A framer named Doug called coffee “the only reason I’m still employed.”
Then it stopped working.
“I’d drink three cups and feel nothing,” he told me. “Like I was drinking brown water.”
Doug had hit caffeine tolerance. Here’s what that actually means—and what to do about it.
How caffeine actually works
Caffeine doesn’t give you energy. It blocks the thing that makes you feel tired.
Here’s the mechanism: Your brain produces a chemical called adenosine. Adenosine binds to receptors and tells your brain you’re tired. Caffeine binds to those same receptors, blocking the adenosine.
The tiredness is still there. You just can’t feel it.
But here’s the catch: Your brain adapts. When you consistently block adenosine receptors, your brain creates more of them.
Now you need more caffeine to block them all. And when the caffeine wears off, you have more receptors than before—which means you feel even more tired.
That’s tolerance.
Why Doug’s coffee stopped working
Doug was drinking about 500mg of caffeine per day. That’s roughly 5 cups of coffee, or 3 large energy drinks.
At that level, his brain had created so many extra adenosine receptors that 500mg couldn’t block them all. He was tired and caffeinated at the same time.
The coffee was working. His tolerance was just higher than his dose.
The reset
Doug had two options: Drink more coffee (bad idea) or reset his tolerance.
The tolerance reset protocol:
Option 1: Cold turkey (brutal but fast)
- 7-14 days of zero caffeine
- Expect: headaches, extreme fatigue, irritability
- After 2 weeks: tolerance resets to baseline
Option 2: Taper (gentler but slower)
- Reduce intake by 25% per week
- 4 weeks to full reset
- Less painful, same result
Doug chose option 1. Called in sick for two days. Felt like garbage for a week. Then felt better than he had in years.
The maintenance plan
After the reset, Doug doesn’t go back to his old ways.
His rules now:
Daily limit: 200mg (about 2 cups of coffee). Never more.
Timing: All caffeine before 2 PM. Nothing later, or it disrupts sleep.
Strategic use: On heavy days, he might have an extra half-cup. On light days, less.
Weekend break: No caffeine on Sundays. Gives his receptors a partial reset every week.
Support system: He takes B vitamins and stays hydrated. Caffeine works better when you’re not also dehydrated and malnourished. Products like Built Daily Supply’s energy formulas can help with the B-vitamin side.
Signs your tolerance is too high
- Coffee doesn’t “hit” anymore
- You’re tired despite being caffeinated
- You need caffeine just to feel normal
- Headaches when you miss your morning cup
- Can’t function without it
If three or more of these apply, your tolerance is the problem.
The bottom line
Caffeine isn’t broken. Your brain just adapted to it.
Reset your tolerance, then use it strategically instead of constantly. Doug’s back to one cup in the morning and one after lunch.
Feels like the first time he ever drank coffee.