caffeine alternatives for soda drinkers (no coffee/tea please)

[Kaylee]

I'm a Caffeine User.
Specifically, via soda (typically generic Mountain Dew).

When I started planning a year ago, caffeine alternatives were high on my list, since it may not always be practical or frugal to buy & store soda (i.e. cost at small town grocery stores).

I considered, but rejected anything requiring heating (e.g. coffee, tea), so as to save on fuel.
I do have some MRE coffee packs, and will eventually try them.
There's already tons of info about coffee & tea, so no need to mention them here.

Here's what I've tried, and I welcome info on more products:

Gum:
"Stay Alert" Military Energy Gum
Amazon: $28.00 for 24 packs with 5 pieces each (120 total)

"Jolt Caffeine Energy Gum"
currently not available at Amazon

I've used both for years. Recently used a 6 year old pack of each, so they have excellent shelf life.
Fast acting, compact size, but doesn't have the same "experience" as guzzling Dew.
Definitely acceptable.

Drink Sticks:
Various brands, various prices.
Same "experience" as guzzling soda.
Biggest downside is artificial sweeteners.
Adequate.

Caffeine Tablets:
Bought some years ago, have not tried.
I'm wondering about combining those with non-artificial sweetened drink mixes.
Any experiences?

 

[lenny flank]

I don't drink coffee either--I hate the stuff. Blech.

My caffeine source has always been Cherry Coke.

There used to be a soda called "Jolt", which advertised itself as "all the sugar and twice the caffeine". It worked every time. But I haven't seen that in a long long long time now.

 

[Kaylee]

Lenny, I fondly remember Jolt cola!
Prior to college, I was a caffeine virgin, then got sidetracked into programming, and student peers pressured me to pop my caffeine cherry.

Hmmm... turns out Amazon does still carry "Jolt gum" (from the same maker of the cola)!
I had checked the URL for my last order, and did not do a fresh search.
Right now, there's even a $2 off coupon.

 

[lenny flank]

 "Jolt gum" 

Now THAT is funny.   

 

[maki2]

You can buy straight caffeine pills at any pharmacy. No prescription needed. It is over the counter stuff. Just ask the pharmacy clerk where it is.

No Doze was a brand that used to be very common and it is still around but not being advertised. People who did long driving trips would keep a bottle in the glove box for emergency when they got too sleepy but there was no coffee around. There were not a lot of 24 hour gas stations or cafe's on the highways in the 40's and 50's.

 

[Kaylee]

Hey, glad I could share!

I bought the gum both as a backup and for driving, though have rarely used them for driving since pulling over & napping are safer. I'm really glad I had several packs interspersed between all my gear, since I quickly ran out of soda during my current month+ breakdown with no transportation.
From Walmart during this period, I did order some boxes of Wyler's caffeinated "Totally Tropical" drink sticks, which worked well.

Have you tried caffeine pills, or anything like that?

 

[Kaylee]

Maki, didn't see your post while I was replying to Lenny.

Have you used the pills, and (if so), how was it compared to your regular caffeine?
I'm expecting completely subjective feedback, though any objective data is always welcome.

Oops - should have mentioned that my Use Case is to help increase my concentration while creating computer code, hence my concern about cost & bulk, since I use it almost every day.

Dang, forgot one other type....

*******
Emergen-C has caffeine "energy" *******.
They're ok, and easier (IMO) consumption than gum.
Main issues for me were high cost and they don't hydrate (I usually sip my Dew over many hours).
I was surprised that the bottle was about half full/empty, so high space wastage. They tend to clump at bottom, which is mildly annoying.

 

[maki2]

It has been a lot of years since I took No Doze, back before I learned to like coffee.

Recently though I have been taking an OTC migraine headache compound with caffeine in it. I don't have migraines, just everyday aches from fibromyalgia kind of stuff. I don't feel jagged from it or nervous or have shaky hands.

I think it is like any medication its all about the dosage and your personal tolerance levels. If you are taking a sugary product then you have the sugar rush and crash to deal with. So how could you really differentiate what was from the caffeine and what was from the sugar?

But I would say that if you really want to figure it out then take a scientific approach. Buy some caffeine only pills so you know how many milligrams the dosage is. Use a time of day log journal. Write in the journal the dosage and time you took it. Note any food you took during that time. Then every hour or so note down how you feel recording such things as anxiety, twitchy eye or hand muscles, tiredness, feeling restless or irritable, tendency to be a motor mouth, etc. Doing this for a week or two will teach you the limits of what is the most effective personal dosage for performance.

Speaking for myself I know that coffee will turn me into a motor mouth within 10 to 15 minutes which can be useful for a social situation where I need to be perky and engage with people but is not a good idea if I need to sit quietly and listen to other people. That a double shot of espresso will effect the fine motor control in my hands and make it impossible to manage the tiny things I sometimes need to assemble but that I can manage those same task on only one shot. However sometimes no caffeine is best for truly delicate work. That if I have three cups of coffee in a day I will begin to develop anxiety. As to being focused or not focused it does not seem to do all that much for me. What matters the most for that is getting good sleep and not having any conflicts going on in my life. It is worries or anger that most effects my focus because they also effect my sleep and calmness. Short term memory is of course another issue that impacts productive engagement in work. There are many factors that can interfere with memory ranging from foods we eat, medications we take, of course sleep dissfunction . Recently after quite some time I realized I needed to back off on the mineral supplement I was taking for my back as that was cause of my short term memory issues.

So all I am saying is you have to approach it in a very analytical way so that you know exactly what it is you need to do that gives you the best improvement including what things you might need to quit doing. Maybe caffeine is not the answer, or maybe it will be. The older we get the more factors come into play but also the more information we gain about subtle ones such as the recent discussion on lighting, specifically the blue light that is emitted from the screens on the electronic devices interfering with getting enough sleep which interferes with the ability to focus on task during the workday.

So perhaps it is not about caffeine and maybe there something else that needs to be changed. But some plain caffeine pills and the journal is a start that can help prove or disprove your theory regarding caffeine. I have no idea what the results will be, we are individuals and our physical tolerances are often different. With medications a tiny fractional amount can give very different results from one person to the next. Best of luck, keep working away at the issue, you will find a way to improve it.

 

[jacqueg]

I considered, but rejected anything requiring heating (e.g. coffee, tea), so as to save on fuel.

I've done cold brew coffee and tea in a french press. Takes longer than hot water, but it tastes even better. I bet cold brew would work with yerba mate too.

Chocolate-covered coffee beans. Spendy and delicious.

 

[Gr8ful]

Jolt cola is back & is available at Amazon as well as many more places I'm sure Here's a link about Jolt Cola https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/jolt-energy-drink

 

[RVTravel]

Crystal light packets...or store brand at walmart or target.

 

[Gr8ful]

We used to do alot of road trips picking up planes & my friend used to stand on his head when we stopped for fuel & claimed it was as good as 4 hours of sleep. I drove 2400 miles straight thru to portland, stopped for 1 meal in 36 hours to buy a sawmill.

 

[EvanB.]

Only takes three days to break a caffeine addiction.

 

[Kaylee]

Only takes three days to break a caffeine addiction.

EvanB.:

• citation(s) please
• please explain how you feel your statement contributes to this discussion

For my fellow Caffeinated Soda Drinkers:
I bought a canister of Kool-Aid drink mix (with real sugar) and some Walmart house brand caffeine pills. Today is my first day of using them in place of soda. So far, so good!

I was afraid I'd have to split the caffeine pill, but it dissolved easily in the water. Getting the Kool-Aid in was trickier, and I ended up using much less than the "official" amount, which tasted fine (I had suspected that would be true).

My initial cost estimate (using the recommended amounts) is $0.15 per soda can equivalent (assumes paying $0.36 / gallon for water refill).
I'll update this after I have sufficient real world data, including it's efficacy once I'm Creating Code.

 

[XERTYX]

Idk if it's still available but there used to be a place online that sold caffeine drops. It was a glass bottle with an eyedropper and could be dripped into orange juice etc etc. I would refrain from chopping up caffeine pills as many contain cellulose and would make a gelatin like slush in your drink. I always buy generic diet mountain dew and diet dr pepper 2 liter bottles as I go thru quite a lot of soda.

 

[Matlock]

Years ago I liked those lil black pills, could stay up for days, those were not an over the counter item. Then it was diet pepsi until I realized aspartame gave me raging magrains. Now cannot get away from coffee, the cheap instant stuff. Maxwell House instant, dissolves even in warmer water just fine. If I need to keep focused for several hours (not driving) its warm eventually cold coffee in a travel mug and you can make it as strong as you want.

Try a sprinkle of instant coffee onto chocolate pudding. You can make your own chocolate caramel coffee granola bars or coffee fudge bars.

Coffee caffeine hits me hard and seems to drop off quick, Tea type drinks are more gradual up's and then down and I believe less goes farther. Still looking at the tea thing.

Ok I'm not following instructions here, I'm all into coffee mixed in something... cause it's you know, cheap.

 

[XERTYX]

Oh also I know you said no coffee or tea as you dont want to spend on fuel BUT if you're parked and it's a nice sunny day you could make sun tea. I've only had it once. My sister in Florida made some. She sat a glass one gallon container with the water and tea bags in the sun for a couple hours I believe. Then we drank it with fresh from the tree key limes. A tasty treat.

 

[Kaylee]

Try a sprinkle of instant coffee onto chocolate pudding. You can make your own chocolate caramel coffee granola bars or coffee fudge bars.

Matlock, caffeinated foods is (IMO) an excellent delivery mechanism, so you get a Geek Point.

Hmmm, I'll dig into my notes & pics as I've experimented with a few products, but had tunnel vision when I started this thread.
Am on the road now (using ancient tablet), more when I've reached The Forest.

 

[Seminole Wind]

i cant stand the taste of coffee so i cant comment on the taste of these but i have several friends that use chocolate covered espresso beans. there are also several espresso bean infused chocolate bars

instead of pills, you can buy caffeine powder, a dose in your coolaid or OJ should do the trick.

for the purpose you mention, you might consider ginseng as well. many consider it better for stimulating the mind than just caffeine to keep you up

as for the commentator that said it only take 3 days to break a caffeine addiction. i would have to say it does not sound like the OP want to avoid caffeine but is just looking for different sources. and if you are truly chemically addicted to caffeine and quit cold turkey in 3 days you are in for a world of hurt in the form of massive headaches. even the 3 days does not always do it depending on the level of addiction. though the OP didnt ask, there may be others in the future that read this and might appreciate info on kicking the habit. i have found when really addicted, cutting back to just 1 regular caffeinated beverage a day for 3-4 days then skipping 1 day between drinks for 3-4 days and the going to 2 days between drinks can get my system clear with no headaches. then the problem is staying off caffeinated beverages so as to not get hooked again... lol

 

[XERTYX]

as for the commentator that said it only take 3 days to break a caffeine addiction. i would have to say it does not sound like the OP want to avoid caffeine but is just looking for different sources. and if you are truly chemically addicted to caffeine and quit cold turkey in 3 days you are in for a world of hurt in the form of massive headaches. even the 3 days does not always do it depending on the level of addiction.  though the OP didnt ask, there may be others in the future that read this and might appreciate info on kicking the habit. i have found when really addicted, cutting back to just 1 regular caffeinated beverage a day for 3-4 days then skipping 1 day between drinks for 3-4 days and the going to 2 days between drinks can get my system clear with no headaches. then the problem is staying off caffeinated beverages so as to not get hooked again... lol

That's a very good point. Substance addiction is a serious thing. Even things we consider tame like caffeine can be difficult to cope without.

I have no plans of ever stopping caffeine. Although I have before.

Kudos on making that point.