Two months ago, I stopped drinking caffiene. I've stopped in the past, mainly due to my belief that caffeine over the long term is bad for you. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good caffeine buzz, but I feel that when you are under stress or at risk of being ill, it's the makes matters worse.

The basic mechanism of caffeine is to block one of the chemicals that tells your brain that you are tired. Caffeine fills the receptor and so you brain stops getting the tired signals. If you take caffeine for a long time, you body responds by making more and more sleepy chemicals (adenosine). This leads to caffeine tolerance where you need more and more to stay alert and feel terrible if you aren't drinking caffeine.

I've never been a huge coffee drinker, usually having a cup in the morning and sometimes a cup in the afternoon. Never the less, after a while, I notice an bad effects from caffeine. So I stop for a while.

Good things about not drinking caffeine:

1. I don't feel drowsy in the morning
   
2. I sleep better
   
3. I have dreams. I can't remember them, but I notice that I have them
   
4. I don't have to go to the bathroom as often
   
5. No coffee breath
   
6. Less money spent on drinks

Bad things about not drinking caffeine:

1. The 2PM food coma
   
2. Decaf coffee does not taste as good as regular coffee
   
3. Finding diet, caffeine free soda is difficult
   
4. I eat more
   

Overall, I feel better, but at the same time, I do want the cool buzz in the morning again. Also, caffeine has a postive effect on asthma, acting as a mild bronchodilator. In fact, a couple cups of coffee is a effective backup treatment for an asthma attack when an inhaler is not available.

So no simple answer about if I should stay caffeine free or not...