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Original poster

Anyone else who isn’t affected by caffeine?

74 replies

Kitanora · 23/05/2021 21:17

Having a chat with some friends last night who also said they can’t drink coffee after 2pm as they can’t sleep / they find they’re buzzing after a single cup of coffee etc.

I have always thought this so strange as caffeine doesn’t affect me at all. I don’t notice any effects and I can easily drink tea all evening and go to sleep easily. Anyone else?!

OP posts:
StooriMidori · 24/05/2021 00:31

I'm another one who used to chain-drink coffee all day and felt it didn't affect me. No buzz, slept fine. Then I went cold turkey for a week to prove to my flatmate it had no effect on me. She was obsessed with a particular diet fad and caffeine was on the shit list. I got daily sermons about everything I ate or drank (she monitored my bath times too, it was all very bizarre). Anyway, unfortunately for me the fucker was right - by the end of the week I was falling asleep on the couch by 9pm. I did cut down after that but never let on to her! Still love a cuppa though :)

QueenPaw · 24/05/2021 00:35

I'm 37, my dad is 71 and still mainlines coffee all day then sleeps like a log
Don't know if it's related but I can't metabolise cocodamol either, I may as well take a smartie. That's probably a redhead thing as I always need extra local anaesthetic too!
Was having an op done and said "oh I heard people with red hair bleed more"
Surgeon "mmmmmm yes" < sound of cauterising thing > Blush

Bythemillpond · 24/05/2021 00:35

I used to drink coffee as a bed time drink and sleep well. Not sure if I should return to this as since I have stopped I seemed to have terrible nights sleep.

I never got the buzz with a coffee or any energy drinks (have been drunk on cola)

I am unsure what the buzz feels like. I wish I did as it might boost my energy levels.
I have tried not having caffeine and was told after a few days I would feel awful but then I would feel amazing.

Didn’t particularly feel awful and felt pretty much the same apart from missing my favourite drink.

Bythemillpond · 24/05/2021 00:46

NakedBanana

Would be interesting to know the ages of those not affected by caffeine

I am in my 50s
Went completely off it as soon as I became pregnant. Otherwise I have been mainlining coffee since I can remember (Ihad it in my bottle when I was a toddler)

I have stopped coffee and any type of caffeine to see if it had any affect on my insomnia. For months I went without and it didn’t make an iota of difference

I wonder if having ADHD makes me immune to the effects. I am going for my final assessment in a couple of weeks time.

timeisnotaline · 24/05/2021 02:43

Interesting about the age thing, will see if it hits me! I love coffee but when I am super stressed and busy and doing late nights I have to swap it out for dark chocolate which does help me as coffee doesn't really. Lots of dark chocolate!

jasminoide · 24/05/2021 07:35

I swear that a strong coffee before bed helps me to sleep. No effect at all - same with Co cidamol. A colleague saw me taking it and warned me to be careful as she hallucinates and feels high when she has to take them. I don't feel anything!

NakedBanana · 24/05/2021 07:40

According to Dr Google

Sensitivity to caffeine is largely determined by the activity of the CYP1A2 enzyme in the liver. The more active the CYP1A2, the less sensitive we are to caffeine. 5 Several factors affect CYP1A2 activity. Age: CYP1A2 activity tends to decrease with age, so older people tend to be more sensitive to caffeine.

YellowFish12 · 24/05/2021 08:35

Nope. Caffeine is a good drug for me!

I feel super buzzy and chatty after a espresso shot.

Can’t drink caffeine in the afternoon/evening without impacts on sleep.

I do caffeine before races and it makes me flyyyyyyyy

CMOTDibbler · 24/05/2021 08:43

It doesn't have any effect on me - I can have a couple of double espressos after dinner when out and fall asleep straight away when I get in.
Interestingly, it doesn't have any effect on ds either

crossstitchingnana · 24/05/2021 09:04

10-15% of people are not affected by caffeine

30% are super-sensitive to it

Rest are affected by it but have a limit (the normal)

LadyPoison · 24/05/2021 12:15

Would be interesting to know the ages of those not affected by caffeine

Now approaching 60. The menopause had no effect on my coffee drinking abilities luckily as in my job where I'd have to visit clients, black coffee is by far the safest drink.

I never drink fizzy drinks like cola or RedBull as I dislike the taste. All far too sweet for me.

Sh05 · 25/05/2021 16:15

@NakedBanana
I'm 40

mygee · 25/05/2021 16:21

The only time I feel any effects from caffeine is when I get a coffee from a drive-thru McDonald's! It's very odd, I thought perhaps it's because I'm just 'sat' in the car whereas any other time I drink coffee I'm moving around and burning off the energy from the caffeine- but it only happens with McDonald's coffee, no others?!

Otherwise- no. I've switched to mostly decaf recently and don't feel any different.

Northernsoullover · 25/05/2021 16:21

I notice if I have a late cup that I can't sleep but I only have one cup per day anyway. I can get away with an instant coffee but if I have an Americano whilst out I end up pissing like a racehorse every 15 minutes.

CPsRus · 25/05/2021 16:24

Me! It relaxes me and focuses me! I can drink gallons of it a day and sleep ok.

I also have ADHD and it is commonly reported amongst the ADHD groups. I think that our differing brain chemistry makes us react differently to caffeine.

swampytiggaa · 25/05/2021 16:28

I’m 51. Can drink tea or coffee all day and night and have no issue sleeping. Also no issues if I don’t drink caffeine.

Sadly it means that I can’t use it to keep awake 😂😂

SwimBaby · 25/05/2021 16:28

I gave up all caffeine and also decaf drinks 2 years ago and noticed I was lot less anxious.

TheDiddlyGang · 25/05/2021 16:52

I used to drink huge amounts of caffeine in the form of tea, like 25 plus cups a day with no effect.
However
I think the lack of effect is a trick, I think after a while your body gets used to the caffeine and doesn’t respond anymore but that doesn’t mean you aren’t addicted, try going without and you’ll feel it!

On a few occasions me and DH (also a big tea drinker) have run out and by the next day we have both been nursing cracking headaches and terrible fatigue.

We only drink decaf now.

Gwenhwyfar · 25/05/2021 16:59

@SwimBaby

I gave up all caffeine and also decaf drinks 2 years ago and noticed I was lot less anxious.
So is there any hot drink left for you? What do you drink in a cafe or if invited to a friend's?
Gwenhwyfar · 25/05/2021 17:00

@CPsRus

Me! It relaxes me and focuses me! I can drink gallons of it a day and sleep ok.

I also have ADHD and it is commonly reported amongst the ADHD groups. I think that our differing brain chemistry makes us react differently to caffeine.

Well people with ADHD can be prescribed speed so that makes sense.
funktion · 25/05/2021 17:02

Too much caffeine is bad for people who suffer with anxiety, I’m sensitive to it, some of my worse panic attacks were after I’d drunk caffeine.

MinesaBottle · 25/05/2021 17:02

I’m not affected by it either…it’s either genetic or because I have ADHD I would guess.

SwimBaby · 25/05/2021 18:54

Gwenhwyfar I drink fruit teas. I’d never had one before but now I’m really in to them. I meet a lot of friends for ‘coffee’ so these work well. Same with sparkling water, I used to hate it and now I love it.

Gwenhwyfar · 25/05/2021 19:14

@SwimBaby

Gwenhwyfar I drink fruit teas. I’d never had one before but now I’m really in to them. I meet a lot of friends for ‘coffee’ so these work well. Same with sparkling water, I used to hate it and now I love it.
Careful with your teeth then if you drink a lot of them.
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