Are you immune to the effects of caffeine?

I have never had a caffeine “buzz” or any jitters. I can drink espresso 5 minutes before bed and not have it bother me at all.
However, if I go without caffeine, I have some symptoms. I get very bad headaches, sometimes I shake, I can’t focus, etc.
I think it’s because (I am positive of this, actually) I drink a whole lot of caffeine (I am in grad school – it comes with the territory). I have been drinking excessive amounts of caffeine for many years (I drink about a six pack of diet coke and two cups of coffee a day).

SoMeBoDy SaY CaFfEiNE?????? YeAh, OkAy…I’m JuSt a LiTtLe JaCkEd Up ToDaY…NoT tO BaD…HaNG On…I’Ve GoT tO GeT mY RiGHt HaNd tO sToP ShAkIng..

My wife use to have sleep apnea. she would doze for about three minutes and it was like 8 hours of sleep for her. one of her doctors suggested drinking caffeined coffee, before going to bed, did it work? of course not, she was worse than ever. she finally discovered Lanesta and its been a God-send for her. i have a suggestion. have you ever drank a bottle or can of products that contains enormous amounts of caffeine. like Jolt? try a can and see how you feel. a lot of people swear by it. john

@jenandcolin – the thing with me is I usually drink a lot of coffee – maybe 2 pints a day, but if I go without, even for that whole 2 months, I didn’t get any negative symptoms at all.

@john65pennington – yes I’ve tried high-dose drinks and even pro-plus tablets – not a peep of an effect. Not even after being without caffeine completely for 2 months.

I have gotten caffiene buzzes before, which is easy for me to get since I’m skinny. I’ve never heard of anyone being immune to it though. Weird.

You are lucky. I definitely get a caffeine buzz, accentuated because I mostly drink decaf. I use the real thing when I have a project to push through.

I highly doubt you are immune to the effects of caffeine. You may simply have a high tolerance for it. Caffeine is a powerful drug, and just because it is legal doesn’t make it more likely you are immune to it. Some people have a high tolerance to very strong narcotics; that doesn’t make them inmmune to it. Too much of anything can kill you, even water. Most likely it is because you are young. When you get older, that high tolerance for caffeine could easily turn the other way. I’ve experienced that myself.

You want proof, check with a doctor, getting medical advice from a website like this one will do nothing to verify your assumption that you are somehow immune to caffeine.

My son use to own several coffee companies in the Northwest. he would send me chocolate-covered coffee beans to chew. two of these babies and i was wired for two days. have you tried chewing two cofffee beans?

@camouflage_pants I’m not young, I’m 43, and there’s been no change in this since I started drinking coffee in my late teens. In any case now I know there’s no difference for me I drink mostly decaf.

No…I don’t like effects of caffeine.

Love it. Wake up with it in the morning, and it tucks me in at night.

Yes. I blame it on years of Mountain Dew abuse.

Cuppa, @J0E?

I’m “immune,” too. Caffeine has no effect on me in normal dosages. Even a couple energy drinks won’t keep me from falling asleep a few hours later. The only time I’ve felt jittery from too much caffeine was when I made a pot of coffee, accidentally used espresso grounds, and then drank the entire pot. I was only jittery for a few hours though. I would agree with @camouflage_pants that you’re probably not truly immune, but you haven’t gotten to the limit of your tolerance yet (which is undoubtably extremely high). I’d say you don’t need to get there, either. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. :)

It gets me going. But will not prevent me from sleeping.

I have developed the classic symptoms of addiction. It keeps me from falling asleep in the most unconventional places.

I too experience no effects of caffeine…it doesn’t keep me awake, I don’t get hyper, etc. I know that it can’t be the result of a developed tolerance to caffeine because I rarely have it…a few times a month at most. Regardless of the amount of intake, I never seem to get any sort of “caffeine buzz.” And I also can’t tell the difference between decaf, half-caf, or plain old coffee.

I am definitely not immune to the effects of caffeine. It gives me diarrhea every time, and it makes me need to pee a river. However, I can still sleep while under the influence.

To a certain extent. I drink up to a gallon of iced tea per day, and I sleep like a baby most nights. On the other hand, there have been times on an all-night drive where caffeine pills (much more concentrated than what I drink!) have reversed the feelings of tiredness that I’m trying to fight.

I don’t get a “buzz” but it has a definite stimulant effect. Double espresso upon waking and every two hours throughout the day. I have to stop about 4 hours before I want to sleep though. Often the sleeplessness must succumb to alcohol and/or valium.

I never used to get a caffeine buzz when I drank caffiene, I slept great at night, no trouble going to sleep either, but I certainly felt like shit if I did not get my cafeine. People would ask me if I was sick, or told me I didn’t look well. I have a hard time believing you quit caffeine and did not get a headache or fall asleep everywhere for a week. But, I guess anything is possible.

I have caffeine posioning.
I drank too much iced tea, and hot tea, and my heart now skips beats at any whiff of caffeine, so I have to avoid it.

@fireinthepriory thanks. I hope I don’t find out where my tolerance limit is. It would probably kill me before I found it.

@JLeslie I can absolutely assure you there was no effect whatsoever when I stopped caffeine, and none when I started back up again either.

@downtide I believe you. I just think it is very rare.

@JLeslie I’ve certainly never heard of anyone else with the same thing, which is why I asked the question. I was curious to know if I am alone in this.

I’m with you JLeslie: I’m 43 and have NEVER been affected by caffeine. Can’t stand coffee or tea so I only drink pop. Went off the caffeinated for a while, with no side effects, but switched to regular because of the taste. Another weird thing…I have MS and get steroid infusions a few times a year…normally, most people get a burst of energy and their appetite is stimulated and they usually puff up and gain weight. I have the opposited reactions…I could sleep for a straight week after the treatment and I have to force myself to eat the next few days. The doctors don’t know why except to say I’m in the .00001% category of people that just aren’t affected by it. Still extremely weird, though!

Up in the mornin’, so nasty and mean,
‘Til I can get me a dose of caffeine, caffeine
I got the Caffeine blues!