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 coffeeΒ 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
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Hello, Dave:)
Hi, I'm glad to hear that you're experiencing some positive improvements but sorry to hear about the sleep problem. It seems to be a major part of the withdrawal process, as the psyche tries to balance itself out and to 'detox' the over-stimulation of the mental faculties, previously provided by the caffeine. I've had exactly the same problem i.e. I fall asleep for about 4 or 5 hours and then feel wide awake, mentally, even though I feel physically exhausted. I've found that, unfortunately, it is a question of working your way through it - although, as you point out, it IS temporary. One thing I have found to be very effective is the use of calcium and magnesium supplements. I would say that I was already taking calcium/magnesium supplements because of my vegan diet and, also, because of my age. I take my supplements either at bedtime (they're best on an empty stomach, anyway) or when I wake up through the night, depending. I take calcium citrate and magnesium citrate as they are more readily absorbed and it's also usual to take vitamin D with them as this, too, aids absoprtion. One word of warning, though, Dave - as you are no doubt aware, you have to be very careful regarding supplements as, if you take doses which are too high, it can have a detrimental effect on your health. When my diet is purely vegan, I'm able to ingest up to the upper limit of 1000mgs of calcium and 400mgs of magnesium per day. But if, for example, you are consuming dairy milk, yoghurt etc, etc , you have to watch that you're not over supplementing, as I know that too much calcium/magnesium/Vit D may cause health problems e.g too much magnesium causes stomach upset. But I know they work - you can feel yourself relaxing. However, having said all of that, the bad news is that if your psyche needs to re-balance, then that sleeplessness will occur. But maybe there's a way of limiting the damage, so to speak.
One thing I always do, though, is to stay in bed and rest. If I get up then there's no chance of falling asleep again and, if I stay in bed, I DO often fall asleep again after 2 or 3 hours. I'm not sure what time you have to get up but even another hour or two could help. It must be very difficult to cope with all of your responsibilities/work etc but, if you can possibly stay the course, it WILL ease as your psyche balances out. Very best of luck, Dave. π Jackie P.S. Eating carbs (wholegrain cereal, for example) can have a sedative effect so you could have a late supper or even try eating it when you wake up (not ideal but maybe worth a try).
User says
re: There is something else going on with you .
Hi
Read your comment. What you describe might be a withdrawal symptom but to me it seems a little different. You might want to check with you Primary Physician and ask for a blood work for hormones ( esp. Thyroid . )
Cheers!
Denise in Wisconsin says
re: Hello Dave MM
Ignoring your rude comment about my beloved Cheesehead state (lol), you know that you have my sympathy. For what it's worth, I haven't been posting here as much. Yesterday (May 16) marked my 2-month anniversary of being 100 percent caffeine-free. For other posters who may be interested (Dave has already heard this) ... I am sleeping much better now, with no bad dreams. A tiny period of depression passed by, and in general, I feel very satisfied that I can continue to live without caffeine. However, I think it might be important or help someone else, to point out that life is still life. I have the same stresses, worries and occasional boredom that I had before. In some ways, drinking coffee helped to mask those things. Now I don't have that crutch, so I have had fleeting moments when the thought of going back to caffeine seems appealing. But I won't do it. Everyone who has ever gone through this knows that giving in means giving in. I will be once again addicted, once again facing a withdrawal and once again disappointed in myself. There is an old Zen saying "Before Enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment, chop wood, carry water". To me, this is very much like what I am experiencing. My life without caffeine is the same as my life before. What is different is that there is a very quiet kind of peace within me. I have left the drug in my past, and life will still be life. But at least it's my life without the influence of a drug. I hope this helps someone.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks John:)
Thanks so much for replying and for your suggestions:) Yes! I had the idea about just drinking something else (all day, if necessary!) although I haven't tried it yet. I can't drink fruit teas (too acid) but I've bought some good quality, organic tea this morning and have started to drink, drink, drink it! I feel it wil lbe much easier to wean myself off that to Rooibos and, then I will be caffeine free. Tea just doesn't have the same addictive, psychological hold on me that coffee does -and I know I'll be fine. I re-introduced my healthy breakfast quite a few weeks ago and now it's just part of my psyche's expectations - and I DO want it and enjoy it. So I do believe that re-training really works. Another example is that I stopped eating after my evening meal and, again, it's become my 'normal' pattern. I think I've said, elsewhere, that I feel I really have 'touched bottom' with this addiction and looked the tiger right in the eye! It's almost like I lost myself to it but, in that, I seem to be finding myself and there's definitely an element of choice and control returning.
Btw, I HAVE thrown out the coffee, several times, and bought it back when I've been having a really bad 'fight or flight' experience but I am starting to work my way through those and genuinely feel that I'm winning this battle! Strangely, you'd have to PAY me to drink Coke as, to me, it just tastes horrible - so no problem there. Chocolate also makes me feel horrible - I can taste the poison! - so, again, no problem there.
Well, how are you getting on, John? Your earlier posts indicate you're going from stength to strength - that's just fantastic! You must feel great and and I know we can be completely clear of the temptation and desire for coffee. I know I thank you all of the time but I REALLY am grateful for your support, patience and advice - and I'll never forget your help:) My genuine thanks to everyone for not giving up on me:) Best of luck to all:) Jackie.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Hello, CIJ.
Hi, congrats on giving up caffeine and I hope it's still going well for you:) The anxiety and confusion etc seem to be a major part of withdrawal but, as everyone on here seems to testify to, they do get easier - often quite quickly. If you don't mind me saying, I would definitely advise against fasting. During the withdrawal stages, you need good nutrition and lots of water. When we fast, our bodies go into famine/starvation mode (they don't know we're 'fasting') and begin to shut down to conserve energy. Withdrawal creates exhauston etc, anyway, and the effects of fasting are the last thing your body/brain want. Even with a short fast, the body's metabolism can reduce and you feel even more sluggish and exhausted. To aid the detoxification process, I'd stop ingesting any more harmful substances, including alcohol, pesticides/additives in food etc. As far as I possibly could, I'd eat an ORGANIC WHOLE FOOD diet : vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts/seeds etc. From past research, if you do eat meat and consume dairy products then it's even more important that they are organic as they are full of growth hormones/antibiotics etc. I'd add that it's realy important to get the correct balance of protein, carbs, vits/mins, EFAs etc in your diet and, because I'm not a professional, check with your your doctor:) I have been researching nutrition etc since the 80s and there are many sites etc to back this up. I know that it's sometimes hard to change your diet or maybe you have to fit in with a family etc but I'd say do what you can. Many years ago, I fasted for a few days, my blood sugar plummeted and I passed out. I cut my head and still have to scar to show for it! Anyway, I hope this helps. From past experience, good whole food (organic, if possible) = health and wellbeing. Good luck! Jackie.
Dave MM says
re: Sleep Issues - Please Advise
Hello, everyone. I'm currently on Day 15 of withdrawal from caffeine. I'm not yet feeling great, but I have noticed upswings in my mood and energy levels in the last few days. I've also been helped by reading this forum and all of the wonderful posts here. So thank you to everyone for that.
Unfortunately, I now have a problem... and it is the same problem that derailed my last serious attempt to cease caffeine a few years ago. For the past two nights, I've woken up after sleeping for 5 hours, completely unable to go back to sleep. No amount of warm milk, relaxing music, or reading Mitt Romney's biography is going get me back into bed. I'm fully awake! However, this temporary feeling of being very awake will start to slowly fade. And in four hours or so, I will start to feel like someone who did not get enough sleep...not very good.
When this happened a few years ago, I was a CPA working 60+ hours each week in my firm's busy season. After 4 night of around 5 hours of sleep each night, I was so desparate that I turned back to caffeine for help. Interestingly enough, the sleep problems stopped right away, but I was then addicted to caffeine again. I'm not turning back to caffeine this time.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what I might do to beat this temporary insomnia? So far, the best plan I have come up with is just to stay awake, and continue to set my alarm and hope that I sleep through the night. Basically, I would just ride this out until it stops, or until I land in the hospital from exhaustion. However, I'm not excited by the idea of trying to continually take care of all of my daily responsibilities on not much sleep. After awhile, the lack of sleep makes life feel pretty grim for me, probably what it would feel like everyday to wake up and realize that you live in the state of Wisconsin π
So any advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated. The only other time in my life that I've had sleeping issues was the problem two years ago, when I was trying to quit caffeine. I'm willing to suffer through this in the name of beating my caffeine addiction. But if there is something else I could do to help, I would love to hear about it. Thanks.
Dave
Oh, and OTC sleep aids likely won't do much good. I tried them a few years ago, and they did not solve my problem. This makes perfect sense as the issue is staying asleep, not initially falling asleep.
John Campbell says
re: Jaki I'm just really hoping
Jaki I'm just really hoping you try now.
One approach is just start drinking a crazy amount of hot fruit tea - so your body disconnects "I want a comforting hot drink' from coffee.
Another is to purposefully make exit easier by reducing temptation; when you are feeling strongest (/most angry about caffeine impacts on your life) (maybe in the evening?) then throw out all the coffee beans and colas in your house, so tomorrow when the urge comes you'll have to go to a shop to restock; you just might find you don't do that. I threw out all the coffee in my house 2 or 3 times before I finally launched. Buying the stuff again, paying again, had a message into my subconscious.
I think there's a conscious narrative battle in our minds, but that's not actually the real battle. The real battle is in our subconscious. Your conscious narrative might give in, but your subconscious might just say 'it's too much of a pain to go to the shop - I'll leave it', and 'It's too much of a pain to have to keep re-buying this stuff.'
Anyway, all strength to you! - hope you catch the wave.
p.s. if you fall off again, have a lapse, then no worries, just get up and keep going again; the trend is upwards...
John Campbell says
re: Hi Rob you may be right;
Hi Rob you may be right; doing nothing maybe leaves us too short of energy. I'm trying some steady walking, rather than intense aerobics. I think we just need to keep trying things, all sorts of combinations, to find what is good for us.
CIJ says
re: Update. For me the worst part
Update. For me the worst part isn't the headaches - I don't tend to get those often. I get into this state of intense anxiety and confusion where I become incredibly indecisive and just lethargic and listless. It's almost like a mental pain but I can't really describe it. Anyway, 3 days into detox. Joints already feel better - I think caffeine, aspartame et al. are inflammatory because when I cut it out long-standing joint and ligament inflammation seem to subside. So that's one almost immediate benefit. Other than that I'm pretty tired and miserable. If I can make it past the first week or so I should be able to keep going. I hear fasting helps as well, so I might try that.
Denise in Wisconsin says
re: To CIJ
I have to tell you - I have Celiac Disease, so I cannot consume gluten. I don't eat refined flours, and in fact, I avoid all flour - even the "safe" ones like rice flour, amaranth, garbanzo, chickpea, etc. You are absolutely right about high glycemic foods. Unfortunately, my exhaustion was simply a side effect of getting off caffeine. It felt as though my brain/central nervous system was going into frequent "shut down" mode as it tried to find balance. For weeks, I would literally fall asleep sitting up on the couch (Judge Judy in particular seemed to lull me to sleep, which I'll bet she wouldn't like). Tomorrow (May 16) is my 2-month anniversary without any caffeine and I'm happy to tell you that I'm not tired any more. Good luck with your detox, CIJ.
Rob says
re: Jackie - Yes, get in touch
Happy to correspond by email - is there a cunning way to swap addresses ?
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks, Violet:)
Thanks, Violet:) Yes, I agree - it's an amazing incentive to people like us who are either desperately trying to curtail their addiction or trying to stay the course, if they've already stopped. How are you getting on at the moment? Have you noticed any new changes etc? Are your symptoms on the decline? I really do feel like it's starting to get better for me. I'm not winning all of the battles, but I'm definitely winning the war! I have cut my consumption right down and going back to my very healthy way of eating and creating new patterns of behaviour, attitude and, even, intention are gradually re-shaping my whole psyche. I feel like I really have 'touched bottom' with it and the only way is up:) It's almost as if I'm clawing my way back to how I used to be - caffeine-free, healthy and alive!
I'm encourgaed, as well, because some people have told me that it's taken them quite a few years to finally give up so that has encouraged me NOT to give up. I sometimes wonder, as well, if my age (I'm 61, although I feel a lot younger!) has something to do with it. Patterns of behaviour etc have had longer to have become rooted in my psyche lol. Anway, sorry to ramble on.
Well, please let me know how you're doing:) Oh, and how wonderful to be able to live in Canada! I've wanted to go there since I was a teenager in the 60s. I thought you were from the U.K. because you sometimes give xx lol. Keep strong! Jackie xx
CIJ says
re: Hi Denise,
I gave up caffeine
Hi Denise,
I gave up caffeine for about two months about a year ago - I noticed the same symptoms... which grieved me to the point that I picked caffeine back up -- thinking back, I didn't eliminate the refined flours from my diet and other very high glycemic foods; that and sugar will spike your bloodsugar up only to crash. But I experienced the same thing. I'm detoxing again - this time I need to be prepared to separate from the drug fully. What is your diet like?
CIJ
CIJ says
re: Caffeine gives me migraines
Caffeine gives me migraines really bad from time to time. I got one yesterday - I'd rather die of caffeine withdrawals than face that pain. I decided it's time to go back to water only. I did this for about 60 days last year, it worked. I was foolish to take caffeine back up again. I had some coffee yesterday afternoon about 36 hours ago so I'm heading into the peak of it which I hate -- miserable. This board is an encouragement; caffeine is an insidious socially acceptable drug that works on the nervous system the way other illegal drugs do. No Christian should ever indulge in it - I truly think it is a sin once you become aware of what is going on with it. It will ruin your health.
violet says
re: You're Welcome!
Hello, Jaki, you are very welcome, and please, no apologies needed, it is just so nice to chat with you. I agree, this forum is wonderful, there is so much support and encouragement to be found, I check in daily, sometimes several times a day. Please do keep going, your posts are so very helpful to me. By the way, I am from Canada. Very best wishes to you, also! V
violet says
re: Thanks, Dave
Hi Dave, thanks so much for the congratulations, it means a lot to me to know that you understand. Yes, lack of stamina, that's exactly what I am struggling with right now, although today is an exceptionally good day, lots of sunshine and summer like temps, so I "forced" myself to get out in the yard and do some light gardening. It was just what I needed, I feel so much better.
Once again, thanks for the support and encouragement, Dave. V
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Just an afterthought, Rob.....
Just an afterthought, Rob - as we seem to be finally trying to break this at the same time, I was wondering if you'd be interested in e-mailing for mutual support, encouragement etc. I've been e-mailing a couple of really great people on here and talking and working our way through the maze really has helped. Thanks Dave and Denise π But if you prefer to just keep it on the forum, absolutely no worries at all (sorry, it's changed font and I don't know how to change it lol). I really won't be offended at all. Either way, I hope to catch up with you. Good luck, Jackie.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks, John:)
Thanks so much - once again! It's like a light just came on when I read your post - like I suddenly recognised that this fear/anxiety IS the fight or flight response. Somehow just KNOWING that has helped. As I've said elsewhere, I feel like I'm getting stronger than my addict and I feel when I next go into the fight/flight mode, I really will just try to pass through it. What you said about just accepting it's going to hard spoke to me, as well - I think I really did need to hear that:) Like you said, I do have such good memories of how I used to feel and I also KNOW that I can feel like that again! Thanks, as ever. It's not an exaggeration to say that I feel like you're all saving my life on here:) Well, I hope you're still keeping strong, John, as you've come SO far. Please let me know how it's going π All the best, Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks, Rob!
Hi, Rob, thanks SO much for your great post and for being so honest:) It really was SUCH a help to hear your history as I SO IDENTIFIED with such a lot of what you said. I, too, have an addictive personality and was originally addicted to sugar/ chocolate etc. I spent MANY years tring to lose weight - I'd always say 'I'll start my diet on Monday' or 'after Christmas' etc and the years passed, like you said. After I had my girls in 1979 and 1981, I was a huge 187lbs but later, FINALLY managed to lose 73lbs. During that period I stopped drinking all tea/coffee etc BUT I've realised I wasn't addicted to coffee at that time and so giving it up was easy. Regretfully, I started drinking it again about 5 years ago and DID get addicted to it, over time. Trouble is, as you probably know, when you drink it, the changes in blood sugar make you crave sugar etc and so I've put back on about 18 lbs. After being overweight since I was a child, after I lost that 73lbs, I swore I'd never put it back on!! For the first time in my adult life, I was slim and I felt fantastic! Truth is, I feel horrible about myself now and feel such a failure for not being able to kick this caffeine addiction. Over the few years, I've had that same mentality about this caffeine addiction - I'll give up 'tomorrow' or 'after the hols/weekend' etc. What made me realise that I MUST give it up was the fact that I recently investigated what caffeine was doing to my body and brain and I finally realised that I was, in fact, addicted and that, ultimately, it's making me ill. And that it could have severe repercussions on my long term health. Like you, the addict in me has also rationalised and tried to 'cut down' but basically what my addict really wanted was NOT to give it up. Reading your post has made me realise that. Sometimes, I'd even go to the shops and buy ANOTHER jar of coffee early in the morning to get my fix at home, as the 'fight or flight' reflex came up and I fled - as fast as I possibly could. I'm crying a bit as I write this. I can't believe how I've got to this place when I used to be so committed to healthy eating etc - and felt SO alive and well because of that.
BUT, having said all of that (and it's really helped to be able to admit it all), when I investigated the effects of caffeine etc and realised that I WAS addicted, it made me relaise that I MUST stop. This forum and all of the great people on it have been a massive source of support and have been the reason why I haven't completely given up. Huge thanks to you all, again:)
I also wanted to say to you, Rob, that's it's so great that you gave up alcohol all of those years ago and have managed to give up coffee for a few periods. You know you CAN do it:) And if you ran a marathon (congrats!), you must be still feeling pretty fit from that so maybe it REALLY is a good time to try to give coffee up again?? Importantly, I thought your bullet points and last paragraph were brilliantly put and absolutely summed it all up for me - they are a great source of inspiration and I shall read them every day!! As I've written this, my inner resolve has really come up again and I've realised that over the last few weeks I HAVE been getting stronger. It really helps me to talk about it like this and it feels like I'm getting stronger than my addict, if that makes sense. OK, it finally feels like I'm ready to make that jump! Please let me know how you've got on this weekend, Rob, if you can. Again, thanks SO much for posting:) Very best wishes to you and everyone on here, as ever. Jackie
Sean MH says
re: Hi guys,ΓΒ
Thanks for all of
Hi guys,
Thanks for all of your wise words. I have a doctors appointment for tomorrow at 7:30 pm and i'm really excited to get an opinion about what happened and what the best recourse is. I really thank all of you for your great words. I'm doing better with dealing with anxiety. This really flares up in stores like Target where I keep breathing and thinking about other things and it eventually blows over. So far, I am six days in and I am definitely in a better place when I wrote my first message. I will keep all of you apprsied of my progress and I think that this will be a really healthy way to connect with others regarding this so consider me a new regular :). As for the question about losing weight, my main focus is getting healthy to start and that will be my foremost concern. If eating healthy and losing weight happens, than i'm all for it. I'll send another message tomrrow night as to what my Doctor thinks and my first day back in the office.
Thanks for all of your support,
Sean
Jenn says
re: Anxiety attacks
Hi, Sean.
Sorry about your hospital scare, hopre your feeling better. As for coping with anxiety attacks, I use alot of different methods depending on where I am and what I have available. The most important thing that I do is breath, it seems rediqulous to say but it's really important to just breath long and deep. Sometimes if it's a small attack all I need to do is focus on my breathing and an take my time drinking a glassor bottle of water. During bigger attacks I have to have a focus to use along with consintrating on my breathing and keeping hydrated, again depending on the situation I do different thing. A focus is something you can consintrate on that makes YOU feel calm and/or relaxed; i.e. sitting down and reading something (a boo,k magazine, a menu, even the back of the cereal box,my advice though NOT something work related unless youu really like your work), holding something that makes or reminds you of something happy (sometimes I just carry a book in my hands or scroll through my picture gallery on my phone), sometimes I just sit by myself or I sit and just talk to someone about random stuff. I work at a resteraunt as a waitress, bartender, and assorted other jobs and I have to take orders, carry thing, overall at the resteraunt I work at I'm the one in charge of making sure every customer is happy even if they aren't my assigned table so I can't sit down and try to relax so I often keep a bag of small candies like skittles in a baggy in the pocket of my apron and run them through my hand if I'm not holding something else, it seems wierd but for me consintrating on something small and unimportant helps me. Staying unstressed is important though not always practical, I just break what I'm doing down into steps and just do one thing at a time. You just have to find what works for YOU because people deal and react differently. If something I do helps than I'm glad. I learned the water thing from a friend and it helped me so I'm sharing so I might help some one with coping. I've had Panic Disorder for years and often hours after an attack I'm still a little shakey and that's normal for me. Just remember to regulate your breathing and use whatever coping mechanisim that works for you, remember that it's ALWAYS ok to ask for help or to ask to have a moment alone.
Jenn
Dave MM says
re: Your situation sounds
Your situation sounds frightening, Sean. But I am glad that you are better and have recognized the dangers of excessive caffeine consumption. To address your specific question about the anxiety, I've found that the heavy anxiety experienced with caffeine withdrawal generally reduces significantly in the first week. So hopefully in short time yours will be better as well. I'm only on Day 9 of withdrawal from caffeine, but I'm finding that if anything I'm somewhat less anxious now. Best wishes as you attempt to cease your caffeine habit.
Dave
Dave MM says
re: Hello, Violet.ΓΒ I just wanted
Hello, Violet. I just wanted to congratulate you on remaining caffeine free for three weeks. I certainly understand what an accomplishment that is. The tiredness (for me it is almost like a lack of stamina) unfortunately seems to be the symptom of withdrawal that lingers after all others are gone. Most of the people who've successfully quit caffeine in the past claim that the feelings of fatigue really start to slow down after a few months. So you have that to look forward to! In any case, continued best of luck in your quest to remain caffeine free.
Dave
Dave MM says
re: Very well said, Jaki.ΓΒ I
Very well said, Jaki. I think your post perfectly sums up why I quit caffeine as well. It really does start out as an energy booster and stress reliever. But with perpetual use comes tolerance, and then the negative side effects start to set in. I, for one, certainly don't want that life anymore.
John Campbell says
re: Sean see my reply to Jackie
Sean see my reply to Jackie below and earlier posts; I think you'll find the exaggerated anxiety phase will only last a few days, and after that your anxiety will reduce a lot in intensity and may even disappear.
Keep going for it! You may find that caffeine overdose was a blessing in disguise.
John Campbell says
re: Jackie yes the stress and
Jackie yes the stress and fear is hard, and what makes it so hard is when you first give up caffeine you actually get even more of that for a few days. You just have to accept that's going to be a very unpleasant and hard few days.
But then it's not long before you have trouble even remembering how strong the fears were. You still may have fears at stressful times, but they seem smaller and more manageable. You can have perspective and can manage the fears, rather than them taking over your brain (i.e. causing automatic shutdown of your frontal lobes as your brain goes into 'fight or flight' mode).
I'm sure you can do this! You have such good memories of how it was when you were clean before....
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Hi, Sean:)
First, I'm sorry to hear about your recent scare. That must have been really difficult to deal with but I'm glad you've got the incentive and strength to now give up caffeine. As you've already found, the palpitations etc are reducing and abstinence should completely eradicate the problem. As to the anxiety, these are the methods I find to be helpful. Being active, exercising or just being busy helps to relieve it. I find that fresh air and, importantly, being in the sun helps a lot as the sun naturally releases the feel-good hormones. As you know that you can feel good again, you could try to just 'be in the moment' and let the anxiety pass. I've found that if I try to fight it, it gets worse so I just try to feel it and, eventually, it passes. Knowing that the anxiety will continue to reduce, as you get further along the road, will hopefully help you to stay strong. SO many people on this forum speak about how the withdrawal symptoms DO die down and that a renewed sense of wellbeing and phsyical health is attainable. If you don't mind me saying, Sean, you're very young and I'd guess it's maybe easier to get off this drug when you're younger and fitter. I'm 61 and still struggling....but I really do wish you the best. Keep strong! Jackie. P.S. If you don't mind me asking you, are you still trying to lose weight? Presumably, you won't be able to continue with the supplement? I've found that eating as healthily as possible not only helps to reduce weight (I lost 73lbs this way) but may also alleviate anxiety. See some of my previous posts where I've gone on endlessly about this lol.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks, Violet:)
Hi, Violet, thanks for replying π I'm so pleased for you that you're managing to stay the course - that's just brilliant news! Yes, I know what you mean, sharing our caffeine struggle brings us all closer together, I think. I'm actually feeling very guilty as, when you initially posted, I replied to Dave but somehow, not to you. I honestly thought I had so sorry about that. I do try to give as much support as possible because people on here ARE so supportive - and, besides, normally you can't shut me up lol (as others will testify to!). Anyway, it all sounds as if you're well on the way to recovery and that is encouraging and inspiring. I think that if it hadn't been for this forum, I actually might have given up so I really appreciated your post and I will keep going. One thing that jumped out from your post was the notion of keeping busy and keeping the normal routine. We've had a house-guest here for the last couple of weeks so it's been a little like a holiday. I feel I need to get my to my day-to-day routine, get more active and that that will help. So thanks for that:) I really do wish you the best. Keep strong and keep the forum updated, if you can:) Very best wishes. Jackie xx P.S. Are you from the U.K., too, if you don't mind me asking?
Rob says
re: Yes, still plugging away....
Jackie Γ’β¬β yes, I am still trying to quit ! I have a long relationship with caffeine Γ’β¬β to cut a long story short, I'm a very addictive person who gave up drinking alcohol nearly 20 years ago. Before I did, I was completely ambivalent to coffee/caffeine, but after I quit drinking my addiction seemed to move its focus to coffee ! Within 6 months I knew where all the coffee shops were in my city, knew all about the different types of coffee, had bought one of every kind of coffee maker known to man etc. ! As with most addictions, it worked well to start with Γ’β¬β I loved the social side of it, the ritual, the way it made me feel. Pretty soon however, I started to need it to function and wasn't getting any pleasure out of it Γ’β¬β my body and brain had adapted to it and I was physically addicted to caffeine.
So, over the last maybe 15 years or so I've been trying (and sometimes succeeding) to get off caffeine. I have spent countless days/weeks/months/years (I kid you not) planning how I was going to do it. I have researched endless methods to stop such as tapering off, using caffeine pills to help me do it, using tea instead of coffee, swapping drinks, going cold turkey etc. etc. I have gone on countless caffeine binges, promising that tomorrow I would stop Γ’β¬Εfor everΓ’β¬Β, but then not doing it. I've given up probably 3 or 4 times, for around 4-6 months each time, before crazily thinking Γ’β¬Εjust one won't hurtΓ’β¬Β and starting again. Each time that first cup has felt great, then very soon (within a few days) I'm back in the mess of addiction Γ’β¬β drinking too much, stomach aches, head is fuzzy, wondering how I've got into this mess again and promising to stop Γ’β¬ΕsoonΓ’β¬Β. Typically I pick a significant date, a birthday, anniversary, public holiday etc. and decide that will be the day I quit. I usually don't do it, then focus on the next significant date, staggering through the year.
The most recent time I gave up for 4 months, in order to get fit for and then run a marathon at the end of April. The addict in me rationalised that it would be a really good idea (!) to take some caffeine pills with me on the marathon and have a couple at mile 20 to turbo-charge me in the last 6 miles. During those last 6 miles, I then decided if I finished, as a reward to myself, I would go to Starbucks and get a coffee. This I duly did, it felt great, I bought another, then the next day Γ’β¬ΕI'll just have oneΓ’β¬Β and now here I am 3 weeks later, feel terrible, stomach aches and I'm wondering how it has happened again.
It's Friday today and I'm planning on stopping tomorrow over the weekend. I'm hoping it won't be too tough, given I've only been back on it 3 weeks, but we'll see. What I've learned in my countless attempts (and few successes) is :
The main thing I've found is that caffeine (for me at least) is a very powerful drug that exerts a strong hold on me and significantly impacts my quality of life. When I don't use it, things get better, when I do they get worse. Sounds simple, with a simple solution, but making that jump and stopping is tough Γ’β¬β I've teetered on the edge for so long, afraid to jump.
When in the past I have gone through with it, it's never been as bad as I imagined. Not pleasant, but do-able. I'm planning to "jump" this weekend, for (please god !) the last time. Why not try yourself ? Remember, the fear of it far exceeds the reality.
Sean MH says
re: I was a heavy caffeine
I was a heavy caffeine consumer throughout my life. I just turned 26 and this past Monday I had a health scare that has profoundly changed me. After mixing a weight loss supplement with caffeine in it as well as a Starbucks Venti Coffee I found myself in the ER with a caffeine overdose. Massive heart palpitations and a heart rate that at its peak was 170 bpm I decided to give up caffeine and other supplements and have been clean for 3 days from caffeine and chocolate (my big time vice). I have had some bouts of anxiety and on Tuesday had to go back to the ER because the heart beat flared up out of nowhere. Outside of that, I feel like my body is getting better as the palpitations are going away. I wish to ask for advice on how everyone deals with anxiety that comes up with giving up caffeine because I find myself having great moments and than out of nowhere anxiety will attack me. Any thoughts would be appreciated and I thank all of you for your insightful posts and for helping me get started on this path π
violet says
re: Still Here
Hi, Jaki, I'm still hanging in, fighting the fight and winning, so far. I only recently joined this forum, but I feel like I personally know you and a few other members, from reading pretty much every post in this forum. This past Monday was a full three weeks of being caffeine free, if I even remember correctly, lol, (one of the symptoms of the early stages of withdrawal!) My headaches and body aches have dissipated, thankfully, yet I do have periods of extreme tiredness, lethargy and the like. I am making myself get out and continue my normal lifestyle and routine, although some days are much more of a struggle than others. On a very positive note, because there really are "positives" to quitting caffeine if one is determined, I have noticed that I am more relaxed and easy going, not so quick to become frustrated or agitated with the small annoyances in my daily life. My sleep is now more sound, although like some others have mentioned, I do dream a lot, very vivid dreams, but not nightmares. When I wake up I feel rested and alert and I no longer feel the "extreme need" for a cup of coffee. It reminds me of my sleep pattern as a child, when I fell asleep, stayed asleep and then woke up with the anticipation of a new day. I feel the best is still yet to come, along with a few bumps in the road along the way, I'm sure. One other thing before I close, to anyone who is in the very early stages of going caffeine free, or those who are only in the planning stages, I strongly feel that if you make it through the first three weeks then you CAN beat the addiction, so try to stay the course, you are worth it! V xx
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Hi, Jacob.
Hello, thanks for your q. Lol, well, the problem was that I started drinking coffee again about 5 years ago (as a stress reliever and energy boost) and as you know, the body adapts and so I needed more coffee (and stronger) to produce the same results. Over time, I needed it to feel 'normal'. Eventually, I'd overstimulated my adrenal glands etc so much that I was experiencing severe withdrawal problems while I was STILL drinking it. I felt completely exhausted, ill, depressed/moody, anxious etc. I couldn't sleep, was having memory/concentration problems, had no motivation and was like the proverbial bear with a sore head! Caffeine does give you an inital boost but payback is just horrible. I also did quite a lot of research on the harmful effects it has on the brain and body - and it's pretty damn scary!
So, I had become a complete caffeine addict and I knew the only way to recover and to get myself and my life back was to give it up. But I am still struggling because, as you say, it IS a drug. Also, I previously didn't drink coffee for a long period and felt just amazing! Now, I feel ill and, sometimes, almost dead inside. You'll never know just how much I regret starting to drink it again.
Hope that answers your q?!!
Jackie
Jacob says
re: Hi there! May I ask WHY you
Hi there! May I ask WHY you actually want to quit?
Caffeine is a great drug! With very little down-side's apart from Withdrawl, and the easy way to solve that is to drink more!
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: To anyone who's still trying to give up.
Hi. I've been posting on here for a couple of months and I wondered if there are any people out there who, like me, are STILL trying to give up caffeine?? How are you getting on? Best wishes to everyone. Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: I totally agree, John.
Thanks for posting, John. Another inspiring post which I seem to need atm. As you know, I totally agree that being as 'clean' as possible - in terms of drugs, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, chocolate, processed/junk food, all animal foods/products, processed sugar, wheat etc etc - eradicates a lot of physical and psychological problems. I'm not saying it's a cure for everything but, for those who haven't read my earlier posts, when I became vegan and started to eat only pure, organic foods (about 12 years ago), I went from weighing 187lbs to 114lbs and felt the most healthy and the most alive I'd ever felt in my life. During that period, I had more energy and a sharper mind than at any other time and felt that I was living life to the full. I slept very well and had a real sense of wellbeing. It's now widely documented that putting toxins and harmful substances into the body makes it ill. Becoming vegan may not be suitable for everyone or everyone's choice but if I still ate meat or consumed dairy products, I'd want them to be organic and free from all the hormones and antibiotics etc which are pumped into the live animals, today.
My vegan diet was (and is) very simple and I initially missed the strong flavours of high-salt and high-sugar foods etc. However, over time, my taste buds completely changed and I began to taste and enjoy the natural flavours of the vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes etc which I'd started to eat. When you don't eat overly-sweetened cakes etc, fruit tastes just so delicious and there are still flavoursome meals to be had - I do a mean chick-pea curry! I also came to dislike the taste of coffee as it is so bitter. So I'd say that although we might think we're saying goodbye to some of life's pleasures, there is still good food and drink to be enjoyed. And I would chose feeling well and alive over any short-term buzz from caffeine or a sugar hit. I just wish that, after foolishly allowing myself to become addicted to caffeine during the last 5 years, I could completely pactice what I'm preaching here and get back to where I was. Giving up THIS 'demon drink' is harder than I would have ever imagined and I genuinely wish everyone out there the strength and determination to give it up or to stay the course! Best wishes, Jackie. P.S. Just wanted to add, John, that your comment about stress seems to be the key, for me. I can stand feeling exhausted/ill etc but it's the stress (and fear) which has been sending me running back. I need to learn to just breathe through it and let it pass. Thanks, again π
Rob says
re: Clean is good, but.....
John,
Agree with most of what you say ! Our bodies and minds are finely tuned, great machines that work really well provided we let them do what they are meant to - i.e. don't screw them up by adding things they don't need. Clearly in this category are all psychoactive drugs and alcohol - if they change your bio-chemistry, your body will in time adapt and work differently. Eventually your body will need the drug/alcohol to function "normally" and then you're in the happy world of addiction.
One thing I would disagree with you on is the implication that exercise is a bad thing. Part of your body operating normally is that you exercise and that you produce endorphins and other feel-good chemicals. Exercise is the right way to stimulate this response and as such is a great thing to do. The problem comes when the response is stimulted artificially - e.g. with drugs that don't occur naturally in the body.
"Getting high on your own supply" is not a problem - it's what you're meant to do !
Rob.
John Campbell says
re: (note to EspressoCoffeeGuideistrators ref previous submission -thank you)
please change Randy quote in para 1 to
"It's now been a month and I FEEL GREAT! ΓΒ In fact, I think this is the best I've ever felt in my life. ΓΒ I believe between my allergy medicine, caffeine, and sugar, they were all acting as amplifiers of my nature anxiety."
Thank you.
John Campbell says
re: I increasingly think it's worth going very clean
Randy's quote about 2 pages back is; "I believe between my allergy medicine, caffeine, and sugar, they were all acting as amplifiers of my nature anxiety."
I am increasingly thinking the way to go is very clean - no caffeine, no alcohol, no chocolate, no sugar, no cheese, maybe even no wheat. Maybe even no intense exercise (endorphins).
The problems with these are that (a) many of these directly cause or amplify anxiety, and also (b) any one of these causes disturbances and cycles in our brains to begin, which lead to me reaching for another drug also.
So right now I'm exploring trying to help and care for my brain by not sending any drugs over into it, and giving it a steady, stable physical and blood contents platform. Feels very good so far.
Issues are
- resisting stress when it comes, without stress relievers such as intense exercise and alcohol. I'll try to use REBT, CBT, meditation, gentle walking.
- can I be a fun guy e.g. at a party, without alcohol. Increasingly I think yes, alcohol is not necessary, and in fact may dull natural liveliness and humour in the right environment.
So I advocate trying going deeply clean...
It's sad saying goodbye to some of life's pleasures and highs, but in truth they are very short-term and shallow, false highs, and the subsequent side effects are very heavy, dark and unpleasant, for me and my loved ones. It's worth it when you review all the huge positives.
John Campbell says
re: This is such a good quote; "I
This is such a good quote; "I believe between my allergy medicine, caffeine, and sugar, they were all acting as amplifiers of my nature anxiety." I am increasingly thinking the way to go is very clean - no sugar, no cheese, maybe even no wheat.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Congrats, Dave.
Congrats on starting your caffeine-free life! It sounds as if your physical symptoms are managable and I hope these continue to improve. I truly know that the brain-fog will disappear as your mental functioning returns to normal so hang on in there. Once you start to feel a difference, it should help to ease any worries:) I still believe, Dave, that you will not believe how alert and alive you will feel, once this terrible drug is out of your system. Best of luck and e-mail me any time:) Very best wishes, Jackie.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks, ahuman:)
Thanks so much for posting and for taking the time and trouble to go over your past history etc. Much appreciated:) I'm really pleased you managed to piece it all together and realise what was causing all of your symptoms. I found your post to be very helpful and I identified with many of the things you mentioned. Plenty to think about. And that you've managed to be off the dreaded drug for 7 months is just fantastic! Thanks also for the links - and wishing you continued success π Jackie.
Dave MM says
re: Day 5 - Down But Not Out
Well, today is the beginning of the 5th day of my life without the influence of caffeine. I won't lie to anyone here... the first four days have been difficult. The evening of the first day was the most difficult, with a debilitating headache, bouts of nauseau and insomnia. I seemed to be on an upswing, but then yesterday (Day 4) brought feelings of tiredness and general dissatisfaction. I feel pretty good this morning.... so hopefully these acute symptoms will stop soon, and real recovery can begin. I've also cut out all of the sugar I was consuming, which was directly related to the caffeine consumption... so it is reasonably likely that my experience these first four days has been especially awful.
The toughest symptom I'm experiencing so far, and one that people complain about on this site often, is the dreaded brain fog, the lack of mental clarity. Thankfully I haven't had many difficult mental problems to think through, but I've found myself struggling to think of words and solutions for simple problems. Basically, in the span of few days I've gone from someone who is qualified to attend Medical School to someone who is only qualified to clean the buildings. Hopefully this feeling will pass quickly.
Even though I currently don't feel great, I'm comforted knowing that I've made the right choice regarding caffeine. Even if no mental clarity ever returns, and I'm in this dim state for the rest of my life, at least it is me, and it is my mind and my life.... and not me under the influence of a stimulanting substance all day. Also, I just wanted to extend encouragement to everyone out there struggling to live a caffeine-free (or caffeine reduced) life. Trying to kick your caffeine habit is very difficult, and I'm honestly proud of anyone who would even attempt it. I'll try to check back in from time to time. Best wishes to everyone out there.
Dave
Dave MM says
re: Hi, John.ΓΒ It is nice to hear
Hi, John. It is nice to hear that you are doing well as you approach 90 days. I don't really have much to add besides keep up the good work. It is only day 5 for me, and I am far from entering a good place. But I'm hopeful to be where you are some day. Take care.
Dave
ahuman says
re: Answer some questions and maybe help some other people
I saw some people were intersted in why i finally quit drinking caffine, and how did i do it.
Below i will bore you all with the long gory details. Its a tale that i should probably turn into a book so that others wont make the same mistakes, and go through the same misery and pain that i had to endure. lol
Lets start by stepping into the way back machine and remembering my childhood. I wasn't really allowed to drink a lot of Pepsi or other caffeinated drinks nor did i really crave them. I was a calm well adjusted child with a good extended family and never had any anxiety issues other than normal childhood "crises".
Around 30 I was doing midnight work and i started drinking Pepsi/Mountain Dew every night to stay awake. One night after working for a few months i had another huge panic attack after having a ton of soft drinks that night. It scared me so i cut off the caffeine thinking it would calm me down, but it had the opposite effect. I ended up having extreme anxiety for about 1 month and it tapered off slowly from there. But it was so severe it sent me anxiety counseling and actually changed a lot of my personal philosophies. It faded in about 6 months to year and i was stronger than ever after.
Starting to see a pattern here? I hadn't yet, I thought it was just some kind of mid life crisis or something. So i went on about my business. And that brought me to the last and final clue in the case of caffeine withdrawal.
I had started drinking Pepsi again every day in place of coffee i can't really remember why. And that's when it came to a head one more time and i finally pieced together the whole puzzle. I cut back on my Pepsi consumption to lose some weight and i started to get headaches and feel like i was coming down with the flu. This made me just cut out the Pepsi completely and that's when the symptoms got really bad and i started having extreme anxiety, headaches, nausea, etc... again. This time i was tipped off when i had a 20oz Pepsi and felt almost normal again for about 1 day.
The other incident in my past started to fall into place at that point, i went and did a lot of research and found out that caffeine is drug just like any other. Maybe milder than most, but when consumed in the quantities that most of us do it's just as bad as any of them. I never knew that it was a substance that could alter your brain chemistry, i thought it just gave you a boost when you drank it. Finding out that it imitates adenosine and this chemical interacts with most of the systems in your body was a shock to me. I had always avoided taking unhealthy substances my whole life, or at least i thought, but i was wrong. The worst/best part was when i looked at the possible withdrawal symptoms, and they matched my past occurrences. Who would think quitting a stimulant would make you anxious?
Here are some links to some interesting facts and research.
http://www.caffeinedependence.org/caffeine_dependence.html#reference1
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448977
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-acute-withdrawal_syndrome
Well as you can see i finally figured out what was causing my "mid life crisis" and it wasn't my sex drive. The symptoms were horrible for me, anxiety, flu like symptoms, depression, jitters, headaches, and cloudy mind. It started with the anxiety and flu like symptoms and morphed into anxiety, depression, shakiness, and cloudy/slow mind. It was almost like it inverted my normal personality. I am normally a happy, positive, roll with the punches kind of person. When i looked back, i also noticed how it had subtly changed my personality while i was drinking it. I was more aggressive, had energy swings, and more general dissatisfaction with things. Those feelings grew as my consumption grew.
Being the skeptic that i am i also did little experiments this last time to make sure i was concluding the proper cause. I would consume caffeine and see if it changed my mental state during withdrawals, which it did. I was like a junkie, get me a fix and i could operate almost as if nothing was wrong for a short time. For me it seemed to be about 36 hours when the symptoms would start to get severe again. So here i am 7 months out, cut off from caffeine and i am feeling pretty awesome again. At least this time i know what was causing the issue and i can prevent it from happening again. My only advice to anyone that wants to quit is to taper and expect some trouble, but just remember its a chemically induced state so its not really you and it will pass.
FYI:
Caffeine only really becomes a problem if you build up a tolerance to it. Until that point you wont have any withdrawal symptoms if you quit. So if you want a boost just don't make it a daily habit, space them out by a few days/weeks. Unless you have some kind of rare reaction to it. Which can happen.
jaki says
re: Fantastic, John!
Your post was such an inspiration, John! Congrats on giving up alcohol, too:) You must feel fantastic to have come so far - in fact, it sounds like you FEEL just great - so positive and energised π What you said about feeling like yourself again really resonated with me. Caffeine robs you of your life and soul - it must feel so good to have yourself back and you must be starting to feel like, that's it, I will NEVER go back?! I really am so pleased for you and thanks so much for all your support and helpful advice:) Very best wishes and have a great Bank Holiday Weekend:) Jaki
John C says
re: Day 79 - seem to have entered a really good place
Have been off alcohol now for 3 weeks also. Alcohol and caffeine withdrawal symptoms maybe ending/easing? I'm not counting chickens, and fully expect problems to re-occur, but right now is feeling very good; healthy, alive, really 'me'. Benefitting too from a nice balance of social in life (some, not too much), some positive feedback from people on some projects, and no major urgent jobs or decisions hanging over me.
John C says
re: Jaki I think you may be right
Jaki I think you may be right about going for a more total detox. I've now also been off alcohol for 20 days, and going low on sugar and wheat also. I'm beginning to have some really good moments, with anxiety and depression way down - sometimes I even find myself rummaging in my mind trying to find those old familiar feelings! I do think these drugs interact with each and set up cycles; e.g. caffeine causes tension, which leads to alcohol. Interestingly a friend said this week how not drinking alcohol seems to becoming not just socially acceptable but almost cool, and I've found that so far; people don't seem to object even in a social context.
p.s. some comments below to Denise about saying 'that's it for life'.
p.p.s. We're in Suffolk, also in London some of the time π
Best wishes
John C says
re: Denise that sounds great, and
Denise that sounds great, and thanks for your kind words. The only thing I'd just say ref. what you've written, is that I wonder if language about 'being sure I'll never touch it again' may risk setting yourself up to fail, i.e. saying that is setting up an expectation, a possible failure, and thus a potential 'beat-yourself-up' moment. I feel it's maybe better, and stronger, and easier, to not promise anything to anyone, but just take it one day (one hour!) at a time and try to keep on going. Somehow, to me, that seems more likely actually to succeed.
(The longer I go on the less impressed I am with the conscious part of our brains, that all the time constructs these inaccurate and rigid narratives that can trip us up. What matters more is that deeper, word-less, subconsious determination and direction, even in the knowledge that temptations may come and slip-ups may happen.)
Many congratulations on your 40+ days so far!
John C says
re: Dave good to hear from you.
Dave good to hear from you. 500mg is heavy. One thing I've done in the past when trapped on that sort of load is actually take it even higher for a couple of days, just go bananas, so your body comes to rejects the overload, feels just too strung out and wired, feels sick. An extreme idea, but might be worth considering. You might not be able to exit directly then, but if that process brought you back down to say 210mg, you could perhaps then work down further and then look for an exit launch point from there.
jaki says
re: Congratulations, Sarah!
Hello, Sarah, it's really fantastic that you've been caffeine-free for 6 months - many congratulations! Thanks so much for writing such an inspirational post:) You sound so positive and (ironically!) energised, 6 months after giving up, and it's extremely encouraging. I recognised many of the symptoms you discussed so it was really helpful to see the improvements that had been made. I've been worried that my memory and cognitive skills are definitely under-par, recently. I was also very interested to read about your improvement in joint pain. I have low-level osteoarthritis and have noticed that it's been more painful, recently, and I'm now wondering if it's due to my caffeine intake. Food for thought. Like you, I approach abstinence from an holistic point of view and have given up sugar, all processed foods and animal products as, from previous experience, I know that when I eat and drink healthily, I feel healthy - in mind and body - and also have much more energy.
You mentioned that you like a morning cuppa so for anyone who likes a breakfast brew or afternoon tea, I'd recommend Rooibos tea which is caffeine-free and low in tannin. It's equally tasty and refreshing with milk or lemon. Again, thanks so much for posting and best wishes for continued success:) Jackie from the U.K.