Are you wondering exactly much caffeine is in your cup of coffee. Trying to cut down a bit, or at least know how much caffeine you are ingesting each day with your morning cup of java or afternoon pick-me-up triple espresso Latte?
A typical cup of coffee contains approximately one hundred and twelve milligrams of caffeine. There is a bit less caffeine in a shot of espresso - a typical espresso shot includes about ninety milligrams of caffeine.
How much caffeine in coffee?This is important to keep in mind when making any espresso drinks.
While these numbers are typical, the amount of caffeine in coffee can vary considerably based upon multiple factors. The primary factors affecting caffeine content of coffee and espresso include the genetics of the coffee bean varietal, the particular roasting given to the coffee beans and how the coffee is brewed.
If the coffee beans being used are Arabica coffee beans then one cup of coffee that is approximately one hundred and twenty milliliters of coffee, if it is drip-brewed, will have about 112 milligrams of caffeine.
A 30 milliliter Espresso shot using Arabica coffee will have an estimated ninety milligrams of caffeine.
How Does Roasting Affect Coffee Caffeine Content?
When coffee is roasted it decreases the overall amount of caffeine in the coffee, but not significantly enough for it to be a serious way to reduce your caffeine intake.
Caffeine did not undergo significant degradation with only 5.4% being lost under severe roasting.
Source
Choose your roast based on your personal preferences, not based on caffeine content.
Roasting does have an effect on chlorogenic acid content - possibly what contributes to many of coffee's purported health effects, but another study also shows that caffeine is relatively unaffected by roast level.
On the other hand the Robusta coffee plant varietal has significantly more caffeine than the Arabica varietal. Robusta coffee beans are used primarily for espresso blends and to make instant coffee.
How Caffeine Metabolizes in the Human Body
Once a person consumes caffeine the body starts to metabolize it and this takes place in the person's liver. The result is three different metabolites. These three metabolites include paraxanthine (84%), theobromine (12%) and theophylline (4%).
In the first 45 minutes after consumption of the caffeine it is likely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine and begins to spread throughout the tissues of the human body.
Caffeine's Classification by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Considered safe for human consumption by the FDA, caffeine is classified as a food substance with multiple uses.
All About Caffeine in Coffee - Investigating the Side Effects of Caffeine and the Symptoms of Withdrawal from Caffeine continued:
Caffeine is a stimulant and is known scientifically as a xanthine alkaloid. When it is isolated from its source it is a crystalline white substance and is very bitter.
How does caffeine affect the human body?
Caffeine affects the human body by creating chemical changes in the human brain with a whole variety of effects including an enhanced alertness and energy level.
The way this is enhanced energy and alertness is achieved by the chemical caffeine is that the caffeine pretends, or mimics, another compound which is called adenosine.
The caffeine then binds on to the adenosine receptors in the brain with the effect of halting the true adenosine from doing its job which normally would be to slow down the body's nerve impulses and bring a very sleepy feeling to the person, a natural drowsiness that is warded off by the effects of caffeine.
Yes, some drugs may have an enhanced effectiveness when affected by caffeine. For example, some headache drugs include caffeine in their contents in order to help the effectiveness. This may be related to the vasodilating effects of caffeine.
Caffeine may be used in combination with ergotamine to treat cluster headaches and migraines. Some people prefer to use caffeine to overcome the sleepy qualities they feel when taking antihistamines.
Caffeine doesn't specifically, but coffee does.
However, some people who have shown to be at high risk for liver disease have been shown to have less severe liver injury associated with increasing caffeine consumption. This may include people with obesity, hemochromatosis and alcoholisms. [source]
Because of this, people who drink coffee but want to quit caffeine may want to look into decaf coffee instead of cutting out coffee entirely, so that they can continue to benefit from its health protecting properties.
Yes, some studies completed on ex vivo hair follicles have shown that caffeine may decrease hair growth suppression in vitro due to testosterone. In this regard caffeine may be a potential therapeutic agent in Androgenic alopecia, and caffeine has been added by some companies to their soap and shampoos.
Caffeine is found in nature in a wide array of plants, and it is found in plant fruits as well as plant leaves. This includes: cocoa beans, tea leaves, coffee beans and kola nuts. Less common sources are yaupon holly, guaryusa, yerba mate and guarana berries.
Caffeine often serves to help the plant by working as a natural pesticide against harmful predators on the plant such as insects.
What Products Contain Caffeine, and How Much?
A tablet of Excedrin contains about sixty-five milligrams of caffeine while a regular strength caffeine tablet has about one hundred milligrams of caffeine. There are two hundred milligrams of caffeine in an extra-strength caffeine tablet.
Another example of a common product with plenty of caffeine in it is chocolate. There are about ten milligrams of caffeine in an average milk chocolate bar. Dark chocolate, by comparison, may have about 30 milligrams of caffeine.
There are some dark chocolate bars that have as much as 160 milligrams of caffeine so it can vary considerably by the type and the quality of the chocolate.
Six ounces of a typical green tea will contain about thirty milligrams of caffeine while the very same amount of black tea will have about fifty milligrams of caffeine.
Amount of Caffeine in Coffee continued: You will get about thirty-four milligrams of caffeine from 12 ounces of Coke while a Mountain Dew will give you a whopping 54 milligrams of caffeine. A Red Bull energy drink has about eighty milligrams of caffeine while a Monster energy drink has about 160 milligrams of caffeine.
Withdrawal from Caffeine and Human Tolerance To Caffeine
People who consistently consume caffeine will gradually adapt to the continuous presence of the chemical in their body by increasing their overall number of adenosine receptors in their central nervous system. This occurs since caffeine functions as an antagonist to the receptors in the central nervous system for the neurotransmitter adenosine.
Tolerance adaptation to caffeine has the effect over time of reducing the chemical's stimulatory effects. These adaptive responses to caffeine also have the effect of making the person more sensitive to adenosine, and thus when the intake of caffeine is reduced then the adenosine's natural physiological effects will create withdrawal symptoms.
Of 49 symptom categories identified, the following 10 fulfilled validity criteria: headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and foggy/not clearheaded. In addition, flu-like symptoms, nausea/vomiting, and muscle pain/stiffness were judged likely to represent valid symptom categories.
In experimental studies, the incidence of headache was 50% and the incidence of clinically significant distress or functional impairment was 13%. Typically, onset of symptoms occurred 12-24 h after abstinence, with peak intensity at 20-51 h, and for a duration of 2-9 days. In general, the incidence or severity of symptoms increased with increases in daily dose; abstinence from doses as low as 100 mg/day produced symptoms.
Research is reviewed indicating that expectancies are not a prime determinant of caffeine withdrawal and that avoidance of withdrawal symptoms plays a central role in habitual caffeine consumption.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448977
Debate Over Adenosine Receptors, Tolerance and Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms
There is some debate in scientific circles about the increase in adenosine receptors being the main cause of building up tolerance to caffeine's stimulating effects, with some evidence pointing toward a conclusion that there are also other causes at work which help to explain people developing a tolerance to large doses of caffeine.
The Discoverer of Caffeine
The evidence is a bit fuzzy but some say that the stimulating effects of caffeine are mentioned in Chinese legends dating to about 3,000 years ago.
Firmer evidence comes from 600 BCE as a Mayan pot dating to this time contains the first clear evidence of a cocoa bean, so we know caffeine was around by this time for sure.
Who First Isolated Caffeine from Coffee?
In 1819 the German chemist Friedlieb Runge became the first scientist to successfully isolate the chemical caffeine from coffee beans. Less than one year later the French chemist Pelletier and another scientist named Caventou also isolated the chemical caffeine, and Pelletier was the one to coin the word "cafeine" which he derived from the word "cafe" meaning coffee.
Who Opened the First Coffee House?
As early as 1530 there were coffeehouses in Damascus, Syria and Istanbul.
What began the spread of coffee all around the world?
In the 1600s the Dutch became the first people to carry coffee from the ancient port of Mocha. This movement of coffee by the Dutch began the rapid spread of coffee beans around the globe and it is still spreading, most recently growing rapidly in consumption in China and other emerging markets.
The Dutch were also industrious in cultivating coffee in other locations, first in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1658.
Caffeine withdrawal
Regular caffeine consumption reduces sensitivity to caffeine. When caffeine intake is reduced, the body becomes oversensitive to adenosine. In response to this oversensitiveness, blood pressure drops dramatically, causing an excess of blood in the head (though not necessarily on the brain), leading to a caffeine withdrawal headache.
This headache, well known among coffee drinkers, usually lasts from one to five days, and can be alleviated with analgesics such as aspirin. It is also alleviated with caffeine intake (in fact several analgesics contain caffeine dosages).
Even small amounts of caffeine (such as a green tea, compared to a full coffee) can do wonders to alleviate a withdrawal-induced headache.
The source of caffeine is important to consider as well. Coffee is generally considered to be healthy, due in part to its anti-oxidant properties. However, energy drinks and unregulated supplements may contain any number of other compounds that can have a negative impact, often working synergistically with caffeine.
Caffeine on its own, particularly coffee, is associated with an overall decrease in all-cause-mortality [4]. Simply put, this means that people who drink coffee are less likely to die from all causes.
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms
Often, people who are reducing caffeine intake report being irritable, unable to work, nervous, restless, and feeling sleepy, as well as having a headache. Many of these symptoms mirror having the cold or flu.
- Headache
- Sleepiness
- Irritability
- Fatigue, lethargy
- Constipation
- Depression
- Muscle stiffness, cramping
- Brain fog, Inability to focus
- Cold-like symptoms
- Anxiety
In extreme cases, nausea and vomiting has also been reported. These are very real experiences [1], and despite recurring jokes, can cause problems with normal functioning. If you experience severe symptoms, seek medical advice.
Is Caffeine Withdrawal Real?
In short: Yes. Negative effects from quitting caffeine have been scientifically documented in clinical studies.
Of 49 symptom categories identified, the following 10 fulfilled validity criteria: headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and foggy/not clearheaded. In addition, flu-like symptoms, nausea/vomiting, and muscle pain/stiffness were judged likely to represent valid symptom categories. [1]
Additionally, caffeine withdrawal is recognized by psychiatrists as a real disorder.
Caffeine withdrawal is a recognized disorder and is listed in the DSM-5. (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
How Long Does Caffeine Withdrawal Last?
The answer to this will depend on your level of consumption and the level you reduce your caffeine consumption to.
In experimental studies, the incidence of headache was 50% and the incidence of clinically significant distress or functional impairment was 13%. Typically, onset of symptoms occurred 12-24 h after abstinence, with peak intensity at 20-51 h, and for a duration of 2-9 days. [1]
That means you'll probably notice the start within 12-24 hours with the worst being the second day you after you quit. From there, it gradually gets better over the course of a week to a week and a half.
Your brain is miraculously resilient and adapts to life without caffeine in just 2 short weeks. The psychological habit of drinking caffeine can take 3 to 4 weeks to break, but can also be replaced with decaf coffee or another low-caffeine drink (eg. tea).
Reports of people having withdrawal symptoms months or years after quitting coffee or caffeine are more typically confused with general health maladies or other more drugs.
Unrelated Symptoms
Caffeine cessation is often associated with major lifestyle changes, and as such, it can be difficult to associated symptoms directly with caffeine withdrawal. As a best practice, you should isolate factors by making changes slowly, over time, unless under the advice and guidance of a medical professional.
Compounding factors such as other medications, and major health events that lead to discontinuing caffeine, can have a misleading association with caffeine withdrawals.
If symptoms such as kidney pain appears, seek immediate medical attention.
Tingling
There are no known mechanisms through which caffeine withdrawal may cause tingling. On the other hand, caffeine consumption can sometimes cause tingling due to restriction of blood flow to extremities.
Back pain
While back pain is not a symptom of caffeine withdrawal, symptoms may (re)appear when caffeine use is discontinued.
This may be due to caffeine's reported analgesic affect on pain [3] - in english, caffeine might help alleviate (back) pain by amplifying the effect of pain killers. The re-ocurring presence of back pain may be due to synergistic effect being lost, but is unrelated to the temporary effects of withdrawal itself.
Dealing with Caffeine Withdrawal
The severity of caffeine withdrawal symptoms vary with how extreme the restriction, and a gradual reduction can do wonders in avoiding symptoms. Simply starting by replacing one cup of coffee with a decaf coffee or tea will provide a much smaller dose of caffeine, allowing your receptors to re-acclimate to lower levels. Drinking coffee (decaf) or other warm beverage (tea) instead of regular coffee helps psychologically with the well established habit.
Timing large reductions in caffeine consumption is also a useful tool. Picking a time of rest and relaxation such as a weekend or vacation can lessen the burden of symptoms like brain fog and a lack of motivation.
Hydration is also key - while coffee is a diuretic it's also mostly water, and cutting back on coffee may also inadvertently cut back on your fluid intake. Many symptoms of dehydration overlap with caffeine withdrawal including headaches, muscle soreness and leg cramping, irritability and lethargy.
Without caffeine blocking your adenoseine receptors, your body's built up levels of adenosine will lead to a lot of sleepiness. Get lots of rest! Scientists are still puzzled by why humans need sleep, aside from getting tired. According to some research from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) has indicated that sleep enables your brain to drain built-up chemical by products of working so hard (you little genius), which is good for you!
Advil or Tylenol can be an effective method of dealing with the coffee withdrawal headache and muscle pain. Other natural pain relievers such as running / exercise and even an orgasm can provide temporary relief by dilating blood vessels in the brain.
The best solution may not be totally ceasing caffeine consumption though. Coffee does have health benefits, as it contains over 1000 known compounds, with many associated with lowering blood pressure and improving cardiac function, as well as liver protection [2]. Generally, the best coffees are grown at higher elevations will develop more healthy chlorogenic acids that are present in higher concentrations in light roasts than dark roasts. If you're a dark roast lover however, darker roasts cause less stomach acid production. A decaffeinated coffee with just 5-25 mg of caffeine will still retain a lot of its healthy chemicals and will provide health benefits in medium and dark roasts.
With these tips you can reduce the caffeine in your body and avoid the rebound of a caffeine withdrawal.
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448977
[2] Coffee Consumption Decreases Risks for Hepatic Fibrosis and Cirrhosis: A Meta-Analysis
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0142457
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419343
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28697850
Caffeine and Health. J. E. James, Academic Press, 1991. Progress in Clinical and Biological Research Volume 158. G. A. Spiller, Ed. Alan R. Liss Inc, 1984.
Xie et al "Sleep initiated fluid flux drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain." Science, October 18, 2013. DOI: 10.1126/science.1241224
nobby says
re: 2 days ago
i gave up caffeine 2 days ago and the worst seems to be over (i hope )..lack of energy was the worst part but it seems to be coming back...the drug really messes you up ..i think also the time you have your caffeine is tough and not talked about enough...the combination of the actual chemical and the habit of the time you have it is a strong force to break...it helped me initially to not have it at the same time every day....i gradually weaned myself off coffee and ...had one tea today ...and a little bit of chocolate..but i feel so much better
Karen says
re: Anxiety problems
If you are someone who has anxiety problems, caffeine may have been helping to mask the symptoms. My husband was very addicted to both caffeine and nicotine. He also has chemical depression and takes an anti-depressant and struggles with anxiety.
When he stopped smoking last fall, the anxiety greatly increased. His psychiatrist said the nicotine had helped keep the anxiety under control. Once she changed his dosage, he improved. Meanwhile, he increased his already high caffeine intake, which also helped with the anxiety (though it seems counterintuitive). He went cold turkey with the caffeine and, after a few days, began to experience greatly increased anxiety. I'm afraid he may need to have his dosage adjusted again if it doesn't improve.
That said, when anxiety is an issue, it's always best to consult a health care professional (a psychiatrist, since they are MDs, are best). Your anxiety may have been masked by caffeine (a form of self-medication). While it may be tempting to resume ingesting caffeine, you will be healthier all around if you treat the anxiety rather than masking it.
flip-out wilson says
re: yes, good luck to you, and
yes, good luck to you, and to the entire forum.
Good -going quitting caffeine while young. If caffeine enabled you to work for 32 hours straight it's because you were stressing your adrenal system, and you were not really working off of 'energy.' You were making your body prematurely old, and that will wear you down by your midtwenties.
You will give up caffeine eventually, whether it's now or whether you are 90, because really, it does too much damage and destroys your quality of life. So why not do it now, when you still have beautiful skin, hair and a healthy adrenal system? I think it's kind of neat to be part of a small percentage of the world population that does not take any caffeine, or have any other chemical addiction. I mean, it's just us (the ANC) and parts of Africa that does not use caffeine. That's awesome!
Welcome to the ranks of the ANC (Army of the Non-Caffeinated.) It's not a java, it's an adventure!
Sheryl says
re: thirst
that happened to me
I stopped coffee for a few days
and thirst asccomanied my feelings of malaise.
I kept drinking and drinking and drinking water
and I couldn't figure out why I still felt dehydrated
Jordan says
re: Aches and Shakes
I drink alot of caffeine, have done for many many years, it's what helped me get through my student days, allowing me to work for up to 32 hours straight if I needed, just kept knocking back the Red Bulls and Diet Cokes. But since graduation and settling in a full time job, I've been drinking less and less coke, down to about 4-5 cans a day and no red bull. I hadn't noticed any changes up until last night really. I started aching, felt a bit like flu was coming on or something. But this morning the aches were really intense, and I've noticed I'm shaking a bit too. I started thinking about having a can of coke, then it hit me, maybe that's the problem I hadn't had a can of coke since before yesterday lunch time. Been doing a bit of research this morning and found that the aches and pains in my joints could be related to caffeine withdrawal.
I'm going to fight through this and quit. I don't want to be dependent on caffeine anymore. Wish me Luck.
Abby says
re: Extreme thirst?
I quit caffeine (Diet Coke) just a few days ago. After New Years I cut down to one soda a day and didn't experience any withdrawls, and then yesterday I quit completely. My mouth feels very dry and I I am EXTREMELY thirsty. Yesterday I drank at least 120 ounces of water, and It's only 10AM today and I've already had about 60 ounces.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is this normal?
leeford says
re: My experience with caffeine withdrawal
After reading some of the comments here - I thought it might be helpful to provide my experiences with the subject.
Back in 1998 I decided to go cold turkey on caffeine as sort of a new years resolution. I can remember how depressing it was for me to give up my only vice. I did still drink decaf in moderation but I completely gave up all other forms. I can tell you I consumed massive quantities in the form of coffee and diet Mt. Dew.
As I stated before it was depressing to give up my one vice and I think this feeling was the only mental symptom of the withdrawal that i remember. I don't remember significant headaches but maybe that was because i didn't notice them because of the other more overwhelming discomfort. Yes my legs ached badly also. My gluteous maximus even ached very badly. My hamstrings probably hurt the worst. They felt very much like the growing pains I experienced as a little boy but maybe even worse. It seems this pain started going away after a couple weeks I think.
Keep in mind that I've always exercised (cardio and weightlifting) religiously and usually five times per week. This might have helped me to get through my withdrawals faster. One thing I want to point is that without the caffeine in my system I started gaining a lot of strength. I remember that my benchpress regiment went from 5X5 at 250 up to 5X5 at 290 in about 6 months. Also - I was able to start running much further and faster. In short I was at my peak at that time and I credit much of it to my quitting caffeine.
Unfortunately about midway through the year i slowly started reintroducing caffeine into my diet and i think it had a negative affect.
i hope this is helpful to someone here.
Kate says
re: Caffeine withdrawal and leg pain
My husband has gone 4 days without coffee and recently started complaining at night about extreme tightness and muscle soreness in his legs. He had two intense nights of leg pain and now his legs are tired and ache. Taking a hot bath, using a heating pad, and taking advil seemed to help.
Frank says
re: Caffeine withdrawl symptoms
Has anyone heard of, or experienced, tingling sensations in the legs and muscle stiffness? For 3 days now i have felt tingling in my legs and when I try to do hamstring stretches, I feel intense tightness and pain. I typically had been doing these same stretches daily and never experienced this.
dclegg says
re: 18 days no caffeine
I think the withdrawal symptoms and the time it takes to feel normal again is different for everyone. I'm at 2 1/2 weeks and the headaches and cravings are long gone but the brain fog, irritibility, and depression is lingering on. Everyone and everything seems to annoy me very easily and I have to keep reminding myself that it's most likely not them, it's me and my withdrawal. I worry that I'm going to start losing friends soon or going off on someone or just boring people to death with my brain fog. As far as how long it takes to get over this , it's anyones guess. I'm thinking it couldn't possibly last more than 2 months. Some people seem to get over it quickly in a week or 2 and others like me and you...a month? 2 months? I think it depends on if we are prone to anxiety or depression or not. I know that if I were to start drinking caffeine this minute I'd feel better within 5 minutes and would probably feel good for a few weeks before it started losing it's effect again but if something gets rid of our misery then it's also the whole reason for the misery in the first place. Maybe the chocolate is prolonging your withdrawal since it has caffeine also. The only way to detox and get feeling back to normal might be to completely abstain from caffeine in any form. That's just my opinion. I think that at 3 1/2 weeks you have got to be close to having this thing licked.
help--me says
re: No coffee
Hi
any of you guys out there can help me. I gave up coffee and Soda, 3 1/2 weeks ago. From what i've read you should be back to normal by this stage right? But I still feel terrible as it im not really there, my mind is clouded, my legs constantly ache, I feel worried and depressed and i have no energy to do things, even work, is this normal? I still eat chocolate, is cant be what's making me feel bad can it? theres not much caffeine in that surely.
How long does this thing take to get over?
any advice is much appreciated
demon says
re: In the same boat
hiya
i totally sympaphise with what your going through.Ive given up caffiene for 2 weeks now and have had to take the last 2 days off work with screaming headaches an drowsiness but yet only getting 2 hours sleep everynight if i'm lucky!!Ufortunately i used to drink upto 15 mugs of coffee a day and never use to sleep at all so i deciced to make some changes and now it's decaf everything.The first week seemed ok and i thought this was gonna be a doddle......... how wrong was I.Now my head is always heavy sometimes bearable but more than ever unbearable,i always ache,drowsiness is becoming uncontrollable if i'm sat for 10 minutes or more i start drifting,mood swings i can snap for no reason.However I have noticed some positives already so i know that eventually it will all come good but it sounds like this is gonna take several months so i just hope that everyone around me can put up with what my body is going through.
HANG IN THERE ALL
mUser says
re: Caffeine Withdrawals
I have stopped drinking diet pepsi. I drank too much of it every day. It has been four days since I have stopped. I just had a brief headache on one day, but now my legs ache (really bad at times). Why is that? Is it because of the withdrawal of the caffeine or because of the water retention I am getting from not drinking caffeine? When will the cravings for a diet pepsi (caffeine) stop?
Thanks.
anonymous says
re: muscle pain
Has anyone experienced an achy muscle pain while on caffeine? I heard of achiness as a withdrawl symptom but what about while on caffeine. Thanks
Patrick says
re: I have been off now for 5 weeks
I am sleeping better than I ever have before, but quitting is the hardest thing I have done. I still occasionally get spliting headaches and nervous feelings. I cannot wait for this to go away completely. I also know of your bladder problems, I used to drip as well.
User says
re: 14 days
I'm at 14 days without caffeine and am over most of the cravings. Sleep has, on average, improved over what it was before I quit but still have the occasional day of poor unrefeshing sleep. Those are the days when it's tough to abstain from caffeine. Have not had as many high moods but not as many low moods either. Most anxiety is gone but a low level of depression has replaced it. I'll give this about 2 months to see if it's worth it. I would still like to hear from someone who has gone 6 weeks or more and hear about how it's going.
flip-out wilson says
re: Hi Cheryl,
congrats on your
Hi Cheryl,
congrats on your recovery--you are now a memeber of the ANC (Army of the Non-Caffeinated) and doing without sugar AND caffeine both is stupendous! Wow!
It will get better, actually it gets great! You will feel ten years younger, lose joint pain, have energy, and lessen female problems. You will smooth out any anxiety and mood swings, if you have those issues.
Not to harp too much, but organic, unfiltered, Apple Cider Vinegar helps all those detox problems. It is a godsend.
no coffee for me! says
re: Caffeine and the bladder
Hi Reese,
Absolutely - people think I'm crazy when I tell them that caffeine effects my bladder. A number of people have told me that caffiene disrupts the natural pH levels in the lining of the bladder causing a disturbing drip effect. Pretty gross!!
Cheryl says
re: 14 Days without caffeine
Hi. Just wanted to say I have been 14 days without sugar or caffeine. I am experiencing headaches and severe grouchyness. I was drinking in excess of 5 cans of mountain dew a day and ate chocolate like it was going out of style. How long do the side effects last. And when can I expect this nagging headache to go away?
Thanks
dclegg says
re: 9 days without caffeine
I gave up caffeine because of fatigue, unrefreshing sleep problems that have persisted for 10 years or more. I used to drink 3-4 cans of Pepsi a day with a coffee or 2 also. This is my 9th day without caffeine and I've seen some improvements. Now instead of sleeping bad 5 out of 7 days I'll sleep bad maybe 2 or 3 out of 7 days. I feel more relaxed, less anxious but things are still changing day by day. There is definitely some relation to caffeine and sleep/mood in myself. It's too soon to give a final report on this but I'll post more as the days go by. I'd like to hear more from the long time caffeine quiters, those who have gone 6 weeks or more and what changes can be expected after the later stages of quitting.
flip-out wilson says
re: Hi Reese,
yes, I have had
Hi Reese,
yes, I have had those bladder issues as well. And yes, they have disappeared since I have detoxed off caffeine. I am a woman, and thought it was just a part of peri menopause to wee every five minutes and often not make it to the bathroom in time. Now I know better. I think there is a cover-uo regarding caffeine and woman's health. With all of my prior health issues, not one doctor had ever asked me about my caffeine intake. Interesting how ALL of my prior health complications have ended since my detox off of caffeine. Kudos to me!
Reese, I believe that organic, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar may help your bladder problem, as it is used to treat bladder infections. However, I am not a medical professional, just a student of old time treatments. My grandmother, who lived to be 101, enjoyed perfect health her whole life by avoiding caffeine, chocolate, aspirin, tobacco. and soda pop. She had a glass of wine maybe once a year, and that was maybe. She walked every day, and said prayers every night. She loved her candy and desserts but in moderation. She also used (regular) vinegar for various treatments.
If we go back ot basics we will not only save money but enjoy beter health.
Reese says
re: Caffeine affect on the bladder
I have had problems with my bladder in that I continually pass water, this has affected me since 2005 and I've had tests and ops to find the route of the problem but nothing substantial and my bladder is not weak, however when I went to the continence clinic the nurse said it was caffeine that was upsetting my bladder causing me to wee frequently, she told me NOT to cut it out completely but to slowly withdraw, could caffeine upset the bladder and cause my tiredness?
I used to have 5 cups of coffee a day, one can of pepsi and three cups of hot chocolate which also I believe contains caffeine
I have now switched to Decaf Coffee and just have one mug a day and one hot chocolate a day and a can of pepsi every three days, should this ease the bladder and my tiredness problems?
Thank you
Reese
Jon says
re: Coffee - body aches, etc.
Yes, I've had a similar experience. I've been drinking coffee for more than 20 years. However, in the last 5-7 years I've often felt older than I am (now 40). I too thought, "Hell, I'm just getting old". However, when I stopped drinking coffee (regular and decaf) I began to feel better. Joint pain was reduced considerably, and my muscles no longer burned and ached. I sleep better ( I guess that would be an obvious result of coffee detox), and I have a more postive outlook. I think for some people, coffee is a bad thing. I was never, by the way, a heavy drinker, maybe 1-2 cups M-F and rarely on the weekends.
If you're feeling like crap, try to cut out coffee (and MSG, too).
JB
flip-out wilson says
re: helpful tip
hello friends,
if one is not able to fast for a few days to help speed along the detox process, may I recommend the Apple Cider Vinegar remedy.
Put two tablespoons of organic Apple Cider Vinegar in eight ounces of water (preferably distilled) and honey or maple syrup to your liking. Drink this three times a day and you will feel an extraordinary cleansing! It is a remarkable therapy. You will also burn fat!
I have found organic Apple Cider vinegar at Trader Joe's for $1.99. I also love the Bragg brand, it's a bit more expensive at $3.59, but it contains the "'mother" part of the elixer which is important in our recovery. Hains puts out a good product as well I hear.
Apple Cider Vinegar is so important to our recovery and again, if one cannot fast please consider this treatment. It helps with the headaches!
User says
re: During your caffeine
During your caffeine withdrawal have you experienced anxiety problems? I drank coffee each day close to a pot and very rarely I would feel anxious and that would lead to an anxiety attack. I'm thinking it's because I went too long without another cup of coffee. But since I've quit and haven't been consuming any caffeine the anxious feeling has never left. Constantly lingering in my mind, I feel panicy fearing I'll have an anxiety attack if I were to leave my house, or make eye contact with a stranger.
Like I said, before I quit completely I'd have the odd anxious feeling but now it's ALWAYS there. Is this a withdrawal symptom? And if you've experienced the anxiety, how long did it take to go away after you quit consuming caffeine?
I haven't left the house in 8 days now, scared I'll have an attack. I have never been THIS bad. Help??
User says
re: wow
im almost completely withdrawed and feel like myself again, the feeling of your head swinging back and forth into new moods every other second is gone. it is like the happy mood is slowly making its comeback. i have no anxiety at all anymore. and its funny that not too long ago i started having dreams! that i have never had in say umm about 2 years. and when the first dream came, so did the second and third and right now i dream in just about every night i go to bed. to help with the caffeine withdrawal drink a lot of water and intake no sugar, this will help you twice as fast. i feel like myself again and have no brain fog or anything. good luck guys
User says
re: It should only last a few
It should only last a few days. I kicked the stuff months ago, and after a week or two, felt better than ever, and even lost a number of pounds - not that I needed to, really, but it's good to note. I do occasionally drink caffienated beverages these days - no more than once a month - and it'll give me a pretty bad headache, and keep me awake for an additional ten hours.
If you take up jogging in the mornings, you'll lose the tiredness throughout the day - at least it worked for me. It's basically the cheaper, healthier alternative to coffee/pop.
Cheers.
User says
re: Caffeine is Acidic?
I know what you speak of, but Trimethylzanthine (caffeine) is not likely the direct cause of this. Sounds like you have sounds like you have overactive parietal cells that are producing too much acid. Caffeine may be indirectly affecting the bodies abilities to regulate the lvel of gastric acid in your stomach. I deal with this from time to time. One of the reported effects of caffeine withdrawl is nausea and vomitting.
User says
re: Caffeinated Diet Sodas - Banished!
I am on Day Two of banishing caffeine (specifically caffeinated diet sodas) from my life. And it is all I can do to stay awake at my desk in the afternoon. If I close my eyes to "rest" for a moment, I'm doing that jerking-head motion in less than 10 seconds. That is highly unusual for me.
To think that something as seemingly innocuous has wrought such a chemical dependence in my life is remarkable.
Additional symptoms include scattered thoughts, an inability to focus and a headache.
Does anyone have a guess as to how long my sleepiness is likely to last?
Thanks from the former Diet Pepsi Junkie
Mark says
re: Drugs
Well take a heart prescription some nitroglicerine aor something....
michelle says
re: caffeine is acidic
I recently decided to quit soda with caffeine. I was consuming a LOT of sodas each day and then by bedtime, i'd have severe heartburn all night. Sometimes i'd even wake up from acid shooting into my mouth. It made it very hard to sleep. I decided to quit two days ago and have not had heartburn since. If i get a coffee from starbucks it does the same thing so i know it's the caffeine. I have been feeling more energetic and i wake up feeling more revived ever since i stopped drinking the sodas. I have been feeling a little pressure/headache in my head, but know that in the long run it is better to just deal with this now because it is better for my body than to keep pumping it full of caffeine.
Mark says
re: i've made some excess when i
i've made some excess when i was young with the coffee and cigarettes and now it's forbidden for me to touch any of them... but i have to be all the time from pharmacy to pharmacy... it's not so nice...
User says
re: gotta have it
The effects of coffee!!!! I too live on coffee and the past couple nights I can't sleep I feel as if my chest is pounding and its hard to catch my breath, This is about the 6 th time this has happened, in this year,
Its hard to determine if its caffiene or anxiety,
They make the 1/2 caffiene coffee now, maybe we should try to drink that at home after the morning hours.
Either way if we stop caffiene in the evening I think it should be ok.
Good luck to you ,, I know exactly how you feel.
Kaitlyn says
re: Caffeine Withdrawl
Just recently I have made it a paralment to reduce my intake of caffeine, becasue of dealing with many heart problems. In the beggining I had about 5 full glasses of high caffinated drinks every day, And am now reducing it to maybe one caffinated drink every few weeks, It has been about a week, and I have just recently started to notice my withdrawl problems, I have killer headaches, I shake uncontrollably, I can't concentrate in class, and I have rushing thoughts. And it is harder to fall asleep and stay aseep. If anyone has any ideas to help me out please feel free to email me at kaityeast13@aol.com....... I need some advice, before I begin increasing my uncotrollable intake of caffeine......thanks, Kaitlyn
2fun says
re: Everyone's body is
Everyone's body is different. Caffeine has had the opposite effect on me. Before I started drinking tea regularly I got colds that lasted weeks and sinus infections that lasted months. Now I only get sick for two days tops.
Seanie boyyyy says
re: ugh i cant wait
Well i finally found out what was pissing me off so randomly throughout the day. COFFEE. I dont know why i would get mad I would just be negative to everybody around me and blame it on them for i duno what reason it was just so weird. Its January 4th now and I've quit for about 4-5 weeks. WOW. The first week was really bad for me. i felt soo tired and couldnt concentrate and didnt even feel like socializing. I used to be the class clown and everything and this year i was a "changed" individual. I could never go to bed feeling happy and/or calm. Caffeine made me an unhappy, strange individual. Right now since ive been quitting for 4-5 weeks I get mad mood swings, either i am really pissed off, or i feel awesome (more like myself). But i can see my puzzle pieces being put back together, building up the true me. Right now I am between normal-pissed off, for me itll probably a few months before I start getting back to my real self again. I should've never had coffee in the first place it changed me and made me into a person i dont even know. Good luck to all of you i hope you break your addiction
shelly says
re: gotta have it.......!
got ta have it, gotta make it, hurry up coffee maker, gotta gotta gotta, want it want it want it. ok thats my typical morning, afternoon, and even brfore i go to bed. i live on coffee, i swear its running through my veins. i tryed to cut back yesterday and i was so tired, nausead, had such a bad headache i couldnt even get out of bed. i have anxiety so bad my heart pounds, feeling as if is going to give me a heart attack. if i dont have my coffee my hands and body start to shake so bad. the racing thoughts about anything running through my head constantly. god i just want it all to stop. grrrr......
User says
re: get rid of headaches
i had a small headache for a long long time after i stopped drinking coffee before.
the solution was to have a slight bit of very weak coffee. the headache went completely away in just a few minutes after that. the next day it was back, but just ever so slightly, and i had just a sip of coffee and then everything was cool.
Never Again says
re: Still There
The pressure isn't gone yet, but it really does get better and better. lol I don't want to say it's getting better day by day because sometime it's still hell while other days are pretty bareable, but it is getting better by some increment of time. Even since my last post, the peak intensity of the pressure has subsided. And right now, I'm not really feeling too much pressure at all. And for about 4-5 hours today it was even lower than that, which is the longest I've gone without noticable pressure so far. The anxiety/racing thoughts are still there, but easily ignored or forgotten. I'm sure the pressure will increase again soon and the racing toughts will get stronger again (hopefully not, but I'm trying not to be overly optimistic and end up disappointed, so for now I'll just hope), but it probably won't be too strong. Still highly annoying, however.
I wish I knew what triggered these highs and lows, but when I think I find contributing factors, the pressure flares up/subsides again regardless. So, I gave up on trying to figure it out and just came to the conclusion that it's completely random. Time of day, activity level, water and food consumption, etc. None of it really matters. At least not that I can tell. Sometimes I wake up with a little pressure, sometimes I wake up with a lot. But there's noticable progression and that's probably the only thing keeping me from smashing my head against the wall.
flip-out wilson says
re: I am sorry to hear about
I am sorry to hear about your suffering. It will get better, always remember that.
I currently have the flu but unlike everyone else around me, it is very mild. I attribute this to having quit caffeine. Usually I suffer terribly from all flus and colds, get very weak from them, and am incapacitated with illness. Not anymore! You see, coffee and caffeine make our bodies acidic, which makes us sick. Chocolate is a terrible thing to eat--don't believe the hype you hear about its' benefits. That's all marketing, it's all b.s..
My heart does not race as much, I sleep better at night, and I feel more like a calm adult off of caffeine. I also do not drink alcohol or smoke, which helps as well.
When I read about the child slave labor that is used to acquire the cacao and coffee beans I want to cry--this is our duty, as good citizens, to not purchase coffee and chocolate!!!
We are making a difference in this world!!
Say no to slavery!
nocoffee says
re: In relation to the racing
In relation to the racing thoughts. I get this most prominently in the form of dreams. Loud, irriating, racing, nonsensical dreams that just race and race and race around in circles. I just went thru this and it took about three days to finally clear out of my head. I felt like I was going crazy each time I tried to sleep. Fortunately after about a day I relaized that I must be going thru Caffiene or Sugar Withdrawal so I knew I just had to bare it for a day or two.
I bet most people dont realize that caffiene withdrawl is an aggravating factor when you have other illnesses. In my case, I have just been abroad, and so I was drinking tons of tea every day, which I NEVER drink because the caffeine is so strong in tea, and as I was travelling home I fell ill with the flu or some sort of chest cold. So here I am, sick, jet lagged, not eating or drinking much really and then this stinking caffiene withdrawal kicks in to boot. Enter massive sinus type headache AND restelss horrible sleep for three nights.
No fun.
sobakevitch says
re: Pressure abated?
About how long did it take for the pressure in your head to go away, or is it gone? Did you find that there would be certain parts of the day when it would be higher or lower? The afternoons are the worst for me. I had more-or-less the same thing you had... haven't been much of a coffee drinker for my whole life and then started upping the dosage for a few weeks before finals and woke up one morning with everything you've described. The last month has been utter hell, but I'm getting better day by day. Some days can be miserable, while others are relatively ok. I wonder what that's about. Well, good luck. I hope everything turns out the best for you.
ramen noodle says
re: Wish you best of luck
Coffee withdrawal is not easy, i had a hard time for sure, way worst than with alcohol. I used to always feel tired, not feeling like eating at all, but still had to get some food even if i didn't want to. Got kind of depressed, but i can tell you that after a while, you can totally break your coffee addiction. Time will cure your addiction at 100%, it's just not easy to get there 🙂
Ashley
Anonymous says
re: I feel like hell!!!
Ok I have been off caffeine for about 4 days or so and man I feel like crap! Im very emotional moody and tired not to mention majorly fatigued with headaches and feel like crying all day long. Ive been through this before in the past ( getting off caffeine) and I have always ended up getting back on it. Then next thing you know Im hooked again. It blows my mind that something that looks as innocent as coffee can make you feel like your getting off heroin!! This just blows my mind.
sobakevitch says
re: Yes!
Hi. I'm going through the exact same thing. I started drinking coffee regularly in a sporadic kind of way (a couple of cups one day, none the next) about two months ago and woke up with awful brain fog, headaches (more like pressure), nausea, one day 3 weeks ago. I had no idea this was from coffee so I kept drinking and things got worse. I thought I was going insane. Then, I cut out all stimulants and caffeine, alcohol too and things slowly got better. I didn't think it was from coffee, but rather from alcohol so I thought it would be ok to have two cups the other day. Big mistake! I felt the same thing again. So now that I'm pretty sure it's caffeine, I'm on my way out again. How long did it take for your symptoms to abate? Do you feel alright now?
User says
re: Got the same thing
I am having these same symptoms. I woke up with brain fog a couple of weeks ago and had no idea that it was from coffee. It got really depressing and I withdrew from school/social life/ everything. I blamed everything else (alcohol, nicotine) and gave that up and followed a good diet and exercise regime, which slowly improved things. Then, a couple of days ago I felt better and had two cups o' joe and it kicked back in in a major way. I never really had a bad reaction to coffee before, although I felt that I had been increasing my intake for a while prior to all this. Let me know what happens. I still feel like shit, but am getting better day by day.
ouch says
re: 3 weeks and struggling......
I have been off coffee for three weeks, off green tea for 2-1/2 weeks.
Am struggling with the worst fatigue and brain fog I have ever dealt with. Generally I do not feel the cold and run on little sleep, but these days I can't get enough sleep and body temperature fluctuates madly. Intense shoulder and neck ache. And moody....whoa, but the mood swings are killing me. I know coffee is a no-no, but had NO CLUE it would trigger so many seemingly unrelated symptoms. My friend tells me it could take me a couple of months to withdraw. Holy Shit!
User says
re: If you have stimulant
If you have stimulant addiciton.. check out reset ad, by Palo Alto labs. Youll be able to break your addiction in days without side's
Never Again says
re: Just Hang In There
Heh. Yeah, it sucks. A lot. But just try to keep in mind, as hard as it may be with this broken record of anxiety spinning in your head, that it doesn't matter you're gonna forget about it, anyway. Don't try to fight it cause, as I'm sure you've noticed, the more you try not to think about it the more you think about it. You kind of just have to just let the thoughts flow in as scary as the thought of that might be and realize that what you're obsessing over is just a thought. The anxiety is acting like a barrier in your head and just about any kind of input hits that anxiety filter first. And don't worry about how long it's taking me to get over it. Everyone's body is different. lol Chances are you'll be over it before me, so don't stress that. Just try to stay active, as hard as that is. It really does help take your mind off it. Going out with friends and enjoying yourself helps a lot. Just interacting with people in general helps. Play some video games or games on a website or something. Just about anything involving some level of activity on your part. I guess you could watch TV or read a book, but I find those harder to get into. I don't know if it's the same for you. But, yeah. Just hang in there.
User says
re: yes! everything you
yes! everything you mentioned is exactly how i feel... I see something or i think of something and hours later i am still stuck on it.. its in my head and i cant get it out... i totally keep thinking OCD but then that gets stuck in my head for hours. and then "stuck in my head" get stuck in my head and i feel like im stuck in an endless loop. i am freaking that your still experiencing this 36days laters, im only like 3 days in i am going nuts!