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
T-Daddy James says
re: YAY, DOPAMINE!
Thx Jackie, going to check out that book right now!
RR says
re: switching to tea
I am faced now with once again quitting coffee. I keep going back to it during the winter months and by Feb realize what a huge mistake it was to start again. Anyway, my experience with tea, green or black, is that it has so many more tannins that even one cup a day will start to aggravate my joints more than several cups of coffee would. And of course, tea or coffee, it is still caffeine.
JohnC says
re: Caffeine Free!
From http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/neuronarrative/201208/what-caffeine-really-does-your-brain-0/comments#comment-515252
I quit due to heath issues related to stress and anxiety as well as persisting depersonalization disorder. It took me at least a month for my energy to come back to baseline and my motivation/focus is still slowly recovering. I think this is because I was a pretty heavy coffee drinker and my receptors must have been very fatigued.
I am currently on month 7 of no caffeine (including chocolate), and I haven't felt this good in years. My stress and anxiety levels are WAY down and Im much more relaxed and calm around people.
I've always had mild but persistent acne that cleared up considerably since I quit, so thats another benefit!
Jackie from the U.K says
re: Best self-help book I've ever read....
Hi, everyone, for anyone who is still struggling with their caffeine addiction or is needing a little extra help, I thought I'd tell you about the best self-help book I've ever read. It's 'Maximum Willpower' by Kelly McGonigal (I think it's called The Willpower Instinct in the U.S.). It deals with the science of willpower e.g. the role of neurotransmitters (dopamine etc) in determining our responses/triggers and behaviour. It really is an eye-opener and, despite the slightly off-putting title, is a real aid for anyone struggling with cravings, temptation, addiction, and procrastination. It's also easy to read and quite entertaining!
Also, as an aside, I've tried Melatonin for sleeping problems and have found it to be very helpful. Best wishes to everyone and hope you're all still keeping strong. Jackie
betsy says
re: dizziness...
yes, i have experienced dizziness. but my biggest withdrawal has been extreme anxiety and despair...no energy, exhaustion and crying spells.
Daniel Owen says
re: caffeine amount
Those numbers are way out of line or for extremely large quantities.
Helen says
re: Caffein withdrawl symptoms include dizziness?
I've been researching caffeine withdrawal symptoms due to a headache after quitting coffee for several days. I found this forum and another very interesting webpage that shows the content of caffeine in foods: powdered tea can have lots more caffeine than other forms of coffee:
BTW, does caffeine withdrawal cause dizziness too?
Jackie from the U.K says
re: Re vegan protein powder
Thanks a lot for those suggestions - I'll have a look around and see what's available here. I hope you're managing to hold out with the cravings - I know you know this - but they WILL pass and completely fade in time when your biochemistry has adjusted. I used to find that when I wasn't having either sugar or coffee, the cravings stopped. Sounds a bit too simple, but sometimes mental distraction helps. Sometimes when I'm concentrtating on something, I 'forget'. After weaning for a few weeks now and feeling sick of coffee (and myself!), I've decided that today I'm just going to stop. I've had enough! I think you might have helped to to get to this point so - BIG THANKS! Please keep strong and let me know how it's going. 🙂 Best wishes. Jackie.
24 year addict says
re: Vegan protein powder
Sounds like great progress, Jackie. Rice and hemp protein powders exist. I think there is also a pea protein powder. I know w vegetarian protein, it's important to eat a variety as none are complete proteins like animal protein. I completely respect your ethical decision. I tried at one time but my body could never fully adjust. I've had some serious coffee cravings over the past couple of weeks but holding strong.
Jackie from the U.K says
re: To 24 year addict 🙂
Thanks once again for your very helpful reply and good wishes- I appreciate you taking the time 🙂 There's lots of good advice there and I have been trying to adapt my diet to help me to further wean myself off. You're so right, it's such a huge rollercoaster ride of bloodsugar highs and lows. I think I've been on it nearly all of my life! I know that the Paelo diet is very popular and know several people that are on it - and have had great success with it. But I am committed to my vegan diet which excludes all animal products, including dairy and eggs. As you asked, the reasons I decided to become vegan (only 12 years ago) were for both ethical and health reasons. First, I just felt I couldn't eat animals or animal products anymore - it was just in me. Also, I'd done a lot of investigation into the causes of many of our Western diseases and felt that the toxins/additives/ pesticides/chemicals/hormones etc etc, which are either present in or added to the food we eat (or animal food), are a major factor. So, for 12 years, I've been mainly eating whole foods and organic. When I lost my weight and ate like this (with no coffee/tea etc), I just felt fantastic with absolutely no cravings, whatsoever. I must have been crazy to start back on the coffee, again. Anyway, back to the issue, I do understand the sense of a higher fat/protein diet and I have tried to adapt some of your suggestions. I did actually read that if you DO have coffee, you should try to eat some protein with it, as this reduces the bloodsugar effects. So I've been having some nuts with it , which are (obviously) high fat, too. I've also upped my protein foods as much as I can although this is difficult with vegan food as you rely on a combo of foods to get all of your amino acids. (I'll investigate the DLPA, too). I'll up some of my high fat foods and maybe increase my EFA supplements while reducing some of the carbs. Anyway, I'll do some more investigation and see what else I can do e.g. I loved your breakfast smoothie which I could perhaps adapt. I wonder if you can buy vegan protein powder? Also, as I've been weaning for a good few weeks now, I can now report that I've noticed a difference when I wake up in the morning. I can feel my energy coming back - and there is more 'me' there - if that makes sense......not so much of a zombie lol. I do try to exercise - my life is busy, anyway, and I love brisk walking in the fresh air........also, I've always drunk a lot of water and, interestingly, have never had headaches. Just to add, I did read a diet book this week which dealt with the bloodsugar highs/lows problem and it gave lots of good advice about changng the biochemistry, rather than trying to use willpower (which, it said, will never work!). So I'm feeling hopeful and will carry on weaning while making my diet as healthy and as sugar-free as I possibly can. It's definitely changing, at last 🙂 Well, I just want to thank you again - I'm truly grateful for your help and advice 🙂 All the very best for your continued good health and please keep me posted as to how you're doing.:) Jackie,
twoexcedrin says
re: 24yearaddict
I'm on day 4 of withdrawal. Have done this two other times during the last 7 years. This time I used my migraine meds to get through the worst. Still have a headache that is workable along with the sorest neck and shoulder muscles ever. I was addicted to Excedrin. At lowest point I was taking 6-8 a day. Most recently I was down to 1 or 2 a day. It didn't seem like that much caffeine but apparently doesn't seem to make much difference. My question is about the Paleo diet. Sounds good and I haven't done much research but the question that keeps nagging at me is didn't our Paleo ancestors have short lives?
24YearAddict says
re: Hey Jackie
Jackie from the U.K says
re: To 24 year addict 🙂
Thanks very much for sharing this detailed, encouraging and very helpful story. 🙂 Congrats on your success! I really do admire your commitment to your health. I hope you don't mind if I share my story with you -I wanted to ask you a few questions, if that's OK, please? Also, I thought you might be able to offer me some insight or advice, if you don't mind, as I've been struggling since last March to fully give up coffee. I tried for months and months to go 'cold turkey' but just couldn't. I believe that my coffee addiction was an ingrained pattern of behaviour linked to and similar to a sugar addiction which I've had since I was very young. Like you, I am (hypothetically) very committed to my health - or at least I was until I began drinking coffee again about 6 years ago. Like you, I was on a 6 cup a day (500 - 600 mgs) and was experiencing: anxiety/fear, depression, lethargy, joint problems, sleeplessness and I'd put on 20lbs in the last year. I knew it was the coffee that was causing all of these problems. Before I began drinking coffee again 6 years ago, I was a fully committed vegan who only ate whole, mostly organic foods. When I was 48 (I'm 62 now), I weighed 187 lbs but, on this eating plan, I lost 73 lbs and felt a whole lot better (as you can imagine!). I mostly kept the weight off and ate heathily (I didn't drink tea or coffee at all) until I started drinking coffee again - hence the relatively recent increase of 20lbs. The reason I'm telling you this is because, all my life, I've had a problem with sugar and the way it messes with your blood sugar and makes you crave it all the time. I'm in the process of weaning myself off of coffee (trying to change that ingrained pattern)and am now down to 2-3 (weaker) cups a day. But the coffee also messes with my blood sugar and gives me very strong sugar cravings. Most days my diet is superb and I feel much better - but, on some days, I get absolute RAGING sugar cravngs and want to eat everything in sight. Sad to say, I always give in on those days. I'm contantly fightng with myself about what I eat/drink and it's really wearing me down after all of these years - I remember sneaking in the pantry for biscuits when I was 5 years old. I wanted to ask you, please, before you stopped drinking coffee, when you were getting your diet in order, were you getting any sugar cravings and how were you dealing with them? I know that when I finally stop drinking coffee, my sugar cravings will completely fade but I just can't seem to let go. I think I'm more psychologically addicted atm - it's like I can't do without my 'comfort' coffee. Ironic and sad. I KNOW it makes me feel like hell - and yet I still drink it. Anyway, I'm sorry, I'm rambling. Trying to get my head around it all, I guess :/ Maybe the only way forward is for me to keep on trying to change the pattern of a lifetime?
I also wanted to please ask you what effect the amino acids have? I'm a little wary of taking things which I imagine will also be some sort of stimulant - how do they work? It seems like they really helped you, though.
I also wanted to please ask you what was the final incentive to make you quit 'cold turkey' ? What was the motivation? I'm really starting to wonder why I just don't seem to have it in me. I feel like I'm hanging on and that part of me doesn't want to quit (which I've said on another thread). This just doesn't make sense!
Anyway, please forgive my ramblings. It REALLY helps to try to process it all here and maybe find some rational approach to the whole situation. Anyway, congrats again and best of luck to you. Please keep the forum informed as to how you're getting on. Best wishes to everyone trying to get their health and their lives back on track. Thanks. Jackie
Marc says
re: Caffeine Free and Blood Pressure
Hi Guys,
Now that I'm off the caffeine, I noticed that my blood pressure (BP) is down considerably - about 10-15 points. If you have hypertension, like me, than it's an additional benefit. Perhaps not everyone has the same results, but I thought it's worthy of mention.
Jackie from the U.K says
re: To John Campbell 🙂
Hi, John, I hope you're now feeling better and that you're completely over your lapse. Maybe it served as a timely reminder as to just how rotten it feels with caffeine in your system. As you've said many times, it is a false god - and even when we KNOW that, it can still lure us in, sometimes. I get a little annoyed when I read about how 'good' coffee or chocolate is for us. They contain chemicals which are poisonous and I recently read that caffeine is now being viewed as being similar to cocaine etc, in the harm it can do to the human body. I guess coffee and chocolate (along with alcohol and tobacco) make too much money to be completely vilified. Rant over. Anyway,it's been great to see that you are still on here, supporting and encouraging everyone. Good luck and I really hope things are well with you. Jackie
JohnC says
re: many thanks
Hey Sam many thinks - this is very useful and interesting. Poeple do seem to experience high anxiety in days 1-4 of withdrawal, and then it tapers off but, as you say, does continue to fluctuate thereafter. I agree with you on the 'it's just chemicals' approach. All the best, John
sjredd says
re: Like others have posted on
Like others have posted on here, it can take quite a while to get through the withdrawals. for a lot of us on here we start feeling better about 30 days after our last dose of caffeine. If your like me, the anxiety and sometimes the depression will linger. It will come and go. Don't be surprised if a panic attack sneaks up on you as well. I am doing a bit better now... 43 days in and mostly panic and anxiety free (remember this is my second time withdrawing from caffeine). What I believe the caffeine (and also the withdrawal) does is actually induce a real panic and anxiety state in us which which lasts much longer than the physical portion of the withdrawal. I think this causes our nerves to become very sensitive to any kind of change in the way feel (even though we've felt much of these sensations before and never thought anything of them, our nerves are now temporarily more sensitive to them). Our nerves in this anxious state, overeact, releasing adrenaline which sends us into panic mode. From what I've read and experienced, this creates a vicious cycle of adrenaline-panic-fear-adrenalin-panic-and on and on. To break this cycle during my withdrawal period, the best thing I've found to help overcome my anxiety, depression, and panic, is to first realize that they are not dangerous. Accept the feelings as just nothing more than a nuicance. Just notice the feelings and then proceed with whatever it was that you were doing before they started. Let the feelings wash over you and don't fight them or try to figure them out. They will only get stronger if you fight them. Just let the feelings take you wherever they are going to go and eventually the episode stops. Remember they can't hurt you. As I've done this each time my nerves calm down and desensitize just a little bit more and now when these episodes of panic and anxiety try to start, they end much quicker and are less intense than before. Using this method I have also gotten much better at being able to just relax and not experience near constant anxiety. I'm glad to hear you have decided to take the plunge and get off caffiene as well. Caffeine is very much an anxiety inducing drug and I believe this will help you to begin feeling much much better over time. Please don't get too discouraged when the feelings come and go. They are only overly stimulated nerves and will eventually calm back down as long as you let them. Over time you'll get better. I wish you the very best in your recovery and hope to hear from you soon.
Warm Regards,
Sam Reddick
John C says
re: ahuman, how is it for you
ahuman, how is it for you now? best wishes
JohnC says
re: Thank you
great, clear and very useful testimony.
It does look like for many people the phase 1 withdrawal is 4 days very heavy, then reduces days 5 and 6, and feeling quite good by day 7. However after that some people find fluctuations, including in energy, and high temptations, for 30-60 days. Maybe because you are already clean of sugar etc you are not getting those.
Thanks for the cocunut oil, DLPA and wheat ideas also.
Would love to hear how you are going at say your day 60.
All the best
JohnC says
re: Thanks Rob
I'm going to follow you, and cold turkey sugar (and also dairy). How have you found it?
24YearAddict says
re: Kicked the Habit
I read over 100 pages of this blog and did a lot of Internet research before beating caffeine, so I felt compelled to report back so that my story may help someone. There are a lot of stories on here that make it sound almost impossible to kick a heavy addiction. I want to give hope that it is possible to do it very quickly and effectively.
I am 44. I drank softdrinks in highschool and then a lot of Mountain Dew in college. At age 21 I started drinking a lot of coffee at work. This eventually led to coffee all morning and then more in the afternoon. I would drink an SBUX Grande coffee and lie to myself that this was just a big cup of coffee -- not the 2.5 cups that it really is. I'd say for the past 20 years I've had a 6 cup a day addiction, probably the equivalent of 500-700mg of caffeine per day. And I now understand that it really started to wear on my mind and body.
I have experienced anxiety and depression over the years -- been on and off medication -- and I now believe the coffee was a huge factor, if not THE factor, in all of these troubles. I've averaged probably 6 hours of restless sleep a night. I've become less and less productive at work over the years. I've had an irritated bladder that gets me up 2-3 times a night. I've been overweight by about 20 lbs despite a pretty good diet and lots of exercise. My feet hurt walking down the stairs in the morning -- a lot of other joint aches that I didn't realize I had until post-detox. Etc, etc.
I've been off caffeine for 30 days and feel better mentally and physically than I have since high school. Here's how I did it:
- First of all, I had given up alchohol and sugar, including processed foods, in my quest for health. This helped but did not fix my issues. But I think being off these probably did make my caffeine detox go much better. I'd recommend this for anyone who is feeling anxiety, depression, lethargy, or like they want to lose weight.
- I quit cold turkey. I had tried to ween myself off caffeine before and it didn't stick. The resolve to never, ever have caffeine helped me stick to it through the worst 2-3 days.
- I ate 1 tablespoon of coconut oil about 15 minutes before each meal during the entire period of the detox. This kept my blood sugar level throughout the day. I believe this made a tremendous difference for me as it killed any cravings. Just put it in your mouth and suck on it. It's not horrible. In fact, I kind of like the taste. Don't worry about the calories and fat content. You will eat less other food and it will kick your body into fat-burning mode.
- I took 1000mg of DLPA when I first opened my eyes and again early afternoon if I was feeling rough. I took 1000mg of L-Tryptophan before dinner and again at bedtime. I won't go into it here but these amino acids help optimize the neurotransmitters in your brain while you are going through this shock to your system. If you are on an SSRI you may want to test a smaller dose of Tryptophan as it boosts serotonin. Some people use Tyrosine instead of DLPA. Tyrosine may make people jumpier so I chose DLPA. DLPA is a pre-cursor to Tyrosine, so your body converts what you need. All this is detailed in The Mood Cure by Julia Ross.
- I ate 3 meals a day (after the coconut oil). I exercised as hard as I could even if it was only a walk. I drank lots and lots of water. I aimed for about 160oz a day. I'm a 190lb man so your amount will vary. I took tylenol or advil when my head was killing me -- never a headache tablet w/ caffeine like an Excedrin or Goodys.
- Day1 was a splitting headache all afternoon. All I wanted was 1 cup. Hard. Day 2 wasn't quite as bad for some strange reason. Night 2 I was kind of keyed up -- didn't sleep well. Day3 was absolute hell. I missed work. I was tortured. Anxious/depressed/pessimistic/splitting headache. Night3 barely slept. Day4 was a slightly milder version of Day3.
- For Night4 I bought a natural sleep formula called Deep Rest. Took it with a Benadryl and slept a little more. Wish I had tried that earlier. Continued to take Deep Rest for the next couple of weeks before weening off of it.
- Day5 and Day6 were much easier. By Day7 I was detoxed.
My body felt great, but the huge improvement was in my mind... I was and continue to be completely calm. Nothing seems to stress me out. I can plan out my day in my mind and tackle all the tasks and activities without losing focus or any ups and downs. My mind feels clearer than it has in 25 years. If only I'd done this sooner!
The physical aches and pains are gone. I don't crave any food or drink of any kind! My workouts are great. I am sleeping through the night. And I've lost 12lbs in 30 days without really trying, just eating normally without cravings.
I know this sounds almost too good to be true. And I've read the same studies that say 17% of people have major troubles detoxing. If you try my method and are one of those 17% that can't make it, I'd strongly encourage you to try giving up sugar/all processed foods (I actually gave up all grains -- I figured out I had gluten sensitivity like a lot of people -- see the book Wheat Belly) and alcohol. It sounds really hard, I know, but the reward on the other side is amazing. And it can be for the rest of your life in exchange for a few days/weeks of cleaning up your diet and addictions.
Please, if you use this approach, report back. Maybe it only works for me, but if it also works for you, together we can potentially help a lot of people get off this evil drug. It virtually destroyed my life. God bless and good luck!
John C says
re: Phil can you give us an
Phil can you give us an update? Best wishes, John
JohnC says
re: I am on day 5 of withdrawal.
I am on day 5 of withdrawal. In days 1-4 GAD has been very bad, but seems better today. Similarly I have felt totally exhausted a lot in last 4 days, but today feel more normal. Lots of hot drink (fruit tea), walking and sleeping feel like they're helping. Also almost no alcohol and am also reducing sugar a lot.
Hopefully having only been back on caffeine for 28 days mean withdrawl will be easier than before.
One idea is that off caffeine we are 'weak yet strong'; we feel weak but actually get things done and love people (whereas on caffeine we are 'strong but weak'; feel the high, but actually do cr** in our lives.)
One thing that's helped is looking at previous entries on here, including my own; I encourage people attempting exit to keep a journal etc, which they can refer back to in future.
User says
re: Thank you for the long post!
Hi Sam,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I, too, have had panic attacks, but even after they stopped I was always anxious and depressed. It never occured to me that it could be the caffeine! My doctor has me on two different drugs right now, and my sneaking suspicion is that coffee is the culprit for all of it, especially since I was already susceptible to A&D. I'm on my second day without it now, and I'm crossing my fingers that the light at the end of the tunnel of the withdrawal will be a much better state of mind, without drugs! Anyway, thank you for sharing your story. 🙂
Jimmy says
re: Hello. I was wondering what
Hello. I was wondering what kind of tingling and burning did you experience? I quit caffeine 2 months ago due to a tramatic experience that my doctor "thinks" may have been SVT. I thought it was more because of the daily intake of caffeine so I quit! And have been going crazy both mind and body!
JohnC says
re: also http://bryanalexander.or
also http://bryanalexander.org/2013/01/06/a-year-without-caffeine-part-2/#cmment-1438
http://predelusional.blogspot.co.uk/2006/06/caffeine.html
Rob says
re: Thanks John
Hi, thanks for the reply. Keeping the memories fresh is one of the key things I’ve found to keeping “clean”. Over time, they naturally fade and rationalisation comes in. The “chic” coffee shop becomes more appealing and I start feeling the odd one out drinking herbal tea, then before I know it I’ve convinced myself one won’t hurt and it will be different this time ! Done it a few times before. I seem to be doing better now, partly because of the experience (I can recognise the persuasive voices in my head and remember how it ends up) and partly by using sites like this to read about others who are struggling – it takes me back to my experience. The old addiction mantra – a day at a time – is also very useful. Planning to go cold turkey on sugar this weekend – my final addiction…!
User says
re: Quitting coffee
I am so relieved to see that not only I feel sore all over from quiting coffee. It always helps to see that you are not alone. Well you aren't either. It seems that it has something to do with calcium levels messed up because of the coffein intake. When I can't find me a place due to pain I take one aspirin and it helps a lot. Now, I have been off of coffein for more than a week and think that things are about to get better. Good Luck.
JohnC says
re: interesting blog here by a
interesting blog here by a lady trying to get free of caffeine http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/cutting-out-caffeine-made-me-feel-better-but-i-miss-coffee-like-crazy/
JohnC says
re: Hey Rob hope it's going well
Hey Rob hope it's going well for you. Your point about "memorires of how bad it used to be fading" is very interesting. I'm trying to work out how I can regularly remember. Maybe a trigger in my diary every week/month etc using some words from when I was using.
Richard says
re: withdraws
I think everybody in knew how addictive caffine was they would have never drank what or drank more than what we need.Eveytime I see someone drinking a energy drink I tell them your drinking death in a can . If I knew what I was going to go threw when I got off of it I would have never consumed as I as I did. I tell every one I know when I see them drinking lots of caffinated drinks if you ever stop drinking that caffine your going to be in for a big shock . I have been off caffine for 4 months know and Im still having the body aches once in a while heart palipations , muscle spasms the tingling and burning but it has gotten quite mild thoe . I have heard it can take 6 months to a year before you ever stop feeling the withdraw symptoms . The best thing for the anxiety is to be busy it helps your body fight it . Im eating alot more .I feel lots better have my energy back after stopping caffine . I did it cold turkey but I dont reccomend doing that unless you have the will power to do it . The best support that twe can get is from here by talking to each other . Its like our own lil world in here .
Phil says
re: I never thought I was THIS addicted!!!
Hello everyone.
I went "cold turkey" the other day and I just thought I would share my experience.
The first day was not so bad. My head was foggy, I had a bit of a headache and I felt sore all over. Things got a lot worse on day 2 and, especially, day 3. Gradually, my lower back started aching. On day 3, I seriously considered taking painkillers but I didn't: I wanted to see how bad it would get.
And it got pretty bad.
Anyway, I'm on day 5 now and feeling MUCH better. My brain is still a little bit foggy and my back still hurts but nothing like it did only two days ago. Actually, I feel I could go back to performing my regular duties if I really wanted to.
I have been drinking coffee for 30 years. That's right, 30 YEARS. When I first started, it soon became apparent to me that if I had two packets of sugar with every cup, I would turn diabetic in no time. Which is why I decided to have my coffee WITHOUT sugar and with only one cream, to avoid possible heart problems.
When I quit, on the night before New Year's Eve, I had become a "chain" drinker: I would basically drink coffee ALL DAY and I was certainly not keeping count. I had grown so accustomed to it that it didn't really do anything to me anymore beside alleviate withdrawal symptoms.
I have quit smoking and drinking so I should know something about PAWS and I'm not seeking support. I just wanted to tell my story so that readers with similar drinking patterns might know what to expect in terms of withdrawal symptoms. Everyone is different but I think it still helps to have an idea of what others have been through. I know reading everyone's posts did me a lot of good!
After believing, for three decades, that caffeine was innocuous, I have come to the conclusion, after some research, that it is not only a drug but a lethal one. The only reason it is not illegal is that it is so easy to cover up its deadly effects and attribute them to something else.
Thank you very much for putting up this site and best of luck to everyone!
Richard says
re: withdraws
I have been off for 3 months now and I still have the symptoms. bodyaches muscspasms heart palipitations although they are getting very mild. When it gets cold like freezing it will bother you cause your body tightens up if it gets unbearable take some ibprofen it will help it not be as bad. I still get some anxiety it will get less as time passes on . If you need talk more about it id love to chat with you about it and help you feel more comphy with it .
John Campbell says
re: thanks Sam, Rob and everyone
thanks Sam, Rob and everyone for positive feedback.
one thing I'm thinking on is what Groudis said a few posts back; "So stick to your hobbies, talents, church, family and loved ones. Try to be happy." i.e. we need to run our lives, construct our lives, so we are happy - that way the temptation/need to get the caffeine high will be distracted/diluted/blunted.
sjredd says
re: My experience. (long Post Warning)
(Sorry this will be a long post.)
John Campbell, your posts, along with many others, have been the most comforting and informative I've seen anywhere on the web that even comes close to explaining what I’ve been going through!!
I know exactly what you're going through. I too had to drop the caffeine and excessive energy drink/pill habit back in October of this year.
(First off, I’m 32 years old, and before I get into my story I'll let you know that for the past three years I had been building an increasingly nasty habit of excessive coffee drinking and using powerful brands of energy drinks... to the point of using more than recommended at times. My tolerance to these were becoming insanely high!!)
It all started two years ago when I had my first panic attack. I felt like I was dying of a heart attack. I also threw up as a result of the attack. Went to the doctors and they found nothing. Went to the cardiologist and did all kinds of tests on my heart including a nuclear stress test...NOTHING! Clean bill of health! Nothing happened for six months, then slight episodes of panic and some anxiety, then nothing for over a year. (My caffeine habit was still at an all time high.)
Then October 17th of this year comes along. I woke up in the middle of the night with this odd feeling that eventually turned into the worst panic attack I've had thus far. I literally thought I was on my way out, and was rushed to the ER where they basically said I had had a panic attack. I was pretty shaken up by this one so I quit everything I had been taking... all the energy drinks, energy pills, and the 5 cups of coffee a day with lots of cream and sugar. All cold turkey!! Little did I know I was in for the worst month and a half of my life emotionally! About three days after I had stopped cold turkey I began to get extreme episodes of anxiety and more panicky feelings. I got somewhat depressed as well because of it all. I had a dull headache for the first few days. Then I began having leg pains and tingling and burning sensations throughout my body. I also had numb spells and cold hands, shaking, etc… I could not get to sleep for more than 45 min. to an hour at a time each night for almost two weeks. I had another episode in the morning two weeks after the first one and this one sent me back to the ER as well. Again... Nothing was found.
I didn't know what was wrong with me and my doctor kept trying to send me to a Psychiatrist. I refused to believe that I had a mental disorder, as I had never ever been like this in my life and none of my family as well. I knew it had to be something else. That's when I realized that I had suddenly stopped my bad coffee and energy drink/pill habit. I got online and did some research, and sure enough there is such a thing as caffeine withdrawal, AND one of the more severe symptoms is anxiety and depression. I never knew this about caffeine, let alone how powerful a drug it can be if used to excess (which was the case with me).
Anyway... I found this site. Read all the posts in this thread. I knew this was what I was going through because everything matched my symptoms. I was encouraged and stuck with it. Powered through the depression and anxiety and came out the other side come Thanksgiving!! However, after three weeks of feeling much better, I got experimental in my happy state of mind and wanted to see if it indeed was the caffeine and energy drinks that had caused it. So I started with some tea, then moved to one cup of coffee a day, the two, then three. Then I got one of those energy drinks again and took it. The very next morning at work I had a bad panic attack. I have spent the last nine days now fighting off the same anxiety and depression that I fought off a month ago! No more caffeine for me and NO MORE ENERGY DRINKS/PILLS!! Never again. I am getting a little bit better now and symptoms do not seem as severe as they were before. However... I wish I would have just left it alone the first time. My doctor now wants to see if caffeine was playing a role and will be monitoring my caffeine free state for the next six months. I will keep you posted.
Anyone going through this will need lots of prayer and determination. You will get through it and life will be much, much better.
It is my prayer that my long post will be of great encouragement to those that take the time to read it.
Thank you God Bless!!
Sam Reddick
Rob says
re: Thanks for the post John
John
Thanks for your post. Very interesting and appropriate to my situation at the moment. I’ve been off caffeine a little over 4 months now, but over the last couple of weeks have felt the flashes of temptation again. The reasons you cited for using caffeine again are very familiar – feeling tired, opportunity, the feeling that this is a “special” time (xmas) so maybe I deserve it, seeking a hit of something and memories of how bad it used to be fading. I’ve been here a couple of times before and succumbed, and like you remember the initial high being enjoyable, followed by many months of dragging myself through active caffeine addiction before managing to build up to quitting again.
Like you, I have pretty much reached the conclusion that sugar is a major problem for me too. I initially felt much better dropping caffeine, but have since upped my sugar intake and I think I’m using it for some kind of stimulating kick. I may have posted it before, but it’s no surprise to me that the food found in coffee shops seems to be sugar based – the two seem to be tied up together.
I’m off work now for a couple of weeks, so will be looking to re-charge and get “cleaner” with my diet, particularly cutting out obviously sugary foods. The next phase of the experiment begins !
John Campbell says
re: Lapse = anxiety!
BACKGROUND
No coffee since Feb this year (10 months ago), apart from one lapse in May.
2 days ago I had 2 coffees (2pm, 8pm), influenced by (i) feeling 'blah', (ii) wanting a high, (iii) stress and pressure from a few sources, although not very high, (iv) temptation opportunity (I was on my own, my wife was not with me), (v) a newspaper article that morning by a doctor who is normally sound saying coffee is fine. Also (iv) I had been ingesting quite a lot of sugar (Christmas cakes etc) and then started also ingesting alcohol (to help with social pressures); I do feel that if I start down the road of any drug, even sugar, it tends to build instability and cycling, and lead onto other drugs.
OUTCOME
I enjoyed the caffeine high that day, although being watchful that i did not say anything or do anything mad and OTT.
That night I did not sleep at all - strung out, wired.
Now, 36 hours after the second coffee, I'm having bad anxiety symptoms (fear, distress, heart feeling tight, sweating, pessimistc, brain not thinking well, elements of panic) that I have not had since I stopped using caffeine back 10 months ago.
OUTLOOK
The good thing compared to the old days of my anxiety is I know what it is and that it will largely go if I stop the caffeine.
So I'll be entering 2013 with an intent to keep even cleaner; no sugar either.
I had some really good days in summer 2013 - they were some of the finest of my life as, for the first time since school days (I'm 52), I actually net balance enjoyed life and wanted to be alive those days. They were characterised by no drugs (including very little sugar) and also by low stress (although stress is not huge now). I was also doing trying some meditation then, c.25 minute sessions, so I think I'll do that also. I'm aiming back towards those days.
All the very best to everyone for Christmas and New year.
Gruodis says
re: 6 months
Hello fellow caffeine fighters. I am glad to admit that I stopped counting my caffeine free days long ago. Still I know that I am caffeine free 6 or more months. So there are things I have realised:
Anxiety is a separate issue. Withdrawals will go away but anxiety may persist as long as it takes to us to fill the empty place with something that makes us happy. Caffeine, as a harmful drug is a hedonistic drink it makes people comfortable and happy (for a short periods of time, of course). So stick to your hobbies, talents, church, family and loved ones. Try to be happy.
Anxiety meds are ok if prescribed by doctor and taken for no longer than a week, if you have anxiety or sleep issues. If you can sleep - sleep as much and as long as you can.
It is SO WORTH stopping caffeine even if doing it cold turkey is the only way you can do it. Pain we feel teaches us about price we have to pay if we act stupid. If you stop, NEVER drink it again.
Never play with things you can not controll.
There is more light "at the end of the tunnel". Getting rid of your harmful addition can and will change your life to the better.
Richard says
re: weight loss
It seems that since I have stopped caffine I have lost weight I have lost 6 pounds which to me is not good Im underweight for my height Im 6'3 and weighed 127 Im now down to 121 I want to put the weight back on and more Im going to start eating high protein foods and see what else I can do do you have any other suggestions
Richard says
re: I would like to report that
I would like to report that Im offically caffine free .I was reading on another thread that even 1 cup of coffie can screw up ur entire day . I didnt have a episode at all yesterday and so far so good not today . Plus if you smoke it will help you even cut down on it .Im down from 5 cigarettes in the morn when I was drinking coffiebut know Im down to 2 but then I still smoke through out the day but not as much Im trying to really slow down on my smoking . But you have to do 1 habit at a time . Its not easy I do feel more energy thoe . It will get better . You just may have to go completley caffine free if you think about it coffie and cigs go hand in hand you give up 1 you will prob give up the other 1or slow way back .
User says
re: Thank you Emily, I got DLPA
Thank you Emily, I got DLPA and 5-HTP and I think they both helped me tremendously. The anxiety and depression have stopped and I don't even take the amino acids everyday. I would definitely recommend this alternative therapy if anyone went through something similar.
JohnC says
re: Hi I think you're thinking in
Hi I think you're thinking in the right directions. I'm 10 months clean and I drink a lot of mint (peppermint) tea. You could try all the non-caffeine herbal-type teas (berries etc). Also now very low sugar.
User says
re: Tapering Methodology
Thanksgiving morning was my first morning without coffee. I've been such a regular at various Starbucks that they'd create my drink unasked while standing in a long line---at a couple of stores. This is actually what got me concerned plus getting a regular free drink on a bi-weekly basis. Oh yeah, I have service connected PTSD (no substance issues beyond Starbucks)so being keen in my thought process, I wondered if caffeinne was exacerbating my anxiety,...which brought me to this website.
I switched over to black tea and my head still hurts like I smashed it in a rugby match. I rarely get sick but now I've got this drainage thing going on--hacking, coughing occasionally, ad nauseam. My goal is that once I complete this large container of tea bags to then switch to green tea.
I love drinking warm drinks and could actually heat up apple juice or broth and still have the same warm feelings of a warm mug of whatever. My question is whether green tea is a good end result. Will I ever enjoy it without sugar? Will ceasing sugar intake also help? I don't like the after-taste of Stevia and Truvia so going to green warm water is making me question the rate of return. I'm pretty open to suggestions. I've worked in the medical field and I just don't see a lot of healthy doctors at the VA.
Mark says
re: I gave up caffeine 3+ weeks
I gave up caffeine 3+ weeks ago. Still not feeling right. Like you, motivation is lower. Working out and floating is the only thing saving me right now. I quit nicotine, booze and thc 8 months ago and that was easier. But we did this for a reason. Nothing worthwhile is easy to attain. We know that if we stick it out we'll gain that ultra high level of functioning that we sought. It will take much time for genetic expression to change towards that.
Decaf green tea is also important. I certainly wouldn't take Adderall as was suggested. And synthetic testosterone, well it will cause dependence just like any of these other substances. In the sense that our nuts will shut down just like our endorphin system did due to caffeine. A treadmill that you can't get off of. BTW, endogenous testosterone production varies considerably over time. You could have measured higher on another test a week later but due to cost and inconvenience we only test once usually. Your numbers weren't low anyway. Doctors with a prescription pad are dangerous.
Hang in there because one thing I've discovered about getting clean is that when there is a difficult psychological period, that it always precedes a breakthrough if we just walk through it and don't retreat into comforting chemicals. So, I would assume your better days are ahead, mine too.
Richard says
re: anxiety
Over the thanksgiving holidays I have felt anxiety kick in I was off for 3 days in a row . When Im at work I barely feel it . I smoke and Im trying to cut down that can also triger anxiety . Sometimes when you get off ur regular rotuine and you try changing it it can also trigger it . I dont want anything to help with the anxiety Im just dealing with it . It just ur body trying to reprogram its self . It just takes time to get better there is really no drugs that will help in this . The best thing I think you can do is try to find something to keep you busy when you feel it come on it helps get rid of it . I sometimes can feel it come on before I get up in the morning I get up and try to do something to help me relax and get rid of the feeling . .
Richard says
re: pretty much going through the same
The day before thanksgiving I had anxiety attack it got real hard to breathe . I got real light headed and dizzy it lasted about an hour and a half untill I finaly relaxed and I was able to breathe better again . Then yesterday I had some what of 1 I had to go to the store for a few mins it was chilly in there but it helped me breathe better . If you have had a death in the family or any tragic thing that has happened around the holidays it can also triger an attack and the fatigue kicks in and it wears you out. Im trying to cut down on smoking to so its really hard on me at times to . I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday that was a medical assistant and she knows all about it and she said it can take 6 months to a year for u not really have any symptoms your body has to gets its self back on track . If I had known that caffine would ever do this to me I would have never drank so much of coffie and cokes or took so many BC'Powders .I havent took any bc powders in a month in a half now . I still have the aches and the pains, muscle spasms it went away for a while and came back plus the weather changing can have a effect on how you feel to if it gets real cold you can really feel it your body tightnes up . Ever chance you get take lots of naps it will help with the fatigue . lygindin
John says
re: Thanks for the replys
Thanks again for the good words. I think at this point I'm starting to adjust to my body caffeine free. I learned a couple things in the past 4 months. I had blood work done and I have beta thalassemia minor, low test, I'm reactive hypoglycemic, and my adrenals are worn. I think caffeine mixed with the stress I endured the past 7-10 years put me here. Looking back 4 months that one panic attack my have saved my life. I also learned that I cannot eat a low carb/low fat diet or I feel like I'm going to hit the floor, which Is a major cause of anxiety/panic. I'm hoping overall zest for life comes back after I get my body firing properly. When this whole thing started i would read the posts "it will get better in time", now I can proudly say that In good turtle slow time it does get better. Thanks again for the posts, they help tremendously.
John Campbell says
re: Hi, I suggest keep going with
Hi, I suggest keep going with the caffeine free; after 3 weeks you are through the worst. To manage the anxiety in this phase, I'd suggest; daily exercise, cut alcohol too, sleep well, eat healthy. You are through the hard phase, and on way to a much better life.
Jayson says
re: Breathing exercises
I'm on the same boat, but probably not as bad. I get it out of nowhere, but it's very tolerable and happens very rarely. I'm on my 4th month. I used to do breathing exercises whenever I start to feel anxious. Taking deep breaths, then exhaling very slowly. But you should be happy though, since you're starting to get those days where you feel that you're in the clear. That's the beginning of you getting back to your old healthy self. 🙂
Richard says
re: It take a while
I have heard it can take up to 6 months to a year before not really feeling any effects but still sometimes you can still feel them there just not really that noticable . Caffine is like taking herone, cocaine you will never really get over it . I still crave a coke or Dr pepper when I do i get some water or sprite or 7up . Just take each day as it comes along thats what I do . When your off of work get lots of rest . Try to keep your attitude positive and you can keep going on when you feel the anxiety find something to do and it helps take it away .