Large Scale Central

Our Devon Sinsley needs your prayers.

Now, he’s giving up coffee! The horror!

Steve Featherkile said:

Now, he’s giving up coffee! The horror!

Yes, I am unhappy about this. Conflicting schools of thought on caffeine and my condition. But it seems the general consensus is that just like caffeine raises your blood pressure it also raises intracranial pressure. But they prescribe caffeine to people with migraines and for my condition they prescribe strong diuretics. So I would think caffeine would be good. I am almost positive someone in a white coat told me to drink coffee and tea. But upon heating this news, and knowing that my shunt is “working” but I still have pressure issues, I have decided to give up caffeine at least as an experiment. I drink a very large amount of coffee and tea. So this should be interesting to say the least.

Wait until they say; ‘Sugar!’(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Keep the Faith buddy, caffeine is mental, your body doesn’t need it, but I know my body needs sugar!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)

John Caughey said:

Wait until they say; ‘Sugar!’(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Keep the Faith buddy, caffeine is mental, your body doesn’t need it, but I know my body needs sugar!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)

Your body may not need coffee but mine does, lol. So far sugar is not on the list other than for general weight loss.

delete

Devon Sinsley said:

delete

Devon,

You mean delete coffee or delete sugar with that delete? (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

I have never had a cup of coffee in my life. Don’t like the taste or smell, so I don’t miss it but I have faced the same conflicting issue regarding soft drinks and kidney stones. One nurse told me not to drink Diet Coke and gave me a brochure on what I could and could not eat/drink, which stated that diet drinks had no effect on kidney stones. The nurse just mumbled something and I have continued to drink them, although I have cut way back.

You might try tapering the coffee off a little bit at a time and see what happens. Good luck, my friend …

Delete the explicitives I have been saying under my breath this morning. No it was a double post.

I don’t think inhav e ever had "A’ cup of coffee in my life either. It’s usually several. I might cut back and have “a” pot of coffee. Lol.

Devon Sinsley said:

Steve Featherkile said:

Now, he’s giving up coffee! The horror!

Yes, I am unhappy about this. Conflicting schools of thought on caffeine and my condition. But it seems the general consensus is that just like caffeine raises your blood pressure it also raises intracranial pressure. But they prescribe caffeine to people with migraines and for my condition they prescribe strong diuretics. So I would think caffeine would be good. I am almost positive someone in a white coat told me to drink coffee and tea. But upon heating this news, and knowing that my shunt is “working” but I still have pressure issues, I have decided to give up caffeine at least as an experiment. I drink a very large amount of coffee and tea. So this should be interesting to say the least.

Coffee may raise your blood pressure. I drink at least 2 24 ounce cups of coffee a day, and I have borderline low blood pressure. But if the experts tell you to cut it out, I would do as you are doing and give it a try.

John Caughey said:

Wait until they say; ‘Sugar!’(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Keep the Faith buddy, caffeine is mental, your body doesn’t need it, but I know my body needs sugar!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)

John, I used to get headaches on the weekends, sometimes real bad ones, until I realized that I wasn’t stopping at the Convenience store on the weekends and getting my coffee. Since I started getting one 24 ounce cup of coffee on my days off, I haven’t had those headaches. So my body must need coffee.

Devon, yea. I’ll have a pot of coffee with you my friend.

I cut out caffeine from my diet a couple years ago. I still drink decaffinated coffee and tea and caffeen free cola though, but no chocolate and no antihistamines. This was under the direction of my urologist for my prostate health. Enlarged prostate issues and caffeen is not good for your prostate.

Frank…are you really as cool as your profile picture??? Dang!

I used to drink lots of coffee, and if I didn’t I would getting splitting headaches. Then one day a few years ago I lost my taste for it and stopped. Don’t know why. No withdrawals, nothing. Gave my coffee maker away and that was that. Strange. Now I have a couple of cups a month if it’s around, like in the waiting room at the vets, that kind of thing.

I wish I knew how these things worked. I quit smoking cigarettes, two or three packs a day, 29 years ago for Lent and never touched one since. I had quit a million times, but why then? Who knows. What ticks me off is that freaking Kaiser lists me on every document they have as “Former Smoker.” Fer christ’s freakin’ sake, isn’t there a statute of limitations?

the old question… quality versus quantity.

one talks with doctors, always that old joke comes to mind:

“what do you say, Doc? is this the end of wine, women and songs?”

“no, you may go on singing.”

medicinemen have told me to stop taking alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, cigarettes, sweets, pastas, red meat, butter, eggs and, and, and…

always with the explanation: “if you want to live longer”

i only ask myself, if i leave all these bad factors, why would i want to live longer?

a diet of water, margerine and scandinavian bread (you know, the sort, where only your eyes notice if you are eating the bread or the package) for sure would make, that the rest of my life would seem very long.

i think, fearing death is stupid - having in mind, that it seems to be a quite common thing.

Korm,

I am right there with you. I don’t mind giving up certain things for certain reasons. But I am not going to give up all of my vises so that I might squeeze another one, two, or even ten years out of life. Now not drinking caffeine to eliminate pain while I am still alive, yeah I will try that. This isn’t about longevity, its about living without pain for the rest of my years. Losing weight, so that I can enjoy my years (and eliminate pain) I will do. But I am not giving up bacon so I can live an extra year.

Well a little update. The no caffeine thing is actually going okay. Way better than I expected. Decaf coffee is not the greatest but it tastes and smells fine so I still have my morning coffee. I have not had a sip of iced tea since I started. I have had two sodas. I have always drank a lot of water so substituting with it was not a problem. Does it help? I don’t know, maybe I am feeling some relief. I see a neuro-opthomologist on June 4th to see if I am a candidate for eye surgery. She wants me on a med I took when this all started that made me feel like crap and didn’t do anything. We will see if that actually happens. I also received back an email from the Seattle Neuroscience Institute and they are willing to review my case. I have requested that my medical records be sent to them. They will either confirm my docs diagnosis and treatment or suggest I come in for testing and possible referral to a neurology specialty hospital in Seattle for further treatment. I am also trying to get into to see a pain management specialist to help with the chronic pain, especially the nerve pain that no one wants to admit I have.

Anyway thats were I am. Still kicking. It wont stop raining here but I look out the window and want to get out and run trains.

Devon Buddy we have been thinking of you…

Thanks for the update … Good luck…

Root Beer is caffeine free… Diet taste ok as well… Beer … Hmmm (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

good to see the no caffeine thing may be helping, glad you are feeling a little better, now get an umbrella and run a train, it cant hurt!

Hang in there buddy. Always thinking of you! (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Unless you count getting a second opinion “treatment,” of all the treatments I have received over the years, the pain management clinic was the most effective, so I highly recommend both. And bacon?, Well, yeah!

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Devon Buddy we have been thinking of you…

Thanks for the update … Good luck…

Root Beer is caffeine free… Diet taste ok as well… Beer … Hmmm (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

The only pop I drink is cola mixed with my whiskey. I will be buying caffeine free when I run out of the rest. I limit myself to about 4 a week total. If I can’t drink 4 diet caffeine free pops a week then the can go stuff it. I don’t drink a hexk of a lot of beer. Maybe 12 all year. When it comes to thirst coffee, iced tea, and water are my staples. And I can live with out the tea I think (once in a while on a hot day will be necessary. The rest of the time I am perfectly okay with my decaf coffee and water. I also like the powerade zeros.

Gregory Hile said:

Unless you count getting a second opinion “treatment,” of all the treatments I have received over the years, the pain management clinic was the most effective, so I highly recommend both. And bacon?, Well, yeah!

Yeah I am waiting to hear back from the pain management folks. If I have to live with this thing, then I am not afraid to admit I will need help with the pain. I don’t want to be strung out on opiates the rest of my life.