Help me break my energy drink addiction

[KCrockaholic]

Since I was 11 or 12 years old, on average, I've drank about 2 per day.

I slowed down considerably right around 20 years old, and since then have been on about 1 or 2 per day.

If I see them in a grocery store, I have to buy one. If I go inside to Quik Trip, there's no chance I can walk out empty handed. I don't even feel a true burst of energy off them, and haven't felt that in many years. I drink them and at most I'll be at a normal level of energy, but without one I'll feel heavy eye'd throughout the day.

I'm still in decent/good shape, but I'm tired of feeling tired. I feel like once I finally break away from these things I'll once again have my natural energy back and maybe once I do indulge in a caffeinated beverage I'll actually feel energy from it. At this point I can still drink one or two and fall asleep 5 minutes later no problem.

It's a real addiction, and I need to do something about it. Don't know how to alter my mind into thinking I don't need energy drinks anymore, but I gotta stop.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by tjwessksu

Actually the correct term is adrenal dysregulation, because there are periods of high and low cortisol, thanks for pointing that out about the fatigue thing. And no it is not made up, do you know the lab used to test for adrenal dysregulation, dhea, etc. im guessing you have zero background and no research on this field because you are referring to dr oz, who merely exists to confuse the hell out of people. I knew any legitimate discussion as to the causes of fatigue would be blasted on a forum like this.

1. Cortisol fluctuates throughout the day. We know this, and it is nearly impossible to mimic our body's cortisol production, though we try in people who need it. Know what happens when you take exogenous cortisol as a normal person? The adrenals are negatively inhibited and start to atrophy. Same goes for exogenous thyroid, testosterone, and other hormones. Long story short- don't **** with hormones or the glands that produce them will say "**** this guy!" and quit on you.
2. DHEA and cortisol are in different adrenal pathways. One is a androgens precursor, while the other is a glucocorticoid. How you can spin the two as being intimately related besides having cholesterol as a common precursor is beyond me. Only time it comes into play is when congenital adrenal enzyme deficiencies are present, and those are rare as ****.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Cunning Linguist

This sums up how I feel about "supplements" in general.

"In general" I would agree. A lot of them can serve a purpose when used correctly, but are often overly hyped when marketed. As the old saying goes supplements are meant to supplement a diet and exercise program, not take the place of.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Cunning Linguist

No. We have a scientific method that fuels the evidence-based medicine doctors practice daily. You can toss around terms like subclinical hypothyroidism and fill in massive logical gaps with lofty promises, but when there is absolutely no data and evidence to support your bullshit, people will call you a quack.

Sorry, but you're a ****ing quack.

Dude, you are coming off as a prick if you deem to dismiss any and all pathologies simply because they have yet to gain established practicum. Observational data, often comes out as a secondary finding many times in research and investigative protocols. Hell, new findings pop up about the health related effects of substances we've been ingesting for years that were previously unknown. Of course, there is a lot of snakeoil salesman, but caveat emptor to those that don't do their own research and due diligence. It certainly doesn't mean everything is junk science. That's obtuse and dangerously ignorant

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I've heard mixed reviews from people that have tried injectable B vitamins. Never checked out the science though since I wasn't planning on trying it myself.

My dad is a doctor and we've had a number of conversations about vitamin B and it's benefits. He's head of the largest clinical phase 1 group in America. Clinical phase 1 are 1st time in man drug trials, so he has a decent amount of understanding of physiological responses to compounds in man. He and I are both in agreement on the gains in vitamin B and their benefits. Just FYI.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

"In general" I would agree. A lot of them can serve a purpose when used correctly, but are often overly hyped when marketed. As the old saying goes supplements are meant to supplement a diet and exercise program, not take the place of.

What are your thoughts on:
1. 1 in 3 were found to contain little to none of what they listed on the bottle
2. Supplements are only subject to regulation AFTER they are proven to cause harm, not before (as with prescription meds).
3. The thousands of adverse events from taking supplements.

That's scary shit.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Dude, you are coming off as a prick if you deem to dismiss any and all pathologies simply because they have yet to gain established practicum. Observational data, often comes out as a secondary finding many times in research and investigative protocols. Hell, new findings pop up about the health related effects of substances we've been ingesting for years that were previously unknown. Of course, there is a lot of snakeoil salesman, but caveat emptor to those that don't do their own research and due diligence. It certainly doesn't mean everything is junk science. That's obtuse and dangerously ignorant


My dad is a doctor and we've had a number of conversations about vitamin B and it's benefits. He's head of the largest clinical phase 1 group in America. Clinical phase 1 are 1st time in man drug trials, so he has a decent amount of understanding of physiological responses to compounds in man. He and I are both in agreement on the gains in vitamin B and their benefits. Just FYI.

I am not dismissing "any and all pathologies simply because they have yet to gain established practicum". I am simply calling the bullshit on these ridiculous buzzwords. It's not obtuse at all. We have practice standards that we abide by based on hashed out concepts and evidence, and we also know the crazy shit that people think they have because of quack people who misinterpret clinical ideas and construe them in odd ways to sound like health pioneers. it's getting ****ing old.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Cunning Linguist

What are your thoughts on:
1. 1 in 3 were found to contain little to none of what they listed on the bottle
2. Supplements are only subject to regulation AFTER they are proven to cause harm, not before (as with prescription meds).
3. The thousands of adverse events from taking supplements.

That's scary shit.

I see both sides of it. On one hand I'd like to know what is on the label is what I'm taking, but I'm not a fan of the government having even more power to be dictating what I can and can't put into my own body

[Don Corlemahomes]

Is there such a thing as adrenal fatigue?

Answers from Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Adrenal fatigue is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems. The term often shows up in popular health books and on alternative medicine websites, but it isn't an accepted medical diagnosis.

Your adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones that are essential to life. The medical term adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) refers to inadequate production of one or more of these hormones as a result of an underlying disease.

Signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency may include:

Fatigue
Body aches
Unexplained weight loss
Low blood pressure
Lightheadedness
Loss of body hair
Skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation)
Adrenal insufficiency can be diagnosed by blood tests and special stimulation tests that show inadequate levels of adrenal hormones.

Proponents of the adrenal fatigue diagnosis claim this is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress. The unproven theory behind adrenal fatigue is that your adrenal glands are unable to keep pace with the demands of perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. As a result, they can't produce quite enough of the hormones you need to feel good. Existing blood tests, according to this theory, aren't sensitive enough to detect such a small decline in adrenal function — but your body is.

It's frustrating to have persistent symptoms your doctor can't readily explain. But accepting a medically unrecognized diagnosis from an unqualified practitioner could be worse. Unproven remedies for so-called adrenal fatigue may leave you feeling sicker, while the real cause — such as depression or fibromyalgia — continues to take its toll.


Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Cunning Linguist

Why? The liver stores massive amounts of B12, and you would have to be avoid it for months to become deficient. Pointless.

And it's readily available in meat and dairy. The only people who should worry are strict vegans.

Yes it is available in meat. But if a person is deficient sometimes diet isn't enough to get them up to where they need to be. I had B12 anemia at an earlier time and was treated with supplements and then I didn't need them after a few months. Nutrition-trained chiros do blood work too ya' know, to find such things. But they look at the blood work differently. They going for optimum health not just lack of pathology. They go to school just as long as doctors. Doctors are woefully uneducated on nutrition.

Just one more thing, I was put on thyroid medication by a doctor at age 16 when four years another doctor was appalled by the decision whereby I was taken off. It used to keep me up all night. Medical doctors make mistakes and get sued too.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I see both sides of it. On one hand I'd like to know what is on the label is what I'm taking, but I'm not a fan of the government having even more power to be dictating what I can and can't put into my own body

Yeah, I understand that feeling. But it's kinda sad when (1 out of 3 times) you don't even know what you're putting into your body.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Yes it is available in meat. But if a person is deficient sometimes diet isn't enough. I had B12 anemia at an earlier time and was treated with supplements. Nutrition-trained chiros do blood work too ya' know to find such things too. They go to school just as long as doctors. Doctors are woefully uneducated on nutrition.

Were you on any medication? Vegan? Alcoholic? Digestive disorder?

Because otherwise, I'd like to read the case study highlighting you as the first megaloblastic anemia due to spontaneous B12 deficiency.

Also, quantity does not mean quality. Just FYI.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Just one more thing, I was put on thyroid medication by a doctor at age 16 when four years another doctor was appalled by the decision whereby I was taken off. It used to keep me up all night. Medical doctors make mistakes and get sued too.

That doctor is an idiot, and that example actually favors my point.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by tjwessksu

A functional medicine practitioner will run a lot of tests to look for nutritional deficiencies, as these are pretty much at the heart of every disease known to man,

Not all of them. I had tests run by a regular doc because he said I was ill and wanted to run some tests. The tests came back not showing any pathology whatsoever. When I went to this chiro just for a routine adjustment, I mentioned what was going on. Turned out she was an allergy specialist and nutritionist, training in natural internal medicine, so she wanted to see the same tests as she looked at them differently. She suspected certain things when she saw the same tests, then order some other tests for more. One was a test where your blood gets dipped into 40 or more foods and shows not just if you're allergic to a food but by how much or if just sensitive. Once mine were found, all my energy returned plus other improvements such as rashes, hives etc. after eating certain foods.

She also treats other medical doctors, her father is a doctor and her wall is plastered with testimonials from patients including patients formerly treated by medical doctors who could only treat symptoms and not causes.

Awesome results!

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Cunning Linguist

Were you on any medication? Vegan? Alcoholic? Digestive disorder?

Because otherwise, I'd like to read the case study highlighting you as the first megaloblastic anemia due to spontaneous B12 deficiency.

Also, quantity does not mean quality. Just FYI.

Actually, this is true. Some supplements are crap but also some supplement brands are not absorbed by everyone the same as others. Plus we all need the same nutrients, but as individuals we need them in different amounts. Everyone is different.

I was on no medication. Not a vegan, alcoholic and had no digestive disorder. I don't give a damn about any case study, I go by how I feel afterwards. I wasn't going to go for shots that's for sure.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Not all of them. I had tests run by a regular doc because he said I was ill and wanted to run some tests. The tests came back not showing any pathology whatsoever. When I went to this chiro just for a routine adjustment, I mentioned what was going on. Turned out she was an allergy specialist and nutritionist, training in natural internal medicine, so she wanted to see the same tests as she looked at them differently. She suspected certain things when she saw the same tests, then order some other tests for more. One was a test where your blood gets dipped into 40 or more foods and shows not just if you're allergic to a food but by how much or if just sensitive. Once mine were found, all my energy returned plus other improvements such as rashes, hives etc. after eating certain foods.

She also treats other medical doctors, her father is a doctor and her wall is plastered with testimonials from patients including patients formerly treated by medical doctors who could only treat symptoms and not causes.

Awesome results!

I had a similar thing happen to me whereby I needed open heart surgery and a chiropractor/heart specialist cracked my back and I was fine. My heart disease went away the next day and I had sex with 87 virgins cuz I had my heartness back.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

"In general" I would agree. A lot of them can serve a purpose when used correctly, but are often overly hyped when marketed. As the old saying goes supplements are meant to supplement a diet and exercise program, not take the place of.

Plus he doesn't have the person or patient in front of him and everyone is different.