Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Don't Touch My Dew!...


It's a well-known fact, I don't drink coffee. I'm rather surprised I have not been ridden out of Seattle on a rail by the mega-coffee pusher, STARBUCKS...I just DO NOT like coffee, so sue me, big boys! I know it's completely "unamerican" to live in the city known around the world for it's coffee producers...whatever.


It's rather funny when I admit to the "locals" that I'm not a coffee fan. They look at me in total disbelief as if I've grown two heads...they shake their heads and I am sure consider ME "touched" in the head. Living where I do and NOT drinking coffee is almost like being a hardcore drug addict and living in a pharmacy...how could I NOT be tempted to at least TRY the goods???


Well, I'm not. And the reason for this is because I have my own, secret caffeine weapon, which is far more superb than regular old coffee. It's Mountain Dew...the soft drink of champions! (And I'm not getting paid by the Pepsi Company to say this either!)


When the MS fatigue hit me big time before even being diagnosed, I stumbled upon Mt. Dew. At first, I thought the drink just "tasted good" and I realized I actually craved it over time. Unfortunately, what I "craved" was not the taste, however...it was the bolus of caffeine found in every can...about 55mg per 12 ounces to be exact!


Now, by comparison to the regular drip coffee at Starbucks (which contains caffeine somewhere in the realm of 200mg per 8 ounces), it is true I would need to drink about 4/12 ounce servings of Mountain Dew to equal 1/8 ounce serving of coffee...this sounds pretty good to me because I "dew" like the taste of Mt. Dew. But then there's the sugar content...


Mountain Dew contains roughly 46 grams of sugar per 12 ounce can...that's a pretty lofty dose of carbohydrates. And, if I were to drink 4/12 ounce cans equaling one 8 ounce serving of Starbucks caffeine content (and believe me, I HAVE done this!), that sugar content quadruples - 184 grams of sugar...this MIGHT explain the weight issue...LOL


I've been thinking a lot lately about my caffeine consumption (let's just call a spade a spade...my OVERWHELMING DAILY INTAKE OF MOUNTAIN DEW!) and making some connections between my current fatigue level and this consumption. I'm worried one feeds off the other. My previous neurologist (NOT Dr. She Who Will Not Be Named...she would NEVER give me this advice!) told me to just go ahead and "down the dew" (not her words, mine) if I thought it helped with my fatigue...she also told me this because I refused to take Amantidine or Provigil, two drugs given to combat MS fatigue! I imagine she weighed the results and it simply wasn't worth fighting over with me...


In my current thinking, I am considering doing my own, home-grown, unblinded, completely biased study regarding this issue...but I'm not just stopping there. I am also weighing out the possibility of including this "study" here on BrainCheese, with moi as it's sole participant! (The drug companies will LOVE this!) I am currently researching the cause and effects of MS fatigue/diet/caffeine consumption/blood pressure and, once I have gathered my data, I may begin my personal study...of course, all documented here for your reading entertainment (or lack there of).


But I don't think I could ever DO and WRITE ABOUT anything without some kind of sarcastic humor, so...I'm thinking of doing this 28 day experiment/study based on the same principles as the movie, "Super-size Me". My personal study will be presented as a "mockumentary" and I think it will be called, "Down-size Me". I'm still working out the details (and what I could possibly LIVE with as guidelines!), but I'll definitely keep all y'all posted.


In the meantime, I'm off to have a few sips of the "Dew" and decide if I can possibly give up my drug of choice for 28 days in the name of pseudoscience!...


12 comments:

harkoo said...

Diet cokes spaced throughout the day helps my fatigue and is the only thing that helps my mind feel clearer--i will be putting Mountain Dew on my grocery list today to give it a try--I took a provigil--the whole pill--several years ago and it kept me awake for 3 days--it is what the truckers use to stay awake on those all-night drives--now take it in tiny pieces if i need a boost-but you can't do that often-and you can get so high and be innappropriate on even alittle dose.

Anonymous said...

I would be a beast ( or at least a bigger one than usually) without my black espresso brew in the morning ( I call it black gold LOL!!!, and I am almost certain that Starbucks folks call it the same but for different reason LOL) ….My family learned the hard way to stay out of my way before the first cup !!! I tried Amantadine and it did nothing for me , Provigil is ok but darn expensive and it wears off after a while …..

Miss Chris said...

I'll be curious to see how your "study" turns out. I'm a hard core coffee junkie but...I only have 2 cups every morning and that's it. HOWEVER...I'd have serious withdrawls without it!

Funky Mango said...

Coffee, "full fat" Coke and the occasional Red Bull here...PLUS provigil...and I'm still asleep all day ;-)

Peej said...

My diet A&W is caffeine free and, for some odd reason I haven't wanted coffee since I quit smoking. Now it's tea I crave!

I used to drink the full fat Coke but gained 20 lbs without breaking a sweat. No more of that for me thanks.

HEY!! A HUGE HELLO TO FM FROM PJ! :)

Hugs to all!

Funky Mango said...

I can't drink diet drinks, Nutrasweet gives me migraines :-(

*waves to PJ*

BRAINCHEESE said...

HARKOO/JOYCE:

Beware of the DEW! It's pretty high octane even compared to Coke...

I'm still staring at the bottle of Amantadine prescribed over a year ago for my fatigue...LOL

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

ADINA/ANON(LOL):

I think Texans might sue you for your use of the term, "black gold"...they're pretty protective of that language! LOL

Isn't espresso just like sucking on wet coffee beans?!? I wouldn't know as I've never had one/it...

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

MISS CHRIS:

I'm pretty much "hardcore" Dew, too...I'm hoping to just remain out of jail for the 28 days (as I fear no caffeine will only increase dormant homicidal urges!).

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

FUNKY MANGO:

I KNOW you're awake sometime during the day/night...I've been reading your blog! Unless, of course, you have some kind of robot posting ability...but come to think of it, without caffeine, aren't we ALL somewhat on autopilot???

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

PEEJ:

You're my "kick the habit(s)" hero! Too bad I happen to know your secret method, however! (That flu bug was a nasty beauch, wasn't it?!?)

Be well...

LD

BRAINCHEESE said...

FUNKY MANGO:

I can't drink diet drinks either...they interfere with my obesity!

LD