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I am supposed to fast for 12 hours before my scheduled surgery next week and I'm a little worried. I confess to being addicted to caffeine and I know I'll get a lollapallooza of a headache if I don't get my daily "fix." How can I avoid this problem without my coffee, chocolate, and daily energy drink?

Don't hesitate to ask your surgeon this question. It is a common problem. Almost all adults (up to 95 per cent) ingest some form of caffeine everyday. Many people have a total caffeine intake up to 400 mg/day (that's considered a high level). That may not be surprising when you consider caffeine is a substance in a variety of beverages as well as some foods and medications. Caffeine withdrawal can produce headache and fatigue for anyone who has a chronic caffeine addiction. Withdrawal headaches can last up to a week. You don't have to cope with headache pain as well as the effects of surgery. Restoring caffeine just after surgery can be helpful in reducing or avoiding post-operative headaches. There's no need to go "cold turkey" so-to-speak unless facing a prolonged period of fasting for surgery or other medical testing. But you should know that caffeine is a psychoactive agent. Psychoactive means it has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Given its effects on the nervous system, some even consider this substance a drug. It certainly has addictive qualities and causes withdrawal. Eliminating moderate-to-high levels of caffeine from your diet may be a good idea and beneficial to your overall health.

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