Your Caffeine Addiction

I was up all last night, feeling like I was going to throw up because I once again ruined my stomach with an energy drink.  I was wearing sea bands, drank Pepto straight from the bottle, and sat up in bed at a 45 degree angle, and still had a plastic container by my bed because I thought I was going to toss my cookies.  I knew that I shouldn't have had an energy drink because there is literally nothing good in them, but I was so dead tired that I couldn't imagine myself making it through the day if I didn't.  I spent all this week running around here and there, going to club meetings, running errands, going to classes, and going to the library.  Sleep alone wasn't cutting it anymore so I shoved $2 into the vending machine to get a Full Throttle, and, hell, I was so ready to go!  

...Until...

I got a stomach ache before a club GIM.  Being the stubborn and determined young woman that I am, I swallowed two Tylenol and dragged my butt down the hill, to the union for a 2 hour long meeting.  I was doing pretty well.  The Tylenol was working its magic.  

...But then...

I felt really woozy on the way back up the hill to my apartment.  Was it just the walk?  The fact that I hadn't sat down in a couple of hours?  Was it because I hadn't eaten more than Cheez-its and some Toaster Strudel all day?  I collapsed onto my bed, sweating, and decided to boycott homework for the night so I could get to bed early.  Well that didn't happen.  I was up until 2am, wanting to throw up.  All because I didn't want to be tired.  My caffeine addiction has started...AGAIN!

Last semester I had either an energy drink, a coffee, or a caffeinated tea in my hand multiple times a day.  My stomach was always making the funny noises that stomachs make when they're trying to digest bubbles.  I always had a stomach ache and I so often felt like throwing up.  Energy drinks are the Devil!  They're tempting, but evil.  And the worst of all...

...Drum roll please...

NOS.  Whatever that stands for.  It literally made me think that my illnesses were acting up again.  But at the same time, it made me feel so incredibly alert.  It was like taking stimulants.  I was running around like the fricking road runner, meep meep meep meep MEEP!  But at the same time, it probably made my insides bleed.  Like right now I think I have an ulcer.  Not from NOS, but another energy drink.  Still, energy drinks are as good for you as gasoline.  So before you shove $2 into a vending machine for a cheap fix, get a coffee instead, or a caffeinated tea.  Studies are starting to show that there is a possible link between coffee and not developing Alzheimers.  It may give you diarrhea, but at least it's not giving you cancer, like energy drinks are probably doing.  Let's face it, energy drinks are fairly new.  There aren't any studies yet linking my theory to cancer developments because everyone who drinks them is in college, but I think it's a good theory.  And don't forget, it's never a bad idea to get a little more sleep.  If you have an 8:30 class and you have plans to smoke weed and watch Pixar movies until 5am, you should probably sleep instead.  It's super embarrassing to fall asleep in class!

Forever the honest,

Stephanie Lato