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
User says
re: That's terrible, I'm sorry
That's terrible, I'm sorry you went through that. How are you doing now? Did you have to deal with a long withdrawal process after cold turkey, or did you bring yourself down slowly? And if so, how slowly did you go?
User says
re: Extreme
Well I had been using various forms of caffeine since I was 14. It wa svery addictive and I ended up ingesting a total of 4000 mg a day, approaching the lower end of a lethal dose for those without tolerance. At some point it became impossible to maintain with liquid so I would crush up caffeine pills and hold them unde rmy tongue and around my gums. Then I went for pure powder which I would snort and stuff. I'm pretty sure the withdrawl almost killed me because I had tremors and hallucinations for two days and I couldn't even redose because of the pain and confusion.
User (60 year habit) says
re: Most Common Allergic
Most Common Allergic Reactions to Caffeine
1. Skin problems such as hives, eczema, rashes, acne, severe itching
from caffeineinformer.com
kikaida says
re: RE: Burning Feet and Hands
Hi there,
When I quit caffeine 4 years ago after almost 20 years of a heavy caffeine addiction, I also had to deal with burnings sensations on my forehead. And as I decreased the amount of caffeine in my system, my body became hypersensitive to almost anything else I tried to introduce to my body like herbal teas, etc. Recently I started drinking caffeine again in small quantities but enough to trigger withdrawal symptoms. I must have a caffeine sensitivity now. When I do drink caffeine again, I do get burning sensations in my feet and sometimes in my hands. I also get once in a while shocking sensations in my feet which is a form of neuropathy. I have been seen by a neurologist a few years ago and this year too for the neuropathy symptoms. With all the tests done the doctor concludes anxiety but I know its also from the caffeine. Once you stay off caffeine for a few months I would say like five months, you will notice that the burning sensations will subside. But you do have abstain from all caffeine and also deal with the withdrawals. I know its hard. Trust me I went through it. I would say to you and to everyone else, don't be stupid like me and try to drink just a little caffeine after cleansing your body for months and having to deal with all the withdrawal symptoms. Stay off of it permanently. I am beginning to find out that our body has a memory of some sort and when and if you reintroduce the caffeine again, your body becomes hypersensitive to it. This is just my opinion but I think that if a person drinks caffeine in large quantities for many years it must cause some permanent damage to our nervous system which most doctors will disagree with.
Kikaida
Angel says
re: Burning feet after 2
Burning feet after 2 weeks
Hello everybody, I'm new to the Blog but very desperate.
About a month ago I started having some digestive problems and frequent diarreah and my doctor recommended me to stop drinking caffeine. I usually drink 4-6 cups of coffee every day for the last 4-5 years, never missed a day. The first week I reduced to half a cup a day and started to feel the weird symptoms, fatigue, constipation, extreme dizziness, abdominal pain, burning eyes, hot sweats, and night sweats. The second and third week I reduced the caffeine intake to 1/4 cup of coffee, it was then that I started to panic with so many weird symptoms including anxiety, panic attacks and a burning sensation on my hands and more intense on my feet but it diminished in the last two days. It has been 4 weeks now, I felt a little better yesterday and today I couldn't resist and had a full of cup of coffee in the morning. By midday symptoms returned but stronger, specially the burning feet sansation, anxiety and the panic attacks. Reading some of the post gives me some faith and relief to share this with somebody. Has anybody experienced something similar. I desperately need some advice and support. Thank you
kikaida says
re: Re: 4 Months
Hi JSL, I think I am getting some withdrawal symptoms again like the possible skin rash, neuropathy, etc, because I never stopped 100% during that 4 months. I did drink a few caffeine beverages maybe once a week or more or sometimes skip a week or two and drink again. So I never gave my body a chance to clear the caffeine out of my system completely. I've asked this question more than once on this forum but has anyone experienced a skin rash from caffeine withdrawals?
kikaida says
re: Rash and neuropathy
Hi there,
Like I said in another posting that I have been having this unexplainable skin rash and neuropathy symptoms for 4 months. It usually comes in a form of a burning sensation in my feet and hands. I was drinking caffeine only once or twice a week for the past several months and quit cold turkey again three weeks ago. I was stupid and drank yesterday again just a little but enough to cause that burning sensation in my feet again. When I quit 4 years ago I had a lot of severe caffeine withdrawals that lasted 5 months. I don't know if the skin rash, sleep disturbance and neuropathy can be from just drinking caffeine periodically for the past several months. I don't think its allergies because I don't have any other allergy related symptoms besides the rash. Have any of you experienced a skin rash from caffeine withdrawals before or any of the above symptoms mentioned?
User with 60 year habit says
re: Phew, that's a relief! I
Phew, that's a relief! I hoped it was a typo.
I am so glad you are feeling so much better (and a bit envious). I have made huge strides too, although I have flu at the moment so can't really write about how much "weller" I am feeling, will do as soon as my flu goes.
i have the same experience with low back pain, although in my case it only takes a few hours of hard work or any activity before it starts, so I am sure it is caffeine related (I had it 24/7 initially)
Congratulations on being nearly recovered!!!
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 214 NO CAFFEINE - TO 60 YEAR HABIT - 99.9% RECOVERED
Oops. That was a typo 60 year habit. I mean to type "since I have not started drinking caffeine again". I'm pretty sure that makes that sentence make more sense. Thanks for catching that. 🙂
To recap my very mild and nearly non-existent withdrawal symptoms after 180 days of being off of caffeine, mild lower back pain occasionally and occasional brief neuropathy. The lower back pain happens more after exercising for several days in a row, so it may not be related to caffeine withdrawal. The neuropathy is experienced just a few seconds every few days and it continues to get even better.
So, the 180 days may not be exactly right for me, but mostly right. My energy and everything else is perfectly normal again. 🙂
Michael says
re: Day3 no caffeine
Hi Kikaida,
Find you from a google search cause of my back pain.
I was drinking about 6-8 coffees a day and 4 days ago i stopped to 0.The first day i start having headaches and back pain.The second day have back pain but no headaches.Third day still back pain. Today still back pain so i got frustrated and did a coffee for myself and in 5-10 minutes back pain disappears.So i guess we had the same symptom.I will try to lower my caffeine intake instead stop to 0.Thanks for writing your experience.
User with 60 year habit says
re: As I said before, I think it
As I said before, I think it is side effects that you are experiencing as well as withdrawals, and the sooner you stop completely the shorter your true withdrawal symptoms will be.
hello 6 year habit, is that true that you have started drinking caffeine again? I wonder why if you are…….
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 211 NO CAFFEINE - TO KIKAIDA
kikaida,
I can't give you a definite answer since I have started drinking caffeine again, so it's hard for me to say if 6 months is enough to start experiencing withdrawal symptoms again. However, I can offer some logic. It took me just over 6 months to rid myself of 99.9% of the symptoms. Since caffeine is fat soluble and it took 6 months for the caffeine to reduce down to the level where I'm not experiencing with symptoms any more, it seems to make sense that drinking it again for 6 month is enough for the caffeine to get back up to that harmful level resulting in withdrawal symptoms when you go to quit. I'm going to guess that 6 months of no caffeine again will get you back to being symptom free.
I hope this helps. I didn't see anyone else chiming in with a similar experience to what you are dealing with. ( As I'm about to post this, I see that JSL just did post a reply. I've already typed this, so hopefully it's still helpful.)
My symptoms didn't clear up at exactly day 180 like I read that another person (Mandy I think) said was the case for her. The only thing that I experience is just occasional neuropathy. A few seconds every couple of days. And, some lower back pain that I didn't have before. I'm not sure if that's a symptom or not. I'm just hoping.
Best of luck to you!
JSL says
re: To I guess it could be worse
Hi, how are you doing? Not being mean (I've been there myself), but my first thought was 'but you are doing drugs' - and caffeine IS a very powerful and insidious drug which can do a lot of harm to the body and brain. You said you didn't know why you returned to it over and over......I used to be like that - I knew it was damaging me but I still kept drinking it. But when you look up the science of it all, it explains the way we get addicted and how the addiction is perpetuated. Also, it's so ingrained in our culture (I'm from the U.K. and you can't move for coffee houses over here, too) and it's seen as completely desirable, socially acceptable and 'cool' ....did that all start with Friends? I've been told by an American friend that, over there, it's like some kind of Holy Grail, even. Also it is possible to get psychologically addicted to 'having coffee'. 'going for coffee' etc as it is associated with 'having a good time' because, of course, it does make you feel good for a while. But then you get the slump......and off you go on the cycle.
Anyway, I do agree with you on that it is evil but it is also intoxicating! So what do we do? Get off it, I guess and see how good we can feel without it. Trouble is, it's easier said than done.
I'd be interested to hear how you're doing. Best wishes.
P.S. I'm like you, I eat well (I'm vegan), I don't smoke or drink, I've been meditating for 24 years and have a lovely family etc........it sometimes feels like caffeine is my last great battle in life!
JSL says
re: To kikaida
Hi, from my own experience, I would say that, after such a long and heavy addiction, you would get extremely sensitive to even small amounts of caffeine...so, yes, even having it once or twice a week could trigger problems again. I wouldn't have thought it would last as long as four months but I guess all you can do is see. Hope it all goes well and let us know how it's going. I'd be interested to hear how you got off it originally - did you go cold turkey or did you taper? Good luck.
I guess it could be worse says
re: Convinced about the panic attacks
I have had several random panic attacks over the last 4 years, a few of which sent me to the ER (including one 3 months ago) followed by cardiologists and my GP, with the same full gamut of tests and the same perfect bill of health. It was suggested that I have anxiety, but I truly don't feel I do. I exercise, eat right, don't smoke, drink or do drugs, I do yoga, meditate, have supportive family/friends/fiance all of whom I see frequently, a decent job and stable finances, and generally just have no serious life issues and am a happy and lucky gal.
So after years of recurrences and of thinking on this issue, I am convinced the panic attacks have all been directly related to periods of caffeine withrawl followed by re-caffeinating. Each time I had a nagging suspiscion that it was caffeine related but I somehow managed to dismiss caffeine as not powerful enough to cause more than a headache. I also do get some heart palpatations both during caffeinated times and they actually have sometimes become worse during withdrawl. I don't know why I return to this habit over and over when I know very well that I will once again have the misery of withdrawl and then feel balanced again when I am clear of it.
Perhaps it is the intoxicating aroma of those magic, evil little beans.
Anyhow I am glad to see more doctors accepting and treating caffeine withdrawl as a legitimate thing, and I am comforted to know I am not alone as I yet again attempt to remove caffeine from my habits.
Keep calm and carry on!
kikaida says
re: Can a small relapse cause withdrawals?
I gave up caffeine 4 years ago after a 20 year heavy caffeine addiction. About 6 months ago I started drinking caffeine again once or twice a week and starting noticing some unusual health problems like sinus pressure or sensitivity, skin rash, allergies, digestive issues, neuropathy and disruptive sleep. Can I get withdrawals by only drinking caffeine once or twice a week? And can it last several months like it did for me 4 years ago? I haven't drank for a week and have these health issues, possibly withdrawals symptoms. I hope they go away. I am disappointed in myself for relapsing. Your input would be appreciated.
Caffeinated says
re: Thank you
JSL - I was happy to be browsing this post today and realized that I had gotten a response. I really appreciate your insight, especially regarding my normal intake and how any change (downward) from that will cause the symptoms I'm having. I have a lot going on right now and being able to attribute this part of my life towards a caffeine issue is reassuring. I'll keep in touch!
JSL says
re: To Caffeinated
Hi, I thought I'd respond and I hope it helps. Everything I'm going to say comes out of my own experience with caffeine addiction.
1) As you've realised, when you inadvertently stopped ingesting caffeine, you went into caffeine withdrawal and so triggered some of the symptoms. I would say that all of your symptoms are part of the caffeine withdrawal process.
2) Put very simply, caffeine interferes with brain/body chemistry e.g. the production of adrenalin, adenosine, dopamine and serotonin and this imbalance produces the symptoms you are describing. You can still experience them while still having caffeine as your body/brain learns to tolerate the caffeine. There are a lots a sites to explain this properly online.
3)Sorry to be so blunt, but you cannot 'cure' your symptoms, long-term, while you are still ingesting caffeine. Your brain chemistry will only re-balance when you stop having it. This can take weeks or often months of symptoms BUT they do ease off as the process continues. I would add, here, that as your caffeine intake was moderate compared to some, your withdrawal period might not be too long and might not be as severe as it could be. So, if you stop having caffeine, you WILL experience all the symptoms you describe but it WILL get better, in time. Also, you said "I feel I should be doing better than this on half," - but I'm afraid the answer to this is 'no' as your 'normal' is 284mgs and so you will only feel 'normal' on that. So expect to feel those symptoms as you either stop or taper but remember that, as your brain adjusted to the intake of caffeine, it can adjust back to a life without it! I hope that makes sense.
4) I would just add that, if you do decide to stop having caffeine, I would advise nutritional support i.e. healthy food (lots of fruit and vegetables), no sugar, no processed food, lots of filtered water (for headaches), plenty of fresh air and as much activity as you can manage.
Good luck and I do hope this helps.
kikaida says
re: Just like Dennis- Sinus Problems
I saw this old post. He had the same problem like I have been experiencing since I have been drinking caffeine again off and on. I have sinus pressure after a day or two of not in taking any caffeine. So I guess it can be a caffeine withdrawal. Any one else experienced this too?
User glad to be says
re: Yes, of course, brain fog is
Yes, of course, brain fog is always a complete………..now what was it I was going to say….. sorry - can't think straight atm
Caffeinated says
re: Could someone explain brain fog?
So, I've read through about 11 pages of comments and it's been amazing. So many of the same symptoms, and I think it's actually sorting out for me a lot of problems I've been having over the last week. I'm hoping to find some reassurance in a response...
I didn't think I had a caffeine addiction, but I, without intending to, stopped caffeine for a bit. Between being away for a few days where only juices were served, then a weekend without caffeine in the house, and a day being sick, I had zero from any source (food or drink) for five days. This past Sunday I was nauseous and had a headache, so I just thought nothing of it and took a few Advil. Monday again, work up with a headache and now what I think you're all describing as brain fog (more on that below).
Normally, before this unintended hiatus, I drank 284mg of caffeine per day, Monday-Friday. Weekends were typically less.
So on Monday: I realized I hadn't had caffeine in a while and it was probably related, so I had 214mg (through soda & energy drinks), and I had a panic attack that I now assume was related. BP raised up 150/90, crazy pulse, lasted about 30 minutes before I came back down to my norm.
Then on Tuesday: More headaches, and a little afraid to hit the caffeine again. Serious brain fog. To try and combat it, because I'm not a cold-turkey kind of guy, I had 72mg of caffeine. Still had the fog and the headaches but didn't have any panic attack.
Then on Wednesday: I had 144mg of caffeine. Still some headaches, still some brain fog. But better than previously.
And today, Thursday: Another 144mg of caffeine. Headaches are still here, and foggy. No panic.
So, at 144mg of caffeine, I'm half of what I was a week ago. I feel like I should be doing better than I am on half, and I'm starting to worry that something else might be wrong. I'm considering upping my caffeine again tomorrow just to see if I get back to my normal state, or at least a bit closer, to prove to myself that it's just the lack of caffeine making me feel this way and it's not something more serious. So, to those who have been down this road, should I still be feeling this fog at half my normal caffeine, or should I really be closer to my normal state?
I'd also like to describe my "fog" because I want to make sure that I'm lining up with everyone else, and this isn't something different. I'll be sitting working on my computer or talking to someone, and out of apparently no where, I'll just feel like I'm checking out or zoning out. It's worst if I haven't moved around in a while or when I'm sitting in traffic. I feel like I can't process outside stimulus while it's going on, and I don't want to converse while it's happening. It almost kind of has that feeling of looking down when you're really high up, but without the dizzyness feeling. Is this the fog that everyone else is having?
As a last thing, my appetite has shrunk pretty significantly, which is atypical for me, anyone else experience this?
The more I read, the more I realize I want out of this crazy caffeine game, but I need to do it on my own terms when I have the availability to checkout, to have headaches, to be achy, and when I can be committed to success, and that's just not right now.
kikaida says
re: Sinus & Skin Problems
Can sinus pressure and a rash be a caffeine withdrawal symptom?
kikaida says
re: Neuropathy and burning sensations
Do you think that caffeine withdrawals can cause a burning sensation of the feet? I remember this happening 4 years ago just before I quit caffeine and when I woke up in the morning both feet had a burning sensation. I recently starting drinking caffeine again but not in large quantities but enough to cause withdrawal symptoms again. Have any of you ever had this before?
User (60 year habit) says
re: what doctors don't seem to
what doctors don't seem to realise is that caffeine is fat soluble, and the author of "welcome to the Dance" (an account of her caffeine sensitivity) says that it takes 3 years for every organ of the body to be free of caffeine. Gp's seem to think that the half life of caffeine can be measured by the water soluble only components of caffeine.
kikaida says
re: Relapsing
I quit my 20 year caffeine addiction 4 years ago and for several months I have been drinking a few caffeinated beverages at least 2-3 times per week. But that is enough to get the cycle started all over again. I have been experiencing withdrawal like symptoms again like the neuropathy in the feet, sleep disturbances, digestive issues, and an unexplainable rash for the past 3 months that appears daily. It resembles heat rash. Have any of you ever had a rash that you think may be linked to caffeine intake or withdrawals? In fact, like most of you have experienced where medical doctors themselves don't feel that caffeine withdrawals can last beyond two weeks which we know that is not true for mine lasted 5 months. Also some medical doctors don't feel that some of the withdrawal symptoms that we have experienced may be linked to caffeine. What I don't get is if caffeine is not in our system after a few days, then why can it take a few months for withdrawal symptoms to subside? On that note, I am going to start from today again not drinking caffeine at all. Wish me luck!
Lost In Translation says
re: You're right, cause that ish
You're right, cause that ish didn't work today.
User says
re: I haven't been posting
I haven't been posting because I am over a year off and still feeling crap, although not nearly as crap as a year ago, and I didn't feel like I belonged here any more, but if you were still suffering 9 months on, then perhaps I do. If I were you I would taper off much more slowly than simply switching to decaff, that's more like a cold turkey….
Lost In Translation says
re: Day 1 starts tomorrow
Hey guys:
I am so glad this forum is still here. I've looked at it off and on since 2009 when I first got off caffeine. I stuck with it for 9 straight months until a new job required me to work late into the night. My adrenal glands were so shot that I could barely move or think. I was still gorging down pounds of sugar to make up for the caffeine withdrawal and just to function.
Now it's 5 years later and I am 2 years sober from alcohol but caffeine is still a problem. Surprisingly sugar is not. I still suffer from depression and anxiety and I know it has to do with the caffeine but as you all know it is a bitch to get off of. but i'm determined. My depression has caused a lot of strife in my relationships, the way I look - I lost 12 pounds and am underweight - job hopping and suicidal.
I exercised a little this morning which gave me and appetite, put me in a pretty good mood and I only had a cup of coffee and an espresso shot. This is tame compared to a double shot, then a single shot at 3pm and coffee at 2 AA meetings a day.
Tomorrow, I plan on indulging in decaf and see where that takes me. Although I am sensitive to the mild amount of caffeine in decaf it is GREAT progress. I plan on visiting this forum daily like I initially did in 2009 for encouragement.
Right now, my main worry is the brain fog and my thoughts. I drink coffee when I am upset like I used alcohol. Today I was able to curb my thoughts by doing something else. With the brain fog, my biggest fear is wondering what will happen after my body and mind normalizes. I have had caffeine for most of my life and don't recall writing (my old passion before 10 years of depression set in) without caffeine.
But I know it is what I have to do and i'll do it with God's help and the people here. Thanks for letting me share :
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 186 NO CAFFEINE
My brain fog was most severe during the first 30 days, but continued to a lesser degree for a total of 60 days. I think the main symptom to be aware of is you being scared over a temporary symptoms. I believe that Mandy called it catastrophic thinking. The brain fog will disappear. You will have many other symptoms come and go, but have faith that they will go away even though it seems like it takes a long time. Hang in there. You're going to be fine.
Paul M says
re: 6 days off -- brain fog unrelenting
Hello all. I have read this site for over four years during my on/off again relationship with coffee/caffeine.
Recently, I quit as I knew it was REALLY getting out of hand. Coffee, pop, excederin.
This past week has been worse than any other time I've gotten off.
For the past 6 days, I've experienced headaches (top of skull, temples, back of head), severe anxiety/depression, twitching eyes, GI upset, but by far the worst has been the brainfog/confusion/memory issues. While I've read that others have experienced the brainfog, I guess I'm writing for some level of affirmation/comfort. I normally have a quick wit and a strong memory, but I am having trouble speaking with people about deeper subjects that require some thought and I can't remember things for the life of me! It is VERY scary.
I know 6 days isn't far in, and I am 100% determined that this is my last relapse. Can anyone comment as to the mental impairment issues and when the typically resolve? They are very scary to me.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 183 NO CAFFEINE
Energy has mostly come back and most of the muscle twitching and neuropathy is gone. I'm exercising 2 hours a day now. I realize that the fatigue, twitching, etc. may return, but most days I'm pretty much back to normal.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 180 NO CAFFEINE - MUSCLE TWITCHING
I did fail to mention yesterday that my calf muscles were twitching again. Since today is the magical day 180, I'll recap the list of symptoms that still bother me.
1. Calf muscles twitching.
2. Neuropathy.
3. Fatigue.
4. Lower back pain.
This is still quite a bit better than it was a few months ago. I'm just looking forward to all the caffeine withdrawal symptoms to disappear.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 179 NO CAFFEINE
After those 20 marvelous days, fatigue came back knocking at my door. I'm going to guess that set backs are normal and that I'll move past this like I have the other periods of fatigue. There were a few days of more intense neuropathy, but that's a little better again. In the past week, I've also battled a little mild depression.
@ Mandy, I thought I read where you were doing great at around 200 days and had been really good since passing the 180 day mark. Now I read where you are battle some swimmy head symptoms again at 10 months. I'm going to guess again that this confirms my suspicion that these symptoms come and go. As time goes by, there are more and more good days and less and less swimmy (bad) days.
Now that I'm one day shy of the 180 day mark, I'm looking forward to the 1 year mark. I will admit that in the past week, I have been tempted to sample some caffeine either via coffee or a soft drink. I have held off and I'm still pure. I still go to this website for inspiration and motivation to stay caffeine free.
@ Mandy again, I'm glad to see occasional posts on here from you. Hang in there. I'm really looking forward to hearing when your feeling really good again. 🙂
Mandy says
re: it was diet coke for me, that
it was diet coke for me, that was all i drank for about 17 years and i thought about reducing, quitting for many years but unfortunately it took a near death experience to get me to stop. diet coke used to fuel me you see and on the 2 December 2013 i had this head rush thing and i thought im having a stroke, seizure, i have a tumour or something, i then went on to have what i now know is a panic attack. looking back now i know I'd had nothing to eat, had not slept well the night before and was coming down with a virus but at the time i was terrified and the diet coke was the one thing i could immediately control and i stopped there and then cold turkey, which is not recommended by the way, lots of posts debate cold turkey versus taper, hut ive no regrets the cold turkey for me showed me how mucked up my neurochemistry was on the diet coke, see my previous posts if youre interested. anyway i hope you can at least reduce watch out for the impact on your mood, lots of people talk about feeling more low, apathetic on quitting even reducing but many more talk of panic and agitation, there are also people who dont experience any withdrawal effects at all or minimal, you could be one of them. best wishes.
Mandy says
re: good on you for sticking with
good on you for sticking with it, im coming up to ten months caffeine free now, the last couple of days my heads felt a bit swimmy, my feet are not so sure when they walk, they are very mild versions of what i went through when i quit december 2013. sometimes i think that caffeine used to mask my normal stress and what i get now is normal feelings of stress but then there is this gradual tapering off as if it is a tailing off withdrawal process, there's plenty of posts on here that say one year, and i should know i read them all several times over in the early months. today i had the strongest urge for a can of diet coke ive had since quitting!!! it really surprised me after all this time. theres no chance I'll ever drink that foul poison again, i never drank coffee you see i can understand why that might be enjoyable perhaps but diet coke what did i do to myself, 17 years of drinking nothing but.... anyway bring on your 180 days clear!
Juniebun says
re: Caffeine/Aspartame/Diet Soda Addiction
Ah! My parents never let my sister and I have soda when we were kids. Now, as an adult, I drive about 5-6 20-ounce bottles of Diet Doctor Pepper per day. I am also on anxiety medication and an antidepressant. I have done my homework and I know that the combination isn't a good one; what I'm drinking, the Diet Doctor Pepper, is interfering with my medication and it isn't working as well as it could. Why do I keep drinking the soda? I'm addicted to the caffeine and the aspartame, that's why. I think about quitting the stuff...a lot. But...I don't seem to have the willpower. I have the choice to quit, I know, but I guess that I don't have the willpower, despite what I know about diet soda, etc. Any comments and suggestions are much appreciated! Thanks!
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 171 NO CAFFEINE
For nearly 20 days in the row, I've had a ton of energy working out at the gym for 3 hours per day on average: 60 minutes aerobic cross ramp machine, 30 minutes walking, 20 minutes stretching, 200 sit ups, 30 leg lifts, 15+ sets of weights on most days. However, I ran out of energy 30 minutes into my workout Friday. I took off Saturday (yesterday). I felt like I had energy until 30 minutes of aerobics Sunday (today). I'm hoping that this is not a caffeine withdrawal comeback. However, if it is, I'm sure it's temporary. For the moment, I'm going to assume that my body has been over exercising and try moderating things a bit.
Other than that, the only symptoms that I've had recently is just a tad of tingling in my feet and occasional twitching of my calf muscles.
With the magical 180 day mark coming up soon, I'm still very happy with the constant improvement in my condition. Even though I may, or may not, being feeling 100% at 180 days like Mandy does, I'm at least at 95%. It is still a little scary when I run out of energy. My mind still wonders a little if this is a permanent issue with me running out of energy quicker than I used to. But, if it is, maybe it has to do more with turning 50 years old than permanent caffeine damage.
Overall, everything is looking pretty great! I just through in the 2 minor issues for anyone else reading this in the future when they reach the 171 day mark. 🙂
User (60 year habit) says
re: If you are allergic to
If you are allergic to caffeine then I would think all the symptoms you listed would be side effects rather than withdrawal symptoms and it might take a week or two to get it out of your system: side effects/withdrawals either way it won't take long to stop I shouldn't think.
kikaida says
re: Small relapse cause withdrawal symptoms?
Hi there, about two weeks ago I had three 24 oz cups of iced tea and starting having digestive issues again ex: mild acid reflux and burning stomach. Before that I was drinking a 20 oz can of green tea with some chocolate bars at least once or twice a week for about a month. I have been noticing sinus issues, headaches, constipation, disrupted sleep, and about a month ago I started having this rash almost like heat rash. The doctors don't know what is causing it. I had an allergy test three weeks ago and came back positive for about 30 different things and coffee was one of them. My question is that if I have been slowly introducing caffeine back into my system about once a week, could I be experiencing withdrawals again and could the symptoms I listed above be from caffeine? And the biggest question is even if I had small amounts of caffeine introduced back into my system, how long will the withdrawals last this time? I feel so stupid!
Kikaida
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 152 NO CAFFEINE - KIKAIDA
Thanks Kikaida! I'm hoping that you stopped the caffeine again. While it's very encouraging to hear that you symptoms stopped at 6 months too, it's kind of scary to think that I might be tempted to start back up again after 4 years.
The MS fear can be very overwhelming, but 3 MRIs should put your fears to rest. Most of my neuropathy is gone now, so I'm no longer worried about it. In fact, most of my symptoms are gone. Considering that I haven't reached that magical 6 month mark yet, I realize that symptoms may continue to come and go. Fortunately, they come less frequently these days and with less intensity each time.
Thanks for the encouragement and the congratulations! It has been one of the toughest things that I've had to experience. I am determined to not have to experience all of that again, so I'm confident that I won't relapse. Now that I wrote that, I did dream last night that someone was forcing me to drink Mountain Dew and how mad I was at them because of the caffeine. lol. I guess that's a sign that I'm not totally over the withdrawal because I did have a couple of dreams about coffee early on after quitting caffeine. But, this is the first time for a long time and this time I dreamed of Mountain Dew and not coffee like before. 🙂
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 150 NO CAFFEINE - THANKS MANDY
Thanks Mandy! I searched "health anxiety". I hadn't thought of doing that before I read your post. It helps tremendously. Just knowing doesn't necessarily make it go away, but it does help keep myself calmer. Fortunately, health anxiety issues are happening more rarely now. I can go an entire week being absolutely fine thinking that I'm 100% recovered, then those fears creep back in for a visit. Knowing the symptoms of "health anxiety" does help me work through the anxiety much quicker and stay calmer. Thank you sooo much!!! 🙂 I'm still staying focused on day 180 (6 months) to reach the point where you are. I'm so happy for you!
Kikaida1 says
re: My Story Quitting Caffeine 4 years Ago
For almost 20 years, I drank anywhere from five 44 oz. cups of diet pepsi, and several cups of brewed iced tea per day. I went through the same thing that you are dealing with now. Almost 4 years ago, I quit caffeine of 20 years and went through the worse withdrawals ever. My PCP, neurologist, gastroenterologist, ENT all thought I was crazy. They said the withdrawal symptoms I expressed at that time was similar to that of a cocaine addict. The withdrawal symptoms I had were: headaches, increased anxiety, constipation, acid reflux, shortness of breath, chest tightness, elevated blood pressure, severe insomnia, night sweats, numbness and tingling in hands and feet, electrical shock sensation all over body, muscle twitching, panic attacks, burning head sensations, shaking and tremors, and sinus issues. My doctor put me on a low dose of valium and clonazepam. I had to take it to calm me down. I also had to take sleeping pills to help me sleep a night. My insomnia was so bad that I slept only about 1-2 hours per night for 3 months. It took me close to 6 months to get over the withdrawals. I recently started to drink a few cups of ice tea again and started noticing neuropathy symptoms again. I recently had to take 3 MRI's for the possibility of MS. All of the MRIs came back normal. I am beginning to think that all of my symptoms could be from consuming some caffeine again. Anyways, I could keep going on with my story but I will end here. You can do a search on this site and type "kikaida" and you'll probably find me. Or do a google search and type "kikaida, caffeine withdrawals" and you'll probably see my old postings. Good luck to you! Congratulations in your quest to quit caffeine!
Kikaida
Mandy says
re: just a quick one - i did the
just a quick one - i did the MS one because i felt dizzy lots of the time and i also worried about my heart and got my doctor to send me for an ecg - its because our systems are stressed chronically during withdrawal and our frontal lobes try and problem solve - unhelpfully! it really helped me to start reading all the health anxiety literature, i found lots of comments that said that because stress is so neurological nervous system people often fear M$, so again the theme is yes i went through that.... and came through it. keep going.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 139 NO CAFFEINE - DOING GOOD
The past 10 days have been pretty good. I did wake up one morning with a slight panic feeling, but I was able to disconnect my thoughts from going negative and had faith that this is just part of the caffeine withdrawal process. I went to the gym for a really hard workout to successfully rid myself of that feeling.
I have a friend expressing an interest in also quitting his caffeine addiction. He's a truck driver, so he said that he can't imagine being able to quit. I suggested exactly keeping track of his caffeine intake and very gradually over weeks or months decreasing his consumption of caffeine until he was caffeine free. However, people often speak of giving up addictions, but rarely follow through.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 134 NO CAFFEINE
I'm glad that me sharing my experience helped. 🙂 That's the primary reason that I share so much information. And, it's a relief to me to read that someone else besides me experienced this exactly. I am much much better than I was at the 60 day mark of not having caffeine. I'm sure that my Vitamin D supplements that my doctor ordered helps tremendously, too. However, I will say that not everyday is good. But, more and more of the days are good and many of the symptoms (when they occur) aren't so scary and much milder. When I do experience these milder symptoms, I am better able to ignore them and have faith that I will soon be rid of them forever!
I'm currently looking forward to the 180 day milestone as mentioned by Mandy a few days ago. I have about a month and a half to go.
I do strongly believe that the Vitamin D deficiency and caffeine are very much connected. My doctor told me that all my symptoms including the breathing is directly related to the Vitamin D deficiency. He told me that the symptoms could be gone in 3 months from the time I started taking the supplements or could be as long as a year. He told me to have faith and that recovering from Vitamin D deficiency is a long slow process, but I'm on the right course. I should mention to you that I have not shared with my doctor the caffeine angle. Like many doctors, I don't believe that he would be receptive. But especially considering what 60 Year Habit shared with me about Vitamin D receptors and caffeine, I am 100% confident that they are both involved.
Thanks for letting me know what I wrote helped you. 🙂
User says
re: I had the exact same
I had the exact same experience back in June. I am now on day 58 of no coffee and things are looking up but definitely not back to normal. That first month was one of the worst months of my entire life. I had severe anxiety (I had never experienced anxiety before and for the first few days was absolutely terrified I was dying). Even at day 58 I still get severe depression some days but they are getting fewer and fewer as the weeks wear on and the anxiety is hardly there anymore. Stay strong!!!!! In a weird way it is so great to hear someone else has experienced the same thing.
User says
re: I had been having the exact
I had been having the exact same problem after I quit caffeine! At first, I had no idea it was related. I went to the hospital twice and had absolutely everything checked. The only thing out of sorts was low vitamin D. They labelled it generalized anxiety and gave me drugs to use which I refused. It was only after a few weeks of dealing with all the symptoms (including the feeling of not getting enough oxygen) that I began to make a timeline and put together that the only thing that coincided with the start of the symptoms was the day I quit coffee. I thought I was crazy for having all these symptoms over coffee (after all, I had quit before and had no problems like this) until I finally found a few websites (such as this) where people described similar things. I FEEL SO RELIEVED! IT MAKES ME SO HOPEFUL THAT THERE IS AN END TO THIS! I am currently on Day 58 of no coffee.. feeling better than the first few weeks but far from back to my normal self.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 130 NO CAFFEINE - OVERTHINKING IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE
...and I was acknowledging Mandy's comment that "diagnosing self with catastrophic illnesses" is a symptom. I know this because it is a symptom that I have.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 130 NO CAFFEINE - OVERTHINKING IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE
I realize that overthinking is counterproductive. For the most part, I'm winning this battle. I just have lapses. However, the point of me posting was just to share what was going on in my mind at this stage of caffeine withdrawal for other people to read in the future. Some people might go through the same thing and reading that I went through the same thing might give them some hope and encouragement. While I appreciate your offer of solutions, I not really asking for solutions. I know that I just need to wait it all out.
User says
re: Think less....
I really think you need to think less. I appreciate that hypochondria is probably a recognised psychological disorder, but you've got to think the constant stress of imagined diseases will probably end up making you ill !! Live in the day, be thankful you're fit and well now.