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: your friend may find a couple
your friend may find a couple of places helpful (if they do not already know about them), benzo.org.uk and benzobuddies …
in haste,
60yr habit.
Rob says
re: Scary isn't it ?
Yes, I have a friend who's coming off benzos now and is a few months in, with a few more months (at least) to go. He's not finding it easy. Frightening what doctors will dish out to "help us". Scary also that powerful drugs like caffeine are sold openly and completely un-regulated. I see children walking to school with big cans of energy drinks and long queues in Starbucks. The most ironic thing I see is adverts for coffee and tea that suggest they help you relax : if you're having a tough day, take a seat, have a coffee and watch your stress melt away.... The truth of course is that you're probably struggling as you're starting to go into caffeine withdrawal, and by having a cup you've drugged yourself into your normal caffeinated state again. Same as cigarettes really. Life as a pavlovian dog is no fun haha.
User with 60 year habit says
re: So I hope you will taper off
So I hope you will taper off if it gets too difficult this time...
User with 60 year habit says
re: yes, apparently some people
yes, apparently some people can come off benzos with no problems, (although I have never met anybody, but it is a very small percentage who have permanent or extremely protracted withdrawals, (Prof Ashton says it is about 10%). I have known several who are still suffering 25 years and more after cessation.
And the population groups you mention are all in dreadful social situations, so unhappiness on top of a genetic susceptibility will make addiction more probable. I note that far more women than men are addicted to benzos, which makes my point I feel, my generation were not in a good position for happiness and wellbeing!
Rob says
re: Addiction
Hi 60YH. The whole nature of addiction is a fascinating one - I very much believe there are people who are more prone to addiction than others and so they need to be more careful with addictive drugs than "non-addicts" for this reason. Every drug I have ever taken I have taken to excess, regardless of the consequences and became dependent very quickly. My brother (for example) had the same parents, family, environment etc. but never had issues with alcohol or other drugs. I don't think it's a moral issue, a willpower problem or anything like that, I just believe my brain is wired slightly differently to his. My family also has a long history of alcoholics, so I think it's highly likely there is a genetic element - in other words it's an inherited characteristic. Some races (eskimos, native americans, aborigines) have colossal addiction and alcoholism rates compared to other races. For some reason they are more prone to addiction.
That said, different classes of drugs produce dependency at different rates. It's probably true that if anyone, regardless of their susceptibility to addiction takes some drugs for long enough they will become dependent. Addictive people will probably develop the addiction faster and to a more severe degree, but it can happen to anyone, it's just brain chemistry. If you take a drug long enough the brain adapts to it being there and if you remove it will go into withdrawal until the drug is either present again or the brain adjusts back to life without it. Maybe an addict's brain adjusts faster and to a more severe degree than a non-addict.
Similarly, some people can stop using drugs far more easily than others. I know people who decided to stop smoking and just did, no hassle, no problem. I must have tried hundreds of time and every time felt like my life was coming to an end - depression and a total inability to function. Some would say it's just "weakness" but I don't think so. I think addiction is very real, in the same way as depression and other mental conditions. It's not binary (you either have it or you don't) but a spectrum - some are very mild and rarely if other become dependent on something, others become dependent much more quickly and severely. They are the people who, despite all the evidence of their chaotic lives, will drink or drug themselves through catastrophic lives into madness and death.
User with 60 year habit says
re: I forgot to remind anyone who
I forgot to remind anyone who is trying to get off caffeine, that the more times they attempt unsuccessfully to get off it, the worse the symptoms get the next time you try to get off it because of "kindling" as I know only too well, in fact if I had not had the opportunity to speak to Prof Ashton, (the PM thanked her last year for her services to people coming off benzos), I would not have known that protracted withdrawal from benzos could go on for so long or become permanent in some cases, and would have believed my GP and gone back on the stuff, anyway to get back to kindling ...
"Kindling due to substance withdrawal, refers to the neurological condition which results from repeated withdrawal episodes from sedative-hypnotic drugs such as alcohol or benzodiazepines. Each withdrawal leads to more severe withdrawal symptoms than the previous withdrawal syndrome. Individuals who have had more withdrawal episodes are at an increased risk of very severe withdrawal symptoms, up to and including seizures. Withdrawal from GABAergic acting sedative-hypnotic drugs causes acute GABA-under-activity as well as glutamate over-activity which can lead to sensitization and hyper-excitability of the central nervous system, excito-neurotoxicity and increasingly profound neuroadaptions."
User says
re: but Rob, it's not your
but Rob, it's not your "brain" that makes it difficult, it's the fact that you have been brainwashed into accepting the "addictive personality" rubbish that so many professional "helpers" insist on dishing out. It's complete crap… Everybody gets addicted to addictive drugs, but it's down to your genetic make up and individual metabolism as to how badly you are affected. (I should know, I was "addicted" to prescribed drugs, mainly benzos but accompanied by every other bit of crap my GP could find to turn me into a subhuman being. This went on for 30 years, and I cold turkeyed off them over and over again,and not knowing about withdrawal symptoms, always went back on or alternatively, took an overdose of paracetomol (I believed what my GP told me, that the prescribed drugs were harmless and that I was therefore mad without the drugs, so not wanting to be mad and believing that the drugs were harmless, I took at least 3 overdoses of paracetomol, and luckily for me, somebody always found me, in the nick of time) Anyway, about 20 years ago, I finally discovered the truth, that all my problems were caused by the benzos etc. I read that if I stopped taking them, the withdrawal symptoms would be over in 6 weeks LOL. It actually has taken 20 years and I still have some residual symptoms, because I should have tapered off over 2 years or so, and cold turkeying off the amount of stuff I was prescribed could have killed me(and nearly did).
Anyway, the reason I have told you all this is to explain why I am certain it is nothing to do with your particular personality or "brain" that is causing your difficulties with getting off caffeine, it is the concept of the addictive personality which is stopping you from tapering off (and I would recommend tapering off over at least 6 months, because I tapered off over 3 or 4 months and it was far too quick, if I had tapered off over 9 months to a year, I think I would have recovered by now.
I am too tired to write more now (have had a v stressful day), but I do hope this info will stop you being so hard on yourself, and allow you to stop punishing yourself so that you can taper off sensibly.
JSL says
re: I'm too exhausted to write
I'm too exhausted to write again (lost it all) and I'm on holiday but will just say, I'd try to taper as your brain WILL adjust to less caffeine over time and you won't feel as bad. What have you got to lose???? This was a very brave and honest piece of writing - it really moved me and I identified with everything you wrote. Don't lose any more of your life Rob, just TRY and keep trying. I feel so frustrated that my post got blocked as I'd wanted to support you. Anyway, only you can do it BUT it can be done. All the best Jackie
JSL says
re: Rob
I've tried to reply several times but the site keeps blocking me. Don't know if this will be block, as well. Jackie
Rob says
re: Hi 60YH
It's OK, without knowing a person’s full story it may be tempting to “fill in the gaps”, perhaps as you have with me, guessing my symptoms must be mild etc. Hopefully this post will explain my situation.
I am a recovering alcoholic, who gave up drinking when I was 25; I’m now 48. Before stopping drinking I couldn’t give two hoots about coffee/caffeine, but within 6 months of stopping drinking, my addiction was looking for a new outlet. I quickly acquired one of every kind of coffee maker and knew the location of every coffee shop in town. This was about the time coffee was becoming “cool” with trendy cafés and part of the recovery lifestyle is meeting for coffee and talking, which I embraced fully. I’m not good at moderation – I tend to either not do something at all, or go at it full throttle and that’s how it’s been with me and coffee for the last 20+ years. I have been obsessed with it, thinking about it all the time, promising myself I’ll stop but not being able to, repeating the same behaviour endlessly. There have been occasional brief periods of “sobriety” before I convince myself one cup won’t hurt and this time it’ll be different. The addict in me craves the drug effect of caffeine.
When I use it regularly I feel awful, all the time. I feel like I’ve been poisoned, physically and mentally. My stomach aches, I have no energy, I am overweight (it makes me crave sugar) and I am sure it has contributed to significant health issues I have. My thyroid is underactive and requires medication – I’m pretty sure taking excessive quantities of a stimulant drug has played a role in that condition developing. Mentally I feel confused, foggy, tired and just generally crappy. I am anxious, stressed, tense and can be unpleasant. My self-esteem is low as a result of repeatedly letting myself down by not being able to stop and stay stopped.
So why don’t I just stop and stay stopped ? Because I find it phenomenally difficult. I believe addicts have dopamine circuits that are over-sensitive and crave stimulation; once addicted they fight very hard to keep the stimulus and react severely to deprivation. I have a brain like that. When I stop I am unable to function for days, I become tired, depressed, anxious, I get physical symptoms and it’s just hideous. But I also know that trying to taper off slowly will just keep me hooked – that’s why I stop cold turkey. I have done it maybe 4-5 times in those 20 years. I’ve resolved to quit countless times – no exaggeration to say it’s in the hundreds – but normally I feel so bad so quickly that I barely make an hour before I’m finding a way to get some caffeine in me. On the few occasions I have managed to quit I go through horrible mental and physical craving. I need to write off about a week for the acute physical symptoms to pass. Then months of lower grade, chronic symptoms. It’s exhausting.
So no, I wouldn’t say my situation is mild, quite the opposite. Without exaggeration, caffeine has dominated my life for the last 20-25 years and has compromised all aspects of it. Those should have been the prime years of my life, but instead I have lived sub-optimally, never meeting my potential, never being quite the person I could have been for the simple reason that I’m an addict who is unable to break the addiction. I have thrown so much away, preferring to focus on drinking a dirty brown liquid and suffer the chronic, insidious effects on my mental and physical health, than focus on the positive things I should have – family, friends, work, health. Rather than being brave and accepting a relatively short period of withdrawal and then living without it, I have lost years. Addiction is an incredibly powerful thing.
It’s been cathartic for me to write this, so thanks for prompting me to do it. It’s such a simple answer – just stop using caffeine, but for some reason it’s been so very difficult to do.
JSL says
re: Rob
Hi, Rob, glad you decided to have another shot at kicking caffeine to the kerb. I'll just add (and I know you know this) but please beware - you've been here before, probably many times. You know that in a few weeks - or a couple of months - you'll get that mind pattern emerging again i.e. 'it would be great/ a good idea/ I really do fancy a coffee' etc. I would advise you (if you possibly can) to nip that in the bud and immediately do something different to break the pattern: eat and/or drink something else, buy yourself something, go to the gym, ANYTHING! From my experience (and I know everyone's is different), one of the major hindrances to stopping is the habit. We work on automatic a lot (especially under the influence of caffeine related brain fog) and drinking coffee is a habit BUT then there are the habitual thought patterns which also control us. I found that I really did have to change my mindset or the way I thought about coffee. That is, I don't want to give it up and I can't do it - to, oh boy, I sure do want to give it up to I CAN do it. So the key for me really was changing not only what I did but also how I thought. It was not too long before redbush tea became my new habit and. amazingly, my taste buds adjusted to it and I really do love it now (with almond milk, especially) and I no longer wake up wanting coffee, at all - and this from the person that used to be waiting for the newsagent to open at 6.00am so I could buy yet another jar! I think I've said it took about just over 30 days to establish the new pattern.
I've had 2 coffees since July 25th and none at all since August 10th - but I'm still counting myself as caffeine-free for 37 days. It's a bloody miracle lol. The longer I go without, the easier it gets. There have been some times of temptation but it's easier to ride through. I still feel very tired but my depression is improving on some days. Dreaming all the time - I'd forgotten what's it's like. Felling generally more positive and I think that's because I KNOW I've beaten it, at last, and, importantly, I know it will keep getting better. There will be a test coming up for me this week as I'm going on holiday to Lyme Regis. But I'm confident that I will be able to walk on by - and there's a lovely cafe there which sells redbush tea and gorgeous organic, dairy-free cakes etc so I can have a treat, if I want.
Anyway, good luck, Rob, and hope things worked out with your lady.
60YH - keep going and try to remember the improvements you've already experienced.
All the best to everyone and thanks very much for all your support and advice. Jackie
Userwith 60 year habit says
re: PS Rob I just reread some of
PS Rob I just reread some of your older posts, and I want to apologise for my earlier one. I think the reason you have found it difficult in the past to stay off caffeine is that it makes you feel so low and/or depressed that you forget that it it is the caffeine doing it to you, and you have some to make yourself feel better. So this time try and be aware that depression stops your brain from working normally, and try and have some reminders around that it will pass, all you have to do is to let time pass, and that if you give in, it will carry on. (Possibly have some printed reminders on the wall?).
Anyway, I can't delete my earlier post, but I can try and correct it here.
Userwith 60 year habit says
re: I think you are doing it the
I think you are doing it the right way, I would not have had to taper if I had "only" had your symptoms (symptoms which I still have after more than 2 years), I tapered because the anxiety and depression I suffered after cold turkeying were so bad that I was suicidal. That was a great shock to me because I only drank one cup (or sometimes) 2 cups of tea a day, so I had not anticipated any real problems, and the whole process has been unbelievably difficult and protracted.
I still don't completely understand why you find it so difficult to stay off, and I conclude that perhaps your symptoms are so mild that they don't really make your situation feel all that different when you are off the stuff. You say that it impacts negatively on your quality of life, but if it affected you as badly as it does some people (myself included), there just isn't any choice to make, life is impossible on caffeine, so there isn't any temptation, (other than to stop the withdrawal symptoms) to ever drink it again.
I don't think you have ever gone into any great detail about how badly caffeine does affect you mentally and physically, and I would appreciate it if you could speak about it in a little more detail. I don't suppose that you will, because I expect you will interpret this post as hostile, but it is not written in a hostile spirit, I really want to understand, and I apologise if I have minimised the effects caffeine has on you (through not having enough information).
Anyway, I wish you luck in this last attempt to get off the stuff and I hope that you get through this miserable process and recover in as short a time as possible and I am already feeling envious because I am absolutely certain that you will be fully recovered before I am and I am already over 2 years into it.
Rob says
re: Day 4
After my last post I have stopped caffeine completely, cold turkey. I know tapering is probably more sensible and gentler, but I’ve found just stopping is the only way that works for me. It’s a little brutal, but it’s clean and clear – I’m either using caffeine or I’m not. I’ve done it a few times now, so knew what to expect and haven’t been disappointed. Day 1 was OK, no major problem, then days 2-3 is feeling foggy with headaches and no energy. Day 4 adds muscle aches (back and legs) and some anxiety. I’m not sure how long these symptoms will last or if there’s anything new to come.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but caffeine really does have a profound effect, both mentally and physically. It certainly impacts very negatively on my quality of life. I’m really hoping that a day at a time I’m done with it and will get to experience how I feel with prolonged abstinence. So far the longest I’ve managed is 4 months, so a way to go yet before I’m breaking new ground….
Userwith 60 year habit says
re: Hi Shane and Jackie,
the book
Hi Shane and Jackie,
the book is full of interesting research but it's a bit of a muddle to read, worth it for the info though.
I am remembering some of the other symptoms that I still have (the feeling of being off balance when walking that you mention has stopped), but I am still getting severe muscle cramps, headaches now and then, bad mood now and then, insomnia alternating with better sleep, aching hips, eye problems, vision problems, there are more but I can't think of them at the moment.
Things are gradually (so gradually) improving, but I only have had the occasional "good day", I had one about 2 months ago, it was so wonderful, I slept well and woke up feeling so incredibly well, no pain anywhere , I could walk upright without my bent back which makes me look about 100, and for the entire day i was full of energy, outgoing and happy, I thought it would last but unfortunately back to "normal" the next day.
I am assuming that is what it will be like when this process is over, and I CANNOT WAIT.
have you experienced any good days or longer yet?
Believe me Jackie, once you have experienced one of these "good days" you will NEVER want caffeine again.
Keep on keeping on ...
PS I have found meditating 3 times a day to be very helpful indeed
Rob says
re: I give up too
Well what a day of caffeine madness I had yesterday. My head ran away with me and I ended up having a useless day at work and then splitting up with my girlfriend. I’m hoping my love life can be salvaged, but the silver lining is that I think (maybe, at long last…) I’ve realised that caffeine and are completely incompatible. While others seem to drink it with impunity, for me it’s a toxic drug. It makes me crazy and feel physically awful; I’m sick of being a slave to a dirty brown liquid. So as of today I’ve just stopped it – no coffee, tea, coke or chocolate.
As Jackie says, I’ve withdrawn from the battle; I’ve been in the ring day after day for years and I’m fed up with it, I don’t want to do it anymore. I can feel the withdrawal starting, but I really don’t care what happens. If I have to spend the next couple of days with my head on my desk whimpering and groaning then so be it. I know life is better without it, so that’s what how I’m going to live from now on.
JSL says
re: 60YH
Sorry to hear you're still struggling - but I do hope it's still gradually improving. Thanks for your good wishes - it's been a long struggle to get off but I know I've beaten it. The key thing is changing the habits - and it's beginning to really work. I'm not waking up, automatically wanting coffee - I'm wanting my breakfast and redbush tea! In the end, it took just over a month to change to habit - but I do have to be vigilant for those temptation times (and my stress) and just ride through. The more you ride through, though, the easier it gets.
I also think that turning my attention to other things - not thinking about it all the time - helped me. Well, best of luck to you and everyone - and, Rob, let us know how you're doing. Shane, I did reply to you, as well, and you have my support! One last thing - if I can finally do it - anyone can! All the best - Jackie
msh says
re: Book
I haven't had a chance to read that book but it sounds like I should, thanks for the heads up on the book. Everybody thinks I'm crazy that all this health started once I quit caffeine, which doesn't help any while I suffer through it. I think the whole thing is crazy myself but never the less it's the truth. Thanks for responding to my post as it has been many of your posts that have helped me keep a little sanity through all of this. It definitely helps to know that your not the only one suffering through it. The doctors have given up on me and I them.
Userwith 60 year habit says
re: Hello Shane, (and Jackie
Hello Shane, (and Jackie andRob), I am sorry to hear of your struggle Shane, although it is a great relief to me that I am not the only one going through this who is taking far longer than normal, and don't get me started on doctors either. I have been off (and i had to taper off over 3 or 4 months), for 2 years and 5 months, and I still have fatigue, back ache, muscle weakness, anxiety, gastric issues, palpitations, and a few other symptoms which I can't remember at the moment. Have you read "welcome to the dance" by ruth Whalen yet? Thank you so much for posting, I had given up on ever hearing of anyone else in a similar position to me, and I felt so isolated.
Jackie I am glad to hear that you are finally off the toxic drug caffeine, and Rob, I agree with Jackie, you really have to want to be off it, then there is no question of going back on. And maybe you don't really need to come off it, there must be some reason why you don't ever manage it. If you do, then you will get off it when you are good and ready, in the meantime, why beat yourself up about it?
JSL says
re: Rob
Hi, Rob, sorry you're still struggling - I know what it's like as I've been there for well over 3 years (as you know). You asked how I quit - I'm not exactly sure as I haven't quite worked it yet myself - it's all been a bit a a blur, tbh. I'll have a go at working through it.
Quick recap : Years of strong coffee drinking (6 or 7 big ones a day) and didn't want to give it up. Started to feel terrible - knew I should stop but, again, didn't really want to. I think that's important - do you really WANT to give it up?? Started to wean 3 years ago last March and got it down to 1 to 2 mugs a day with the odd over-indulgence.
In May of this year, I felt that I couldn't really go on any longer as I felt so terrible- I knew I had to try. I went on holiday and didn't have any for 4 days (good for me!!) but then we met up with friends from the area, went for a meal and bang - back to over-indulgence, including food (always had a bad munchie thing with coffee as it spikes the blood sugar). It was the final lesson.
Quit again on 24th May, managed for 32 days but fell down the rabbit hole again for a few weeks when I got very stressed and angry one time. It felt like I'd never had those 32 days off - very weird. But then I realised that it really is about -
CHANGING THE MINDSET or the way you think - you think you're down the rabbit hole and can't get out - but you can. You do have the power to stop if you try. I realised that EVEN IF I DID FALL OFF THE WAGON the odd time, I could get back on it again as long as I KEPT ON TRYING TO TAKE IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION i.e not having the damn stuff and not overeating. All my life I've either been over- indulging/drinking coffee etc OR dieting/eating healthily/ abstaining and that became a battle. I noticed you used the word battle - and that I said I 'withdrew from the battle' and I realised that that's what I did. I stopped beating myself up, forgot about how some people can quit, just like that - and just tried to deal with it as MY addiction and stopped comparing my self to others. I stopped again on July 25th and have had 2 coffees in the 31 days. BUT THAT'S OK, AS LONG AS I KEEP TRYING TO TAKE IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, it doesn't matter if I have the odd slip up. Like you, I used to think that I had to go cold turkey, or that weaning was weak or the everybody else can do so I'm a failure - well, all of that is rubbish, Everyone's brain chemistry is different and we all create these patterns of behaviour and the more times you do something, the deeper it gets embedded as your neurological patterning and, this, coupled with the addictive nature of caffeine is a killer.
One important thing that helped me was REPLACING THE HABIT WITH A MORE HEALTHY OPTION. I used to have just coffee for breakfast. Now I have a proper, healthy breakfast and redbush tea with almond milk. I love it! The tea is fast becoming my comfort drink. I drink about 4 a day and that is fast becoming MY NEW HABIT. Eating has been fantastically good for over a month and I don't want to eat the crap now I'm off coffee.
I still have a emotional pull to coffee sometimes - you know, the social, 'we're having a nice coffee together' thing - which is a false god, of course, but the physical cravings are diminishing fast. I KNOW I'm beating it and that feels damn good. I'm starting to dream again and sleep better. Importantly, I've not been giving in when stressed or when I walk past Costa and the smell gets to you. Writing this has made me really realise how much it's changed or, rather, that I've changed and that I have a new attitude and am starting to feel hopeful and excited about life again.
Well, sorry to ramble, as usual, but I'm still foggy etc although it's improving. I hope there's something here that will help you. Anyway, good luck and feel free to ask me anything etc. All the best, Jackie
Rob says
re: Hi Jackie
Good to hear from you Jackie - it sounds like you're finally off caffeine. How long has it been now ? I've been on and off it for quite a while now and am currently on it again and (surprise) am feeling dreadful. I'm currently thinking I need to quit and am embroiled in my usual battle with myself about whether I should go cold turkey or taper off. I don't know what it is with me, but for some reason I see tapering as weak or some kind of failure - that if you haven't stood toe to toe with caffeine and defeated it cold turkey it somehow doesn't count. How did you quit ? All help/instructions gratefully received ! Rob.
JSL says
re: Shane
Hey, Shane, that's great news that you've managed to get off 'I'm going to eat your brain' caffeine! It takes a lot of effort and struggling to achieve, as the effects, for some people, can be absolutely terrible, as you found out. I, too, experienced many of the symptoms you've described (and more) and it really does feel like hell when you're in it, doesn't it? I, too, had terrible anxiety and fear - and that tendency towards catastrophic thinking etc etc and it took me over 3 years of weaning and finally pulling myself out of the battle. I am better than I was - but still get foggy, anxious and oh so tired/ill. But, it can only get better and, although I think I still have an emotional pull towards coffee - it actually smells like poison when I go past Costa etc. Incidentally, I've been drinking redbush tea and that is starting to be my comfort drink so it just shows that those patterns can be changed. Anyway, good luck and glad you found the board helpful. Oh, and don't get me started on doctors lol. All the best. Jackie
P.S. Rob, Worked for me Too, Me Too!! and 60 year habit - how's it all going?
msh says
re: Long time reader- first post
Hello all! I've been visiting here about a year and a half. This site and the good people who have shared their stories here have helped me keep my sanity over the last almost two years since I've stopped caffeine . Since stopping I've had the most severe and bizzare symptoms. It is still hard to believe that just stopping something as "harmless" as caffeine has led to all of this suffering. But, I quit cold turkey twice. The first time after about three months I couldn't take it anymore so I started back, but because the gastro issues got so bad again ( which is the main reason I stopped to begin with) I stopped cold turkey again. The withdrawal symptoms were even more severe the second time! Now it has been almost two years and though better I still am far from a 100%. I have had problems after quitting caffeine that I NEVER had before I stopped! Some but not all would include: panic attacks, dizziness, tinnitus, eye problems, feeling as if a tight band is wrapped around my head, agoraphobia/social anxiety, feel unsteady when walking like I'm floating, flashes out the corner of my eyes where I think I see a spider, hip and back tightness and pain, arms and legs going numb, catastrophic thinking, etc... One of the most infuriating and frustrating things is that the doctors do not listen! They may say that I was self-medicating with caffeine but they don't answer what I was medicating. Basically they all say there is no way quitting caffeine would cause all the symptoms that I have had and especially for as long as I've had them, even though NONE of them started until I stopped. One doctor said that she didn't know what was wrong but maybe I should just start drinking coffee again or take an SSRI. Now, if one doesn't know what's wrong why prescribe a med?! Sounds like throwing darts in the dark to me. Anyway, thanks for listening to my ramblings. 🙂
Shane
Betsy says
re: me TOO!!
Rob, I KNOW! Me TOO! In fact today I feel so awful and so nervous that I wanted to just go to bed. I cannot believe I keep doing this to myself! It's so SICK!! And I feel so sick physically - like I have the flu. Every time I start again it makes me feel worse. It drops my blood sugar and I'm dizzy and the anxiety starts. I keep going on and off like you. My mother is in Hospice dying & I am also moving at the same time so I feel 'justified'. I started again a few weeks ago to stay awake so I could handle everything. But all this caffeine just makes me more nervous and after the high I am tired, wired and more exhausted. My hands are twitching on & off involuntarily. I keep thinking "today is the day I QUIT again for GOOD!" I hope I can do it soon. I hate the withdrawal...the brutal headache, the despair, the exhaustion...the whole f*cking LIST! I cry for the first week and my life feels all turned upside down like I'm going crazy and having a nervous breakdown - like I really need the extra help right now...UGH!! You are so brave and thanks for being honest. I hope to quit AGAIN soon too for the LAST time. I will post when I stop this time. Mostly in the past I just come here to read so I don't feel so alone. Maybe sharing will keep me OFF the sh*t for GOOD!!
User says
re: me too
Honestly Rob, I could have written your post myself as I go thru the same exact process. In fact, after many false starts, I finally gave it up successfully at the end of last May (2014) and then something stressful happened in the winter (Dec 2014) and after moderating my use for a few days, I got sucked right back in to having not only one but two cups of coffee per day and have tried a few times already this past month or so to quit again, to no avail. I'm on day 7 of no coffee and my head and eyes still hurt.
I can never taper either. However, it takes a few tries of cold turkey to fully commit. It takes a lot of perseverance though, because there are those moments when you feel good and think 'well it would be nice to have a sweet cup of Joe right now.'
Every day for the past 7 days, I've had my moments of thinking that it would nice to just have a cup of coffee - preferably, Starbucks - but I've resisted, because I feel the achiness in my head and the lethargy of my body and I just know I'm functioning at a very poor level, given my caffeine intake over the past few months.
I can say it negatively impacts so many facets of my life - from my appetite, to my weight, to my skin, to my sleep, to my anxiety levels, etc. It messes with everything, and I can say that those 6-7 months I went without it, I made such great progress in my life and was feeling more at ease with everything than I have for the last 7 months I've been caffeinated.
The withdrawal process is never fun, and this is probably my worst ever, since I have had up to 2-3 cups per day, but I can't wait until my body is restored to optimum health, and as good as coffee tastes, it's not worth the headache - literally - along with the many other pains that go right along with it.
Rob says
re: Thanks Jackie
Thanks for your words Jackie. It's good to see you're finally off it, although I'm a bit confused if you still are ? You said you stopped at the end of May and lasted 32 days. Did you then have a blip and have since given it up again ? I stopped on 7th July - I just felt like I was incredibly anxious and just thought I can't do this anymore. I guess a kind of caffeine rock-bottom. Giving up hasn't been easy, but it's not been too difficult as (like you say) I think I'm ready to stop. I'm sick of it, how it makes me feel and mostly how it makes me act as a person.
This is day 6 and I'm tired, but the headaches and muscle aches are mostly gone, and I'm beginning to see some benefits. I can think clearer, my sleep is better, I've lost a little weight (no chocolate) etc. I've quit before for quite a while - I've done a number of months a few times, the longest was 4. But then for some reason I have got in the wrong frame of mind - tired, restless - and thought a coffee would be a good idea. That first cup was great, but then I'd be back in the grind of using it to try and feel normal, actually feeling dreadful. I just need to bear that in mind and take it a day at a time.
Good luck in your journey. I'll try to remember to post on here once in a while to keep me honest !
JSL says
re: Rob
Hi, Rob, reading your post made me realise how strange our behaviour has been over the last few years. I have fallen back down the rabbit hole so many times and it's the same struggle to pull yourself out. I AM getting over it, though and learned my final lesson, recently. I finally gave up on 26th May and went without coffee for 32 days! I swear I thought I'd conquered it - I was beginning to feel slightly better - the first few weeks were absolute hell but I was beginning to sleep a little better and feel more like 'me' again. Remember, I had been weaning for a long time and was down to 1 a day. Then something triggered it again (I've finally learned about my emotional triggers and how to avoid them) and BAM, I was truly down the hole again, drinking loads of coffee and eating everything in sight as well. But, in a way, that made me realise that 'just one' will NEVER work as it just spirals out of control and that you have to CHANGE YOUR MINDSET, TAKE CONTROL AND REPLACE THE RITUAL. I think, importantly, you have to WANT to give it up - and in the early years, I didn't want to. These are the things that have worked for me and now e.g. I drink a lot of redbush tea (I get 'cravings' for that now!!) and eat breakfast and focus on my healthy meals which I really enjoy, as a kind of substitute. I KNOW my fight is over BUT you have to be vigilant.
Take control, Rob, and just STOP - don't waste any more time! I wasted over 3 years trying to get off it but if I can turn it around, anybody can. I was such a different person on caffeine - It's good to be finally coming home. Good luck! And 60 year habit, hope you're continuing to improve. Jackie
Rob says
re: I swear this is the last time....
I don't know why I do it, but for some time now I've used caffeine, felt awful, given up and then bizarrely after a few months decided one won't hurt and started again. The experience is the same every time - first cup feels great, moderate my use for a couple of days, then I'm back at it the same as before. Needing coffee to function and feeling awful either with it or without it. Then I Google incessantly on how to give up, have dozens of "right that's it" moments, but never actually stop.
Well, this is the end of day 2 having finally bitten the bullet and quit again, cold turkey. It's the only way that works for me, tapering off always sounds like a good idea, but I never get to the end of the taper. I am reminded as I write this how nasty a drug caffeine is - I'm foggy, can't think, my muscles are twitching and most of all my head hurts.
I swear I am off it for good this time. Never, ever again.
User with 60 year habit says
re: Hi anon, well you can't
Hi anon, well you can't judge yourself by me because I cannot metabolise drugs normally and it always takes me ages to get over them, it took me more than a year to get rid of the huge red hives that came up around my eyes after I had two days on "only" 2000iu of vit D3. So don't be discouraged if I tell you that I do have bladder problems and still suffer from water retention after being off caffeine for more than 2 years. I am gradually improving though and cannot wait for it all to stop!!!!
I remember reading on the vit d blog that there was something you could take to help eliminate the vit D, something weird, I think it was wheatgerm, but you would have to go through all the posts to get to it.
Supplements are a big no no for me, so I can't help you there. Hopefully you are feeling better by now anyway.
User says
re: Hi 60 yr habit, I wondered if
Hi 60 yr habit, I wondered if you had any problems with water retention, it's 2 weeks since I stopped the vit D and I am struggling with bad water retention which came on after I stopped the caffeine and wonder how long it will last. How are you now. Many thanks
User says
re: Thank you so much for getting
Thank you so much for getting back to me, I will try to access the site. I stopped the vit D almost a week ago now but I'm still getting cramps and bloating. Did you find any supplements which helped with the withdrawal, I really like Marine Phytoplanton
User with 60 year habit says
re: it's the side effects of vit
it's the side effects of vit d supplements, and because vit d is fat soluble and has a half life of approx 6 - 8 weeks, it can take a while to clear up.
I will try to post a useful link re vit d side effects etc:https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=12575046&postID=2612696461249365197
hope this helps.
User says
re: Vit D and caffeine
I wonder if anyone could help me . I gave up caffeine 4 months ago , and seemed to be getting a little better at the three month mark . I then started taking a high dose ( 5 thousand iu ) of vit D 3 and vitamin K 2 . I took it for a month but felt worse and worse with a lot of original symptoms that had gone returning . I eventually had to stop as I was so bloated , couldn't sleep and itchy all over especially my face . I know these are all liver symptoms but was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience ? I have read that caffeine blocks the vit D receptors so maybe this has just created another detox ? I'm five days off the Vits now and still not back to where I was .
User (60 year habit) says
re: It's a relief to me that your
It's a relief to me that your stress symptoms are so like mine, I was beginning to think it was "just me" and I know what you mean about feeling more resourceful. I also walk every day, but it is so weird not being able to enjoy it because of the back ache and fatigue, but thanks to your (and other people's) posts, I know that it will eventually stop.
Regarding juice, I also love drinking juice, but having checked out the sugar content, I now only drink organic cherry juice (and not every day) because of the risk of diabetes. It is apparently better to eat apples and pineapple whole rather than to juice them. (Mercola is a good site to research all this stuff). I now drink mainly water and for hot drinks I drink fresh ginger tea, and for a hot milky drink, carob.
Thank goodness I haven't got any hormonal changes to cope with (being post menopausal), but I can imagine how they would be affected by all this, and I wonder now how much my PMT was caused by my caffeine intake.
Keep in touch!
Amanda says
re: Thanks for the replies. I'm
Thanks for the replies. I'm going to respond to both of you, like 60 year habit did, it seems like it would be easier. I did used to get spasms in my calves, sometimes my arms, and my eyes. It does happen very rarely, now. Less so than it did when I was drinking caffeine. It happens maybe once a month, and like you both said, it is either from stress or strenuous exercise. I think it stopped after about a year of being off of caffeine. Granted, I may be younger, so it may have gone out of my system easier. I am 25. I think light exercise has helped. I walk about 30 minutes a day. I think most of the problem was nutrition deficiencies. My nails look amazing now. I don't have to get them done because they look great and don't break or tear like they used to. My skin is also much better. I battled with acne my entire life but my skin is less inflamed now and I don't break out unless I'm really stressed out or have hormonal changes (sorry if that was TMI), and now less than it used to be. I looovvveee drinking pineapple juice and apple juice. Or eating fruit. It gives me lots of energy and seems to be helpful. I think the only weird thing is when I get really stressed out. I have crazy test anxiety now, but I do better in school, how does that work? Anyway, I am really resourceful now so I tend to trust myself more. But sometimes I get so stressed out it is almost like a bad dream. Like when you show up to the wrong classroom at the wrong time to take a test, etc. I guess it isn't that weird though because my brain is the first thing to fail on me when I get really stressed out. Has anyone experienced this?
User (60 year habit) says
re: Hi 6 yr habit and Amanda, I
Hi 6 yr habit and Amanda, I thought if I replied at the top it would be easier to reply to you both at the same time. Amanda, my muscle twitching is like the one you describe as you fall asleep, except I get episodes of it,usually when I am very tired, or very stressed and it can happen at any point during the day.
6yr habit, I hadn't thought about MS, so thank you for putting that in my head too!!! LOL.
I had forgotten to say that I still get muscle spasms, usually in my legs (where I also still get the most horrible cramps), but sometimes, when I cough or lift something awkwardly I get the most painful muscle spasm on the right side of my abdomen.
Help, now I can't remember what else i was going to say to you 6 yr habit and I can't see your post…
Oh well, I will have to do another reply if necessary, but if not, it is so good to hear from you and Amanda.
Speak again soon
60 yr habit
6 Year Habit says
re: 1 YEAR 5 WEEKS OFF OF CAFFEINE - MUSCLES TWITCHING
Hi Amanda, Most of my muscles twitching is in my calves especially after long workouts. Sometimes I may have them near my eye or in my lower abdomen or even in the upper leg quads near the knee. I'm just going to have faith that this is connected to my caffeine withdraw especially since they did not start until I stopped caffeine. Seems reasonable.
The only sleep related problem that I had was not being able to breathe as I fell asleep and then waking up gasping for air. However, that stopped entirely around the 6 month mark. To me, your dreams sound normal. Maybe you have stressful days and this is your body's way of coping and decompressing. Through out my life I've had dreams like your describing where I'm trying to wake myself up and others where I feel like I'm in danger.
You did say that you don't have muscle spasms anymore. Does this mean that you did have them for a while during your caffeine withdraw? If so, when did they stop entirely?
Keep up the good work of staying off of caffeine. Stay strong.
6 Year Habit says
re: 1 YEAR 5 WEEKS OF NO CAFFEINE
Hi 60 Year Habit,
Likewise, I'm glad that you shared with me that you still experience the muscles twitching. Mine is worse after working out, but not limited to post workouts. I try to suppress my temptation to have those catastrophic thoughts. I worry more about MS. I never thought about Parkinson's disease. Thanks for putting that in my head. lol.
I agree that this sight has helped me tremendously especially your posts. I still think that the length of the addiction effects how long it takes us to recover and that's why it's taking you longer. I feel fortunate to find out after only 6 years.
It is hard to tell when I have a problem if it's related to caffeine or not, but I am much better at keeping myself calm now. The proof is that I don't check this website a lot anymore. When I had catastrophic thoughts running wild, I was checking this website everyday.
I sleep great these days. Very little brain fog ever. The last one that I had was in the 3rd round of a chess tournament and that might have been just being tired from thinking so much. I'll have a little occasionally every now and then, but not often and not everyday. Most things like this effect me so marginally that I don't pay it any attention anymore.
It's nice hearing from you again. 🙂
Amanda says
re: Good job at getting to 20
Good job at getting to 20 days! I would count that as a milestone and just try your best not to fall off the bandwagon again. I tapered down from coffee to black tea to green tea before I finally kicked the habit. I still have had my share of slip ups along the way though. I think the best advice I can give is just not to let yourself get back into the routine of drinking caffeine. Try to substitute it with something else you like. For me it was peppermint or chamomile tea. Just be very patient with yourself, I think caffeine is waaayyy more addicting than most people care to admit. You can do it, don't give up 🙂
Amanda says
re: Twitching
Hi, I have been off of caffeine for what will be two years this month. I was curious what kind of twitching you have? I don't have muscle spasms anymore, while I'm awake anyway. I am not sure but I think drinking things like juice (my new coffee) helped me with that because of the potassium. I also use Epsom salts in a bath after strenuous exercise to help muscle recovery. One thing that I do have that is related is that sometimes when I am falling asleep I will twitch suddenly and wake myself up! I also have more frequent dreams about falling, tripping, etc and I will wake myself up with my movements to stop the imaginary danger. Does anyone else do this? It seems to help if I drink something like chamomile before I go to bed but I don't want to do that every night.
User (60 year habit) says
re: Hello again 6 year habit, it
Hello again 6 year habit, it is so useful that you keep on updating your progress, so thank you! I am at 2 years and 2 months off now, and continue to improve, I must say I was wondering if my muscle twitches and micro spasms were due to the onset of Parkinson's disease, (still got the catastrophic thoughts LOL!!) so it was especially useful for me to read your update.
My progress is difficult to evaluate because I continue to fluctuate, I had a very bad few months at the beginning of the year, but that stopped about 5 weeks ago. My energy levels are still nowhere near normal, and I still get lower back pain which takes any pleasure out of walking. But my BP is so much better, my doctor is amazed and says that my BP is that of an18 year old…(I am in my early 70's), although when I googled 132/78 that is still mildly high, however it is much better than it has ever been before. I also still have a very dry mouth all the time, and can still get very irritable when under stress, although that has improved from being irritable 24/7. I still also have episodes of constipation and IBS, but that has greatly improved. I still occasionally have breathing problems and my chronic dry cough is still very much around.
The lower back pain seems always to be centred around my hips and is dependant on how much sleep i get, how much I do etc, although even if I sleep well and do nothing it is always there.
My sleep is still not marvellous although better than when I was on caffeine, I still get episodes of brain fog, occasional headaches, and constant anxiety/inability to deal with stress.
I have read on other sites about people taking 5 years to recover from caffeine withdrawal, so I am not giving up hope, I cannot wait for the hip pain to go so that I can enjoy walking again.
Thanks to this site I at least know what the problem is, or I might have given up the struggle and gone back to my tea.
6 Year Habit says
re: 1 YEAR 28 DAYS OF NO CAFFEINE
That's why it's called addiction. After going cold turkey over a year ago, if I was to do it again, I would gradually work down. It's easier because the withdraw symptoms aren't as severe, but harder because there's a greater temptation to backslide and drink more than what you're used to. At least, I imagine that's true.
I've previously written that all my withdraw symptoms have disappeared after about 10 months, but I realize that's not entirely accurate. I do have occasionally muscle "twitching" or "micro spasms". They are much better than months ago.
I have no more neuropathy, headaches, brain fog, pancreatic pain, or catastrophic thoughts. My energy level is sooo much higher than it ever was on caffeine. I work out about 3 hours at the gym 5 days a week. While on caffeine at the end, I was only able to workout 30 minutes at a time.
I once brought up that maybe Vitamin D deficiency. I still think that was part of my withdraw and once I cured that, then that also took care of a lot of the symptoms. 60 Year Habit once wrote on here where he read that caffeine inhibits our Vitamin D receptors. So, it's hard for me to separate one from the other. I've also read on forums about Vitamin D deficiency where some people developed caffeine sensitivity when they became Vitamin D deficient.
I'm just throwing a bunch of information out there. Not sure how much of it helps. Keep up the good fight "User". BTW, it would help if you create a screen name to keep track of you are when you're posting updates. When your posts are back to back, it's kind of obvious, but if other people start posting, then I can imagine losing track of you.
User says
re: Day 20
Day 20:
Hi guys. So I broke down and had an iced green tea from Starbucks. I felt okay, after that. I woke up at 3:40am in the morning last night and didn't go back to sleep. Today I felt good. Until now. I feel nauseated again like I did in the beginning. still don't have a strong appetite. Just eat on schedule every day.
User says
re: Day 10: Feeling Better
Hey all:
It's Day 10 and I'm feeling a lot better. I'm glad I got through that hump and have passed another milestone. Only problem is my mind is tricking me into thinking I can start again. Not just with coffee but other foods I shouldn't have since I have pre diabetes. appetite is a little better but I could also attribute that to taking zinc supplements again. Anyhow, the best way so far that I've come to tackle this is to pray. Then tell myself that I have a choice when faced with temptation. I'll be going to a luncheon in an hour so pray for me.
Okay, I'll check in again soon.
And thank you for everyone who have posted here. 🙂
Enjoy your weekend 🙂
User says
re: Wow! Just what I needed
Thank you so much! Your testimony couldn't be more perfect. The empathy, less prone to gossip and all are right on target with where I'm at on Day 8. And I'm looking forward to the energy and focus to get back into grad school. God Bless you for this!
Amanda says
re: That is completely normal. I
That is completely normal. I had almost all of the symptoms when I tried to get off of caffeine almost 2 years ago. It basically felt like I had the flu. I didn't want to do anything, move, or even eat. The only thing I ate for about a week straight was eggs & rice. It was the only thing that helped settle my stomach. It is basically just like fried rice without the fried part. I make rice then put one or two scrambled eggs in it, then I put in some soy sauce and a little bit of teriyaki sauce. Another thing that really helped me was putting my feet in a hot bath and drinking some ice water with lemon in it. It really helped calm me down and helped with all of my emotions. The last thing that really helped me was reading this forum. I think I read all of the posts! I feel I should give back and help others on the site trying to get off of caffeine. It is so hard but you can do it! You will eventually get to a point to where you don't crave caffeine anymore because you don't like the way it makes you feel. I probably only drink it about once a month, if that, and then I wish I didn't because I don't like the emotions I feel and my lack of focus. I am able to do so much more than I ever thought I could! I feel like a kid again, like I can do anything I set my mind to. Other people's opinions of me don't effect me anymore. I actually find I am more empathetic than I used to be and I rarely gossip. It becomes increasingly more obvious to me that I am different than I used to be, it can be hard at times to relate to other people because I don't have the problems they do. When I got off of caffeine I was just out of college working a crappy job and depressed. I got off of it and now I have ridiculous focus and amounts of energy. I am back in college, working on getting into grad school, working at a better job in my field, and training for a 5k with my spouse. Life is so much better without caffeine. If you can believe in yourself instead of caffeine, or any other drug, you will be so much freer to do whatever it is that you have been wanting to do! Good luck, I wish you the best 🙂
User says
re: good resources
Allen Carr's books on giving up smoking are very relevant.
Also Kelly McGonigal's insight that if you hear and observe a temptation going on inside yourself (rather than ignore/fight it), and do not construct a narrative around it ('I am....'), much better able to succeed.
User says
re: I'm sorry, there should have
I'm sorry, there should have been a "?" After, "Anyone can relate to having no appetite during withdrawal."
User says
re: Day 5: No appetite and nauseated
Hello all:
I'm back off the caffeine wagon. But I virtually have no appetite and am scared of losing weight since I'm already underweight. Anyone can relate to having no appetite during withdrawal. I've read some testimonials that said that the person lost weight during withdrawal.
Im doing cold turkey to cause there was little hope at all with cutting down. Days 1-3 were easier this time around because I have supplemented with Vitamin D which I'm deficient in. I also do a multi and vitamin B12. I also walk for 30 min a day to relieve pre diabetes and depression.
But days 4 and 5 I've lost my appetite and am nauseated after I eat.
Josh says
re: Caffine and Aspartame
Hey 23 year old. I am really inspired after reading your comment! I should do the same thing by thinking of all the positive benefits instead of short term boost of the coffee beverage and sodas. I just realized after another morning of starting my coffee and sitting in front of the pc, im sick of this addiction and the side affects. One side effect in particular are these muscle twitches in my chest, gas, aggravation, anxiety while taking my daughter to school, and a host of others after a caffine crash feeling. I might as well be on some other stimulant! I am 37 and just started drinking coffee almost daily two years or so ago, and its hard to imagine staying up without it. Also check into the aspartame if you like the diet sodas. Thank you all for reading.