine for several years before I started going to Narcotics Anonymous, “a program of complete abstinence from all drugs,” that defines “drug” as “any mind altering substance.” They serve coffee at meetings.
Ryc: sorry you visited on such a drama filled day. It’s been a drama free blog for 3 years but enough was enough, I said some things I needed to say and feel much better now
@homeschoolingthem - I know well the value of venting. There is no need to apologize. I also visited the link to what I’m assuming was your SIL’s site. I can’t help wondering if it will turn into a blog.