It’s enough to get her as far as the shower, but before she leaves the house the 23-year-old needs another two fixes to get her through her commute.
Laura is an addict… of caffeine. And she is not alone. Coffee is now more popular than tea in the UK, with more than 22,000 coffee shops across the land, up from fewer than 10,000 ten years ago.
And consumers appear to be craving ever-higher doses of caffeine – the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world.
More and more people are upgrading their simple lattes to caffeine pills, energy drinks and bottled shots containing the equivalent of nine cups of coffee PER DOSE.
GPs report rising numbers of cases of addicts downing the equivalent of 75 coffees A DAY in supplements — especially since the boom in so-called “smart drinks”, caffeine hits marketed as a way to get the brain working faster.
The health impact can be catastrophic, according to Sun doctor Carol Cooper, ramping up blood pressure as well as causing palpitations, sweating, nausea and anxiety.
Meanwhile, Dr Andrew Thornber, chief medical officer of health app Now Patient, said growing numbers of addicts are turning to counselling to kick their habit.
In 2003, then-Prime Minister Tony Blair suffered heart palpitations triggered by too many cups of coffee during a European Union summit.
He cut down after the scare but admitted: “I love my cup of tea. I can’t do without that.”
Last month, Cardiff University student Marty Dragonova, 20, died after overdosing on caffeine tablets.
Laura Bailey and three other addicts open up about how their habits took over their lives, while Sun Doctor Carol Cooper examines the risks.
'My desk is scattered with cans, cups and mugs and I'm constantly having to go to the toilet'
LAURA BAILEY gets through an average of 2,942.4mg of caffeine a day, the equivalent of 50 cups of coffee.
The business manager, 23, says she needs the caffeine because she is so busy – but worries about the effect on her looks.
Laura, of Peterborough, Cambs, says: "I’m addicted to caffeine, and it’s only very recently I’ve admitted it. I first started upping how much coffee I drink when I opened my first business in 2013, when I was 18.
"I wasn’t used to having to work such long hours so I started drinking strong black coffee in the afternoon.
"I was able to stay up till 2am and get all my paperwork done so slowly started upping my coffee intake, having one first thing in the morning, mid-day, then through the afternoon.
"I set up a second business in 2015, increasing my workload, and found coffee alone wasn’t enough.
"That’s when I found the energy drinks.
"In January 2017 I opened the third business, and things escalated further. I needed more caffeine just to get everything done. Now, at 7am I have two coffees with two Pro Plus caffeine tablets, all washed down with a Monster Energy drink. At 9am I have a triple shot coffee and a Red Line energy drink.
"Between 11am and 8pm I have three more double shot coffees, three Lucozades, a Red Bull, another Red Line shot, two Spike energy shots, five cups of green tea and six Pro Plus pills.
"At weekends I might have slightly less during the day, but take extra Pro Plus so I can go out partying.
"I can’t manage the staff, stock, pay the bills and ensure all my businesses work, as well as having a social life, without caffeine.
"However, it means I don’t sleep properly and I get outbreaks of acne. On top of that, my hair dries out and my skin is dull and ageing.
"I’ve tried coming off it but I get blinding headaches that paralyse me all day.
"In the morning I leave the house feeling jittery – that’s how I know the caffeine is working. My desk is scattered with cans, cups and mugs and I constantly have to go to the toilet.
"It’s a drug to me. I spend more than £310 a month on my habit, and wish I could function without it."
'I got through a pack of caffeine pills every 48 hours and ended up with a near-fatal level in my system'
UNIVERSITY student Claire Foster began using caffeine to help her stay up to finish essays and cram for her accountancy exams.
Soon she was taking 4,335mg a day – the equivalent of 72 coffees, and needed counselling to kick the habit.
The 27-year-old, from Truro, Cornwall, says: "I was 23 when I started university and struggled to keep up with all the work I’d taken on.
"I needed to stay up late all the time to meet deadlines so started with around four cups of coffee a day.
"Lots of other students told me they were taking Pro Plus to help them, while others had debates about which energy drinks were the best. I started taking a lethal cocktail of everything.
"Before 12pm I would have had nine Pro Plus pills, three energy shots, one Red Bull, one Bang energy drink, 11 shots of coffee and a Lucozade. That would set me up for the rest of the day.
"I was spending £40 a day and I’d ask mates to buy double-strength Pro Plus packets from the chemist and got through a pack every 48 hours. I thought caffeine was harmless, otherwise why would it be so easy to get hold of.
"Sometimes I’d get just 90 minutes of sleep a night. I was so pale and paranoid constantly.
"Eventually my grades crashed and so did I. In May 2016 my flatmate took me to A&E after she found me throwing up and shaking.
"I thought I was having a heart attack as I couldn’t catch my breath.
"At hospital doctors told me I had a near fatal amount of caffeine in my system. I had to take a semester off university. I was prescribed counselling to help me combat my addiction and slowly managed to give it up.
"I still see a therapist and I’m now finishing my degree.
"I nearly killed myself using caffeine and believe it should be made illegal to buy such high amounts."
Dr Carol Cooper: 'A toxic start to the day'
The downside is that too much is toxic.
A powerful stimulant, excess caffeine leads to jitters, irritability, nervousness, restlessness, a racing pulse, palpitations, sweating, nausea, anxiety and insomnia.
People differ in their sensitivity to caffeine, with some developing symptoms at lower doses than others.
Children are more likely to have problems from caffeine, such as restlessness and even seizures.
Some products contain huge amounts of caffeine – and with high doses like this, taken in quickly, people can suffer other caffeine effects too, including abdominal cramps and diarrhoea.
Taking this several times a day is so dangerous, because it can provoke a rapid pulse and high blood pressure, which can worsen a tendency to heart disease.
Stopping is hard because withdrawal symptoms can be so unpleasant.
They include headaches, drowsiness, depression, anxiety, irritability, lack of concentration, clumsiness, and even aches and pains.
Mood swings are common too.
But If you’re consuming too much caffeine a day you really should try to cut down, despite the symptoms.
Rather than go cold turkey, it’s best to cut down slowly.
So cut out a few caffeine drinks per day – switch to a caffeine-free drink or something like juice.
In the long-term you’ll see your blood pressure lower, get better sleep, have fewer mood swings, decreased anxiety and headaches will decrease.
'One afternoon when I got home I couldn't get my keys into the door because I was shaking so much'
RIKKI LEMMON’S caffeine habit was so bad she ended up in hospital experiencing what she was convinced was a heart attack.
The estate agent, 23, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was consuming 2,479mg of caffeine a day – the equivalent of 42 coffees.
She says: "I was 19 and had just started my first job as a gym instructor.
"It’s a very physical job, plus, I wanted to train myself too.
"I’d seen a lot of 'pre-workout' caffeine drinks and pills advertised in gyms and online, so I tried them.
"They gave me a hit I could feel in my blood straight away. Within a few months I was hooked.
"At 6am I brewed two high-caffeine black puerh teas and had them back-to-back with two Pro Plus caffeine pills. At 8am I had two coffees and a shot of 'Speed Intensity'.
"Between 10am and noon I had two more coffees and two teas. Then before 6pm I’d get through 14 more coffees, four more Pro Plus tablets, three bottles of Lucozade and another Speed Intensity shot.
"After dinner I had four cups of green tea then at 10pm, two Booteas with caffeine. I was totally addicted. I started getting jittery and anxious. One afternoon I was unable get my keys into the front door because I was shaking so much.
"I’d wake up in the night shaking and sweating and was grinding my teeth so badly my jaw was constantly aching.
"I was spending £25 a day when I reached a crisis in October 2014.
"One night I couldn’t catch my breath. My heart was beating so fast and hurt in my chest I thought I was having a heart attack.
"I rushed to hospital and doctors said I was suffering a massive anxiety attack triggered by too much caffeine.
"It was the final straw. I went cold turkey and spent a week in bed sweating, suffering headaches and an aching body.
"It changed my life. Now I want to warn others about the dangers of having too much caffeine."
'I tried to give up, but the headaches were so extreme that I struggled to get out of bed'
PHYSIOTHERAPIST Michael Tegerdine has been addicted to caffeine for more than 15 years and downs the equivalent of 15 coffees a day.
The 34-year-old, of Whitechapel, East London, has tried to quit but says he is unable to function without his fix.
He says: "I started taking caffeine supplements when I was 19.
"I drank coffee occasionally, but everyone was talking about stronger caffeine to make you more alert and able to work harder in the gym.
"I assumed the supplements were healthy as gyms and health stores stock them.
"I felt more focused, motivated, and could work out for longer than ever.
"About six months later I started craving the buzz outside the gym.
"I started taking Pro Plus tablets at work and drinking black coffee back-to-back to keep me focused.
"Now I have two black coffees in the morning, a Lucozade and another two coffees at lunchtime.
"By 3pm I need a hit so I have more coffee and take two Pro Plus and have another coffee before drinking my Grenade pre-workout shot at 5pm before the gym.
"Sometimes I get bad side-effects like anxiety and the jitters.
"A few years ago I decided to completely cut out all caffeine as I was worried. I slowly reduced but couldn’t function properly.
"The headaches were so extreme I struggled to get out of bed.
"I didn’t feel focused at work and I just didn’t like the way I felt without caffeine.
"I’m definitely caffeine dependant, but I have one day a week with no caffeine aids other than coffee and Lucozade.
"I spend £100 a month on caffeine.
"It feels normal to me, but it should be harder for younger people to buy caffeine pills and shots."
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
Source: Read Full Article