TIFU by drinking black tea

Submitted by monkshood_bezoar t3_1241i3v in tifu

In a college molecular biology class I learned I was a “slow caffeine metabolizer”. This did not surprise me, as I have always avoided caffeine (not a coffee drinker) and my mother even banned me from drinking Mt. Dew at her house because it makes me bounce off the walls and talk like a chipmunk on speed. I’m also not a huge fan of tea, though I will drink herbal tea blends. At a departmental tea hour I attended today they only had black tea, so I tried some (and left the tea bag in my tea as I drank it like I do with herbal tea). I am now one giant ball of anxiety thanks to my poor ability to metabolize caffeine. I had to get up and leave my computer so I wouldn’t start crying for no reason because I was feeling so out of sorts. I really wish I could process caffeine.

TL;DR drank black tea that I steeped too long as a slow caffeine metabolizer, now am an anxious mess for the last hour of the work day.

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McWalking_Episode t1_jdxby1b wrote

Jeez. Today i learned about slow caffeine metabolization. Here i am after a coffee, a 5 hour energy and a bai, still half asleep at my desk.

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monkshood_bezoar OP t1_jdxcbrs wrote

Sounds like you must be a fast metabolizer. Here’s to getting through the rest of the day!

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WholeSilent8317 t1_jdxhphw wrote

it's also partially tolerance! if you need a ton of energy drinks/caffeine to get through the day, try cutting a small bit at a time. i know it's hard, but then it will be easier to stay awake when you really need it

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copper2copper t1_jdy9hsj wrote

I read that as "pain tolerance" for a second and got really concerned/confused.

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theknightone t1_jdyc0bn wrote

Try being an inattentive adhd person and weaning yourself off caffeine. It is a true test of pain tolerance lol

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Kierkaguardian t1_jdzs0s2 wrote

Literally me, lol. On top of that, I'm prone to migraines when I'm taking a caffeine hiatus to lower my tolerance if I don't remember to drink enough water. You can imagine how that goes with ADHD lol.

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epicenter69 t1_je07i48 wrote

Pain tolerance would be fitting also. Caffeine-withdrawal headaches suck.

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QUHistoryHarlot t1_jdyik6o wrote

Caffeine can also make ADHD people sleepy but that’s cause our brains are different. I am one of the (un?)lucky ones that caffeine doesn’t affect me at all.

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ZoraksGirlfriend t1_jdz3etq wrote

Is this why I always feel like napping after I have coffee? I have ADHD and I’ve never heard of this.

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QUHistoryHarlot t1_jdzlqsx wrote

Yep, it sure is. I’ve heard caffeine naps are the best naps in the world so I’m a little jealous but I also enjoy not getting tired after I have tea or a coke.

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eternal8phoenix t1_je1csoj wrote

Caffeine is baby adderall.

Seriously- small children with ADHD have LESS behaviour issues and better attention span after a sweet coffee than 'sober'.

Both are stimulants that get the ADHD brain to get its ass in gear and focus on something, in less than scientific terms.

https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-caffeine

Not the source I remember reading byt has some info.

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Oohshiny77 t1_je2mztx wrote

Agreed! I worked a 12 hour backshift, got home and drank a Monster then crawled into bed and slept for 6 hours. Caffeine doesn’t affect me either.

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Wireeeee t1_jdxi4i1 wrote

It makes you lucky tbh! It means even with little amount of caffeine you get a big benefit

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monkshood_bezoar OP t1_jdxj7ur wrote

It certainly is useful when I have to be at work for over 24 hours!

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ZoraksGirlfriend t1_jdz3c7r wrote

Hmm. Caffeine has never had too much of an effect on me. I’ll drink a cup of coffee and be ready for a nap 30 minutes later. I can even have caffeine at night and it won’t affect my ability to fall asleep. I’ve never heard of this slow/fast metabolized thing, but it makes sense.

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more_beans_mrtaggart t1_jdz718b wrote

I had that come up in my genetic test. Slow caffeine metabolism, and I’m a British tea drinker. I love extra strong tea.

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unepommeverte t1_jdxl5we wrote

Btw some people (more common with adhd and autism) dont get energy from caffeine but can still develop health problems from drinking too many energy drinks

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McWalking_Episode t1_jdxosmc wrote

Im adhd and dont take my meds so, makes sense

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JustMeAndMySnail t1_jdyrfkc wrote

You should take your meds or, if you feel they aren’t appropriate for you, seek additional assistance

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ciarenni t1_jdyz69r wrote

Assuming they're in the US, they might be unable to get more meds currently and are rationing them.

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theknightone t1_jdycdbc wrote

Its because the caffeine reacts in our brains differently and helps engage pathways in our brain to achieve a semi-neurotypical feedback loop and focus. Its why most adhd meds are stimulants and you'll find unmedicated people have an unhealthy reliance on caffeine.

The science behind why we often seem "lazy" is really interesting.

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mcanallys-pub t1_jdy6dp3 wrote

Yep, caffeine really doesn’t perk me up at all.

That didn’t stop me from developing a heart arrhythmia from overuse of stimulants!

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unepommeverte t1_jdycy4p wrote

Yup i just saw a post about a guy who started drinking energy drinks as a kid, trying to get the same hyperactivity as his friends. And now he's an adult with nerve problems from the vitamins and whatnot building up

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Cyneganders t1_jdxjgxv wrote

I had 9 coffee in the first 5 hours of being awake today. Wish I'd had more. I can't focus because I'm so bored of my project...

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Dragonfly452 t1_jdxtmla wrote

Please please please drink water too

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Cyneganders t1_jdza47b wrote

Don't worry, had tonnns of water. I'm situated near a water filtering dispenser and constantly refill my bottle. Do the same thing every day when it comes to that one. Reminds me, time for more coffee and possibly a refill of water!

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CharlieandtheRed t1_jdyjiqy wrote

Do you smoke or vape?

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McWalking_Episode t1_jdymt1s wrote

Depends on the mood. Why?

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CharlieandtheRed t1_jdyqt98 wrote

I was like you before -- no amount of caffeine did anything to me. Then I quit vaping/smoking for 20 days and an expresso gets me straight wired now lol

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snowmandala t1_jdzw3fg wrote

I can literally drink a gallon of coffe and go to sleep one hour later.

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epicenter69 t1_je07dls wrote

Yep. 2 cups of coffee, a monster and a Mountain Dew later, I’m still nodding off.

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aboatdatfloat t1_je0pawu wrote

Yeah any energy i get from caffeine is gone in usually about 1-2 hrs, depending on how much i had

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lemonpotato913 t1_jdxgp3i wrote

Caffeine gives me anxiety and definitely doesn't wake me up, but I think that's a combination of my anxiety disorder and ADHD.

I hope you've been able to relax and get that caffeine out of your body.

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monkshood_bezoar OP t1_jdxjd8w wrote

Thanks! I went for a walk and the anxiety level is now manageable, haha

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lemonpotato913 t1_jdxld55 wrote

Good! I hate caffeine-induced anxiety with a passion. I can never trust regular coffee ordered by anyone else or made by someone unfamiliar. I typically stick to chai or iced tea unless my husband makes coffee in the morning.

Walks definitely help with anxiety. Getting outside to take a deep breath in general typically helps me- regardless of how long I can be out there.

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YRUZ t1_jdyiftw wrote

i only drink caffeine in energy drinks and that's rarely for the caffeine itself but primarily because i like the taste. i don't think i ever consciously felt caffeine, although i did feel sick after having a 2l coke at the cinema once.

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lemonpotato913 t1_jdym5be wrote

Well, first of all, do you have ADHD? It can affect people differently- primarily by doing nothing, helping them focus, or helping them sleep. Secondly, I think a 2L coke would make anyone feel sick due to that much sugary syrup. Even diet coke has a sweetener that would make someone feel sick after 2L of it; it's just not sugar.

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Apprehensive-Pen-531 t1_jdxladn wrote

I have the same problem! I cannot handle caffeine to save my life! It makes me feel absolutely horrendous.

Recently, I had very little sleep as the neighbours had kept me up nearly all night with their party (lovely) and had to work a long shift. I literally could not keep my eyes open for the life of me, so I decided to get myself an iced coffee. I hate to drink coffee bc it makes me shit like there is no tomorrow (I have IBS) but it was an emergency and I really didn't want to fall asleep at work.

I felt like I had taken drugs and had a huge hangover at the same time. I felt nauseous, had a headache, got diarrhea half an hour after finishing, but at the same time my eyes where wide open, my hands were shaking, I couldn't sit still and I was having heart palpitations. While my brain still felt so tired.

I will never have coffee ever again.

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monkshood_bezoar OP t1_jdxm8xn wrote

This sounds absolutely horrendous, I’m sorry you had to experience that!

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Fun_Engineering_5865 t1_jdxeqny wrote

Oh my goodness! I have a name for why I can’t drink decaf coffee because it makes me too jittery!

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SergeantStoned t1_jdyws41 wrote

Decaf means no caffeine. You're getting a nocebo effect from decaf coffee if I'm not misreading because I'm hella sleepy.

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ZoraksGirlfriend t1_jdz3lta wrote

I believe decaf still has some caffeine, just at an amount that wouldn’t affect most people.

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SergeantStoned t1_jdztsm9 wrote

That's true, according to a quick Google regular decaf has 2mg per cup whereas normal coffee comes in between 95-120mg.

I don't know if such a miniscule amount of decaf is enough to give someone the jitters as it's like at least 30times less than a normal cup of coffe.

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Ok-Category9249 t1_jdz30hu wrote

Did you just say nocebo efect? Cuz I'm crying.

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SergeantStoned t1_jdzlsqs wrote

Yes, it's the opposite of the placebo effect.

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Crissroad t1_jdzpmix wrote

Is it though? OP took decaf exactly because they think there is no caffeine in it. As opposed to taking decaf, thinking it’s normal coffee and feeling sick. (Just pondering technicalities)

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Fun_Engineering_5865 t1_je09a2s wrote

No, I’m so sensitive to caffeine that I tried decaf, knowing that there is a small amount, and it still made me very sick.

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SaxyOmega90125 t1_jdxnhzc wrote

Caffeine doesn't do a goddamn thing to me - first time I ever had espresso I fell asleep in my chair ten minutes later. And it isn't because I drink caffeine often, all I have is a cup of either black or herbal tea five or six nights a week (been known to go herbal for a week at a time) and I don't even like coffee.

Someone I know is a hardcore addict. Like, her need for caffeine has a significant negative impact on her day-to-day life, finances, and physical and mental health, that kind of addict.

And then there's you, who has one single cup of black tea and goes full tweaker.

Caffeine is bizarre stuff.

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Tlamat t1_je3axte wrote

Same. I like to drink it in the morning because it's warm and I like the taste, but it doesn't make me feel more energetic at all.

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yunghellenic t1_jdy5lto wrote

Don’t ever EVER try Cuban espresso. Or Greek coffee. I’m of both ethnicities and can say both are just safe for consumption alternatives to jet fuel 😅. Had a friend who didn’t know what the cafecito was and drank a whole cup as if it were black American. Mind you a normal serving is a single 30-50ml serving. They were borderline hallucinating and I thought we were going to have to take them to the hospital

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RedNova02 t1_jdzxty9 wrote

Where can I acquire this beverage? Asking for a friend

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yunghellenic t1_je04nso wrote

Popular brands are cafe bustello or la llave I live in Miami and they are pretty easy to find, mileage may vary elsewhere

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hljoorbrandr t1_jdyaupo wrote

Caffeine is nothing to me due to one simple hack - adhd

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Mr007McDiddles t1_jdxhxz5 wrote

Mtn Dew. The energy drink before energy drinks.

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apbailey t1_jdxqbok wrote

Quick tip: steep tea for 30 seconds and then discard that water and steep again for 30 seconds longer. 99% of the caffeine will drop in that first steeping.

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kuchenrolle t1_jdxya0n wrote

Do you have any source on this? I've heard a number of claims about the effects of tea preparation on caffeine content, but very little evidence.

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apbailey t1_jdy5vmy wrote

I was taught this at an industry conference on tea but I just did a Google search and it looks like recent research shows this to be false. Sorry for spreading bad info!

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xDaBaDee t1_jdxzv3u wrote

TIL: I can steep my tea enough to be a tweaker! WHOOOOOOBUDDY! LetsGo!

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kylieb209 t1_jdy5mxv wrote

Caffeine is weird. Personally, if I drink it early in the day or late in the afternoon, it doesn’t make me feel any different or more energized at all, it just makes me have a hard time falling asleep (and like a really hard time, I’ll be awake for hours). I wonder if this is part of why

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ObsoleteReference t1_jdxqx6r wrote

as a (black) tea drinker, i do approve of the department having the option of tea. As a chronic overthinker, when my department had coffee/tea hour, i think we had about 6 kinds of tea, black, decaf black, and herbal.

I have also just taken a glass of hot water (maybe with lemon) when i want a warm drink but not caffeine (I haven't found many herbals i like)

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OryseSey t1_jdxwpur wrote

i feel you. i don't handle my caffeine well since it can make me nauseous and gives me bad stomachaches and heart palpitations, and it takes AGES for it to go away. one time i drank this matcha tea and it took me a whole day for the effects to fully go away. fun times.

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willowsword t1_jdy0irl wrote

There is a genetic test called pillcheck (pillcheck.ca) that will test for stuff like this, if anyone is interested. I am also a low metabolizer for coffee.

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Borchert97 t1_jdyuajm wrote

I'm the opposite, I can be two cups of black tea in and one Monster Energy and I'm only marginally more alert than before and it's probably mostly placebo.

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RexIsAMiiCostume t1_jdyufw8 wrote

Oh, my dad is like that too. When he was putting in crazy hours at work and his boss asked how he wasn't tired, he explained that the caffeine from the M&Ms he was eating was enough for him... He assumed I had the same thing because caffeine made me nutty, but it turns out I was a child and children are more prone to bouncing off the walls in the first place.

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Lappi_Shadow_Wolf t1_jdzfgt1 wrote

Oh. My. God.

I thought getting a caffeine kick out of chocolate was just me.

I can't drink tea or coffee AT ALL. But chocolate? OOHHH BOY!! And easter chocolate?! It's almost like crack, man...

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RexIsAMiiCostume t1_je041yt wrote

Well if you get the 23 and Me testing that includes medical stuff (not just ancestry) that's one of the things they can interpret lol

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Wasps_are_bastards t1_jdzdym1 wrote

Apparently Ozzy Osbourne has the same issue. He can quaff amounts of cocaine and alcohol that would kill mere mortals, yet caffeine is his Kryptonite!

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RedNova02 t1_jdzxnos wrote

I guess I must be the opposite. I drink a monster ultra every working day In the morning, it doesn’t give me a buzz, it just wakes me up to a normal level of alertness and makes it so I don’t literally fall asleep at work. By mid day I need a caffeine boost to stay awake

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31spiders t1_je0dpyw wrote

LUCKY! I can drink a energy drink and go to sleep 20mins later.

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mfomatratzen t1_je11q11 wrote

Same here, I can happily take a double expreso for diner and be snoring half hour later.

I like bringing up snoring, is like yelling to the entire house “look how happily I’m sleeping!”

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Pistolwhipits t1_jdxsk3i wrote

Dumb question but would making yourself vomit help?

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emiliatheturtle t1_jdy75bk wrote

No, caffeine is a stimulant so throwing up would do nothing to help your brain and blood pressure.

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monkshood_bezoar OP t1_jdy3n0e wrote

I think it would depend on the situation. In my case I had finished drinking the tea 45-60 minutes prior and I think everything was probably absorbed or moved past the stomach at that point. If someone had been continuously throwing back caffeine and they were really poorly it may help, but it also might make someone feel worse instead of better. I think a walk and some water is the safest bet!

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CatPurrsonNo1 t1_jdyh7xk wrote

I have messed around SO MUCH with caffeine (not in a dangerous way) that it’s funny how much it affects me one day and a few weeks later my tolerance is sky-high. If I am having a lot of trouble with UTIs, I will usually cut out caffeine for a while. Eventually I end up drinking it again, and I’m like a hyperactive squirrel. Lately, it takes pretty large doses for me to even notice an effect.

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monkey_trumpets t1_jdytiix wrote

Huh I wonder if my daughter has that, caffeine makes her nuts.

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hamzer55 t1_jdyv5mc wrote

As I got older rather then caffiene boosting my energy all it does is give me anxiety, it’s really annoying. Some nights I’m in bed questioning myself why I’m so anxious worried and then realise that I had a coffee in the day.

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Tony_TNT t1_jdz7rki wrote

Holy hell. I had that hard symptoms of caffeine overdose only after drinking a Monster after an all nighter and when I drank a double espresso one time. Can't imagine having to go through it because of one cup of tea.

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[deleted] t1_jdzijlq wrote

Lol I have this! I drink green tea often and it has the same effect for me as coffee does on others (jitters, anxiety, alertness etc). I tried to drink a coffee once and after like two sips I had heart palpitations and my entire body was uncontrollably shaking 💀

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horusluprecall t1_jdzjj0s wrote

I drink 1-2 pots of black tea per day, It does almost nothing to me except for warming the inside of my torso.

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ghostfeather69 t1_jdzkgs1 wrote

Oh boi, I am lucky caffeine doesn't affect me at all.

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ccs004 t1_je01mfo wrote

Caffeine diffuses out pretty fast, so leaving the bag in doesn't add much caffeine, but it does make the tea bitter. I love tea, but if it's over steeped I dump it and start over

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R3ddditor t1_je08mke wrote

Didn't know this was a thing. I've been cutting back because of the debilitating headaches, but I was, on average, drinking 3x 300mg rockstars a day at work. 2x on my days off 🤷🏻‍♂️

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headtailgrep t1_je294gy wrote

Listen friend. It took me 15 years to realize I can't process caffiene. A diet coke at 1 pm and I ain't sleeping.

Ive given all caffiene drinks up since 2010 and never going back.

I will have a little green tea, chocolate, chocolate desserts in moderation and decafs from time to time.

Its doable and do not worry, just let it go and embrace the decaf world :)

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2wheeloffroad t1_jdxuy5j wrote

You need to go drink some green tea. It counters the effect of black tea.

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vikio t1_jdymzy2 wrote

Wait, are you joking? Or Is this something people actually advise? Cause green tea also has caffeine and would just prolong this man's suffering.

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