High-Caffeine Teas

Bizarre question. Obvious answers: strong black coffee, strong black teas, soft drinks without sugar (they are called DIET). But caffeine is not a permanent solution. Sleep disorders center at Stanford is IMHO the best place in the US to get a consultation.

Sasha.

Are you being treated for your sleep apnea? If not get in now. I have sleep apnea also. Didn't think much of it other than I snored embarrassingly loud. I figured as long as I started to breath again things were fine. Then I found out it was killing me. My heart is enlarged, cardiomyopathy. I almost died. I got to the place where I couldn't walk around the block without sitting down to take a rest. Going up stairs was an effort. Turns out when I'd get out of breath and have to rest, I was on the verge of a heat attack. You're not breathing at night your organs are being starved of oxygen. It's no different than when arteries are clogged and starving the heart. It messes with your metabolism and causes you to gain more weight making the condition worse.

With treatment I'm doing better, but it's nothing to mess with and caffeine is not the answer. I didn't have the operation, because it's less than 50% effective, but I sleep with a CPAP machine. It would seem like a hassle, but from the start I slept so much better it was like putting on the mask signals my body to sleep. I am so grateful I did it. I now have a 2 year old son and can keep up with him. I lost 120lbs. and my quality of life is so much better. This is not a little problem and nothing to blow off.

Blues

Apart from the obvious health reasons to have your sleep apnea treated ASAP, you should also know that caffeine is one of the worst possible ways to regularly stay awake, especially at work.

As a stop-gap measure once in a while it's not too bad, such as needing to drive home from a party, but relying on it for your working life is terrible. Caffeine splinters concentration, and not having slept enough in the first place will leave you mentally less capable no matter how awake you feel.

Cheers,

- Joel

Specialteas had one that friends and I found quite intense -- 619 Bai Hao Special Grade Formosa (Taiwan) was it, I think. I brewed it gong fu style (small pot, lots of leaves).

My local shop has a tea from the isle of Mauritius which is pretty strong. The tea is actually cultivated intermingled with vanilla plants, and it has a naturally sweet hint of vanilla.

It's powerful stuff with a 30 second steep. As Alex has already noted, its broken leaves (almost to a fine powder) make for quick and strong teas.

Ile de France

This used to be me "It's Finals Week and I haven't written a thing" tea.

Thanks all for the advice on the tea and the concern over my apnea. I was being treated for it but I could not use the CPAP machine. My doctor scheduled me for the operation about three years ago but two days later I lost my job and my health insurance. In the interim I am working on the "lose weight" approach (the heavier you are, the worse it is) but have only recently begun to have any success at all in that area.

Gary J Sibio snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net

I need a trypaning like I need a hole in my head.