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 with 60 year habit says
re: I get a similar sensation in
I get a similar sensation in my left arm, it seems to come and go and fluctuate in intensity …
plus one of my ankles (my right ankle) has started swelling up - I have an old injury there, but the swelling is definitely caffeine related.
Tom D. says
re: withdrawal -- vein reaction in legs
When I started drinking coffee years ago, I distinctly remember my legs burning badly hours after drinking. Kind of a deep aching, burning sensation in my legs. With hindsight, I now attribute it to the distinct vasoconstricting effects of caffeine. For years following, as I consumed coffee on a regular basis, I noticed a regular painful burning of my legs -- nearly a constant symptom.
Now, having been off coffee for a while and having gone through many of the classic withdrawal symptoms, I'm having quite severe pain in my legs. I am now wondering if this is the veins reacting to the lack of the constricting and are perhaps now being more dilated as they adjust to normal.
Anyone else experience anything remotely similar to this or can you confirm this theory? Caffeine has a very strong effect on veins/blood flow, and since the classic "caffeine withdrawal headache" is simply the veins expanding in your head, why wouldn't you be susceptible to vein-reaction symptoms elsewhere?
Rob says
re: Thanks
Thanks for the good wishes, and good luck to you on your caffeine free journey.
It's day 9 for me and looking forward to the weekend. The real painful headaches have gone, but I've still got a dull ache and it feels like my brain isn't quite functioning properly - much better than on caffeine, but still foggy and slow. I don't think there's any option other than to just take care of myself and be patient and over time things will hopefully improve.
Just ate 2 packets of jelly sweets/candy which has noticeably worsened my brain fog. I'm thinking I really need to cut down on the sugar...
User with 60 year habit says
re: "I just started my new,
"I just started my new, caffeine free life on Monday and the only caffeine I have had is a few sips of coffee or green tea to make the headache or leg aches go away." ???
caffeine free???? I don't think so, not yet…… You have to be TRULY caffeine free before you even begin to recover. So good luck with becoming truly caffeine free. Just think what those users who surround you are doing to themselves and how much better they would feel if they stopped.. If you can prove how much better you will eventually feel, that might persuade them.
For constipation (which I have also experienced in caffeine wd), I find that drinking a glass of hot water within half an hour of eating really helps as do prunes when it gets really bad. Apparently cheese, rice and eggs are triggers for constipation too. I found that info, including the hot water tip, on a really good site re constipation, natural remedies, but don't have a link any more.
I don't want to discourage you with this post, but wanted to point out that your thinking is a bit muddled (caffeine confusion)
very best of luck!
RR says
re: Good Luck Rob!
I just started my new, caffeine free life on Monday and the only caffeine I have had is a few sips of coffee or green tea to make the headache or leg aches go away.
I have quit many times and like you something always pulls me back down.
I quit in March 2013 and was free until the very end of June. I had to drive my daughters to the beach and had gotten absolutely no sleep the night before thanks to some indigestion. I drank all the way to Hilton Head and then couldn't help but feel left out when the girls wanted to go to the coffee shops there. So I drank more.
It seems my digestion issues are what always pull me back down. I'll eat some foods that constipate me (wheat and dairy) and then feel like I need coffee to get things going. Or the indigestion will keep me up all night and then I need it to get thru the next day.
I decided to try this again because I have fixed some digestive issues by giving up ibuprofen and other nsaids and also quit taking benedryl at night for allergies. I am completely free of all other drugs (including sugar except for a little fruit now and then) so I might as well eliminate caffeine too.
My only caffeine free partner is my 15 yr old daughter. Friends always want coffee. Husband always wants coffee. It's hard to kick a habit when you are surrounded by users.
Zac says
re: Sinus flare-up
Hey Paul,
Yes, I've had sinus stuff happen for as part of the withdraw process. I had the constant draining thing go on for a few weeks before it stopped as suddenly as it started. I have read of others having the same sinus issues.
Paul says
re: RE: Making progress
Keep it up!!! I'm behind your schedule but on my way. Don't get tempted to go back. I have done that several times and regretted it every single time.
Paul says
re: 4 weeks clean... constant runny nose. ??
4 weeks clean… headaches are pretty much gone. Sleeping GREAT. Brainfog and light-headed at a minimal… comes and goes but doesn't appear to stay for long. The horrific anxiety has lessened as well… again, it comes in spurts but isn't a constant. Starting to enjoy parts of life again.
One thing I have noticed is a constant runny nose. It is like my sinuses are draining all the time. I don’t think I am sick, but this has been going on for 2-3 weeks. Anyone else experience this as a withdrawal reaction?
Rob says
re: Day 6
Well here we are again ! This is my 6th day off caffeine – once again (and hopefully for the last time) I’ve been through the nightmare that is withdrawal. I did it cold turkey (again) as this seems to be the only way that works for me. I’m relieved and happy to be past what I’d call the chronic symptoms – muscle cramps, splitting headache etc.
My previous experience is that I’ll do OK for a few months then have an off-day and a little voice will pop into my head that tells me what would really help is a cup of coffee. I need to watch out for that. It can be tough though as although the chronic symptoms seem to go quickly, it takes a long time to recover fully. At the moment I feel tired, a little anxious, foggy headed and achey. Again my experience is that the tiredness and fogginess lasts for a long time, probably many months, which can become depressing.
I can’t believe what a powerful drug caffeine is. Maybe it only affects some people so badly, but I find its effects profound. I really do mean to stay off it this time and I’m really looking forward to living clean - I’m going to cut down on sugar, drink lots of water, eat well, sleep enough and get some exercise. But mainly I’m going to stay away from caffeine in all its forms, chocolate included (a previous slippery slope for me). I guess I’m going on a caffeine free adventure. I wonder where it will take me ?
Cold Turkey says
re: Making progress
I'm into my second month of being clean from caffeine. I'm feeling a lot better most days. Today is one of those days, though, where symptoms are hitting me. It's obnoxious that one day I can feel the best I've felt in years, and the next day I'm right back to where I started. But at least there is a comforting thought in knowing that it will pass. It might be in a few hours or it might be tomorrow, but it will pass. Anyone coming here feeling like they're going to die after quitting caffeine, just remember that - you will be fine; the symptoms will pass. Hang in there, everyone. We're all in this together.
RR says
re: I am on and off caffeine as
I am on and off caffeine as well as this website. I am trying to quit again and wanted to comment on the brain fog. That was the most dangerous part of quitting for me. My responses to everything were slow and I often ran red lights because of it. I would see that the light was yellow but I think I was too "zombie" to want to bother calculating how much time I needed to get thru the light and I would end up going thru just after they turned red. And my reaction to doing it would be very zombie like. I would kind of just be wondering to myself "why didn't I react to that light when it turned yellow...hmmm". Slowing down for cars in front of me did not seem to be a problem as that felt more like an auto pilot situation. It was the brain work involved in determining whether I had time to get thru a yellow light or not. I had similar problems with having conversations. I just wouldn't want to bother sorting out all the words so I just did a lot of nodding and agreeing. This makes a lot of conversations short and one sided. Later I would regret not speaking up about something and would wonder "why didn't I just say something..". It's very much like you are simply observing rather than a part of something.
Driving is the main reason I don't quit cold turkey but another reason is because years of taking nsaids (ibuprofen, aspirin) has screwed up my digestion and I have quit those. So when I get the headache and, for me, what feels like bone aches in my hips, back and legs (it moves around from day to day) I have to have a little coffee. If I just sip a little coffee or tea until it goes away I find it takes less than a quarter of a cup for it to disappear and then I go longer without getting them each time.
Userwith 60 year habit says
re: I am glad you are feeling
I am glad you are feeling better, but watch the tea, I was only drinking 2 cups a day and read my posts to see the effect it had on me. Imagine my shock when I came off and hit the hell of caffeine withdrawal! If I were you I would get off all caffeine and see how you feel after a few months, judging by some of the posts here, it can be wonderful.
User in NC says
re: I've been reading these posts
I've been reading these posts for a couple of months now and was hoping I would be able to be all sunshine and
blue skies 3 months after ditching coffee. It just ain't like that -for me anyway! It is much, much better but if you would have told me ditching caffeine would be this tough , I would have called BS. As a pharmacist, you would think I would have known better. I cut back drastically from 6 to 10 cups a day to two. That was a very bad idea. I have never felt that bad. Almost like the flu except with anxiety and what I guess you would call panic attacks. Gi problems, insomnia , foggy brain like a hangover, afternoon doldrums , depression, loss of interest in usual stuff. My friends think I am crazy..they don't say of course, but it is hard to find folks that quit caffeine and had more than a headache. The good news, so this isn't gloom and doom , I haven't had many heart palpitations at all since quitting which was my original reason for thinking I should cut back. I also started exercising , cut back what I was putting in that hole in my face and lost 20 lbs. Long walks help my anxiety--which I know is unfounded, it just occurs..worrying about stupid stuff. I have one cup of tea in the morning and studiously avoid any caffeine or chocolate . Old reliable coffee pot is in the attic or somewhere. I may just quit the tea as well, but I like it. I drank coffee for 25 years and I don't miss it, which is strange because it was such an important part of my day. I watch my friends and coworkers topping off their cups and travel mugs and I am glad I am done with that. My wife says I am more laid back and my kids think so too. The other thing is, my sleep, when I am relaxed and not anxious (never had anxiety like this until I stopped coffee) is so very good! I do have to take something for sleep periodically , and it works, but I am hopeful when my 'brain gets right' I will not need it. I am also saving money , the starbucks in the afternoons was not exactly cheap. I hope this will help someone like reading all the other posts made me feel like I wasn't going completely nuts.
User says
re: Glad to know I am not dying.
I am 5 days into no caffeine. I was a very heavy soda drinker. 4 or 5 20oz Mt. Dews a day. No water no milk all soda all the time. I weighed 211 4 months ago. Husband got deployed and I decided to make a change. I started losing weight and am now at 186. However I didn't give up Soda. I had a headache the 1st day. Tired the 2nd. But these past 3 days I have been vomiting. Dry Heaves. sp? Anyway I am certain my 1 year old has poisoned me. 🙂 Anyone else have this? If so please tell me it passes quickly. I mean I have a knack for humiliating myself. But I draw the line when I can't make it to the bathroom while in a grocery store.
Zac says
re: Weird Symptoms
Tom,
Had all of those, or variations of them. The twitching only lasted a day or three, but I have read of other people having eye and muscle twitches for longer.
Cold Turkey says
re: Yup...
Muscle and joint pain, thyroid pressure, intestinal oddities all for sure. I haven't noticed twitching. I twitched more when I was on caffeine. But yes, I've experienced a lot of it.
Tom D. says
re: Weird symptoms of withdrawal -- anyone else?
Hello -- I have the classic withdrawal symptoms (headache, anxiety), but I was wondering if anyone else has ever experienced these withdrawal symptoms as I couldn't find much reference to them on this site. They all started after I stopped drinking coffee:
-moving muscle/joint pains. very, very severe at times and then they migrate to another area (advil/tylenol does nothing to help this pain)
-thyroid pressure (feeling like your throat area is swollen) -- hard to swallow at times
-intestinal oddities -- goes between diarrhea and constipation
-twitches/fasciculations -- had it in my eye for a while and now it is in the tip of my tongue
I really feel like they are all from withdrawal since I didn't have them before stopping coffee. I hope I"m not alone.
User (60 year habit) says
re: Jackie, and try it cold and
Jackie, and try it cold and 10 days old from the fridge, disgusting!!!
No gp didn't give a time scale but a friend has had it for 4 weeks, and I am at the end of my third week.
I don't think you will take as long as me to recover whatever method you use, I am a genetic oddity I fear…
very best wishes
JSL says
re: 60 year habit
Thanks - that's a really good idea (about making up batches of tea). I've already been watering down my milky coffee to make it less comforting and tasty. I actually dislike coffee which is just made with water and a splash of milk. Now there's an idea - I could start to drink it like that - that would soon act as aversion therapy and take away the comfort factor! Thanks.
Did the doc say how long the swine flu symptoms might take to disappear? Hoping you feel better soon. Best wishes. Jackie
User (60 year habit) says
re: Jackie I am replying at the
Jackie I am replying at the top again for the sake of convenience - I am glad you found my post helpful and I have remembered something else that may help a bit. When I decided to taper off, I worked out roughly how much tea I was drinking per day and then I made up a huge batch (to keep it at a stable strength) which would last me 2 weeks. I then stabilised on what I thought was the amount I usually drank, after 2 weeks I then cid the same again (made another big batch) and cut the daily amount by 10%. I realise now that that completely changed my attitude to tea, instead of being an enjoyable treat, it was quite horrible to have to drink this nasty tasting cold stuff every day, it turned tea into an addictive substance which I no longer enjoyed. Unfortunately for me, I jumped off at too high a dose, because I thought I would be ok, and I couldn't bear to go back on it again, but if I had carried on tapering for another 3 or 4 months I think I would have recovered much more quickly.
Re the flu, i thought I was better yesterday, but it is back in spades today.
PS thanks for telling me you didn't enjoy the chocolate, I will remember that...
JSL says
re: To 60 year habit
Thanks for this - it was actually very helpful. I think I've been expecting to be better, too quickly - as you say, I need to allow time so that my brain chemistry can adjust. I've always been an all or nothing sort of person and so, because I wanted a quick-fix, I would inevitably fail. I have hopefully found some common sense at last and will carry on with my weaning but will strictly monitor the amount I'm having. At least that will be taking it in the right direction......and I'll just have to accept that it's going to take time and that I AM going to feel like hell.
You made me laugh about the chocolate but it actually wasn't that nice - at least I've lost my taste for that!
Thanks again and let me know how you're doing - and with the swine 'flu. Jackie
Zac says
re: To 17 Days Clean: Re Lightheaded
About 3 weeks to a month off caffeine, I switched from headache into alternating days of tension headache with cloudy/blurry vision and lightheaded feelings. A few weeks into that I had visual migraine-like headaches (no pain, pretty colors).
Now I'm nearly at 5 months cold turkey, I still occasionally get lightheaded feelings when I am anxious. They last a few minutes and pass.
This phase will pass. Stay strong and drink lots of water.
Cold Turkey says
re: To 17 Days Clean...
I felt the same way at about the same point. I'm a month into withdrawal and the brain fog and lightheadedness is mostly gone, but there are still times when I feel that way. I went through a good two week stretch where I constantly felt disconnected, couldn't focus on anything, and felt like I was going to faint at a moment's notice. It's all a part of the withdrawal, but it will go away. I'm still fighting the anxiety, but I'm hoping that will clear up soon too. Keep fighting the fight.
User says
re: 17 days clean... very light-headed
17 days without caffeine. My headache, which was incredibly bad, has dropped to a light dull sensation.
The worst for me is occasional brain fogginess and the light-headed/dizzy feeling. I have a constant light-headed sensation where it feels like I just don't have my balance.
Has anyone else experienced that sensation through withdrawal? That, combined with my withdrawal anxiety is making for a scary day-to-day experience. Anyone know WHY withdrawal would cause light-headedness? Is it because the blood vessels in the head are now no longer being constricted and that there is more blood flow?
User with 60 year habit says
re: Jackie
Jackie, thanks for all your interesting news. Re your last post (on another page), I don't think you will find that your symptoms wane as you taper (not in my experience anyway), I think you will have to get through a lot of horrible symptoms until after you have been "clean" for some time (months and months in my case. I am telling you this so that you don't get discouraged if it happens to you.
And I am another person who didn't get the headaches either until I had been off caffeine for a month or two, then I started getting weird head sensations and pain in bits of my head that I didn't know existed, but that only went on for 3 or 4 months.
If you can cut down even more slowly than I did, that gives your receptors and neurons time to adapt to the new circumstances instead of giving them a really big shock.
If you are getting bad days, that is a sign that you are cutting down too fast. A general rule for tapering is 10% every 2 weeks, (not ten percent of the total amount divided up, but 10% of your new total after every cut), and if you get bad days you need to leave more weeks between the cuts. (I wish i had, but I was too impatient to be off)
And please don't even mention chocolate, I haven't had any for soooooo long…..
JSL says
re: To Cold Turkey
Hi, just to add some encouragement - yes, I've had most of those symptoms, plus others, even though I'm still tapering. I started to have severe withdrawal symptoms when I was drinking up to 800mgs a day as my brain and body had got used to the caffeine and so wanted more (now mostly on 50mgs a day). The only symptom I've never had is a headache but I put that down to having always drunk LOTS of filtered water (even when I was drinking a lot of coffee). Also, I usually eat a very healthy diet and I'm sure that helps, too.
Anyway, congrats on getting off it and keep strong. Jackie
JSL says
re: Rob
I so agree, there really are severe long term effects and as you say, it surely is a very powerful drug. I've read many times that the withdrawal process can be equally as difficult as trying to get off cocaine etc which acts on the brain in the same way. People think caffeine is a mild stimulant but it's not, although I think we can tolerate it better if we don't overdo it - and when we're younger. I sometimes wonder what our world would be like if people hadn't started having caffeine in all its forms. Think about it - everyone either wired up like crazies or depressed and cranky (or worse)........and the rush of dopamine makes you act rashly sometimes e.g buying stuff which you don't want or can't afford - AND it makes you want to eat vast amounts of sugar.
Anyway, Rob, after thinking about it, I definitely agree with 60 YH, a tapering plan seems the obvious choice for you and I really hope you can do it. As you can tell, I've just had my 50mgs and am unsurprisingly chatty lol.............how embarrassing some of my post have been - ah, well, that's caffeine for you.
Confession: I've actually had a couple of really bad days and I even ended up buying 2 bars of chocolate - I haven't done that for 14 years!! As I said in my other post, childhood patterns rearing up like demons to haunt me. But I vow I will now stick to my weaning and I KNOW the symptoms will wane as I wean. I hope you can be more sensible than me Rob and just do it. Good luck. Jackie
Zac says
re: Hi Cold Turkey
Chiming in here to say that I had all of these symptoms as well. I had roughly the same caffeine intake as you before I quit 5 months ago. They were particularly acute from 1 into 2 months off.
All your listed symptoms are very common to people who go cold turkey. Your body had a dependence on a powerful stimulant and now its panicking because its not getting it daily.
I'm not a Dr., and won't tell you not to go to a Dr., but you are certainly not alone in the symptoms and timeframe you listed.
JSL says
re: 60 year habit
Hello, again, sorry to hear you've had swine flu.........that's really rubbish. Hopefully, you'll be over that soon and can then see how you're doing caffeine-wise. Who'd have thought it could take so long after 21 months? But, then, as we've said, when you've been drinking it for a long, long time - it's going to take time. Well, I've just done a big post to Rob (brain's dead now) so I'll speak to you later and keep strong. Jackie
JSL says
re: Rob
Hi, yes, I think 'crazy thinking' or, specifically, ingrained patterns or mindsets of thinking, feeling and behaviour is the key, here. I've been thinking about this a lot since you posted. I re-read my post and the phrase 'broken record' leapt off the page - i.e. stuck in the groove, on repeat. That's what we are, Rob, stuck in the 'grooves' of our minds, on repeat. I think that when we've done something or felt something, over and over, it really does get ingrained in our psyche and becomes part of who we are. Your 'crazy thought' that a coffee would be a good idea, my attachment to it as in that it will make me feel content, help me to relax etc (oh, the irony), your feeling that you've got to go cold turkey - all just damn tapes playing in out minds! And, importantly, the problem is that caffeine makes you so physically ill, bad-tempered and all the other nasty symptoms that you're at such a low par and cannot muster the willpower and energy to change that damn tape. These words don't really evoke the severity of what state my mind and psyche are in - no word of a lie! It is SO powerful and my brain chemistry is so messed up and I do still feel so rough (despite some things being a little better), I just keep letting the tapes play. It's like I haven't got the energy to fight it. Does this make sense? If I can just share this, please - one mindset that is very, very strong in me is to turn to food/sugar and I've been creating this since I was 5 years old. When I got older, I turned to caffeine, as well, and remember when I started work at 16, I used to mark the time by coffee break, lunch and coffee break, again, I have ALWAYS used junk food/sugar/caffeine (and when I was in my teens, alcohol) to pacify my feelings, relieve stress or 'give me energy' when I've been exhausted. No wonder my 'groove' is so strong. The bottom line is that now I know fully what I'm dealing with, I need to find a way to change that groove - either that or I stay stuck in it for the rest of my life. That is scary. I think I really do get it now..............and it's just occurred to me that the reason I always write a lot in my posts and analyse, in detail, is because I did that for 7 years when I was studying and then, later, at uni (doing English Lit.). Good grief, it makes me wonder what else I do on autopilot lol. What do you think??
I think your phrase 'get my stupid head of of the way' is the key..........or maybe creating new grooves and tapes. It's a tough job but maybe those grooves can be changed quicker than we think.
Do have a look at Sam's essays.......although, in some ways, I feel my understanding has come on further now. In the 'going cold turkey' part, he's very tough about manning up and getting a backbone etc - but I now believe that's not the whole story - and I know he still has a daily espresso. But I did find the essays very helpful and there is a small part about tapering. On this plan, basically, you are allowed 50mgs of caffeine in the morning and then, that's it for the day - and you have to be precise with the measurements etc so that you really are weaning. I've found that that small amount does actually take the edge right off. If you google Sam Carpenter: You Are the Terminator, it will come up (this is part 3) but you can click on to 1 and 2.
Anyway, brain damage here with all this compulsive writing lol.............so hope this helps and I'll be interested to hear what you think. I do feel that there is some hope for us, Rob. Jackie
User says
re: Hello Cold Turkey -- reply
I have experienced every single one of the symptoms you listed!!!
Keep at it... I am two weeks clean now and the end of WEEK 2 is much better than the end of WEEK 1. Everyone takes a different amount of time to withdrawal based on their age, health, how much they were drinking, how long they were drinking for.
What helped me was just to keep saying, "This too shall pass". And, try to pass time to get some more days under your belt. You are a month in, which is huge. I would expect relief to be around the corner. Measure relief by weeks, not days...
keep at it!
User with 60 year habit says
re: hello cold turkey, yes it is
hello cold turkey, yes it is all withdrawal, the feeling that you are going to die is anxiety and possibly a panic attack, if it gets any worse, I would go back on caffeine and come of more slowly. I had to because I became suicidal because of the severe anxiety and panic attacks and depression. If you can manage to handle it it will get better, but in my case, because I had been drinking caffeine for so many years, I feared it would go on for a very long time, so I went back on caffeine and tapered off over 3 months. I didn't get any panic attacks when I finally came off, but i did get all the other things you mention and still have some of them.
If you go back to the earliest posts here and read through them gradually, you should find many other people who went through the same thing as you are going through now. I found it unbelievable and I still do that such a "harmless" habit can wreak such havoc.
I hope this reassures you a little.
Cold Turkey says
re: Should I see a doctor or is it just withdrawal?
I gave up caffeine about a month ago, completely cold turkey. I was taking upwards of 500 mg a day between coffee and energy drinks, and decided I needed to stop, and that was that.
Since then, I've been able to cut my acid reflux medication dosage in half, but outside of that, I've been experiencing the following:
Brain fog
Severe headaches (more mild now, but still can be severe at times)
Feeling like I'm not getting enough air
Rapid heartbeat
Pounding heartbeat that I can feel through my chest
General anxiety
Feeling like I'm going to die
Muscle aches/aches and pains in weird places
I'd like to think that this is all related to the withdrawal, but I can't help but fear that it might be something worse (cue the anxiety and feeling like I'm going to die). Some posts I've read on here have given me some reassurance that it is the withdrawal, but I felt like I needed to post this and get some feedback.
Thank you.
User with 60 year habit says
re: Rob I can only corroborate
Rob I can only corroborate what you say, I have been off for 21 months and still have a lot of the wd symptoms that you mention, I think you are right to think about tapering, what does it matter how you do it as long as you succeed?
You are probably much younger than me, so it won't take this long for you!!
Rob says
re: Withdrawal symptoms
Interesting comment on the withdrawal symptoms. When I said I didn't get any for more than a few weeks, I think I was talking about what I would call acute withdrawal symptoms - the muscle aches, headaches etc. that are bad for the first week or two. What I'm beginning to think having read this site and through my own experience is that there are much longer term effects of coming off caffeine that may take months (or maybe years) to correct. The main reason I started drinking coffee again after a few months is that I still felt dreadful - couldn't concentrate, tired, foggy etc. In other words, I was still going through the withdrawal process, just not the "acute" phase of it.
The more I experience it and think about it, I think caffeine is a very powerful drug that royally screws your body up. I've read for example that it's fat soluble, so is stored in all the cells of the body and it takes a long time for the body to return to normal, longer (I guess) if you're operating sub-optimally from years of caffeine abuse.
I think I need to stop trying to be macho about it, work out a simple, sensible tapering plan and then accept that the full recovery process may take an extended period. I certainly can't keep living like this, exhausted and staggering through life.
User with 60 year habit says
re: Hello Jackie, I also went
Hello Jackie, I also went anon because I thought it was you but didn't want to come out and say so, I'm not sure why…..
Anyway, it's so good to hear from you (and Rob), you can't tell me anything about how difficult it is to get off caffeine!!!!!
I have been off it for 21 months and am still suffering (although not nearly as much) and I hang on to Jayson's story, and it took him 2 years to be free of withdrawal symptoms and he was much younger than me and hadn't been drinking it for nearly so long as I have.
Anyway, I have got swine flu at the moment (according to my GP) and feeling v low, in my 3rd week, so will post about my current caffeine wd symptoms when I feel better able to assess them accurately.
In the meantime, I just want to say that I think you are being v sensible about coming off really slowly, I tapered over "only" 3 months, and I think now if I had tapered off over a longer period, it would have been faster in the long run. Rob, I don't think you have withdrawal symptoms for longer than a few weeks, (I think I remember), so I don't know how to give you any helpful advice, other than to write down all your reasons for not wanting to go back on. Perhaps your withdrawal symptoms last a bit longer than you feel they do, and if you were able to stay off for longer, you might feel so well that you would not be tempted, but I don't know. All I know is that I never want to go through this again, so abstinence is the only way for me.
Rob says
re: Yes, crazy thinking
Jackie. Yes, caught up in crazy thinking & behaviour. I’ve given up caffeine a few times now (over 20+ years of knowing I need to), maybe 3-4 times for up to 4 months each time. Each time I’ll get a few months in and then a crazy thought will come into my head that somehow a cup of coffee would be a good idea – I’ll have one and it will feel good as I’m not used to it, then very quickly I’m back in that exhausted, dragging around state where I’m using it just to function, but generally feeling sick and tired. Then comes normally months/years of knowing I need to stop, planning every day to do it, but never normally making it very far as I find the physical and mental withdrawal incredibly powerful. It leaves me unable to function for a few days. Part of my problem is I convince myself I have to quit cold turkey rather than tapering – that if I wean myself off it, it’s somehow cheating. I think I maybe need to get me and my stupid head out of the way and just come up with a logical tapering plan and commit to it. All the reading I’ve done on the subject by people who are qualified to comment (e.g. Roland Griffiths from Johns Hopkins Hospital) says tapering is the most effective, best way to go. I’d be interested to hear more about Sam Carpenter and the plan you’re following. Rob.
JSL says
re: Rob
Hi, Rob, yes, it's me - Jackie 🙂 I went incognito (not very well, obviously lol) as I just felt I couldn't come on here again and say I was still drinking the damn stuff (albeit only a little). I felt I was starting to sound like a broken record......but I'm glad you posted as it helps to know that there are others who are still struggling. Anyway, looks like you're stuck in a pattern - and I know what's it's like, genuinely. I've realised that we really do get stuck in a loop, not just in terms of physical addiction but also in terms of emotional and psychological habits. For example,, even though I know how bad it is for me, I STILL wake up in the morning with, not just the physical craving, but, also, with the mindset (and it's like it's set in stone!) that my morning coffee and time on the laptop, before everyone is up, is my time to relax and start the day (this comes from when it was the only time I had to myself, all day and the evening). It feels like all there is in life is coffee. Sad, I know. It's a loop that plays and it's like it controls me, like I have no reasoning power to change it and, obviously, the physical addiction plays its part in that, too. However, with weaning, that power is waning, too. Sam Carpenter has told me that if you do properly wean, your dependence reduces and if you're having a lot less coffee, you're changing the pattern, anyway. I know that the brain chemistry must adjust but I also think we have to find ways of changing the habits or REPLACING them, with something better. I'm trying to do that, as well. The book, Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean helped me with this. But I think the final realisation, for me, was that, like Sam says - I am the terminator. I have to find a way to stop it, myself. It CAN be done, though. Sorry if this is very rambling, it's really hard to explain my actual experiences (which may be very different to what other people experience Anyway, talk to me, if it helps, Rob. How many are you drinking a day? Do you really want to give it up? How rough are you feeling?
Rob says
re: Is that Jackie ?
Hey, just wondering if that's you Jackie ? Sounds like (whoever you are !) you're making good progress. I have stupidly started drinking coffee (again !). When will I ever learn ? After being off it, I get about a day or two of feeling good from the caffeine then it's back to the old cycle of feeling exhausted and ill all the time. I need to get off it again, but it seems to take forever to muster the willpower to start the horrible withdrawal process again....
User says
re: To Anon fromJSL
Hello, hope you're managing to stay the course. Well, it's a complicated answer to your questions. Truth is, I am still having a 50mg caffeine 'fix' every morning, as I continue to fight my addiction - but I would add here that I am A LOT better, even though I'm still having a little. Anyway, here's the story (hope it's not too long!).
I started drinking coffee when I was about 14 (I'm 63, now). I live in the U.K. so for many, many years, it was instant which isn't as strong as brewed or filter. I remember when my children were young, I used to drink about 8-10 cups a day, with no adverse effects. I did stop for about a 3-4 year period (no caffeine, at all) when I went on a healthy eating program and lost 173 lbs - and, obviously, I felt a lot better. But, about 10 years ago, life became very difficult (I know everyone has their problems, too!) as there were many family problems (I won't go into detail but some were very severe, like long-term illness and becoming disabled). I turned back to coffee to help me get through all the stress but I think what tipped me over the edge was that I was only getting about 3-4 hours sleep a night. Then, we started going to Starbucks and I genuinely think it was the filter coffee which got me addicted - plus, because of my age, I was less tolerant, I believe. Anyway, you know the route - you have to drink more and more to get the same effect and I was back to 8 cups a day.
About two and a half years ago, I realised I was starting to feel ill from all that caffeine and lack of sleep etc. I was getting withdrawal symptoms, even though I was still drinking coffee! Sleeplessness, terrible anxiety (and fear), felt so ill all the time, cognitive problems etc etc. I researched and found this forum.........and knew I HAD to get off it. I never say OMG but OMG - what a struggle it's been. I tried cold turkey, I tried weaning but I always went back. After about 18 months ( although it'a a bit of a blur), I HAD gradually reduced to 2 per day............but when I was really exhausted or stressed, I'd still turn to it, to help me get through.
Maybe I was weak, I don't know. Anyway, I finally feel I've come out 'on the other side' and I AM determined to get off it - if I'm being really honest, I think there was a part of me that didn't want to get off it, back then. I found a collection of online posts which really helped me, recently - Sam Carpenter: You Are The Terminator ( plus 2 other essays) - these helped me to see the reality and to want to try harder. I'm doing Sam's method of weaning where you just have 1 x 50mgs shot in the morning to take the edge off. I've been doing this since 24th October and even managed to stop for 8 days, completely. I DO feel a lot better than I did. Sleeping better, anxiety is MUCH less although my cognitive functioning is still not as good as it was. One thing I have always done, though, is to eat very healthily and drink lots of water and I know this helps. Things are easier at home now so I hope to be free by Christmas.
I'm sorry this has been so long but it has helped me to write it - to really see that I am coming out on the other side. It feels like it's been the last great struggle of my life lol...............hopefully over soon. What it's also shown me is that I need to look forward and let go of what went wrong.
Anyway, I'n not sure if this has helped you but, remember this, as your withdrawal continues, it WILL get easier. Good luck and I apologise, again, for this personal therapy post! Best wishes and let us know how it's going.
Zac says
re: Cyclical Symptoms
Hi Anon,
To answer your question, yes I do find that the symptoms/good days/bad days operate in cycles. This occurs in both the short and long terms. In the short term (in my experience) I had days that were good/tolerable, followed by days where symptoms really flared up. In the longer term, I find that symptoms can vary from month to month. This past month I had days with muscle aches, and back and limb aches, which I first had in late July/early August. This month, I'm dealing with stomach acidity and GERD problems, which hadn't bothered me much since early September.
User says
re: JSL how long did it take for
JSL how long did it take for you to recover and how long had you been drinking caffeine? I would find that helpful to know, but thanks for the encouragement anyway.
User says
re: 11 days off now
Hey guys, thanks for the reassuring... do you guys find that it comes and goes in waves a lot?
I actually experienced some nice calm Thursday and yesterday, but for some reason, this afternoon I got hit with really big waves of anxiety, brain fog and headaches. Almost like my body was cycling...
User (60 year habit) says
re: 60 year habit to 6 year habit
I am feeling so crap with this never ending gastric/sore throat, aches, nausea bug whatever it is, that I just can't get in touch with how I was feeling before it hit, but I think i was feeling better all round, can't wait to be feeling better again, but can't post anything accurate yet.
So glad you are feeling so much better albeit with a few glitches here and there.
6 Year Habit says
re: DAY 224 NO CAFFEINE - 60 YEAR HABIT
@ 60 YEAR HABIT
Concerning my back pain, mine is the same way. If I'm not exercising, it's not hurting. To me, that made me doubt that it was caffeine related. But, after reading your post, I guess I'm leaning more toward the caffeine angle then. After all, I did not have the back pain before I stopped caffeine.
The past 3 days, I have been a little off my normal energy level. I'm guessing that since it takes 3 full years to get caffeine out of our systems that I'm going to occasionally experience this lower energy level. But even at the lower energy level, I'm still 85% of normal.
Hopefully you get over the flu quickly and you continue to make huge strides. You've worked hard and long at it, so if I wish it for anyone, I wish for you to get past all these withdrawal symptoms. Are you huge strides mainly the energy level? What percentage are you up to now if you had to come up with a number?
kikaida says
re: RE: Head Pressure
Hi there, I have the same thing right now after just drinking caffeine a week ago. My head feels like it has a cap holding my head down. Kind of like tension headaches. Hang in there it will subside. The thing is I just don't know how long.
Kikaida
JSL says
re: Re 7 days off
Hi, as I think you already know, all of your symptoms are part of the withdrawal process and there are no set rules for how long it takes for your body and brain to readjust to being caffeine free. These sites which say you'll be symptom free in 2 weeks etc just don't take into account a person's length of habit, how much caffeine they've been ingesting, their age and individual tolerance levels. So basically, each person's withdrawal can be different. As you know, there is a basic list of symptoms e.g. anxiety, exhaustion, insomnia etc etc and the inevitable headache - which, incidentally, I've never had. I put that down to drinking a lot of filtered, even when I was having coffee. I'd really advise you to drink a lot of water (between meals) - it should help. I had terrible anxiety, too, and always woke up in the night. I take calcium citrate and magnesium citrate (with vit d) as a supplement, anyway, but it does definitely help to calm you down. But check with your doctor as overdosing is not good. Also, if I used to wake up in the night, I'd have something to eat - no-sugar carbs are best - I had oats with a small banana- and they also help to calm you down.
As for the cognitive issues - absolutely! At its worst, I felt like a complete zombie as if I couldn't even form thoughts in my head. My memory is still not as good as it was (although that could be because I'm getting on now!) ...and I do have a tendency to ramble when I write (as you can tell).
Anyway, what I'm saying is that everything you're going through is 'normal' so try to hang on in there and it will get better but it will take time. Good luck and keep us posted.
User says
re: 7 days off - still VERY symptomatic
Hello all -- looking for encouragement here.
I have been on and off caffeine for 6+ years (mostly on), and have had difficult withdrawal in the past but this time is very scary.
Since stopping cold turkey, my head feels like there is an oversized balloon in it -- massive pressure, especially in the back/top of my head. Whenever the pressure gets bad, I start feeling very light-headed. I've been having lots of cognitive issues as well -- can't remember certain words, lose my train of thought while speaking to someone, feel confused.
Tons of anxiety as well -- I typically wake up in the middle of the night with my heart racing out of my chest!
A lot of sites seem to indicate the headache should be gone in 5 days, yet I am on day 7 today and my head is still throbbing! Anyone else have the head pain/pressure last a long time?
JSL says
re: Extreme
Wow, I've never heard of anyone having so much caffeine before. It must have been hell getting off it - but good on you for doing it and getting through. How long did it take? Hope you're doing OK now and I hope you're never tempted to go back. TC.
kikaida says
re: re: Extreme
Hey I can feel your pain. When I quit caffeine 4 years ago I also had tremors and hallucinations. I also had headaches, night sweats, severe insomnia, neuropathy, burning sensations, agoraphobia, sinus problems, severe constipation, extreme anxiety, acid reflux, ocd, gastritis, and body jerks/twitching. I ended up in the psychiatric ward for almost a week. Hang in there!
Kikaida