It was strange drinking illy Extra Dark Roast this morning with just Equal and Coffee-Mate in it - no Torani syrup. I've grown so accustomed to having it that it's like second nature now. Can't wait for my shipment to arrive today ...

Oh crap. It's not supposed to arrive until Friday. Damn. So I suffer. Oh, well.

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Took a step onto the Dark Side today and ordered from (gasp!) Starbucks.

What can I say? They were on the way home from the doctor's office.

Anyway, I got an Irish Cream Cold Brew. Surprisingly enough, it's *good*. The classic Starbucks bitterness is minimized, replaced by a nice, light, Irish Cream flavor (once you get past the over-thick head). I would recommend it in a pinch.

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So much for the Puremade Zero Sugar Caramel Torani syrup - as predicted, with 5 pumps per cup of coffee, it didn't last long. Now just waiting for the new shipment to arrive tomorrow.

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I am expanding the Torani syrup experiment to include a couple of regular sugar-free syrups: salted caramel and Irish cream. They should arrive mid-week.

This is also going to be a test for me. I've long suspected that I've been allergic to Splenda (sucralose), but there's no test for it. These syrups are sweetened with Splenda. My reactions to Splenda have never been immediate, so we'll find out if extended exposure will cause a rash as expected.

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#CoSoMedical

Have finished my glass of tea & tonic, now drinking coffee & caramel syrup. Mixing it up a bit in my stomach this morning.

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No coffee yet this morning. Iced tea instead, mixed with Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water. It's conquered my hand jitters, but not the occasional cramping that I still get.

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#CoSoMedical

Having to resort to an early afternoon cup of illy Extra Dark Roast. Five pumps of Torani Puremade Zero Sugar Caramel syrup, one scoop of Coffee-Mate. Fending off the chill in my bones.

It's too cold for a D/FW Thanksgiving. Too cold, too wet, and too bleak.

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One more test on the Torani Puremade Zero Sugar Caramel Syrup. Based it off of a cup of illy Extra Dark Roast and used 5 pumps instead of 4.

That did the trick.

The caramel flavor was there, the sweetness was there, everything I was looking for in a caramel syrup was there. No off tastes, no bitterness. I now recommend the syrup, although if your sweet tooth is like mine, you're going to burn through it quickly. Still, it *is* zero calories, so it might be worth $10 a bottle.

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More testing on the Torani Puremade Zero Sugar Caramel Syrup. I tried it with the last K-Cup of my "Wake the Hell Up!" coffee. The sweetness came through just a tiny bit more, but still not enough. There's also not enough of a caramel sensation, since there's no sugar in it to caramelize.

A re-check with Mrs. Capt. shows that she found it "too sweet," and was just letting me know that it didn't taste disgusting. She'd go with just 3 pumps.

I might try 5 pumps.

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Trying the Torani Puremade Zero Sugar Caramel Syrup this morning. Brewed a K-Cup of illy Extra Dark Roast, added 4 pumps of the Torani, and put in a scoop of Coffee-Mate creamer.

The end result? Not bad, but hard to perceive. It sweetens sufficiently and provides a caramel flavor, but it leaves me feeling like I want a fifth pump. However, Mrs. Capt. tasted it and pronounced it "just fine," so perhaps my sweet tooth is dulled a bit.

More testing is needed.

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I have a new Torani syrup to experiment with in the morning: Puremade Zero Sugar Caramel Syrup.

What's inside? The following:
Ingredients: Water, Inulin, Erythritol, Natural Flavors, Salt, Stevia Leaf Extract, Fruit and Vegetable Juice (for color), Pectin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid

I can handle the "natural" sweeteners listed above. We shall find out in the morning what the stuff tastes like in my coffee.

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Running on both illy Extra Dark Roast and on "Wake the Hell Up!" coffee this morning, and they're hardly making a dent in my A.M. haze. Don't know if it's because of my oxycodone, or if I'm just that wiped out from all of the doctors' appointments this week. Got another one coming up in a couple of hours, then one more tomorrow. Lousy week, medical-wise.

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Having to resort to WtHU! coffee this morning. Forgot to put the Coffee Tamer in it. Making sure to burp at regular intervals as a compromise.

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Relaxed with a basic cup of illy Extra Dark Roast this morning, three packs of Equal & one scoop of creamer. Just needed the simplicity (such as it is) of my regular cuppa.

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Trying yet another permutation of "Wake the Hell Up!" coffee, this time with Coffee Tamer in it. Yes, it helps, rather well, thank you. Tried some yesterday as well, and got the same result - gas reduction, with no effect upon the "ultra-caffeinated" side.

https://calciblend.com/product/coffee-tamer-packets/

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Well, whaddya know. Another cup of WtHU! coffee *did* help!

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It's been well over an hour, and the caffeine rush from the WtHU! coffee has reached the end of its decrescendo. The oxycodone and gabapentin have regained control, and I am once again tired. It was good while it lasted.

I am tempted to get another cup and see if I can repeat the experience without making myself ill.

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About 12 minutes have passed, and I feel a bit of a cone of focus surrounded by the haze of the oxycodone/gabapentin. Most importantly, I no longer feel the need to go back to sleep. I'd call this a successful experiment, and say that WtHU! "ultra-caffeinated" coffee has its uses beyond giving someone a swift kickstart out of bed. Again, Highly Recommended.

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WtHU! cup ingested.

Now we wait.

(Side note: WtHU! coffee could use some Coffee Tamer, as it generates a lot of gas within me.)

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We're going to do an experiment here. I've taken my oxycodone and my gabapentin, and I feel them starting to take over. I'm going to make a cup of "Wake the Hell Up!" coffee on the normal Keurig settings (with creamer) and see how my body responds.

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