Caffeine
Pronunciation:KAFF-een
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:58-08-2
Type:Stimulant.Seepage 11
Federal Schedule Listing:Unlisted
USA Availability:Prescription and nonprescription drug; also in food
Pregnancy Category:C
Uses.This drug is responsible for the stimulating jolt that coffee drinkers
get. Many drinkers would probably be surprised to see caffeine listed as an
ingredient in medicines they take. Caffeine is so widely used (typically in
coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate) that it is scarcely considered a drug. Yet an
overdose can be fatal.
Caffeine makes people more alert, and experimentation finds that it can help
persons function more effectively during sleep deprivation. Caffeine is com-
monly used in the workplace to increase employees’ energy and output. Lab-
oratory measurements indicate that a single dose of 250 mg to 400 mg at the
beginning of a night work shift is more effective than several smaller doses
spread out during the work period. Some studies find that caffeine helps ex-
troverts perform simple physical assignments but overstimulates introverts
and thereby worsens their performance. Scientific measurements prove that
caffeine, by itself or in combination withephedrine, improves athletic perfor-
mance.
Like some amphetamine class stimulants, caffeine has reduced hyperactivity
in children when they received 600 mg daily, but it has been found ineffective
for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Studies demonstrate caffeine can mildly help asthma sufferers. Theophyl-
line, a drug commonly used to widen airways and help asthmatics breathe,
is related to caffeine. Caffeine is a standard drug to help premature infants
that have interruptions in breathing.
Rat experiments indicate that caffeine can promote weight loss. In humans
a combination of caffeine and ephedrine has been used for that purpose. A
study found that caffeine increased women’s energy outlay and body tem-
perature but that the temperature change correlated with smaller weight and
waistlines only in younger women.
Caffeine has been suspected of promoting osteoporosis, a disease causing