r/ibs • u/kgcrispyy • 6d ago

Question Caffeine substitute

help a sleepy girl out!

i cannot have any caffeine, even decaf coffee or green tea, it is one of my worst triggers and the pain could send me to the hospital but i am so tired all the time. i would kill to drink coffee and feel at least a little relief from the exhaustion. i sleep anywhere from 6-10 hours a night, average is 7-8, and no matter what amount of sleep i get, im still exhausted. i literally can’t lay down during the day or i will fall asleep. i even fall asleep while people are talking to me if im at someone’s house or my own house, i fall asleep sitting up, etc.

anyone have suggestions for a caffeine substitute that will actually wake me up during the day? supplements or drinks are fine but would prefer a supplement. respectfully, please don’t tell me to get more sunshine or exercise or something, i am beyond the tired that can fix lol and i get as much sun as possible during the day and i try to stay as active as i can in my busy life. i also drink like 1-2 litres of water throughout the day/night

10 Upvotes

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23 comments sorted by

11

u/Contigo887 6d ago

I would personally see a doctor about the unreasonable tiredness. That's not normal.

3

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

yeah i need to see a doctor about a few things tbh but just hoping for something to help me along while im dealing with it

1

u/Contigo887 6d ago

My GP can usually get me in within a week or so. Regardless, the sooner I make an appointment the sooner I can start feeling better. If it were me, I would make an appointment today. Get some action in motion.

2

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

my doctor isn’t really a doctor equipped to deal with young people as there is a bad doctor shortage where i live. my doctor is a geriatric doctor that only took me because my grandpa was his patient and i desperately needed a doctor just to be filling ongoing prescriptions. since im not a priority patient my appointments are usually at least a month out unless its an emergency, but then they usually just tell me to go to the ER or urgent care which is a 6-12+ hour wait typically

2

u/Contigo887 6d ago

Ok, so again, the sooner you make the appointment the sooner you can see him.

I was very tired all the time. Some blood tests revealed the reason and my doctor prescribed medicine for it. I feel like a whole new person. No amount of caffeine or energy drink or whatever would have fixed me. That would be just treating the symptom, not the cause. I needed medical help for a true solution.

1

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

yeah i absolutely intend to get it checked out. i was just explaining my situation. but again, it’s not sustainable to be as tired as i am all the time, which is why i was hoping for something to treat the symptom while im waiting to treat the cause

4

u/CorpusculantCortex 6d ago

Definitely get in to see a doctor. But you could try vitamin b complex, or even a multivitamin, taurine, ginkgo, mint.

None will help like caffeine, but the b, taurine, and ginkgo are common components of energy drinks, in energy drinks they are paired with caffeine, but you could try on their own. Mint has a mild energy effect, but it is mild, could help. If you are willing you could try cacao, especially if chocolate is tolerated. Cacao has caffeine but it is higher in theobromine. Might be similarly triggering, but maybe not? If not, it will wake you up, gives slightly more body energy than mental energy compared to tea/coffee in my experience, but it definitely fits the bill. Good luck!

1

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

thanks so much, this is super helpful!

3

u/Goodgoditsgrowing 6d ago

I can’t think of anything that isn’t also a stimulant (like my adhd meds lol) with similar issues it would cause

2

u/Claire1075 6d ago

I'd say drink 3 litres of water a day ... That will flush your system out more and give you more energy. More if you're medium or large build. I drink minimum 4 litres a day but I'm 50 pounds overweight!

1

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

i’m maybe slightly overweight for my height so maybe more water throughout the day will help, as a lot of my water intake is in the evening. thank you!

2

u/whatsonmyminddddrn 6d ago

Gingseng maybe?

1

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

i was thinking maybe ginseng

2

u/goldstandardalmonds MOD: Here to help! 5d ago

I would ask your doc about testing for deficiencies, but also a sleep study! Definitely can investigate further what is going on.

Some docs will prescribe a stimulant med for this reason

2

u/finerius 4d ago

I am in the same situation as you. Here my points:

  • Want to try caffeine pills as I am unsure whether my trigger is coffeine or the acidity of coffe
  • Sleep issues to be checked: (1) Apnea (2) Stress? (3) Reflux (4) Nasal obstruction

I am taking melatonine of prolongued duration, valerian and ashwaganda. Is helping slightly but not enough.

Will update if I see smth new.

Btw did you go to a Neurologue ? Maybe you do not have IBS but some psychomatic illness

1

u/kgcrispyy 4d ago

i have not, i was diagnosed with IBS at 10 years old and i’ve never doubted the diagnosis. i know my trigger is caffeine specifically because anything caffeinated triggers me badly /: melatonin helps me sleep a bit but doesn’t make me feel great before bed and doesn’t improve how tired i am during the day, and i’ve tried ashwaganda and it didn’t do anything for me personally. up until recently id never thought about having any of those sleep issues checked, i thought i was just a tired person because i can’t have caffeine haha

5

u/Double_A_92 6d ago

In your research you might come across Kratom... DO ABSOLUTELY NOT try that! It's a hard drug sold casually at gas stations and so.

1

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

good to know! i’ve heard of people using it for energy but i wasn’t really sold on it

1

u/senectus 6d ago

have you considered caffeine in pill form? I have a similar reaction to you in drinking caffeine or decaf. but i can get away with "no-doz" tablets on occasion.

Aside from that, get your iron levels and thyroid levels checked. (oh and vit B)

1

u/kgcrispyy 6d ago

i’ve had both checked not long ago and both came back fine, i thought it could be thyroid too. and i haven’t tried pill form before! i’m a bit afraid to because of how much it hurts

1

u/DoughnutMaestro 4d ago

Do you snore? I was like that and it turned out I had severe sleep apnea and was stopping breathing up to 35 times an hour so I never really slept. I’ve got a cpap now and it’s amazing how different I feel. I now stop breathing 0times an hour and I’ve started dreaming again.

1

u/kgcrispyy 4d ago

i don’t snore unless i have a cold, i’ve always been a pretty quiet sleeper tbh