Question about caffeine, stimulants and appetite

[beer]

Anyone who has taken ephedrine can easily say it supresses appetite. Anyone who has (or has known) anyone that does coke, meth, etc., that they don't eat.

Yet caffeine, which is also a stimulant, makes you hungry. This is one of the reasons you're supposed to avoid it on Atkins - it increases appetite rather than supressing it.

Yet they are all stimulants. Why?

 

[Ogg]

weird... :shrugs;

 

[Heisenberg]

I would guess the short answer would be that they're different types of stimulants. Not sure though, as I know nothing about biochemistry.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

I think caffeine causes a rise in blood sugar levels, and is followed by a low, leaving the person flat/tired feeling, maybe that makes them want to eat to regain some energy? Just a guess.

 

[Fausto]

Valium and alcohol, both depressants, are also appetite stimulants.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Um, caffeine acts as an appetite suppression agent, at least in children.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: Yo_Ma-Ma
I think caffeine causes a rise in blood sugar levels, and is followed by a low, leaving the person flat/tired feeling, maybe that makes them want to eat to regain some energy? Just a guess.

Bingo. I think.

It also kicks your body into overdrive, burning a lot of energy very quickly. Your body has to regain the energy somehow.

 

[StageLeft]

Caffeine is a suppressant I believe.

 

[Bryophyte]

Caffeine is usually delivered via an acidic fluid (coffee, pop, whatever), so maybe the upset stomach sensation is misinterpreted as hunger pains.

Edit: speeeling

 

[HardcoreRobot]

It definitely suppresses my appetite. I have a low tolerance for it, but if I have a cup of coffee or two in the morning, I am noticable less hungry at lunchtime than I usually am.

 

[tweakmm]

Marijuana is a stimulant and it definetly does not suppress appetite.

 

[LordMaul]

I would also agree that it suppresses your appetite, though obviously not anything like a week long meth binge or a couple days of 15-minute increment visits to the snow sack. It does, however, seem to have a similar tendency to dehydrate you so if you drink/eat/ingest somehow large amounts of caffeine, remember to drink plenty of water, too.

 

[LordMaul]

Originally posted by: tweakmm
Marijuana is a stimulant and it definetly does not suppress appetite.

Well, depending on the type of herb you have or how it affects you. There are, as I'm sure you know, stimulating, energizing types of MJ as well as the type that will almost put you to sleep. Both depressant and stimulating types, but usually characterized in the same category as a depressant.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: LordMaul
I would also agree that it suppresses your appetite, though obviously not anything like a week long meth binge or a couple days of 15-minute increment visits to the snow sack. It does, however, seem to have a similar tendency to dehydrate you so if you drink/eat/ingest somehow large amounts of caffeine, remember to drink plenty of water, too.

What the hell would you know about large amounts of caffeine?

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: LordMaul

Originally posted by: tweakmm
Marijuana is a stimulant and it definetly does not suppress appetite.

Well, depending on the type of herb you have or how it affects you. There are, as I'm sure you know, stimulating, energizing types of MJ as well as the type that will almost put you to sleep. Both depressant and stimulating types, but usually characterized in the same category as a depressant.

Sativa or indica species aside, smoking weed speeds up your heart rate, even if it's the most couch-lockiest indica one has ever had. Odd, I know, but marijuana is classified as a stimulant.

 

[LordMaul]

What the helll would you know about large amounts of caffeine?

Er, not much, really, I've just, um, read about it.

Sativa or indica species aside, smoking weed speeds up your heart rate, even if it's the most couch-lockiest indica one has ever had, thus, it is a stimulant with depressant properties.

Sounds about right. You seem to know a bit more about it than I, so I'll take your word for it. If you ever need any info on real drugs, though, feel free to ask.

 

[Trygve]

Can't think of a reason why caffeine would make you hungry; normally it's an appetite suppressant.

It is a different kind of stimulant from ephedrine and others of that ilk. Ephedrine is a semi-selective beta adrenergic agonist, whereas caffeine is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, but you would expect that both of these would have an appetite suppressant effect. Caffeine-containing beverages (notably coffee) have other appetite-stimulating ingredients, and decaffeinated coffee has been shown to have a stronger appetite stimulating effect than caffeinated coffee.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Trygve
Can't think of a reason why caffeine would make you hungry; normally it's an appetite suppressant.

It is a different kind of stimulant from ephedrine and others of that ilk. Ephedrine is a semi-selective beta adrenergic agonist, whereas caffeine is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, but you would expect that both of these would have an appetite suppressant effect. Caffeine-containing beverages (notably coffee) have other appetite-stimulating ingredients, and decaffeinated coffee has been shown to have a stronger appetite stimulating effect than caffeinated coffee.

Interesting. That's defintiely a technical explanation that's over my head! What's your background?

 

[eflat]

i recently started taking ritalin for adult add and it surpresses my appetite big time. if i forget lunch i will be on my feet serving tables until close to midnight and not eat or miss eating anything.

 

[DaiShan]

I'm not a regular coffee drinker, but when I do drink coffee mostly to stay awake, I can't eat for most of the day, it really just makes me not want to eat.

 

[Trygve]

Originally posted by: beer

Originally posted by: Trygve
Can't think of a reason why caffeine would make you hungry; normally it's an appetite suppressant.

It is a different kind of stimulant from ephedrine and others of that ilk. Ephedrine is a semi-selective beta adrenergic agonist, whereas caffeine is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, but you would expect that both of these would have an appetite suppressant effect. Caffeine-containing beverages (notably coffee) have other appetite-stimulating ingredients, and decaffeinated coffee has been shown to have a stronger appetite stimulating effect than caffeinated coffee.

Interesting. That's defintiely a technical explanation that's over my head! What's your background?

The short form is that ephedrine (and dexadrine, methamphetamine, etc.) directly stimulate the receptors on your cells. They give you more energy, increase your heart rate, and release fats into your bloodstream.

Caffeine works differently. It takes whatever stimuli you have in your body (whether it's your own natural biochemicals or a stimulant like ephedrine that you took) and makes the resulting stimulant effects last longer. That's why the reaction to taking both ephedrine and caffeine is greater than what you would expect from the reaction they cause when taken individually.

My background? Physics and mathematics, particularly large-scale simulations, but I read textbooks and medical abstracts for fun. Since the dot-com crash, I've gotten more into acting, stunt work, and international film distribution.

 

[LordMaul]

Originally posted by: Trygve

Originally posted by: beer

Originally posted by: Trygve
Can't think of a reason why caffeine would make you hungry; normally it's an appetite suppressant.

It is a different kind of stimulant from ephedrine and others of that ilk. Ephedrine is a semi-selective beta adrenergic agonist, whereas caffeine is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, but you would expect that both of these would have an appetite suppressant effect. Caffeine-containing beverages (notably coffee) have other appetite-stimulating ingredients, and decaffeinated coffee has been shown to have a stronger appetite stimulating effect than caffeinated coffee.

Interesting. That's defintiely a technical explanation that's over my head! What's your background?

The short form is that ephedrine (and dexadrine, methamphetamine, etc.) directly stimulate the receptors on your cells. They give you more energy, increase your heart rate, and release fats into your bloodstream.

Caffeine works differently. It takes whatever stimuli you have in your body (whether it's your own natural biochemicals or a stimulant like ephedrine that you took) and makes the resulting stimulant effects last longer. That's why the reaction to taking both ephedrine and caffeine is greater than what you would expect from the reaction they cause when taken individually.

But similarly to amphetamines and other similar stimulants, caffeine also affects the dopamine in your brain (blocking reabsorption, IIRC) does it not?

From what I remember, methamphetamine does essentially the same thing(or at least, is one of the things it does) in that it keeps your brain from reabsorbing the dopamine for an extended period of time (over other stimulants, which makes it one of the longer-lasting stimulants, of course, resulting in much more popularity over other stimulants like cocaine).

 

When I was on meth I used to eat all the time.

 

[LordMaul]

Originally posted by: SampSon
When I was on meth I used to eat all the time.

Only fatasses eat when tweaking.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: LordMaul

Originally posted by: SampSon
When I was on meth I used to eat all the time.

Only fatasses eat when tweaking.

I'm on meth on a daily basis and I eat a lot.

Of course mine is a prescription.