jmg@houxk.UUCP (08/09/83)
In response to my submission of 8/9/83 on food and health I received the following inquiry: I'm curious how you decided that caffeine was the problem. And not some other factor. Were you otherwise fit when you had these problems, and what other changes have you made in your lifestyle? Ken Cochran hou5d!kwmc The answer is that I didn't immediately decide that caffeine was the problem. I formulated a hypothesis that caffeine MIGHT BE the problem and decided to test that hypothesis by means of a harmless experiment (i.e. stopping all caffeine intake). I decided that the experiment would be worthless unless I eliminated ALL caffeine. My background considerations were that the state-of-the-art medical treatment for arthritis was: 1. avoid stress ( just about impossible ) 2. take aspirin ( inadequate, doesn't cure, only relieves symptoms temporarily ) 3. if necessary have joints replaced with steel and plastic prosthetic joints ( this is gross overkill, expensive, painful and does nothing to stop the spread of the disease to other joints of the body, besides which I would have to get multiple joints replaced, very grim prospect ) And so, I let my body make the decision. Within one to two weeks I noticed that nervousness and palpitations were reduced. On ocassion I have inadvertantly taken a small amount of caffeine and noticed an immediate return of symptoms. Once I took some Excedrin without reading the label and noticed an increase in nervousness and anxiety along with the temporary return of joint pain. After reading the label I discovered that Excedrin like many other "pain relievers" contains caffeine. I was fit in the sense that I had the physical energy to jog or swim but I had to pay the price of increased joint pain after jogging and foot pain during jogging. As I said before the doctor who examined me at the hospital and administered the stress test (walking and jogging up a treadmill while being monitored for heart action and respiration) declared that I had the stamina of an athlete. "Look at him, he's not even breathing hard!" Like many another husband and father its virtually impossible for me to make any significant changes in lifestyle, I just keep rolling along. And I can say again as I said in my original article that the only significant change to my life has been the total elimination of caffeine from my diet. Some people have suggested that I could drink de-caffeinated coffee (de-caffeinated means SOME caffeine has been removed but not all) or that I could eat some chocolate but I feel that I just can't put up with the pain for a few fleeting seconds of enjoyment. Joe McGhee Bell Labs, Holmdel, N.J.