Mixing caffeine and alcohol. A lethal combination?

[max_tranmere]

Recently I went out and thought I wouldn't have a session of beer for the evening, thus spending a load of cash and feeling hungover the next day. I thought I'd have 2 or 3 beers and in between them maybe have a coke each time. I left the pub having had about 3 of each. So I took alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine (due to my perchant for having a few ciggy's outside the pub on an evening when I go there). The next day I felt depressed for no apparent reason. The first time I'd been depressed in a while. Could it have been the mixing of these things that did it? It was only 3 pints of beer and 3 normal sized (not big) glasses of coke.

[number 6]

With every up there is a down.

[Arginald Valleywater]

It might have been the gas in the coke getting the alcohol into your bloodstream quicker. I know friends have been seriously affected by the Voda and Red Bull combo; pissed, tired but so full of taurine and caffeine that they couldn't sleep, a nasty combo.

[jj]

The alcohol will have dehydrated you [extent depending on ABV]
and the CO2 in the coke does tend to induce mildish neuralgia;
caffeine and taurine cause blood-vessels to contract, exacerbating
the latter.

Hardly lethal, but a poor mix in such a short time. Next time,
slowly drink a pint of green-top milk immediately after, and take
NO MORE THAN 2 Neurofen or equivalent the headache doesn't
go after about 2 hours.... but really, the best cure is a good
night's sleep- if you can't drop off, go for a brisk walk.

[Peter]

Your taking both a stimulant and a depressant at the same time, basically mixing drugs which have opposite effects. It should be that the cancel each other out, but they end up fighting for supremacy, your system being the battlefield.

[IdolLiesDroog2]

Well I'm fucked then cos I drink jack daniels and coke...

[jj]

Yeah, but a nice way to go.

[max_tranmere]

Cheers for the info eveyone. Next time I am going to have a 'light' evening, I might have 3 beers and 3 orange juices instead (and still have some fags). I don't think there is anything in the orange juice that will work with or against the alcohol.

[jj]

There's also a large amount of empirical truth in the old saw
about mixing 'grape and grain'.

[Floydoid]

Another hangover preventative measure is to take a couple of aspirin before going out on the beer.