Drinking too much coffee can make you hear voices

[nabraxas]

7th June 2011

IfF you keep hearing things that aren’t there, you’re probably drinking too much coffee.

Just five cups a day could be enough to make your ears play tricks on you, according to researchers.

In an experiment, volunteers who had consumed ‘high levels’ of caffeine thought they were listening to Bing Crosby singing White Christmas even though the song was not being played.

The researchers described caffeine as ‘the most commonly used psychoactive drug’.

They said the study showed that the health risks of too much coffee need to be addressed.

In the tests, 92 volunteers were asked to listen to a constant fuzzy sound known as white noise.

Professor Simon Crowe, of La Trobe University in Melbourne, said: ‘We also told them that within the white noise there may be parts of the song White Christmas and if you hear it, press a button.

‘We didn’t include White Christmas in the white noise but found that more people who were very stressed and had high levels of caffeine thought they heard the song.

‘The combination of caffeine and stress affect the likelihood of an individual experiencing a psychosis-like symptom.’

The team from the university’s School of Psychological Sciences found that five cups of coffee a day was enough to trigger this.

Professor Crowe added: ‘Caution needs to be exercised with the use of this overtly “safe” drug.’

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1394873/Drinking-coffee-bring-hallucinations-warn-scientists.html

Edited June 8, 2011 by nabraxas

[Blood Trance Fusion]

Haha I'm not surprised. I ordered a caffiene extract and thought I was a tough guy and had 200mg with no habit or tolerance for caffiene products. Worst experience and worst crash from any stimulant... Coffee-drinkers need to try something else.

[poisonshroom]

Im not surprised either - if amphetamine and cocaine users can experience psychotic symptoms from excessive use then why wouldnt other stimulants. Caffeine is definitely not a mild stimulant, and as Blood trance said try taking a large dose and saying its mild - and I know what you mean about the comedown. I remember one day I was up all night, so I got those caffeinated mints they used to sell and ate about 5 or 10 of them... I was absolutely buzzed for several hours, but then I crashed and experienced migraines, violent mood swings and just a horrible feeling - I could probably compare it to the comedown from the one and only time I shot up morphine. It was unbearable... and this stuff is legal

EDIT: im not giving up my coffee or tea any time soon though

Edited June 9, 2011 by poisonshroom

[JDanger]

All-nighters writing assignments with a constant stream of instant coffee leave me far more frazzled than simple lack of sleep. I've also had friends who had to quit coffee due to panic attacks.

IME, mixing caffeine and cannabis increases the thought-loop, heart rate and paranoia side of things, too.

[Blood Trance Fusion]

if amphetamine and cocaine users can experience psychotic symptoms from excessive use then why wouldnt other stimulants. Caffeine is definitely not a mild stimulant, and as Blood trance said try taking a large dose and saying its mild - and I know what you mean about the comedown. I remember one day I was up all night, so I got those caffeinated mints they used to sell and ate about 5 or 10 of them... I was absolutely buzzed for several hours, but then I crashed and experienced migraines, violent mood swings and just a horrible feeling

 

I'm prescribed dextroamphetamine and sometimes go a bit overboard on that but caffiene takes the cake for crashing; I had the shakes while it was effective then I was absolutely vile afterwards. I did not get anxiety as from dextro. but I was not a nice person to be around haha!

I can't see any fair justification for caffiene's legality compared to "DRUGS".

[Moses]

the american army alledgedly swapped from giving speed to service men to giving them coffee because it was just as good a stimulant but without the harsh addiction/withdrawals, not that it dont have them just apparently not as bad(don't personally know i think coffee smells like rancid cat piss, wouldn't touch it)

coffee is soooo important to the U.S. army that in years past the U.S gov called an emergency sitting of parliament because supplies of coffee had been compromised and their men neeeeeeded it sooooooo badly to be able to fight(cant remember which police action it was)

[CβL]

the american army alledgedly swapped from giving speed to service men to giving them coffee because it was just as good a stimulant but without the harsh addiction/withdrawals, not that it dont have them just apparently not as bad(don't personally know i think coffee smells like rancid cat piss, wouldn't touch it)

Sounds fishy to me, for these reasons:

A] Caffeine is a shit stimulant. Wears off very quickly (after its short duration), which in an important situation is far from okay.

B] Coffee is a diuretic, and in an important situation, having to take time to piss every so often is dangerous.

C] Caffeine affects eyesight negatively after a few hours (focus becomes blurry). Most army positions (apart from pencil pushers of course) require perfect eyesight, and having that compromised would be bad. I'm unsure if the effect on eyesight is worse with amphetamines though, maybe someone knows.

I know in the air force, pilots get the choice (or did) between dextro and modafinil. I would imagine it would be similar in the army no?

[Zen Peddler]

I get an upset guts from coffee. I love the taste of a nice brew but I dont like spending half an hour on the dunny as a consequence... I generally feel MORE scattered on strong caffeine than the opposite.

[ballzac]

I get an upset guts from coffee. I love the taste of a nice brew but I dont like spending half an hour on the dunny as a consequence...

 

I find that this effect lessens as I get more accustomed to this particular drug, but I actually like an after-coffee-dump, as long as it's convenient. I've had times where I feel in need of a strong coffee, but am just about to start a full day of lectures or work or something. It's a toss up, but I usually end up having the coffee and then regretting it.

I generally feel MORE scattered on strong caffeine than the opposite.

 

I'm assuming you're saying "as opposed to improving concentration". I agree with you. I don't think caffeine is at all good as a study aid or anything. Even if I'm really tired, it doesn't perk me up in a way that makes me more productive. If I want to sleep, caffeine makes it difficult, but it doesn't actually make me FEEL more awake, just less able to sleep. I personally wouldn't lump it in with other stimulants I've tried, as I think its effects are very distinct from those: amphetamines, TFMPP, khat, ephedra, etc. However, I find in general that stimulants aren't as good for productivity as they're cracked up to be. There's a fine line between having just enough to help you concentrate, and having too much, where you THINK you're productive, but after a day of rushing around doing shit you realise you've actually gotten fuck all done when it wears off. Also, they tend to make me restless if I'm trying to study or something, and I think they're better suited as an aid to physical work rather than mental work.

[tripsis]

I know in the air force, pilots get the choice (or did) between dextro and modafinil.

I believe that's still current.

[Teotzlcoatl]

I've had panic attacks induced by high amounts caffeine. It certainly is a powerful drug.

[tripsis]

Caffeine has very little effect on me. After many cups of coffee I'll get a headache, but no stimulant qualities are felt.

[migraineur]

I kinda overdosed on caffeine one night when I was young and stupid. I was at a club and I had been drinking Redbull and Vodka drinks and then shit went bad. I had horrid chest pains, my blood pressure was high and my heart was skipping beats or something. The funny thing about caffeine is that it can give people headaches but it can also abort migraines. I use it all the time for this purpose (this morning included). However, using it for a normal headache will only make things worse.

In regards with militaries giving pilots speed, it still happens. You don't fly a B2 bomber from the USA to Iraq and Afghanistan and back without the assistance of amphetamines or something closely related. I vaguely remember a case of a fighter pilot who killed some friendlies in Afghanistan and tried to blame it on the dexamphetamine that the air force gave him but the excuse was not accepted. I believe it was an American pilot who killed some Canadians. I will see if I can find the story.

[migraineur]

I kinda overdosed on caffeine one night when I was young and stupid. I was at a club and I had been drinking Redbull and Vodka drinks and then shit went bad. I had horrid chest pains, my blood pressure was high and my heart was skipping beats or something. The funny thing about caffeine is that it can give people headaches but it can also abort migraines. I use it all the time for this purpose (this morning included). However, using it for a normal headache will only make things worse.

In regards with militaries giving pilots speed, it still happens. You don't fly a B2 bomber from the USA to Iraq and Afghanistan and back without the assistance of amphetamines or something closely related. I vaguely remember a case of a fighter pilot who killed some friendlies in Afghanistan and tried to blame it on the dexamphetamine that the air force gave him but the excuse was not accepted. I believe it was an American pilot who killed some Canadians. I will see if I can find the story.

[migraineur]

Here is one link. You can find heaps more if you search.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/friendlyfire/gopills.html

[ballzac]

I've had panic attacks induced by high amounts caffeine. It certainly is a powerful drug.

 

Me too, though the panic for me isn't emotional at all, like what one might experience on LSD or something. It's purely physiological. I can feel my heart beating out of my chest (similar to the effects of amyl nitrite), and get a real tightness that makes me feel like I'm having trouble breathing, even though I'm not. If I was prone to full blown panic attacks, this would definitely push me over the edge.

[Blood Trance Fusion]

I vaguely remember a case of a fighter pilot who killed some friendlies in Afghanistan and tried to blame it on the dexamphetamine that the air force gave him but the excuse was not accepted. I believe it was an American pilot who killed some Canadians. I will see if I can find the story.

 

"Tarnak Farm Incident". From what I've read of it, I wouldn't cop that excuse either.

He received the response: "stand by" and less than two minutes later "hold fire." Four seconds after the hold fire order, Schmidt said he was "rolling in, in self defense." He dropped a laser-guided bomb thirty-five seconds later. Schmidt then said "I hope I did the right thing." Minutes later, the AWACS responded with "Friendlies, Kandahar."

I'm on dex. now and "no" and "yes" are not ambivalent.

[weedRampage]

I think one of the most unpleasant experiences I've had was overdoing it with

guarana.

A large amount extracted into orange juice.

After a 10hr caffeine buzz I settled into a less than restful night of auditory hallucinations

that sounded a bit like a rumbling earthquake.

[Teotzlcoatl]

It's purely physiological. I can feel my heart beating out of my chest (similar to the effects of amyl nitrite), and get a real tightness that makes me feel like I'm having trouble breathing, even though I'm not.

Yup that is exactly how it made me feel.