Marianne Nielson
The Effects of Caffeine and other Stimulants on the Body
By: Jackson Winget
A large number of people use caffeine and other stimulants in order to function in the modern day. Some even rely on it and consume in excessive amounts without understanding the possible repercussions. In the case of Marianne Nielson, caffeine and other stimulants have literally destroyed her life. Due to the consequences of overuse, when she consumes it now, it has the opposite effect. Instead of the quick fix people use stimulants for, she finds herself barely able to move and flat in bed for days, possibly even weeks at a time. “Caffeine and other stimulants have become a poison to my body,” she says.
Eleven years ago, Marianne’s life entailed taking care of five children, including a newborn. Her husband was away the majority of the time doing business, and they lived twelve hours away from any family that could support her. Marianne became very depressed and extremely overwhelmed trying to keep up with her responsibilities. She realized she didn’t have enough energy to continue life without the help of supplements. When she began using stimulants such as caffeine and ephedra, she noticed that much more could be accomplished in a day. She said, “I felt like Wonder Women. The depression disappeared instantly.” Little did she know, the effects of these stimulants would change her life forever.
After two years of daily use, some symptoms began to surface. She had terrible insomnia, extreme pain throughout her entire body, IBS, headaches, and her extreme lack of energy continued to be a problem. Marianne began seeing doctors and alternative health practitioners who put her on health regimens, diets, prescriptions, and health supplements. None of these things helped the symptoms. Finally, in 2008, when she met with the 19th doctor, she was diagnosed with level 5 out of 5 adrenal fatigue. She discovered that the stimulants she had been taking for the last eight years were the cause of her illness. From the time the symptoms first appeared, until she was diagnosed, she continued to use caffeine as her main source of energy because ephedra had been banned from the market. “I wish I would have known the repercussions of consistently taking stimulants for a long period of time. It haunts me daily.” She said.
After Marianne’s diagnosis, she drastically limited the amount of stimulants she consumed in the hopes that her adrenal glands would heal. Unfortunately, too much damage had already been done. She now takes around $900.00 worth of medicines and supplements per month and doctor visits and lab tests that average out around $1500 per month. The healing process has been slow, time consuming, expensive, and has required extreme patience through all of the ups and downs.
“I am held hostage by my illness. I take supplements eleven times a day and have to watch my diet carefully to keep my blood sugar steady. I also have to detox daily and exercise cautiously in order to keep the adrenaline from kicking in. I need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night and I require medicine and supplements in order to even fall asleep. It has been a full time job for eleven years to simply just survive. It feels like I have been on a roller coaster the whole time. My health is unpredictable, which makes it very difficult to plan anything.”
When Marianne takes caffeine now, she has no idea if the effects will be positive or negative. Sometimes, caffeine will work properly and give her extra energy in order to be productive throughout the day. Other times caffeine is consumed, it drains the energy from her body. The lack of energy is sometimes so severe that she isn’t capable of meeting needs such as, eating, drinking, and basic hygiene. Caffeine and other stimulants damage your body whether you are aware of it or not. It depletes important nutrients such as Vitamin C and fills your body full of biotoxins that are harmful unless removed. Marianne says, “I cringe when I see people consuming stimulants because I know from first-hand experience the harmful effects they cause. I feel like I need to inform everyone of the damaging consequences of caffeine and other stimulants.”