Confession is good for the soul

     So, I have a confession to make. Here I stand, you'll just have to imagine me standing, before you a caffeine addict.

      I have deduced this conclusion from the blasting headache that I have this morning. You have to understand that I started taking caffeine pills daily because my prescription medication made me sleepy and I couldn't drive to and from work safely. Well this weekend, I realized this morning, I didn't take my caffeine pills at all. Saturday, I was super busy and semi-constantly moving thus I didn't notice I hadn't taken the pills; Sunday, my alarm clock didn't go off and by the time I woke up  it was noon and I didn't think to take the pills. So then this morning I had a splitting headache and I thought I must of slept too much over the weekend and have the beginnings of a migraine.  However, within 10 minutes of taking my caffeine pills this morning so I could stay awake at work, whammo my headache disappeared.

      When I was diagnosed with Psuedotumor Cerbri last spring and put on medication for it, I was drinking about 2 liters of Diet Coke a day. Talk about a serious caffeine addition! Well the medication makes all carbonated drinks (coke, pepsi, dr. pepper, and all their by products) taste horrid. I went from mucho caffeine to zippo caffeine over night and boy did my head hurt. So far the only things with caffeine that I can drink are tea and Cranergy. Neither of which have much caffeine and I can't drink enough to satisfy the cravings. Thus I turned to caffeine pills to ease the headaches and gradually weaned myself off.

     Then, for other medical reasons, my medications changes and all of a sudden I was falling asleep behind the wheel on the way to work. Now, I would start out okay, but 30 minutes into my 45mins-hour commute I was nodding off and having near misses with the rear ends of other vehicles. I tried everything I could think of to stay awake and nothing worked, even starting a regimen of 2 caffeine pills a morning ( Relax Mom, it is equal to two cups of coffee). After a fender bender and a full on collision my doctor finally said I could change my medicine. She had me change the medicine and not drive for a week and I was still falling asleep on the way to work. I told her it was the medication causing the problems and she didn't believe me. So, I did what anyone would do and changed up when I took the medication and lo and behold I wasn't falling asleep on the drive in anymore. However, the 4 hour half-life of the drug has me nodding at 9am if work isn't busy. So I moved the caffeine pill from early am to help on the drive in to when I get to work to help keep me awake during the slow portion of the mornings.

     So long story, to say I am a caffeine addict. I do not deny it. I hang my head in shame and pain without it.