Why isn't caffeine regulated like a drug?

[Not_Giving_Up]

If don't hit my daily quota, I'm puking with a horrible headache...I try to cut down, but it's brutal.

[begin_within]

1. I have found caffeine pretty easy to kick

a couple days of sleepiness and a mild headache, but that's it.

[21st Century FDR]

2. I was able to quit coffee fairly easily

Thought it was affecting my blood pressure, so I gave it up. Switched to black tea and then eventually to green tea. Never seemed to have caffeine withdrawal, so maybe that's the way to do it, by gradually decreasing the dosage?

Of course now after all the recent reports of "why coffee is good for you" I'm going to start drinking it again. Since I've also cut a lot of the extra sodium out of my diet, I'm hoping the blood pressure doesn't spike too much.

[Kali]

3. both black and green tea have caffeine

Caffeine Content of Some Common Drinks (per 100 ml)
Coffee brewed from grounds 40 mg
Espresso coffee 212 mg
Instant coffee 26 mg
Coffee liqueur(63 proof) 26 mg
Lipton black Tea (bag 33 mg
Green tea (loose leaves) 32 mg

[21st Century FDR]

7. Yes, that was my point

I gradually "stepped down" my caffeine dosage, rather than trying to quit cold turkey.

[Deep13]

4. Because there would be riots and the FDA commissioners would be lynched.

That's why.

[Not_Giving_Up]

9. I hear that

Don't you take my caffeine!

[TK421]

5. simple..try to regulate my caffeine and you fucking DIE!~!@!!#$

[bigwillq]

6. I can't do caffeine

Makes me crazy. Jumpy, edgy, rapid heart rate, feel like I am having a panic attack.
I drink coffee but decaf, even though there is a small dose of caffeine in decaf. I just love coffee, can't stop drinking it.

[Not_Giving_Up]

8. My blood pressure actually runs low

Drives the doctors bonkers...All the coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola I drink, and they have to try hard to get a reading. My hubby is trying to get me to wean off, but I really don't like puking.

[nolabear]

10. Because it's AWESOME?

Caffeine is the perfect drug. It lifts you up and is self-regulating (i.e. it gets uncomfortable before it gets dangerous) and even the detox isn't that awful...though I once had a headache I thought was a brain tumor when I had to kick for a few days, so yeah, I feel ya.

[sakabatou]

11. I need caffeine. Helps counteract side-effects of my meds

[flvegan]

12. DK,DC. My ephedra stash is all I need.

[applegrove]

13. Ever heard the theory that coffee doesn't wake you up at all, it is simply that it is an addiction.

When you wake up you are going through withdrawl and require a fix to even feel normal.

[RobinA]

16. Yep, But What the Hell

I enjoy it, it isn't illegal, I have no ill effects...

[kentauros]

14. I remember an episode in the show "Sliders" where it was.

It was considered a narcotic :o

[JohnnyLib2]

15. Shhhhhhh.

[Bake]

17. What? You want to take that away from me too?

When you can pry it out of my cold dead fingers ...

:hi:

Bake