jmg@houxk.UUCP (08/09/83)
A couple of years ago I was suffering arthritis throughout my body. I also suffered palpitations of the heart. I had a metatarsal problem which caused sharp pains in my feet and formed a callous on the soles of my feet. Finally at age 37 I suffered a heart attack and spent three days in the cardiac care unit of the hospital where I was rushed from work. As I lay in the hospital I had lots of time to think about the cause of my problems. I had never smoked and didn't drink to excess. My blood cholestorol was on the low side of normal. Later tests determined that there was no blockage of blood vessels to the heart and I was declared by the doctor to have the stamina of an athlete. I decided to try an experiment on my own. Now at age 39 I have none of my former problems and I can run up stairs two at a time without breath- ing hard whereas previously climbing a few small steps caused me terrible pains in the knees. The only difference in what I was doing then and now is that I have ELIMINATED ALL CAFFEINE from my diet. This took a little research since most popular beverages contain the stuff and all forms of chocolate contain caffeine. Since my experience I've heard a number of similar stories though none were as deeply affected as in my case. If you have a similar experience please let me know. J. M. McGhee Bell Labs, Holmdel, N.J.
spaf@gatech.UUCP (08/09/83)
I have seen references that caffeine aggrevates allergies in some
individuals.
Too much caffeine will definitely cause some of the symptoms you
mentioned, especially if you develop a sensititivity to it.
People who drink 4+ cups a day can develop dizzy spells and
heart arhythmia in some cases.
On a related note, I have heard of cases where people who
have suffered from arthritis for years have eliminated the
pain by cutting potatoes and tomatoes out of their diet.
The two are related and contain trace amounts of all sorts
of interesting alkaloids (belladonna -- nightshade -- is also
related to these two). If you cut them completely out of your
diet for a month you should note the pain going away. I know
of at least two cases where this has worked; when one of the
individuals slipped and had a baked potato, she had a violent
attack of pain after being pain-free for 6 months.
Anyone out there with similar experience?
--
The soapbox of Gene Spafford
CSNet: Spaf @ GATech ARPA: Spaf.GATech @ UDel-Relay
uucp: ...!{sb1,allegra,ut-ngp}!gatech!spaf ...!duke!mcnc!msdc!gatech!spafjj@rabbit.UUCP (08/09/83)
I can confirm the part about effects of caffeine. (I haven't had a heart attack, though.) I've noticed several effects myself, among them cardiac arrythmia, high blood pressure, tintinitus, increased allergic reaction, insomnia, and a lack of attention span. I've also discovered that the first few days off of caffeine lead to the biggest migraine headache imaginable, but that about 3 days later, I feel about 5 years newer. The number of things that have caffeine in them is surprising, including almost all soft drinks (ESPECIALLY ALL OF THEM AVAILABLE IN THE MH CANTEEN!!!), chocolate, 'instant cocoa', etc. I've asked the ARA people several times to provide some non-caffeinated soda, and have always recieved the reply that I'm the only one who wants it. Anybody else have an impression? <P.S. lest the libertarians complain that I want to take away their right to suicide through chemicals, let me point out that they are WELCOME to their caffeine! More than welcome.>