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I by no means have any coffee machine nor have i ever probably tasted real coffee but a month ago i started drinking (instant) coffee black. Before that i used to take my coffee with milk but i noticed it didn't make me feel energized nor did it help me stay up all night. After switching to instant coffee in iced water, i felt like i was drinking real coffee for the first time. It helped me a lot to feel energized during the day but only when i was sipping on it throughout the night. I dont care about taste my main aim is the kick one gets. I was eyeballing the amount i was putting into my glass (not a cup)which can hold 200-250ml of water.

Long story short one fine day instead of having my usual amount i doubled it(by mistake) and ended up having these jitters uncontrollably. I decided to measure everything the next day and the caffeine i had been drinking every day was hardly 4g of nescafe coffee which has 70-90 mg caffeine/gram. This means that even if i were to double it, i would have been drinking roughly 470-500 mg caffiene

This same experience is encountered by me everytime i drink black coffee during the day instead of drinking it at night.

From my google searches its normal for an adult to have 500 mg of caffeine each day, what am i doing wrong? Is this just a newbie experience?

sanya
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  • Tolerance for caffeine varies widely from person to person. That actually seems like a pretty hefty dose, certainly for someone unaccustomed to drinking caffeinated coffee. I'd dial it back if I had those effects. – hardmath Mar 30 '24 at 14:40

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Sounds like caffeine overdose, if you are feeling jitters or anxiety then the dose is too high. 400mg/day for the average adult is considered the highest recommended amount. One instance won’t do any long-term damage.

(source:https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/caffeine/)

If you want to figure out the best amount of caffeine, I recommend using caffeine sources that are easy to measure (typically has the exact amount in mg on the packaging) and start at 200mg for the entire day and go up or down from there. The ideal amount is what makes you feel alert but not jittery. It may also be worth looking into b-12 supplements as they can increase alertness with no risk of adverse effects provided you don’t have a medical condition that impacts your ability to absorb or excrete the substance. (No specific sources besides Wikipedia, so double check!!)

Ultimately, it’s best to get enough sleep when possible, your schedule may require that you pull all-nighters on a regular basis, in which case exercise caution when driving or using machinery.

Personally, I have genetic resistance to the caffeine molecule and get by just fine on a single Monster Energy daily, or a cup of Death Wish Coffee (approx 500mg caffeine per 12oz) paired with a b-12 gummy. Be careful and happy sipping! ☕️

Katherine
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