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
JJkale says
re: trying to quit coffee
I'm glad I found this site, I've been reading over a bunch of the posts, and it's been inspirational. I am definitely in caffeine withdrawal at this point, although I am still ingesting some. This morning I made one cup of coffee with 2 scoops decaf and 1 scoop half caf. Then a couple hours later, after an appointment, I was feeling the pull of Starbucks VERY strongly. I almost felt like with little effort, the car would just steer itself there, and then in spite of myself I'd be ordering my grande mocha and I have a free drink card, so I'm sure I'd be tempted to throw in an extra shot. But I didn't, the part of me that really wants to kick this chimed in and said 'No, if you give in now and get coffee, you will be in this SAME position tomorrow, feeling restless, feeling like you need a fix' So I went home and made a cup of decaf and that's all I had today. And it passed, the feeling passed. I'm really tired, but no headache yet today...if it comes later, I'll just take advil. I have wanted to quit coffee for years, so many years. A couple of times I did and I think I made it a week or something. I have a very unhealthy past history of using coffee like the drug that it is. I have felt so high and wired at times I've felt like I've just taken amphetamines or cocaine. I also used to use coffee and sugar as my only sources of fuel and not eat any food, I would get through many of my twelve hour shifts working as a nurse doing this. So this goes way back for me, and the urge to quit has been so strong but I've never been able to do it, or maybe the time wasn't right. I have a history of drug and alcohol abuse, all of which I have stopped. I've gotten off tranquilizers, tapering over 9 months; I've kicked percocet, after using daily for a couple years. So I think I should be able to quit coffee, however this is the one last thing and so maybe that's why I'm so reluctant to let it go. I feel so uncomfortable sometimes and I know that a sugary coffee drink will lift me right out of that, and I've done it over and over again. But I found out I have weak bones, at a young age, due to my past history of not eating right and heavy drug and alcohol use. And coffee is one of the worst things I could ingest, in terms of building back my bone density. So there are no more excuses, and I believe that the feeling of peace and serenity that I so desperately want to feel, is eluding me because I keep getting jacked up on stimulants (coffee). Also, my adrenal function is poor, with low cortisol levels, so I am trying to addresss that and the only way I can seriously restore their function is if I don't drink caffeine. Well, that's my story in a nutshell. If anyone has any advice on drinking decaf, I'm only planning to drink it until the acute withdrawals are over and then stopping. I don't want to keep drinking it, but for now if it can help keep me from getting a caffeinated coffee drink, I'll do it. thanks again for everyone who's posted on here, your stories are really inspirational.
Denise says
re: Congratulations, Dave
Thank you for your 80-day update. It's wonderful that you have made it so far, especially after you have struggled so much with caffeine in the past. As you and I have been posting here for a few years now, I truly understand how Something as seemingly innocent as caffeine can mess a person up so badly (you know I believe and how!).
I wish you continued strength, Dave. Please know how much you mean to everyone on this forum.
Denise
3sw
John Campbell says
re: Jackie thanks for this lovely
Jackie thanks for this lovely post. Great to hear you are going well. Hope you enjoy Norfolk; be careful in the new coffee deli's that are appearing there! Very best, John
John C says
re: p.s.
I have not had sleep
p.s.
I have not had sleep issues (except in the first few days).
My caffeine consumption was much lower than yours, Dave, but I think people vary a lot in their sensitivity to caffeine; some are very sensitive even to small doses (possibly genetically, or as a result of long high usage).
Thank you also to everyone on here for the the fellowship in the fight, and for the very useful and honest comments.
John C says
re: Great post Dave. Thank you.
Great post Dave. Thank you. I'm at day 139, with one lapse on day 80. I echo your comments very much. Particularly on energy: To me it's feels as if on caffeine I had over-the-top energy that enabled me to sort of 'watch myself having high energy'; now I am not aware of myself as much as I do things, but when I look back on the day I find I have accomplished a good amount. Life is much, much better.
All the best
John C
p.s. I have put up a few research refs. etc on caffeine in case of help to anyone; http://caffeineevaluation.blogspot.co.uk/
Dave MM says
re: Update - 80 Days Caffeine Free
Today is the 80th day since I have vowed to never again consume caffeine 🙂 I'm proud to say that after a rough first 60 days or so, I really seem to be in a good place now. While a horrible caffeine addict, I consumed probably 800-1,000 mg of caffeine per day. Coffee, soda, energy drink, and even caffeine pills.... I ingested whatever I thought was necessary to give me the magical energy I needed to accomplish my daily tasks.
As far as withdrawal symptoms, I had everything you could imagine. Basically every symptom that could be listed in a witch's spellbook, short of being turned into an animal, befell me. I had horrible headaches, body aches (including the hamstring/lower back ache), intense brain fog, a general lack of motivation to do anything, and several other negative symptoms. I originally assumed the worst symptoms would the brain fog and lack of motivation. And don't get me wrong... they were horrible.
However, the worst symptom ended up being insomnia/sleep issues, which I've posted about on this forum before. Basically, I would wake up after 5 hours of sleep or so, completely unable to fall back asleep. This led to some rough days. Interestingly enough, my sleep is just now starting to normalize. Despite this, I'm hopeful that the issues I've had with sleep don't represent what most people going through caffeine withdrawal will suffer. Up until about one week ago, I was not waking up anymore, but was a very light sleeper. In any case, the sleep issues were difficult to work through. Not coincidentally, these were the same issues that drove me back to caffeine the last time I tried to seriously quit in late 2009.
The benefits of no longer consuming caffeine have been great, honestly even better than what I expected. With enough sleep, I have a nice calm and steady supply of energy throughout the day. This has been awesome! I remember the awful ups and downs I would experience on caffeine, thinking I was some sort of invincible god in the morning after consuming caffeine, and then feeling like pondscum in the evenings when it wore off. Now, I tend to normally only feel tired in the late evenings, at about the time I'm supposed to be tired. Although it took quite awhile for the lack of motivation and brain fog to go away, I now find that I can accomplish roughly the same amount of work without being caffeinated.
Another important yet largely unexpected benefit of quitting caffeine is that I now experience emotions much more clearly. Caffeine has a way (at least for me) of sort of numbing my emotions. It would give me a tunnel vision motivation. However, I wasn't very in tune emotionally with those around me. Now, I most definitely am. I find that I am much closer to my own daughters than I was when on caffeine. I've become much closer to others as well. In addition, there are certainly other positive side effects that I've noticed as well. But the ones I've listed are clearly the most beneficial to me.
Truthfully, it has been so long now that I almost don't remember what it was like to be addicted to caffeine. Despite this, I will need to stay focused and continue to ardently avoid all forms of caffeine. As I and others have discovered in the past, it only takes one coffee or one soda to send you straight back into the addiction, which is someplace I never hope to go again. Life is now pretty good without the artificial, temporary, and addictive boost that caffeine previously provided. I'm hopeful that it will continue to get even better.
I wish continued best of luck to anyone out there who is struggling with their caffeine addiction and the associated withdrawal symptoms. Stay strong! In all likelihood, your symptoms will improve and you will get better. If anyone would like to email me (on top of the nice people who already do), my email address is posted somewhere on this forum a few pages back. I think I posted it around March 23, 2012 or so. I believe it's important to have a nice support system in place when you attempt to make such a drastic change in your life as caffeine cessation.
Finally, I want to extend my sincerest 'thank you' to all of the great people who regularly post on this forum, and those who have posted in the past. In addition to reading your stories, your support and encouragement has meant a lot to me, and I don't know if I would have gotten this far without it. So thank you to Daniel (for maintaining this site), Denise (3sw), Jackie, John C., Mindaugas, Teri, and anyone else I've failed to mention. You guys have been great.
I don't post here as much as I used to, but will continue to read the forum and check in from time to time. Best wishes to everyone in their own struggles against caffeine addiction. If you haven't posted for awhile, check back and let everyone know how you are doing.
Dave MM
neveragain says
re: Lorazepam
You are indeed correct, and I recommend to anyone with anxiety due to caffeine withdrawls that you try not to use a prescription anxiety medication as they are addictive. I have found I was starting to get addicted to the Lorazepam after only 4 days of use. Although it is a small dose .5mg your body does seem to depend on it after about 4-7 days of continuous use.
After about 2 weeks of use I cut down my dosage from .5 mg twice a day to .25 mg twice a day. Now after 4 weeks of use I am just taking .25mg in the morning before I start my day. In another week I plan to ditch the medication altogether. I know I will have withdrawls from it but hey I have already been through the withdrawl thing so I know I can handle it this time.
John Campbell says
re: great post. thank you.
all
great post. thank you.
all other future insights I'm sure very welcome here, as you continue your path.
neveragain says
re: 44 days off caffeine
I had posted earlier after 13 days of being off caffeine. Those 13 days were the worst I have ever felt other than really bad food poisoning. After about 20-24 days my head started to clear up and the numbness and tingling in my arms went away. I also had terrible anxiety and nausea for those first 13 days. Sleep was also difficult due to bad dreams and nausea.
I was given prescription medicine which took away the nausea and started my road to recovery. I am still taking anxiety medication but have now reduced my dose to half from .5 mg to .25 mg and soon hope to be completly off of the medication. I recommend if you do feel anxiety you try to get through it without getting the anxiety medication if possible, as I have found that can also be very addictive and make you constipated.
I would say I started to feel much better after about 30 days of being off caffeine, minus the anxiety which I still have. I will never again use caffeine as I know how hard it is to kick the habbit. All I can say is dont freak out about your PAWS symptoms like I did, as it can trigger terrible anxiety and can cost a lot of money if you go to the doctor as much as I did. (3 ER visits, 3 urgent care visits, and 4 visits to my PCP).
It has been a very tough road for me trying to quit. I think the anxiety was the worst part and it can make you think something is wrong with you and trigger weird effects on your body. Just stay strong, time will help heal. Good Luck to everyone!
ahuman says
re: Anxiety
Not much you can do. Just ride it out and it will pass. Just remember you will go back to normal but it takes time, adenosene effects alot of systems in your body.
ahuman says
re: Caffine sucks
look back at some previous posts, i posted a similar experience. I've been there before and it will go away but it may take a long time. I am almost 10 months clean ... and i just recently started feeling better than while i was drinking on a regular basis. It was a long struggle, and i think i actually had depression and OCD symptoms where you can't get thoughts out of your head and other anxious crap. But now i feel pretty great. It was definately a roller coaster up to this point. But you know whats funny now, when i look at other people drinking caffine i can see just how twitchy they are and other things it does to them. They look just like any other strung out junkie.... lol
The first things you felt were most likely the accute withdrawl like headache, nausea, etc... But paws is the aftereffect of shutting off your brains supply of the drug. The two can kind of overlap tward the end of your accute withdrawl. But the PAWS sticks around for awhile.
Your most likely suffering from PAWS which is "Post Accute Withdrwal" and the symptoms can last a long time 6 months to 2 years. They will pass eventually but if you can't take it you can consume the drug again in smaller amounts to help alleviate the symptoms. Believe it or not you are a junkie suffering from withdrawl just like a coke head or a heroin addict. The problem is that when you consume a drug for a long time your body tries to negate the effects by building a tolerance and rewiring your brain to return to normal function without the drug. And when you cut off the supply you are cutting out part of your body's chemical system and everything fluctuates wildly until your body can rewire itself again and return to normal. Adenosene is the chemical that caffine alters and it effects alot of systems in your body.
So good luck whatever you deciede, i wouldn't reccommend the cold turkey method though unless you like pain. I did it by accident and it was hell.
ahuman says
re: Normal withdrawl
look back at some previous posts, i posted a similar experience. I've been there before and it will go away but it may take a long time. I am almost 10 months clean ... and i just recently started feeling better than while i was drinking on a regular basis. It was a long struggle, and i think i actually had depression and OCD symptoms where you can't get thoughts out of your head and other anxious crap. But now i feel pretty great. It was definately a roller coaster up to this point. But you know whats funny now, when i look at other people drinking caffine i can see just how twitchy they are and other things it does to them. They look just like any other strung out junkie.... lol
The first things you felt were most likely the accute withdrawl like headache, nausea, etc... But paws is the aftereffect of shutting off your brains supply of the drug. The two can kind of overlap tward the end of your accute withdrawl. But the PAWS sticks around for awhile.
Your most likely suffering from PAWS which is "Post Accute Withdrwal" and the symptoms can last a long time 6 months to 2 years. They will pass eventually but if you can't take it you can consume the drug again in smaller amounts to help alleviate the symptoms. Believe it or not you are a junkie suffering from withdrawl just like a coke head or a heroin addict. The problem is that when you consume a drug for a long time your body tries to negate the effects by building a tolerance and rewiring your brain to return to normal function without the drug. And when you cut off the supply you are cutting out part of your body's chemical system and everything fluctuates wildly until your body can rewire itself again and return to normal. Adenosene is the chemical that caffine alters and it effects alot of systems in your body.
So good luck whatever you deciede, i wouldn't reccommend the cold turkey method though unless you like pain. I did it by accident and it was hell.
John C says
re: Please another update?
Dave your day 30 comment was deeply interesting; could you give us one for where you are now?
Best
John
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thank you, Denise....
Thank you, Denise.....so glad to hear you're still doing so well. Good luck!
Denise in Wisconsin says
re: To Gruodis and Jackie
Gruodis, it's good to read that you are able to sleep again! Is your tinnitus clearing up as well? Jackie, I am continually amazed at your beautiful tenacity and will to beat caffeine. I know that you will be successful very soon.
On the 16th, it will be four months caffeine-free for me, with the exception of one slip-up. I am happy and confident that living my life without it is not only do-able, but actually far superior to the drugged existence I used to live.
I wish everyone reading this forum continued strength and the confidence that each day without caffeine will get better and better.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: To John and Dave - Thanks so much to you both!
I am hopefully going on holiday this morning but I just had to write a quick reply to THANK YOU both SO much for your replies - which were SO supportive and so very insightful. I was moved to tears by the kindness you showed me - and for taking the time to write so much when your lives are so busy. I could relate to such a lot of what you both said and I am finding that things seem to be changing, on a daily basis. I think I am a 'work in progress' and I do believe it will all work its way through. I must fly but just wanted to say thanks and I'll update when I can. Very best of luck to you both. You are both such an inspiration to everyone on here and there must be many 'lurkers' who read and gain strength and encouragement. Best wishes and strength to everyone, too, of course, and do not give up hope! Jackie P.S. Dave, I did e-mail you on 3rd July - I wondered if you have recieved it?? Anyway, no worries but thanks for your kind offer 🙂
Gruodis says
re: I can sleep again!
~7 days after the last post and I am happy to announce - I can sleep again. So it took about 20 caffeine free days (or 37 days when I started to reduce) and my withdrawal insomnia is finally gone. Oh boy, sleep is so sweet.
John C says
re: Hi Jackie no worries on this.
Hi Jackie no worries on this. If we plotted a graph your frequency and length of abstentions, it is building. Just go again, on the next wave. That way you are gradually breaking caffeine's strength over you.
I absolutely understand what you mean about the vulnerability you feel without the crutch; that when times are tough, under pressure, coffee is a place you can run to, where you can (irresponsibly) pretend the problems are not there for a few minutes at least - even if the problems then come back with a magnified whack when the initial respite wears off and the anxiety returns (increased over where it would be without caffeine).
My suggestion is to look into those pressures, and fears; and maybe
1. reduce your self-demandings (I love Albert Ellis' REBT; but CBT is similar). It is not up to you to enable your daughter to have a perfect life. Saying 'she Must have a perfect life' is wrong. It would be nice if she did, but it's not the end of the world if she doesn't. Similarly with your husband"s health and your other problems. Maybe you are self-demanding too much.
2. be real about life without caffeine. Maybe right now you are thinking 'if I don't have caffeine I will fall apart, my life will fall apart, I will cease functioning'. Well that's not true. You will be able to function, and life will continue. caffeine high gives us a sort of double sureness, because we have enough energy to monitor ourselves as well as act. Maybe without caffeine you wouldn't have the hyper energy, but you could still carry on, putting one foot in front of another - and when you look back on your morning say, you'll find 'hey, I have actually done some things'.
The key is to say 'it would be nice if I could have the same false energy hype as I had on caffeine, but it's not the end of the world if I don't.' , 'it would be nice if I could do as much without caffeine as I could with caffeine, but it's not the end of the world if I can't.' and even 'it would be nice if I didn't fall apart without caffeine, but it's not the end of the world if I do; cry, have hours doing nothing, not be able to see people, etc.' You will find that, in reality, you can do those things.
It's exciting that you're making progress - working through the issues - look forward to further chapters... I found the issues list long, and at times I wondered if it would ever end; overcame one issue only to find others behind it... but they did eventually end; and now I'm in the sunlight.
All the best
John
Dave MM says
re: Dear Jaki,
Â
I'm so sorry to
Dear Jaki,
I'm so sorry to hear about the poor health of your loved ones. From experience, I know what a trying situation that can be. It's great that they have you to be there for them.
I appreciate your insightful commentary regarding what you've written about stress and pressure driving you back to your 'crutch'. It does make sense that your mind tries to convince you that a coffee drinker is 'who you are.' When you put in that terminology, my situation (and likely the situation of many addicts) with caffeine is much like yours. Caffeine does act as a crutch to numb our emotions and give us a sort of short-term 'tunnel vision' motivation. Of course, as we are all aware, there are negative consequences for constantly using the crutch.
But the good news is that we can learn to combat our fears and pressures without caffeine. I really believe that you can deal with your situation, and the strong emotions and pressures involved, without an artificial crutch. And although it still does worry me sometimes, I can deal with the pressures of a tough academic load in addition to caring for my family without caffeine. 'Coffee drinkers' are surely what we were in the past, but it doesn't have to be who we are now, or who we will be in the future. We are all very changeable, capable of constantly redefining what is normal... don't ever forget that.
And for what it is worth, I'm continuing to experience positive developments since ceasing caffeine consumption. Lately, I've found strength I didn't know I had, and experienced emotions that I thought might never be experienced again. Someday I wish you (and others here) will have these wonderful feelings as well.
I am hopeful that you can get through these tough times and find better times ahead, Jackie. I will be thinking about you, hoping for your success. Know that you can also email me any time you want to. Take care.
Dave [aka Dove :)] MM
Dave MM says
re: Hi, John. Â I completely agree
Hi, John. I completely agree with all of your points, especially the point about productivity. Personally, I seem to be much more focused on individual tasks, both mentally and physically. Starting school back up (in August) will be the real test, but I am very hopeful.
Another point that really hit home with me was your last one. Being off caffeine [Day 70 and counting :)] has seemed to greatly improve my personal relationships with others. I seem to experience emotions much more clearly as opposed to when I was constantly using caffeine. As for the ability to love, it is doing just fine now.
Thanks for posting these points, John. I find your posts on this site to be very insightful. Continued best of luck to you on living a caffeine-free life. Keep up the good work.
Dave
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: I so agree, John.....
I so agree, John.......and the 'slump' gets worse and worse, the more caffeine you ingest. I've also seen various sites where they list and applaud the 'healthy' aspects of coffee, suggesting how 'good' it is you for. They forget to list the negatives, of course, and what harm it may potentially cause to your nervous system, blood pressure, stomach etc etc. As I'm writing this, I'm wondering, when I know all of the potental harm it causes, why on earth I am STILL drinking it! Food for thought. I also agree with you that it aggravates our negative traits and, indeed, reduces our ability to love. Why on earth is this drug legal??! I guess the answer is because, like other pernicious substances, it makes money. For myself, I think that the coffee HAS had the effect of making me lose touch with my rational and spiritual side. If I was always totally rational and in control, of course I wouldn't drink it. Well, thanks for these reminders and for the other sites, too. Wishing you continued strength.. and thanks for being a continued inspiration and for always trying to help people. Much appreciated. Very best wishes. 🙂 Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Keep Going!
You seem to be doing remarkably well and things do seem to be definitely improving so I'd say, keep going and I really hope the tinnitus and your sleeping gets better. You have achieved such a lot in the last month! Best wishes, Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks Rob but........
Hi, Rob, thanks for posting.... but as you will see from my new post my 'road to Damascus' moment turned into something completely different. I feel like I never learn. I've had this happen so many times and always genuinely think I've beaten it but then..................................
It actually helps to know that there is someone else out there (probably many of us) who is still struggling - endlessly it seems. I can relate to so much of what you've said in your post. I've fooled myself into thinking I'm weaning myself off of coffee but I know in my heart that if I 'just have one' or even two...it turns in to that mindset where you've blown it so you might as well 'start again tomorrow' and that leads to bad eating, too. I've got terrible brainfog atm and so can't quite grasp what you're saying about having to accept it on an emotional level, if you wouldn't mind explaining that to me, please? Sorry :/ I feel as if I KNOW it's bad for me in my head - like you, I've endelessly investigated all the sites - but the patterns of behaviour, which are deeply rooted in me, and the physiological addiction control me. The monkey on my back, so to speak. Anyway, I think I'm losing my train of thought, here! Just to say, as well, that is a lot of caffeine....I do understand it must be very difficult. But, surely, there MUST be a way, somehow?? Well, keep me posted. I do wish we could find a safe way to exchange e-mail addys as we seem to be on a similar road, with all of this. Please keep me informed, anyway, and I really hope we can find a way to beat it. I'm going to try to keep posting even if I'm still having it. Best wishes, Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Confession time :(:(
I'm very sad to say that I've fallen off the wagon again, after 8-9 days. 🙁 When I made my declaration that I had finished with caffeine forever, I truly meant it and I thought that I'd truly beaten it. It felt like that SO much. I'd wanted to come on here and thank you all for your congrats and kind words - for I was truly touched - so thanks so much for everyone's support, anyway. Everyone's support has meant such a lot to me. 🙂 So what happened? Going back, I started to use 'going out for coffee' as an escape from my life and its problems - and, of course, I never dreamed that I would get addicted to it, over the course of time. I am fully aware that everyone has their problems but it appears that I wasn't up to coping with mine. I'm not sure what I've written before but I hope it's OK if I share it here. My daughter has a long-term illness and I've been her full-time carer for many, many years. My husband had major strokes 5 years ago and is in a care home (because I wasn't up to looking after them both). When my daughter became ill, there were many problems: family relationship problems, financial problems etc etc. Tbh, I could hardly cope with all of the stress and there were no breaks. I was terribly worried about my daughter's health (of course) and my own - so we started to 'go out for coffee' because it helped us to get away from the stress, it made us feel 'normal' and part of the normal world. Now, maybe I first need to face up to my life and to realise that things could be a lot worse. In some ways, things have improved and I have tried to 'normalise' my life by partaking of the things I enjoy whilst doing my best to look after and love my family. I do have a love for life and do enjoy many thing but the underlying worry, stress and on-going problems seem to send me running back to my 'crutch'. Over the years, I think I've become super-sensitive to any problems and the subsequent stress and so the cycle of addiction continues. When I went back to the coffee this time, it just seemed ingrained in my psyche, as if that's 'who I am', if that makes sense. I've set up a very strong pattern of behaviour. Well, I feel better for 'confesssing' lol so thanks if you are reading this - and at least I feel able to do that! Before, I would have felt like too much of a failure but, like John always advises, I will not give up or beat myself up about this -and I'll just keep on trying. Also, my innate fear definitely has subsided so that is a plus. Maybe there are a few more 'demons' I have to conquer - I'm beginning to think that this journey is about more than the coffee. Well, ever onward! Thanks again for everyone's support and, to everyone, best of luck and keep strong. 🙂 Jackie. P.S I just wanted to add that I don't expect anyone to try to fix by life! I just wanted to express where I am at this point in my addiction, as I find it really helps. Thanks. 🙂
Rob says
re: Congratulations Jackie !
Jackie
Great to hear you're doing well and are off the caffeine. Sounds like you had a bit of a “road to Damascus†moment (maybe more than one) – in my experience with quitting in the past, these seem to help a lot; a moment of clarity when you see the addiction and what it's doing to you for what it really is. I think we all intellectually know that caffeine isn't our friend, but it's not until you can accept it on an emotional level that you can really make changes.
How did you get off – sounds like you tapered down and then stopped ? I'm still struggling with it. Every day is going to be the “last day†and then I'll quit tomorrow. I then go mad, imagining this is the last time I will use caffeine (I really mean it !), but then every day I seem to find a reason to keep using it and promising I'll stop tomorrow. It's a cycle that repeats ad infinitum. It's getting depressing and really grinding me down. Ah, the joy of addiction.
The trap I've gotten myself into is that it has to be all or nothing and perfect. I have to just quit cold turkey, no tapering off allowed. It's like I set myself up to fail, as I really mean to do it, but then I feel so bad I go quickly back to it. I've been scanning the internet for the answer (another feature of my addiction) and read about people who say they were “terrible†caffeine addicts and drank 2 cups of coffee a day, or 3 cokes. Amateurs ! I figured out I'm on around 1000-1200 mg of caffeine a day, when the safe limit is thought to be 300 !
But there I go again, intellect v emotion. I know it's too much, I know a sensible option is to taper off (every source I've found with any medical credibility recommends this) but yet emotionally I won't let myself do it. I have to be perfect. I'm driving myself mad !
Not sure what happens from here. Will keep reading the posts here and trying to find the answer. Any help gratefully appreciated !
Rob.
Denise in Wisconsin says
re: The Long and Winding Road
John, I agree completely. I am coming up on four months and it's still a day-to-day thing, although it IS getting easier. I wish you continued luck. Denise
Denise in Wisconsin says
re: My Friend Jackie
I can't tell you how happy I am to read this post. I know how hard it's been for you as you've fought this. To say I'm proud of you is an understatement - you've become a dear friend to me and I knew that you'd find your strength again. I will email you separately, but I just wanted to publicly acknowledge your wonderful success. Love to you, Jackie! Denise
John Campbell says
re: A useful older blog and comments
http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2007/12/03/how-i-quit-drinking-coffee/#comments
This is 2007-10 (now closed), and similar to this wonderful site, for those seeking more motivation, ideas and testimonies.
John Campbell says
re: Jackie also, I had similar
Jackie also, I had similar experiences to you ref. your inner realisation of the caffeine poisoning, and your feeling that your inner psyche had 'had enough' of caffeine and wanted to move out and on with life. Very best, John
John C says
re: I feel many people over-estimate the benefits of caffeine
John C says
re: Hi Groudis, well well done
Hi Groudis, well well done congratulations on getting this far. I initially found my anxiety was still there, but much reduced. However now I'm finding the anxiety really is very much reduced; not there much of the time and modest when it is there. Maybe some trigger will spark it back into life, but so far I have seen a 'phase 2' anxiety reduction well below what I experienced in 'phase 1' (days 0-30). Even if I experience triggers and some severe anxiety in spikes, I'm feeling that on average it will be massively reduced. Very best, John
John C says
re: Jackie that's really great
Jackie that's really great news. Early days so be prepared for difficulties and temnptations, but it sounds like you have caught a good wave. The daughter-baby is really good motivation to hang on to and look forward to. I'd suggest being super vigilant on temptation; just don't have coffee in the house, just do not walk near Costa etc. etc.! I found day 11-12 most difficult so watch out - I suggest counting the days up to 30.
I'm well past that and continuing to go well - in fact getting better and better.
Keep posting to help others!
Very best
John
Dave MM says
re: Jackie:
Â
It is so awesome to
Jackie:
It is so awesome to hear that you have quit 🙂 You posts on this forum are so wonderful and you give so much encouragement to other people that I was hoping this day would soon come. And for it is worth, I really think that the sort of 'natural' stimulation you discussed is a great deterrent away from caffeine.
I'm really proud of you for doing this. I hope the process continues to go well for you. Some day in the future I'm hopeful we can all look back and laugh at the days we were caffeine addicts.
Dave
Dave MM says
re: My sincerest congratulations
My sincerest congratulations to you, Gruodis, for the 30 day milestone (and 14 days caffeine free). It is an awesome accomplishment that you can be proud of. I had to laugh, because I am one of those people that quit cold turkey because I didn't have the 'guts' (willpower) to gradually decrease usage. I would recommend to anyone trying to quit cold turkey to pick 3 days or so where you don't have a lot of responsibilities. Trying to go to work, or for me even having basic interaction with other people, would be difficult for the first few days.
I can also really relate to your lack of motivation and various physical ailments. Just know that they will likely continue to get better with time. Like you, I had terrible sleep issues. I'm pleased to report that my sleep is much better now, having gone 67 days straight without caffeine. In any case, I'm hopeful that your ailments will continue to improve with time off of caffeine, like my own ailments did and those of others have.
Continued best of luck to you, Gruodis. It's great that you are making such a positive change in your life. Keep everyone updated when you are able to.
Dave
Gruodis says
re: 30 days on the road
Tomorrow will be 30 days when I drastically decreased my caffeine intake and 14 days after the last sip. I was thinking a lot about all this experience and I am sure that my situation is unique and many of those who stop their coffee or cola drinks do not have to fear.
But some of you must be cautious. If you plan to stop it cold turkey first think about your health. I would not recommend it for anyone with the history of panic attacks, extreme anxiety and depression. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with the borderline or any other personalty disorder. Decreaing caffeine intake graduelly by my opinion is the wisest solution. If you have guts, of course.
I did it too fast. I was so dependant on my daily energy boost. I was always sleeping well even after 3 cans of red bull. Being slightly borderline I had mood problems, and caffeine helped comming out of blues and overcoming my lack of motyvation. I was also very dependant physically since I was drinking it daily I hink, no less than for 10 years.
I have told my story before. Now it's almost 30 days and this is what i have:
- tinnitus worsened and it's louder than before and makes me crazy (I had it for years but it was always mild, and I lived without bothering much). I still wait for an appointment to the doctor to check it if there's no new medical condition
- insomnia is still present. I wake up every 1-2 hours and struggle to get back to sleep. Still sweating at night, but it's summer after all.
- morning anxiety is weaker, but still comes out of the blue with no apparent reason.
- no more headaches, numbness and extreme tiredness.
- motywation at work? cannot remember what it was... I just pretend working...
- I am more calm though my tinnitus drives me nuts very badly.
- Dyspepsia and abdominal pain. Lack of appetite. I've lost about 5 kg during this month.
So it's almost month and I still feel some of the shadowing withdrawal effects. Some of them are related to my anxiety disorder getting worse these days. I am taking magnesium + B6 and drink a lot of natural lemon balm (we call tit melissa) tea to help with my sleep. Bought some leaves from the food market.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Thanks, John....
Sorry I didn't reply to you before, John. For about a month, I was feeling that I just couldn't post until I'd beaten this addiction - I felt like such a failure and such a hypocrite. However, I'm now out of the woods, thank God, and made a long post yesterday to explain the last part of my journey, as I thought it might offer some hope to others who are still struggling. I've noticed that most of the people who continue posting are the ones who've beaten it. Thanks so much for your advice, here, and your post to Coffeewife REALLY spoke to me (again!) as you emphasised how important it was to not criticise if her husband fell off the wagon. I think you know I've been beating myself up about not being able to beat this, for nearly the last four months, so that helped a lot. What also helped was reading about that guy who went to Spain (on my other post) who said that his addiction was his cry for stimulus and to feel alive. That spoke to me so much and I hope it doesn't sound too dramatic to say that it helped me to 'forgive myself' for getting addicted - which I think I needed to do. Well, I hope you're still doing well and that things are still improving all of the time. Please let me know how you are. 🙂 Thanks SO much, as ever, and for not giving up on me - whatever happened, you just kept on encouraging. Well, best of luck and let's hope the summer comes back! Jackie P.S. Oh, and I AM going on holiday on 13th July (to Norfolk) but there will be NO coffee jar in my suitcase!
John Campbell says
re: Hi Jackie yes thanks - things
Hi Jackie yes thanks - things going very well with me - temptation definitely feeling easier, although I'm not counting any chickens; still regarding recovery as a long, long road
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Congrats, Margo. 🙂
Just wanted to add my congrats to you, Margo, and I'm really pleased it's not been too hard for you. I hope things are still going well. Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: Congrats, Gruodis!
Just wanted to add my congratulations and I hope you're still doing well. 🙂 It must be nearly four weeks now and I do so admire your resolve! It's great to hear that a lot of your symptoms are improving but I was sorry to hear about the tinnitus and I hope that that will improve, too. I was wondering what your doc had said about that, if anything? Best of luck and keep strong! Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: I've done it, at last!
I'm SO happy to say that I've given up caffeine, at last!! It's only been a couple of days but I really do know that I will NEVER have it again. 🙂 After five years of a growing addiction, I started posting on here nearly four months ago and it feels like it's been a long battle. I was having severe withdrawal symptoms, even though I was still drinking it, as my body had got so used to the caffeine. Those of you who know me may remember that one of my last stumbling blocks was extreme anxiety and fear. As some people have experineced nightmares and various subconscious 'nasties', I believe that the withdrawal instigated the release of my subconscious fear. It was horrible. In the end, I was drinking coffee to stop myself from feeling the fear and also, because I was feeling so ill and exhausted, to help me feel more physically and mentally 'normal'. Without coffee, I was a zombie. So what changed it? Well, over the last month, I had cut my consumption down to about 100 -150 mgs of caffeine per day ( I was on up to 400 - 500mgs per day). I had re-instated my healthy vegan diet but was still having some sugar (biscuits, cake etc) as the coffee was still giving me the munchies. If I can be completely honest, it all went downhill this last week and I was having MORE coffee and eating MORE bad food. I felt so ill and exhausted and I felt like I would never be able to break my addiction. I think I just gave up, in a way. I was so miserable and so ill but also so fearful about my health. But then some things happened to change it. First, I'd found a site where the guy was talking about how he'd stopped his caffeine intake 'accidentally' when he was on a long holiday in Spain. He'd found that the stimulus of the holiday - sight-seeing, being out every day, meeting new people, eating good food etc - had reduced his need for caffeine and he found he just didn't want it. He said his addiction had been his body's way of saying "Give me stimlus! Make me feel alive!" That really spoke to me and so I really tried hard to get my day to day life back together a little. I got up in the morning and 'got active', immediately. (I'd also watched 'Dead Poets' Society' and that also spoke to me - "Carpe Diem!".) So I started doing the things I used to love and things that 'grounded' me: gardening, walking and getting outside more, listening to music, reading, watching interesting TV (including Wimbledon!) and some studying. Even housework seemed to have more of a purpose. I felt so exhausted but just did it, anyway, and then, at night, I felt less stressed because I'd been active.The second thing was that I had a dream. In the dream, I was in a bedrrom in the dark. I was very afraid. But then, suddenly, I felt a rush of strength and I was was no longer afraid and I cried out to myself, "The darkness isn't OUT THERE, it's IN YOU!" And after that, my fear subsided a lot. Now, I'm not sure what people will make of that but I thought it was interesting that my psyche was trying to help me. The last thing to change it was that, over the last few days before I stopped, I'd really started to feel that my body was so POISONED and SO ill and exhausted and then, suddenly, I just couldn't stomach the coffee. I just didn't WANT it. I WANTED to look after myself and go back to my healthy diet and look to my future health. My daughter is having a baby in September so I NEED to be healthy for that! So here I am. I genuinely believe that I've broken free. I woke up this morning and feel almost happy again, as that is what it feel like - freedom. It might sound dramatic but it's true to say that I'm looking forward to the rest of my life - which does seem to have more value now. I'd like to say that I've written such a long post (apologies) as I thought it might help and I wanted to say to anyone who is still struggling to give it up - keep going! You'll get there, somehow. 🙂 Huge thanks to Daniel for this forum - it really is a life-saver. Huge thanks to everyone on here who has posted and offered support and special thanks to Denise, Dave, John and Rob who offered so much support and didn't give up on me.(How are you doing, Rob?). Best of luck to everyone on here who is trying to win the battle. It CAN be won! 🙂 Jackie
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: To Neveragain
First, when I read your post, I felt so sorry for you. To have such a long commute to work and back and then to have to come home to look after your parents is just too much of a demand - especially when you're trying to get off of the caffeine. I, too, am a full-time carer for my daughter who has a long-term illness and it's very demanding but I don't work (I'm 61 and retired now, anyway). My first thought was to ask if there is any help available ? From other relatives, neighbours or friends? I live in the U.K. and, over here, there is help, in the form of carers and aids (if needed) - and financial help, too. I'm assuming that you live in the States and know that you have to have medical insurance etc but I wondered if your doctor of local medical centre could help, in any way? Also, I was wondering if there was any way you could take some vacation time while you're going through the worst part of your withdrawal?
In terms of the caffeine withdrawal, itself, as you are no doubt aware, ALL of your symptoms will ease, including the anxiety, sleep problems and nausea. You've no doubt read all of the posts on here and there is some great advice about all aspects of giving up caffeine but I'd say drink a lots of water (at least 8 glasses a day) and eat a lot of GOOD food to give you the energy you so need. It's great that you've given up sugar (another nasty substance that depletes the arenal glands!) but I found that's it's important to eat a healthy, whole food diet to give you all of the nutrients and energy that you need, particularly as your life is SO demanding. I went through a period of drinking coffee and eating biscuits and doughnuts all day and felt absolutely awful. I reinstated my healthy eating plan and felt tons better, even though I was still having some coffee. You really need to be able to sleep so I wondered if you'd consider taking a herbal relaxant for bedtime, as some short-term relief? They can be quite strong so I've found that you have to be careful or you can end up feeling like a zombie, during the day. We have one over here called Quiet Life which isn't too strong but does seems to help. Calcium citrate and magnesium citrate, combined, are also an aid for relaxtion but, again, you have to be careful about over-dosing. The final thing I'll say is that you seem to be determined and that's just great - maybe that will get you through! And, to even be attempting to cut caffeine while your life is so demanding is just brillant! Anyway, that's about all I can think of for now. Best of luck and hoping things get easier for you. 🙂 Let us know how you're getting on? Jackie from the U.K.
Jackie (Jaki) from the U.K. says
re: John and Coffeewife!
John, I haven't posted for a while but I read your advice and I just HAD to say what a truly amazing person you are. 🙂 I sincerely hope you're still winning the battle and are continuing to grow stronger 🙂
Coffeewife - you are also a star for trying to help your hubby. 🙂 Best of luck to you both and to EVERYONE trying to win the war.
Denise in Wisconsin says
re: It's Me, Gruodis
Hello to you, Gruodis. Yes, I am the Denise who has been posting here for a few years. I have been on the caffeine rollercoaster since my early 20s (I just turned 50). The longest period of time that I was caffeine-free was 8 months, but then I started drinking coffee again.
I quit this time on March 16. In these past 105 days I slipped once. I had a cup of coffee two weeks ago, but promptly got back on the wagon because I don't want to ever be addicted again. This forum is a God-send to people like us who are trying to heal our bodies from the ravages of caffeine.
The tinnitus was bad for the first 2 months, but gradually lessened and now I don't have it at all. Gruodis, you are the only other poster I know who has experienced nightmares! I thought I was the only person who went through that. I hope this will help you - I can give you a very condensed version of my withdrawal so far (at going on 4 months): headaches, body pain, tinnitus, major brain fog/inability to bring the right word to mind when speaking, nightmares (they lasted about 3 weeks), a brief period of depression and then a kind of fog over everything - my zest for life was kind of dulled. The good news is that I started to regain my creativity, lost all interest in sitting around watching tv, and found a renewed love of exercise. One bit of advice, though - stay away from sugar! I started to drink a 7-Up every day and I believe it was that which led to my slip-up. Something about sugar sets off the same addiction mode - my body gets a temporary lift, followed by a crash and the return of brainfog.
So keep trying, Gruodis. Everything will get better. It is nice to meet you.
Denise
Gruodis says
re: Denise,
Hello and thanks for your supportive words. I would never thought that dealing with caffeine could be that hard. I am on day 23 already and I am sure that full recovery for me will be not easy. Was I prepared? I guess, no. And I was wrong in my last comment about getting back the good night sleep. I still wake up every hour or so and in general I do not feel like sleeping at all. Can not get the old deep nights sleep. Head is buzzing, nightmares, if any, are weird. Sometimes I feel anxiety and despair creeping back on me.
I was using some anti-anxiety meds, very small dosage and I am discontinuing them after 3 weeks of usage in order to avoid addiction. I consult with my psychologist every week to deal with my anxiety. She is very supportive and she stongly advices against using anxiety meds.
Are you the same Denise, the active contributor to this thread since 2009? If so, you are the veteran in the cutting caffeine field. What is your story with tinnitus - did you have it constantly or only when withdrawing from caffeine?
John Campbell says
re: Hi
great to hear you want to
Hi
great to hear you want to support your husband - you can massively help him.
I'd say;
non-critical support; if he slips up, don't criticise, just build him up as he tries again.
no temptation;
- if he throws out his coffee, and coffee-making kit, let him and don't buy more,
- if you drink coffee at home, do it when he won't see or smell or hear it. (ideally give up yourself too)
- when with him avoid even driving near coffee places. go someplace else for your trips.
do not react too much if his mood swings; anxiety, anger, fatigue, quiet, whatever - this is withdrawal, it will not last, just keep loving him
let him know you're proud of him, taking on this serpent
don't criticise if he uses other drugs a bit more than usual in this phase e.g. alcohol, sugar - hopefully in time he'll normalise his intake of these, or maybe even come off these too.
find another hot drink he likes, e.g. peppermint or fruit tea, and give it to him at the times and at least as much as he had coffee, and in my view more. ( so he does not reach for coffee on account of it being a refreshing, calming hot drink, as he is already getting that from e.g. fruit tea).
do not say 'do it for me' or 'you promised me': he has to do it for himself
be aware it is a very fragile and subtle situation, and he could crack at any point, particularly if temptation is put in front of him. help him with that temptation. e.g. if he walks to church alone, past a Starbucks, walk with him for a few weeks; your presence, with nothing spoken, will help him fight the temptation.
do not relax. my high risk point on various failed attempts was days 11-12. do not relax any of the above, even after 15 days. do not support him in having a treat.
he may find a lot of exercise helpful, or long walks. even if this impacts your life and pleasure, support him in this during this phase.
I'm hoping after 30 days, new patterns will be emerging for you.
Best wishes! May God bless you as you love him.
Gruodis says
re: My suggestion
Hello, it is so good he has someone to support him when he goes through withdrawal. You didn't say how much and for how long he was drinking his coffee.
If he is cutting cold turkey my suggestion is just make sure he has no serious work to do at home for a coulple of weaks and doesn't ned to drive his car a lot. If he doesn't get insomnia, let him sleep as much as he wants. He also needs to drink a lot of water or juice. Calcium/magnesium supplements might help a lot.
Most of all he needs your support. Depending on his addiction level and his health, physical, mental and spiritual he mighd be ok in few days or - as it happens for some of us (lik eme), he might be feeling miserable and out of his mind for days and weeks. You will be the one to assure him that withdrawal is temporal and soon he will feel better. Just have tons of love and patience.
I am so happy that my wife supports me and is very positive about my decision giving up energy drinks.
Dave MM says
re: Gruodis --
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Good for you for
Gruodis --
Good for you for making such a positive change in your life. Cutting down from 3 energy drinks per day is certainly an impressive accomplishment. Keep up the good work. I hope you continue to feel better.
Dave
Dave MM says
re: Hi, Margo. Congratulations
Hi, Margo. Congratulations on making it two weeks! And it is great to hear that you are realizing the positive effects.
If your experience is anything like mine, there will still be tough times and cravings ahead... but you are definitely off to a great start, and through the hardest part. Continued best of luck,
Dave
Dave MM says
re: Hi, Margo. Congratulations
Hi, Margo. Congratulations on making it two weeks! And it is great to hear that you are realizing the positive effects.
If your experience is anything like mine, there will still be tough times and cravings ahead... but you are definitely off to a great start, and through the hardest part. Continued best of luck,
Dave
Denise in Wisconsin says
re: Keep Going Gruodis
I have not been posting here for a while, but I do read everyone's contributions. Congratulations to you! I wanted you to know that I believe the tinnitus will improve, but it may take months. 20 days is a wonderful accomplishment, but I have found that true recovery is unfortunately a long and slow process, at least for me.
You are doing the very best thing you can do for your body. Keep up the good work.
Wishing you continued strength.
Denise