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
kikaida says
re: How come?
How come when I quit caffeine after a relapse I get stomach issues like acid reflux and heartburns for several months and if I drink again it goes away? To me that's weird. To me it should be the other way around when you drink it then you have the digestive issues. Can someone explain to me why this happens?
kikaida says
re: Iced teas
Btw it was not coffee that is causing my stomach problems. It's from drinking lots of iced teas.
kikaida says
re: Stomach Problems
After quitting caffeine for the third time about 3 months ago, I have been having digestive issues for for about 2-1/2 months. I have a mild to moderate burning sensation in my stomach and chest. Its a combination of gastritis and acid reflux. What was the longest any of you had digestive issues from caffeine withdrawals?
User with 60 year habit says
re: more info for Robert
Tranquilizer Detox Withdrawal Can Last Years -ABC News
Americans take a lot of "benzos," even if they don't know exactly what "benzos" are.
In 2007, U.S. doctors wrote more than 82 million prescriptions for a type of tranquilizer called benzodiazepines, often called "benzos," which includes Valium, Ativan, Xanax and Klonopin.
The positive effects of benzos are widely discussed in blogs, and in the media. But the much appreciated "mother's little helper" drugs can have dangerous side effects that last for years. Some of the worst problems actually start once someone tries to stop taking them.
Negative symptoms began "probably the day after I stopped taking it [clonazepam] completely," said Colin Moran, 41, co-founder of benzobuddies.org, an emotional support site with practical advice to help people safely stop taking benzodiazepines.
"I woke up and I thought I had a stroke," he said. "My scalp, down the middle of my body -- everywhere on the left was numb, and I could barely move on that side of the body.
"Even though I thought I had a stroke, I was in such a confused state that I didn't even feel inclined to do anything about it," said Moran.
Moran had taken clonazepam (a benzodiazepine often called Rivotril or Klonopin) for nearly two years before deciding to take a break. He even tried to "safely" taper off the dose over six weeks.
Finally, a friend forced him to call a neurologist, who informed him that he had not had a stroke but that he was experiencing withdrawal from the clonazepam.
The numbness was only the beginning. Moran later experienced nightmares, anxiety, night sweats and a bewildering mental fog.
Moran said he had never had such symptoms before he was prescribed clonazepam for a seizure problem, called brainstem myoclonus, which was characterized by spontaneous jerks in the body, trunk and limbs.
"Now I had to keep on this small dose, just so I could move," he said.
Eventually Moran would join a minority of people who suffer from protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping benzodiazepines.
"The two most dangerous drugs to detox off of are benzos and alcohol," said Dr. Harris Stratyner, vice chairman of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
"A lot of insurance companies want you in the hospital if you're coming off of alcohol or benzos," said Stratyner, who is also a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan, and vice president of the Caron Treatment Center in New York.
Withdrawal Can Strike At Random
Not only do benzos create a physical addiction, Stratyner said the drugs can alter how the brain processes neurotransmitters that calm a person down.
In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends short-term use of benzodiazepines for that very reason, warning that quitting benzodiazepines abruptly can result in more than 40 withdrawal side effects, including headache, anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia, confusion, dizziness, derealization and short-term memory loss.
However, for Moran, side effects of benzos extended to the time he was taking the drugs, as well.
Since clonazepam was the only drug available to treat his condition, Moran tried for years to take the drug, then to taper off for three months before he built up too much of a tolerance, and then to start again.
"I was a complete mess on benzos -- confused, irrational and unemotional," he said.
Two years after he started the new drugs, Moran decided to end his six-year romantic relationship.
"It just felt wrong. When I told her it was over, she told me that the medication had changed me," said Moran. "I thought it was just a reaction to the breakup."
But six weeks after his last dose, Moran said a he felt a flood of feelings he hadn't felt in years.
"I think it was just normal emotions, but it had been years since I experienced them and so, I wasn't used to coping with them," he said.
Moran said he then realized his ex-girlfriend was right.
"I tried to repair the damage I had done to my personal life, but it was way too late," he said.
To this day, Moran walks with a limp on his left side. He said he sees himself as an extreme case of common withdrawal symptoms.
Stratyner said 10 percent of people who quit abruptly may experience a "syndrome" of withdrawal symptoms that extend long after the drugs leave their bodies. This change can reverse, but for a small proportion of people, it can take months or years to recover.
"If you suddenly stop taking Klonopin (clonazepam) rapidly, you usually get cramping, you can have convulsions, you can have auditory hallucinations, nightmares," said Stratytner. "It's not unusual at all."
But no one told that to Geraldine Burns, 53, the first time she decided to stop taking a benzo called Ativan (lorazepam).
"I never had a panic attack before I stopped taking Ativan," said Burns, who remembers she was driving down a busy artery in Boston with her infant daughter and young son in the back seat when she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe.
"It was like you're just coming out of your skin," she said.
A psychiatrist prescribed Ativan for Burns at age 33, shortly after she gave birth to her daughter. She said she felt physically off at the time, like she weighed 1,000 pounds, but that her doctors thought it was a post-partum depression.
"I was handed Ativan in the hospital and told to go see a psychiatrist," she said.
A year later, after receiving a prescription for Ativan, Burns said she still felt off.
"Then I read an article about how women could feel just how I felt, and it was an infection of the womb, and you don't necessarily have to have a fever," she said.
Burns said she called another doctor -- an internist -- about the article and he prescribed her antibiotics. Within five days of taking the antibiotics, Burns said she felt much better.
"So I stopped taking Ativan," said Burns. "I didn't know that you couldn't just stop."
The Danger of Going Cold Turkey
After the first panic attacks, Burns called her psychiatrist who, according to Burns, told her she shouldn't have stopped the pills and that she needed to take Ativan "for the rest of my life."
Burns continued to take Ativan and antidepressants for nine years; meanwhile, her anxiety and agoraphobia only increased. During that time, her body developed a tolerance for the drug, making coming off of it all the more risky.
Then, one day, at age 42, Burns went to a new gynecologist who informed her that benzodiazepines were extremely addictive. Burns decided to try and stop, then sue her psychiatrist.
"I was OK for about six months, and then I went into protracted withdrawal," she said.
Burns experienced ringing in her ears, twitching on her face and hallucinations that bugs were crawling all over her scalp.
Ten years later, many of her symptoms have calmed down. But Burns decided she would spend her time helping others through benzosupport.org and Benzobookreview.com.
Cindy, who asked ABCNews.com not to use her last name, found help through Burns and her Web site last year. Like many people with benzo withdrawal symptoms, Cindy said the only sign that she wasn't crazy were others on the Internet with similar symptoms.
"Three years ago, I was a very, very healthy 49-year-old," said Cindy, of Rhode Island. "I never had a psychiatric history; I never was on any psychiatric drugs. Never on any drugs, really."
Cindy's gynecologist first prescribed her Valium after she hit a bout of insomnia with menopause. It worked, but eight months later, she began to feel depressed and have rashes. Cindy said her doctor told her she could quit taking the drug if she liked, so she did.
Three weeks later, Cindy said she couldn't stand or walk without holding on to a wall, and she had inexplicable feelings of physical fear. Eventually, her two college-aged children found her unresponsive on the floor. They wrapped her up in a blanket and took her back to the gynecologist.
"I said, 'I need to go to the hospital,'" said Cindy. "She told me to go home."
Cindy said she has recovered slightly but is still so disoriented that she has trouble reading and writing. Eventually, she had to quit her job as a social worker.
"It took four months. I literally lost my mind," she said.
Withdrawal Can Lead to 'Derealization'
In addition to the fear, Cindy said she went through a "depersonalization," where people and objects appeared unreal and untrustworthy to her, as if she was in a dream world.
"Nothing was right," she said.
Now, Cindy said, she mistrusts doctors, and will absolutely refuse to take another drug again. Instead, she relies on emotional support from Burns while her body slowly recovers.
Burns and Moran admit their online support groups have stirred mild controversy with people's doctors for the medical advice about tapering doses of drugs. However, they said all agree their sites can provide initial emotional support to people struggling with withdrawal.
"Don't let the horror stories get to you," said Burns. "We've got lots of people who get better."
Alison Kellagher is one such person. She took benzodiazepines for 17 years, originally just to treat a couple of panic attacks she had in a new job.
"I went to a psychiatrist and he just immediately prescribed a Xanax, and it was to take every day," said Kellagher. "It helped for a number of years, but as the dose got higher, the side effect of depression became stronger."
Kellagher eventually decided to stop, and even went to a detox program to help her slowly taper off the drugs. Yet, the years had taken their toll and she experienced withdrawal.
"Then, I was in a profoundly alerted consciousness, immediately after stopping," said Kellagher. "It was the feeling of being in terror, but it was just a physiological state of terror."
Kellagher said she thinks she's lucky because it only lasted several months.
"The first three months was 24-7. Then, it started to let up a little bit by three to six months. By a year, I was pretty comfortable," she said. "I wasn't 100 percent, but I was functioning and feeling almost normal."
The experience motivated Kellagher, who worked in the bicycle clothing industry, to get a master's degree for counseling. Now, she coaches people through protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal over the phone.
"People usually need some help keeping hope alive," said Kellagher, who runs the site stoppingbenzos.com. "It's hard not to get bogged down in depression, because it's a long process."
Anonymvivous says
re: Robert
Robert I am sorry to hear that you are still taking benzis, you MUST taper off them, people have died cold turkeying from benzos. they are 1000 times more difficult to get off for most people than caffeine. If you go to benzobuddies.org, you can get advice and support there. Please do this if you have not already done so.
I wish you all the best and I hope you can get off those toxic pills asap, it is so worth it when you are off and recovered!!
VIV says
re: I DON'T BELIEVE IT,BUT
the fatigue has gone, simply stopped yesterday, had a brilliant day today, hope it lasts!!!
User says
re: Thought so too. You just
Thought so too. You just cant beat an addiction by simply lessening the amt of poison you stuff in your body .. just a little alcohol, just a little heroin, just a little coke or caffeine .. come on, peeps! Whatever. Ween away..
JSL says
re: Rob Viv and Robert
Hello, I was going to reply to Viv and Robert and answer the q about my weight loss (thanks!) but my net is being very temperamental so will have to reply another time
JSL says
re: Rob
Hi, Rob, glad you're doing OK and have stopped again- it seems like you have identified your pivotal moment when your patterns of thinking take over and .........off you go again. I've found, in myself, that when you do something, think something or feel something, over and over and over again, it becomes deeply embedded in your psyche and becomes a part of you......and you eventually just do it/think it/feel it 'on automatic'. I've read in The Willpower Instinct by Kelly Mcgonigal how willpower is a limited energy so that when demands are high, it can actually 'run out' (she explains the science behind it). Also, when your brain function is at a low ebb with the effects of caffeine, your willpower resources are even lower so it's even harder. I guess the challenge for you is to get past that 'thought that pops into your head' and to replace it with a different action. My challenges are to: 1) Get past that thought/feeling that I can't start the day without my 'relaxation time' in the morning, with a coffee and my laptop (NOT having the coffee this morning - I've had redbush tea, instead!) and 2) Get past automatically turning to coffee/food to pacify my feelings when I'm upset/angry etc.
I agree, the cold turkey/wean debate is getting a worn now. I think that weaning has worked well for me BUT I have stayed too long in the last stages. I should have made the leap from mainly 1 cup to stopping a long time ago because, like you say, you find yourself 'slipping' and re-starting - that sure has happened to me - to my great regret. One day at a time is good - being in the now is good too. I used to live in fear of my addiction and be scared of the next day when I went to bed - crazy! I guess I've learned that no matter how bad things appear or whatever problems you're going through or how strong that temptation is, feelings change, circumstances change or improve a little so you have to ride the roller coaster ride and hand on tight to the 'now', if that makes sense. Anyway, good luck and here's a Christmas wish that we all stay strong and leave this all behind for a better and healthier life. Jackie
Rob says
re: Good to hear from you
Hi Robert, it's good to have you here. I can identify with what you're saying - particularly the bits about vague, foggy thinking and spending more time researching caffeine addiction than actually addressing it. I must have done thousands of Google searches looking for an easy, effortless way to quit. I was also looking for inspiration and stories of people who have successfully done it with (hopefully) positive outcomes.
I've found out a few things in the (literally) years I've been at this. The main one is that caffeine is a serious drug. I don't know if it only affects some people in such a severe way, but it has seriously compromised my quality of life. It's also not at all easy to get off and stay off. It's more powerful than most give it credit for and the withdrawal effects are nasty. I should know, I'm feeling them now !
I hope you stick around and figure out a plan of action. That word "action" is the key one though - whatever you choose to do and however you choose to do it, you have to do it. As they say in recovery circles, if nothing changes, nothing changes.
Robert says
re: Viv, I am kind of in the
Viv, I am kind of in the same boat as you as I've been on and off (mostly on) benzos for the past 20 years. Congrats on getting off of them.
I find myself trying to taper off them seriously now, along with caffeine and cigarettes. Cutting back on the caffeine has made me want to smoke way less, which has been a bonus. I realize now, that, all this time, I was taking benzos to counter the effects of the caffeine and caffeine to counter the effects of the benzos. Craziness.
I have posted on here before but never seem to follow up on any of my posts, sorry everyone. I admire all of you and find all of your stories and honesty and eloquence so helpful. It just seems like all my thoughts are so vague and I have a hard time organizing them into anything coherent. I wonder what could be causing that???
Also, it seems like I spend more time researching caffeine addiction than actually doing something about my own.
Good luck to you all and thanks for the inspiration!
Rob says
re: Congratulations
Sorry, I meant to congratulate you on the weight loss too. That is a fabulous achievement. I don't know about you, but I find when I use caffeine it makes me crave sweet food more. I guess I'm not alone either, if you go into any coffee shop, the food they sell always seems to be sugary, sickly stuff.
Anyway, well done. Like Viv, I'm really interested to know how you did it. Please tell me there's a simple and easy secret !
viv says
re: Wow Jackie - that is a huge
Wow Jackie - that is a huge achievement, how have you done it, or is it simply a by product of becoming a vegan?
and thanks for your continued understanding of my situation, it is so good to be understood!
It is fantastic to feel as well and happy (as I do at the moment) without the need for caffeine or any other stimulant as a pick-me-up I never crave caffeine when I feel as I do at the moment, (and if I did it would be cancelled out by my experience with going back on caffeine in order to taper off, but you know what I mean!)
I hope you have a brilliant 65th and a Very Happy Christmas for this year (caffeine withdrawal permitting),
and the same to you Rob (apart from the birthday wishes)!!
User says
re: Really ? That sounded like a
Really ? That sounded like a very competitive statement.
Rob says
re: I'm good thanks
Hi Jackie, yes I'm good thanks. I'm just starting my 4th caffeine free day - I did what I posted last time, I had my last cup at 9am on Friday and haven't had any since. The weekend was a bit of a blur with alot of sleeping, headaches and muscle twitching. A benefit of having quit a few times is that I know what to expect now ! At the moment I feel in a bit of a daze, I'm thirsty and (although I slept really well last night) I feel like it would be great to go back to bed !
I hope you're OK too. I'm a bit bored with this taper v cold turkey debate, I think it's pretty irrelevant. There is no "right" way to get off caffeine, the only right way is the way that works for you. As I've said before, through trial and error I've find that just stopping is the best way for me. I understand the theory behind tapering and why it makes sense, but I've just found that although I have good intentions, I never reach the end of the taper. I find myself constantly "slipping" and re-starting. That doesn't mean it won't work for you or others though.
My challenge is to stay stopped. I've quit for a number of months before, but at some point a thought pops into my head that says just one cup will be great - it'll perk me up and make me feel good. It does too, but almost immediately I'm then back on the treadmill of feeling awful and hating myself. I'm just going to try and take it a day at a time and when the cravings strike, remember how it makes me feel and why I'm better without it.
JSL says
re: Viv
Hi, Viv, I thought it was you 🙂 Thanks again. No, I am not discouraged at all - I will get off in my own way, and not let their anonymous trolling affect me. I don't understand why people would bother to post when they only want to be scornful about someone they know absolutely nothing about - it says more about them then me. They must be irritated with something about themselves! I realise that I've changed a lot through this addiction. I used to think I HAD to do it this way or that way and , consequently, made it harder for myself. I always felt like a failure when I didn't live up to others' expectations or make a quick and relatively easy transition to a caffeine-free life. Now, I am no longer bothered what other negative people say - mind your own business. Also, people come on here and demand support and then either ignore it, don't say thank you and just go on about themselves. How rude! Of course, I talk about it a lot but I always try to give support and advice - as do you, Rob and a few others. I try not to be negative but I just needed a quick rant there lol.
Well, I'm so pleased you're reaping some reward at last. When you look at your long history of benzos and caffeine usage, it's easy to understand why it's taken so long and why your withdrawal (from both drugs) was so very hard. But you're living proof that even many, many years usage can be turned around. I salute you!
Well, dashing out for the last of the Xmas shopping so bye for now. Hope you're doing Ok still, Rob.
TC Jackie
PS I just wanted to share a major achievement, Viv - I have now lost nearly 6 stones in weight and am within 7lbs of my target weight - now, if I say so myself, that shows some determination and strength! I think I look and feel better (in that way) than when I was young. Something positive a few days before my 65th birthday 🙂
viv says
re: Hi Jackie,
I posted it in a
Hi Jackie,
I posted it in a tearing hurry last night, and should have added that it was from a 2013 article in the Daily Mail or Daily Express. There is so much unpublished research on caffeine it seems, I only wish that I had had access to the web all those years ago!!
I do hope you haven't been discouraged from tapering off caffeine by the hostile reception that the idea received on this site. I don't think that people find it easy to believe that tapering actually REDUCES recovery time, but I am here to tell you that it can and does, and that if I had taken my own advice, I would have recovered by now.
However, I AM recovering, albeit slowly, my fatigue is so much better at the moment, and the muscle tension(back ache etc) is not completely due to the caffeine, although mostly it is. Because I was on benzos for half my life (benzos are muscle relaxants on top of everything else), after I cold turkeyed off benzos my muscles were completely seized up for years (it was agony), (I couldn't turn my head in either direction for 6years) and they still had not completely recovered when I stopped drinking caffeine, so there's a combination of causes for the long duration of these symptoms in my case.
Please do what YOU feel YOU need to do in terms of tapering off, at least I have been enabled to STAY off , unlike a lot of cold turkey promoters on this site. It's NOT a COMPETITION!!
viv says
re: Hi Jackie,
I posted it in a
Hi Jackie,
I posted it in a tearing hurry last night, and should have added that it was from a 2013 article in the Daily Mail or Daily Express. There is so much unpublished research on caffeine it seems, I only wish that I had had access to the web all those years ago!!
I do hope you haven't been discouraged from tapering off caffeine by the hostile reception that the idea received on this site. I don't think that people find it easy to believe that tapering actually REDUCES recovery time, but I am here to tell you that it can and does, and that if I had taken my own advice, I would have recovered by now.
However, I AM recovering, albeit slowly, my fatigue is so much better at the moment, and the muscle tension(back ache etc) is not completely due to the caffeine, although mostly it is. Because I was on benzos for half my life (benzos are muscle relaxants on top of everything else), after I cold turkeyed off benzos my muscles were completely seized up for years (it was agony), (I couldn't turn my head in either direction for 6years) and they still had not completely recovered when I stopped drinking caffeine, so there's a combination of causes for the long duration of these symptoms in my case.
Please do what YOU feel YOU need to do in terms of tapering off, at least I have been enabled to STAY off , unlike a lot of cold turkey promoters on this site. It's NOT a COMPETITION!!
JSL says
re: Re Caffeine is causing.....
Thank you for posting this. I totally agree as I am reaping the terrible effects of 50 years usage. You can get away with it when you're young but the damaging effects mount up. I think that many people do not take the toxic and harmful effects of this legal drug seriously - and they are derisory, judgmental and scornful of others' difficulties in dealing with this drug. So be warned, people, the toxic and damaging effects DO catch up with you, eventually......and it is seriously worrying to see youngsters drinking so much coke and so many energy drinks etc. I think one of the main problems is attitude; caffeine, particularly in the forms of coffee, coke and monster drinks, is not only socially acceptable, it is also seen as 'cool' (much like smoking used to be many, many years ago). So people view it as 'only coffee/tea/whatever' - and make fun of people who are struggling to deal with a genuine drug problem. Also, as your post points out, caffeine is everywhere (in coffee houses which are EVERYWHERE), it's in food, drinks, medicine etc etc - and it's legal. The evidence for the damaging effects of prolonged caffeine usage on the brain and body is irrefutable and science links it in with other class A drug usage (for prolonged usage). Thank you for taking it seriously and, again, for posting this.
User says
re: Caffeine is causing 'untimely
Caffeine is causing 'untimely deaths' and its 'lethality' is being underestimated, a leading expert has warned
Caffeine is so dangerous and is being consumed in such high quantities that it should now be regulated, a leading expert claims.
Dr Jack James says that the stimulant is causing ‘untimely deaths’ and that its 'lethality' is being underestimated.
Dr James, editor in chief of the Journal of Caffeine Research, and head of the department of psychology at Reykjavik University, Iceland, says he is concerned that the substance is increasingly being added to products such as energy drinks, alcoholic drinks and medicines.
As a result, many of us are unwittingly consuming way more than we think - with worrying implications for our health and society as a whole
Dr James believes the risks caffeine poses to our health are so great that products that contain it should be taxed and restricted like cigarettes and alcohol. Sales to children in particular should be restricted.
He says that as well as tea and coffee, caffeine is found in fizzy drinks, energy drinks, bottled water, alcoholic drinks (such as Tia Maria), cookies, chewing gum, yogurt and flavoured milk.
It is also commonly found in cold and flu remedies, weight loss pills, mints, cosmetics, soaps and even tights to aid slimming.
Even more worrying, he says that caffeine is also frequently used as a diluent (cutting agent) in illicit drugs.
He notes that while some countries in Europe and Scandinavia have begun to take regulatory action, including sales restrictions and product labelling, most countries including the UK and the U.S. have a ‘regulatory vacuum’.
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In his provocative editorial 'Death by Caffeine: How Many Caffeine-related Fatalities and Near-misses Must There Be before We Regulate?', he argues that the trend of children downing energy drinks is exacerbating the problem.
He says that in order to highlight the risks of caffeine, products should be labelled with the amount they contain and sales to children in particular should be restrict
Caffeine: Table shows a range of drinks in order of caffeine content and their relation to daily allowances
The U.S. Food and Drug EspressoCoffeeGuideistration announced last year that it is investigating reports of five deaths being linked to Monster Energy drinks. The company has denied any link.
And in 2009, a father from Bolton said his 11-year-old son hanged himself after energy drinks changed his behaviour. Lee Johns said his son Tyler was a happy-go-lucky child until he started downing the drinks to make himself feel grown up.
Tyler went from thriving at school and impressing neighbours with his good behaviour to becoming 'hyper and disruptive' in the months leading to his death last year.
A one-litre caffeine drink was lying near Tyler's body when his mother found him hanging in his bedroom.
Dr James is also concerned that sporty teenagers who drink lots of caffeine are putting their hearts under a great deal of strain.
He adds that although caffeine has been widely considered to be harmless, 'awareness is increasing that its consumption is associated with substantial harm, including fatalities and near-fatalities'.
He says that caffeine was named as a contributing factor in 6,309 cases that the American National Poison Data System was notified of in 2011.
Lethal: Dr Jack James (left) says caffeine is causing ‘untimely deaths’ . In 2009, 11-year old Tyler Johns (right) was found hanged after downing energy drinks
And the annual number of emergency room visits in the U.S. associated with energy drinks jumped 36 per cent to 20,000 in 2011 compared to the previous year, according to a report released by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.
In just one year, the substance killed four people in Sweden, adds Dr James.
He says that caffeine - in the form of energy drinks - also offsets the sedating effects of alcohol and encourages people to drink more.
Furthermore, there is a 'growing body of evidence' which indicates that compared to alcohol alone, adding caffeine increases the risk of having unprotected sex, experiencing or committing sexual assault, drink driving and being violent.
There is also evidence that children who drink caffeine are more likely to use alcohol, drugs and smoke in the future
There is also evidence that caffeine consumption by children may also make them more likely to use alcohol, drugs and smoke in the future.
According to the Food Standards Agency, there is no recommended daily limit on caffeine because the amount people can tolerate varies hugely depending on a number of factors, such as age, weight and average caffeine consumption.
A study by the government regulatory agency Health Canada concluded that the average person can have up to 400mg of caffeine a day without experiencing negative affect, such as anxiety or heart problems.
Indeed, we can become used to caffeine over time. The only exception is for pregnant women, who are advised to consume no more than 200mg of caffeine a day, as it can have adverse effects on birth weight and pregnancy outcome.
Children should have no more than 75mg.
An 8oz can of Monster Energy has 92mg, while an 8oz Red Bull can has 83mg. A bottle of Coca-Cola contains 58mg of caffeine, while a an 8oz cup of decaf coffee has 5mg and hot chocolate has 9mg.
Caffeine intoxication is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a medical condition. Symptoms include nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, stomach upset, tremors and rapid heartbeat.
Two known triggers of the heart rhythm disorder supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) are caffeine and alcohol, so the risk increases if they are taken at the same time. SVTs can make your heart beat very quickly - up to 160 beats per minute.
The result can be terrifying palpitations, chest pain, dizziness and feeling out of breath.
Rob says
re: I'm OK(ish)
Yes, I’m doing OK thanks. And you’re right, I think when I post here it’s as much to (and for) myself as anyone else. The frustration of the years I’ve spent addicted to caffeine gets to me sometimes…
I’m back drinking coffee again after listening to the voice in my head that says one won’t hurt. It’s only been a couple of weeks, but I feel tired, depressed and annoyed with myself.
Once again I know what I need to do, it’s just building up that head of steam to quit again. I really don’t think it matters too much how you quit, my point before was that tapering and avoiding pain sound appealing, but my experience is that I keep drinking coffee and never reach the end and actually give up. I did do it once, but I had to make sure I wrote down a clear plan with dates and stuck to it. I’ve tried it since, but in a more vague way and I found I just drifted and never actually reached the point of stopping.
Personally I’ve found just stopping to be the most effective way for me. That said, I hope I haven’t made it sound easy when I’ve posted before, it isn’t. In fact it’s horrible, but it is simple and effective. In a way the fact that it’s horrible is good – it reminds me that caffeine is very bad for me. And as the anonymous poster said, in a sense whichever way you quit you have to go cold turkey at the end – i.e. you have to stop, whatever level you tapered down to.
The way that has worked well for me the last couple of times is to have my last coffee early in the morning on a Friday – normally 8am. This means I can function for the day, with withdrawal starting to kick in later in the afternoon. As it’s a Friday afternoon I can go home, have a lazy evening and an early night. By the time I get up on Saturday I’ll have 24 hours in the bag, which gives me a psychological boost. Normally the second day (Saturday) is pretty hellish and Sunday is similar or a little better. By 8am Monday it’s 3 full days which I find is when things start to slowly improve.
Anyway, good luck with whatever you plan to do.
JSL says
re: Rob
Thanks, Rob, it's fine - I understand - it's probably your own frustration? But it's good as you made me think a lot - in fact, Viv's post and the 2 anon posts all made me think a lot as they all struck chords of what I shouldn't or should do and what is right (and not right) for me. So thanks to all of you - it was a big wake up call. I know now that I do need to get off of it as quickly as possible and stop wasting any more time. When I look back, I can't really understand myself, at all. But no looking back - I'm going to look forward.
I hope you're doing OK? Don't lose heart. All the best and thanks again for all of your support in the past. Jackie
Rob says
re: Sorry Jackie
Jackie - I just wanted to say sorry for ranting, for some reason I went off on one ! I'm not qualified to tell anyone else what to do. I think the answer is to be honest with yourself and do what you feel is right for you, whatever that may be. My experience has been that just stopping works best for me, but that's just me.
User says
re: Agree!
Unfortunately, this is precisely why these same posters are still posting here year after year after year, God bless them. Tapering or weaning or whatever its called is still putting caffeine into your body.. If it makes you sick you have to love yourself enuf to leave it alone forever or just allow yourself to enjoy it without guilt. And what will happen once they're at the end of their wean? They'll still have to QUIT.. Then that will be the new drama. Just quit cold turkey - live through some unpleasantness and be done!! Love yourself!!
User says
re: For goodness sake, you sound
For goodness sake, you sound as if you need another caffeine fix right now!!
User says
re: For goodness sake....
The poster said she's drinking one cup of coffee a day. How on earth can it take a year to taper off that amount ? Just stop drinking it for god's sake. If you really must, have a half cup for a couple of days then quit.
viv says
re: jackie
I am so glad that you found my post helpful, I only wish that I had followed the advice, because if I had, I am certain that I would have recovered months and months ago, I did try and and started off well, but after a couple of months I got impatient and made the mistake of thinking to myself "this is only caffeine - nothing like benzos, or other drugs", which is just not true, caffeine is a drug which affects our brains and like benzos (which I cold turkeyed off, making myself ill for years and years), soMe people can come off quickly with no ill effects but others simply HAVE to taper. It all depends on out genes.
First it is vey important to stabilise on a definite amount and stay on that for a few weeks. The you can start cutting down. You can see that he recommends a fairly slow taper for people who have been on the drug for only 6 months, i think I should have tapered off over at least a year, and I would probably have only had a few weeks or months after that to FULLY recover. I don't know how i could have been so stupid after my previous experience with coming off benzos after being on them for 30 years.
Anyway I hope you can profit from my mistakes.
Keep us posted
very best
Viv
Rob says
re: Be strong Jackie !
Hi Jackie, sorry to hear you’re suffering. I don’t think it really matters how you get off caffeine, but the important thing is you have to get off it !
Draw up a plan that’s a little bit challenging, commit to it and do it. Expect it to be a bit difficult ! The risk of tapering is that it never actually finishes – we try to avoid all pain so draw the taper out over an extended period, with tiny reductions in dose. This may be appropriate for some drugs (I have a friend coming off benzos at the moment who is taking a couple of years) but caffeine is not in that class of drug. We need to be brave and get on with it, otherwise we never make progress. I know people talk about trauma from caffeine years after ingesting relatively small doses, but in reality it’s highly unlikely to be related to caffeine withdrawal. I agree caffeine is more powerful than some think, but it’s not that powerful. I would suggest that if your taper lasts longer than a few weeks, you’re not really serious about getting off it.
The other issue is that coming off a drug is only partly about removing the chemical dependence. As you said, when you were faced with family issues you ran to caffeine to make you feel “normal”. Unless you address the behaviours and thinking behind this, then it’s likely you’ll run to it again in future. I’d also say this is a risk related to long term tapering – if you’re tapering by still drinking coffee then you’ve got all the equipment you need to go back to your previous level of caffeine use already in your house. A better option may be to taper using a different caffeine source to help break the associations and behaviours at the same time. Caffeine pills may be an option – they come in a precise dose and so reductions are easy to manage.
If you’re serious about quitting, then draw up a plan, commit to it and do it. And I don’t mean a “scientific” taper than lasts 6 months. You’re coming off caffeine, not heroin. If you’re on 300mg a day, then take 100mg as two 50mg tablets three times a day, spaced out about 4 hours between each dose (8am, 12pm, 4pm or similar). Every other day, drop one pill – i.e. 50mg. So on the third day have 2 at 8am, 2 at 12pm and 1 at 4pm. 2 days later take 2 at 8am, 1 at 12pm and 1 at 4pm and so on. Drink lots of water (at least a litre) between doses and change your behaviours. At times you’d normally drink coffee, do something else. Learn new habits.
I don’t mean to be harsh on you or anyone else, but part of the nature of addiction is that it protects itself. We rationalise and over think what is essentially a very simple situation. The reason is that in some senses we use caffeine because we like it – the effect and the behaviours that go with it. So there’s a part of us that will try and protect that and find reasons why we should keep doing it and often this leads to rationalisation and denial. You know you can do it because you’ve done it before. The fear of quitting is far worse than the reality and as you also know, it’s so much better on the other side.
JSL says
re: Viv
Thank you SO much for your reply and your support, Viv - and for taking the time to type out all of that. I really appreciate it. I think this is definitely the way to go for me - and I mean GENUINELY. I've proved that I can't fight the chemistry so, like you say, must approach it systematically and logically. I found that this approach made absolute sense and I spent the whole of yesterday morning reading up and also googled 10 % caffeine/coffee taper. This brought up a whole array of articles and information and I know this is my way out. I'm always tempted to try to reduce too soon or think (when I think I'm feeling strong) I can go cold turkey. But the next morning when I'm feeling like absolute hell, I cannot function without it. So......I will taper and hope with all my heart that the gradual reduction will work and I will slowly improve. One day at a time. It will be 4 years next March since I realised that I had to get off of the bean. Back then, I was drinking 6-8 strong (sometimes Costa) coffees a day so I'm taking heart that I HAVE still weaned down to mostly just 1 in the morning........and that my diet is 100% good when not affected by caffeine induced blood sugar spikes (I now find cakes etc too sweet and prefer my no sugar flapjacks). So, unless I have a bad day, I HAVE done a lot of weaning already - that's positive, at least.Well, I started a fresh post so can't remember if you had anything to report about yourself - so sorry if I've missed anything.
Thank you for your help - means a lot. Jackie
viv says
re: jackie
Jackie here's a link to the breggin article:
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/803-dr-peter-breggins-10-taper-method/
viv says
re: Jackie,
I wish I had read
Jackie,
I wish I had read this before I started thinking about coming off caffeine, I might have recovered by now. So Jackie, I do hope you will read it and follow the advice (which I have not copied, but if you google "Dr Peter Breggin's 10% taper" you should get to it) I would also ditch the idea of being an "Addict" because it isn't about psychology in my opinion, it is simply about your individual metabolism which dictates a physical process that one has to treat logically.
Anyway, here is an excerpt from the article which I hope will help you. I haven't got the time to go into it in an more detail atm, but will be back asap. If you have any more questions that u think i might be able to help with, if you post them, I will have more time in a few days time. I do hope I can help u Jackie, you have helped me SO MUCH already!!!
Gradual Withdrawal Is Its Own Protection
When people take psychiatric drugs, their decision-making faculties may function less effectively. Their feelings are numbed. At these times, if their thinking were expressed in words, it would likely communicate indecision, apathy, or confusion. Or they may experience different feelings in rapid succession, almost as if they were out of control. Because people generally want to think more clearly, to "feel fully" again, and to be more in control of themselves, they are motivated to stop taking psychiatric drugs.
Coming off drugs gradually helps to "contain" the emotional and intellectual roller-coaster that sometimes accompanies withdrawal. Indeed, a slow, gradual tapering serves as a discipline upon the withdrawal process. This discipline is backed by available knowledge and sound clinical experience. In the absence of a trusted friend or ally to provide feedback on your progress, in the absence of a support network, gradual withdrawal is likely to be the wisest strategy—especially if you are unsure as to how quickly you should proceed. Even if a medical doctor or other health professional is assisting you or monitoring your withdrawal, a gradual taper is usually the safest strategy.
Why Gradual Withdrawal Is Better Than Sudden Withdrawal
The minute a psychiatric drug enters your bloodstream, your brain activates mechanisms to compensate for the drug's impact.1 These compensatory mechanisms become entrenched after operating continuously in response to the drug. If the drug is rapidly removed, they do not suddenly disappear. On the contrary, they have free rein for some time. Typically, these compensatory mechanisms cause physical, cognitive, and emotional disturbances—which are collectively referred to as the withdrawal syndrome.
The simplest way to reduce the intensity of withdrawal reactions is to taper doses gradually, in small increments. This way, you are giving your brain appropriate "time" and "space" to regain normal functioning. Unless it is clearly established that you are suffering an acute, dangerous drug-induced toxic reaction, you should proceed with a slow, gradual withdrawal. The longer the withdrawal period, the more chances you have to minimize the intensity of the expected withdrawal reactions.
Interestingly, there is some evidence that "gradual discontinuation tends to shorten the course of any withdrawal syndrome."2 In other words, the actual duration of all expected symptoms from drug withdrawal is likely to be shorter if you withdraw slowly than if you withdraw abruptly.
In one early study of withdrawal from tricyclic antidepressants, 62 percent of those withdrawn in less than two weeks experienced withdrawal reactions, compared to only 17 percent of those withdrawn over a longer period.3 Because unpleasant withdrawal reactions are one of the main reasons you might be tempted to abort your withdrawal, a gradual taper increases your chances of succeeding and remaining drug-free.
In addition, it appears that people who gradually reduce their drug intake find a renewed vigor and energy that they now can learn to reinvest. In contrast to a sudden, unplanned cessation, a gradual withdrawal allows them to find constructive ways to use this energy, to appreciate the new confidence in their abilities that they will develop, and to consoli¬date the new emotional and behavioral patterns that will be learned in the process.
One published account describes the case of a woman who wanted to stop Paxil after taking 20 mg daily for six months. Her doctor abruptly cut this dose in half, to 10 mg daily, and gave her the new dose for one month. Then, during the following two weeks, he gave her 10 mg every other day. On alternate, nondrug days, the woman experienced severe headaches, severe nausea, dizziness and vertigo, dry mouth, and lethargy. The dose was reduced to 5 mg daily but, convinced that this only prolonged her agony, she stopped abruptly. She is reported to have experienced two weeks of various withdrawal symptoms and then to have fully recovered.4
A more gradual taper, rather than an abrupt 50 percent reduction at the start, might have reduced the severity of this woman's overall withdrawal reactions. Granted, many users of psychiatric drugs do cease them suddenly, without experiencing any significant withdrawal pains. Our experience, however, suggests to us that abrupt withdrawal is chosen by people who are not properly informed or supervised, who cannot tolerate their drug-induced dysfunctions any longer, or who act impulsively because they perceive that no one is listening to them or understanding their suffering.
There is a lot more on this in the article, but I think this bit is helpful in explaining why a taper is better.
best wishes and good luck to everyone trying to get off caffeine and recover!
JSL says
re: Viv
Glad to hear you're experiencing some improvement - at least in some areas - after going through such a long,grueling withdrawal period. I've said it to you before but you are strong and brave to be going through this while you are so busy and your life is so demanding. I really hope things continue to improve.
Update.
After falling back down the rabbit hole again after hearing the sad news about my granddaughter, I finally realise that it doesn't matter about intention or willpower or how many times I've come off it (how could I have been 42 days virtually caffeine -free in the summer - it seems impossible now?), the bottom line is that if you start drinking it again, the effects of the caffeine on your brain put you back where you were. Full stop. It's the science. I have truly learned that, for me, because I have been drinking it for 50 years (with a 2 year abstinence 13 years ago), the automatic, neurological and chemical signals just do not allow me to go 'cold turkey'. I just cannot do it. I am a caffeine addict and there is not enough willpower or sense of self left to over-ride the chemical urges. I feel so vile and so ill (arthritis has been terrible). So I have realised that the only way is to PROPERLY WEAN, in a very measured and scientific way, in order to reduce the effects of the caffeine on my brain and responses. Viv, I remember that you had some advice about this, if I remember correctly? Any advice about weaning would be welcome from anyone about I think it must be a measured and long-term wean to do it properly. By 'properly', I mean this. As you know, I had a bender after receiving the news about my granddaughter (with bad food as well, even chocolate which makes me feel angry and just vile) and so I felt so awful the next day that I had coffee at home (reduced amount) but it didn't touch how I felt so I went to Costa and had 2 to make me feel 'normal' again - that's how desperate I was - I really did feel like a junkie. I must have had at least 300 mgs of caffeine that day - which doesn't sound like a lot but, for me, it is. Anyway, but then this morning, for example, I had a measured, slightly rounded teaspoon, and that was enough to make me feel 'OK' but not wanting to run out to Costa. I think I need to keep to that for maybe a week and then reduce by maybe a quarter. I think I always try to reduce too soon or by too much. I also need to try to get on with things and try to find some positivity while going through this. I feel that I'm losing my life to this addiction and yet can't seem to escape. I know it's in my hands but the longer it goes on, the lower my expectations are. Anyway, it's up to me , I know.
Also, was it you who wrote about 'kindling' ? Something about when you stop and start coffee several times?
What do you think, Viv, from your experience and knowledge??
Anyway, I hope you're OK and still feeling a little better.
Rob, how are you doing?
Good luck to everyone. JACKIE
User with 60 year habit says
re: i am only just beginning to
i am only just beginning to feel that my gastro problems are almost better and I have been off caffeine for 32 months, my sleep has suddenly improved as well, but the fatigue and back ache and mind fog, although improving are still pretty awful. I hope that the improvements are permanent, but they may just be another "better Patch" so I am prepared for them to deteriorate again.
My mood has also greatly improved, and the better sleep makes everything feel a whole lot easier. So keep going, I hope you will find this post encouraging - I know I have taken ages, but I had been drinking the stuff for so long…… so don't be put off by my story, it is unlikely that it will take as long for anybody else.
I have found that meditating for 40 minutes at least twice a day really helps : stress apparently stoops the body fro detoxing properly, so anything that reduces stress will help your recovery.
JSL says
re: upallnight
Hi, I'm 64 and having been having problems with caffeine (coffee) for 50 years (apart from a 2 year gap). I can identify with absolutely everything you said - except my stomach problems are not too bad, strangely - so I do get how difficult it is. Re your stomach problems, I do know that coffee is very acidic and that this plays havoc with the whole digestive system so, as you are aware, your stomach won't get better till you stop having it (easier said than done, I know - I've been struggling for over 3 years to wean/stop). You could try having more alkaline foods to help with the acidity. I would guess that how long it takes to improve, after stopping caffeine, would depend on how long you've been drinking it and the state of your digestive system - all people are different so I don't think there's a set time. I mean you see that some people feel better, generally, in a couple of weeks but, for some, it takes months and months. Anyway, one thing I do know is that it's possible to feel better, physically, and regain better brain function/ mood. Good luck and hope someone with more experience can help you. Jackie
kikaida says
re: For how long?
What was the longest that any of you had to deal with gastro related problems from caffeine withdrawals? For me back in 2011 it was about 5 months. This time around since I had the relapse two months ago, I will have to wait and see.
upallnight says
re: Stomach problems after quitting coffee
Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm soooo glad someone else is getting stomach/gastrointestinal hell after quitting coffee. I went looking on the Internet hoping someone else was having the same problems I have been having. Was off coffee for 4 days and the stomach issues kicked my butt so bad I had to go back on as I felt like I was gonna die from the nausea, gas, cramping, lethargy, joint pain and general outlook that the world is a horrible place. I'm 58 but felt like I was 100 years old and one foot in the grave. One cup and all is good, but I know what is down the road, which is more of the same issues I've had with coffee for decades. I'm very sensitive to it and get hooked immediately, then after a few days the high turns into a more "wired" feeling, can't think deeply on any one subject, can't sleep and just a general feeling I'm loosing it mentally and physically. I become more reactive and people generally just piss me off....all this after just 3 to 5 days drinking 1 to 2 cups of coffee. Some encourage ment to try again would be much appreciated, and anyone else that has gastrointestinal issue after stopping please say so and how long all that lasted to give me some hope it will finally go away. Thanks....
User with 60 year habit says
re: yes, i had it for several
yes, i had it for several months after i tapered off caffeine.
kikaida says
re: Stomach Problems
Hi Again,
Since I have been off caffeine for about two months I have been having this mild burning sensation in my stomach and slight heartburn. I had this before when I quit caffeine addiction of 19 years back in 2011 and that lasted for about 5 months. Like I wrote in my previous post, I started drinking caffeine again for a few months and quit again about 2 month ago. But I don't know why my stomach burns every time I quit. It will last for a while then slowly subside. I do know when I did quit before and saw a gastro doctor he did an endoscopy and found that I had mild gastritis and acid reflux. The problem is that I can't take any prescription medication for acid reflux because it makes my symptoms worse. I do have a feeling that the constant abuse of caffeine probably caused these stomach related problems. But this only seems to happen after I stop drinking caffeine. Have any of you had this as a withdrawal symptom? I am getting so tired of having to deal with this. I do think this will be my last relapse. I can't deal with this again. It's physically and emotionally draining.
User with 60 year habit says
re: thanks Jackie, I am down in
thanks Jackie, I am down in Somerset today which is incredibly stormy and windy, makes a change from City life!
I know you WILL get off the caffeine when you are ready to ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fXqok9sYt8
the above link will take you to the video (with a bit of luck)
TC viv
JSL says
re: Viv
Thanks for your support and I can see why you just had to stop having it - that must have been pretty scary. I went in to the Gupta site but couldn't see how to get in to any information. I'll have another look when I've got a bit more time. I hope you're doing awap and don't feel too bad on this rainy, cold Sunday. TC Jackie
JSL says
re: Rob
Hi Rob, thanks for your reply. Great, insightful post and your comments really struck a chord with me. When you're through this, I think you could really help people with addictions as you have such a grasp and an deep understanding of what is happening......and I can perfectly understand why you went back to it again. And you're right about the failure of rationality because I recognised the truth of 'part of us likes the drug and the effect it has on us.' So true as, for a while, it makes you feel more than OK, it makes you feel connected to yourself and to other people again; it takes you out of your zombie-like state and gives you back your humanity, hopes, dreams and motivation. That sounds like an exaggeration - but that's how it is for me as I have become so sensitive to it, I think. But, of course, it is a false, drug induced state and the follow up, later in the day, is the slump and all that brings with it. So it is not a real life and you realise that it really is 'your worst enemy masquerading as your best friend', as you said. So true. Seeing and experiencing the truth is crucial but, still this morning, I woke up craving that short lived way to feel better. I'd already put out a lower dose as I'd already decided that the only way out was to make my coffee so that I DIDN'T enjoy it or get that lift, as much. Aversion therapy, so to speak. I had half caf/half decaf and inadvertently made it with coconut milk - and it wasn't a quarter as enjoyable and, of course, less caffeine meant hardly any lift. I will carry on doing this until I really don't want the damn stuff. Again, this isn't coming out very well (brain fog), but your words really struck home - 'it isn't an answer, it's a problem'. That really needs to be my mantra and I need to spray paint it on every wall in my house! Rationality demands that we see the truth of the chemical cravings and false notions of what the drug really is about. Thanks a lot, Rob, and best of luck to you in seeing past your own Trojan horse. G
Rob says
re: I know about rabbit holes...
Hi Jackie. I've been off it for all of a week now ! I gave up for 2 weeks, then decided just one would be a good idea and spent a horrible week back on it again. I'm training for a half marathon and ran 12 miles - as a result I was feeling so good about myself that I decided a coffee would be a good idea. Where's the logic in that ? My head was a mess, stomach ached, I couldn't think etc. All the usual madness.
Addiction is a very powerful thing and while we can rationally express how caffeine (and other drugs) are harming us, one of the main issues with it is that part of us likes the drug and the effect it has on us. In your situation for example, when something bad happened you sought comfort in caffeine. As I've mentioned before, I'm a recovering alcoholic and have seen hundreds of people who literally destroy themselves through addiction. You'd think it was obvious what the cause of their misery is and what they need to do to end it, but at some level they still see alcohol as their friend. "If your life was this bad you'd drink too". It really is insanity and a big part of recovery is seeing the truth about the drug - it isn't an answer, it's the problem. A Trojan horse - your worst enemy masquerading as your best friend.
I hope I'm done with it now. I'm just trying to keep it simple and take it a day at a time. My job is to get my head on the pillow tonight without drinking any caffeine. I'll worry about tomorrow when it comes.
User with 60 year habit says
re: don't apologise for
don't apologise for unloading, it really helps other people to read how you are getting on, I am sorry that it is so difficult for you too. I don't feel strong at all, but thank you for saying that I must be. I think that I don't crave caffeine any more because it made me feel so dreadful when I tried to get back on it after my ct. It made my throat so sore that it bled, and irritated by stomach so badly that i was producing blood in my stools (v frightening), plus it made me so nauseous and dizzy that i couldn't stand up. So there has been no choice about it for me.
I have been researching the Gupta programme for retraining the brain and it makes sense, I may do it.
if you google Gupta programme you can get a free introductory series of videos, and his theory makes a lot of sense to me, It is a programme ostensibly for CFS, but works for loads of other conditions.
I'd like to know what you think about it, if you have time to check it out. It works on the theory that your body doesn't detox properly because your brain is always revving up your immune system and you can calm it down by retraining it. (Meditation plus other methods)
thanks for all your help,
Viv
JSL says
re: Rob
I do feel for you, going through this when you have to get up for work. It adds extra stress when you know you have to get up. I'd take painkillers, for sure, at least you know that's a fairly short term thing.
How long have you been caffeine free now? I hope things improve for you soon. I fell back down the rabbit hole again - I've explained it in my post 'Viv and everyone' - but I am determined to get it under control, again, and am back to weaning 1 a day. Good luck and let us know how you're doing, Rob. Jackie
JSL says
re: Viv and everyone
I am genuinely astounded by how patterns of behaviour, linked to psychological and neurological processes can become completely imprinted on the brain. We truly are creatures of habit and I think I finally understand the root of saying. I always used to think it was a throw-a-way line but it is oh so surely not. When a powerful drug which creates a biological urge to seek a remedy for a brain which is screaming out for relief is added to to mix, an addict is born and the rest is like swimming in Dante's Hell. For me, this has been no exaggeration, as all my demons, fears and angers etc emerged in withdrawal and whilst weaning.
So for people, such as you and me, a lifetime of drinking such a drug brings many, many problems and the massive task of re-wiring all of those responses. Coupled with the problems of aging, in general, and the pressures of a full-time caring role, this can reap havoc with our lives and our health. I think I just needed to say that.
But the good news is that re-wiring is possible and new habits can be created. It takes a lot of energy and determination, though, and I am sad to say that I went back to caffeine when I fell back into one of those old habits and responses. We found out that my wonderful, beautiful 3 year old granddaughter is autistic. Now in itself, that is not the end of the world. We can get a lot of help and help her to grow and develop as much as she can to have happy and fruitful life. She is surrounded by love and people who care. But, on top of everything that's happened to my family in the last 20 years, it all seemed too much to bear and I felt heartbroken. The only thing to stop me feeling that pain was caffeine. It was SO easy to slip back down the rabbit hole and was like I'd never been away. Lesson learned again.
But, fighting the good fight, as they say, and never giving up, I'm back to weaning and am currently back to 1 in the morning. I physically feel so ill, exhausted and depressed, you would not believe (well, actually, you all would because most of you know what it can be like).
The one thing that seems to have changed in me, though, is that THIS time, I see my weaning as a 'scientific' re-processing of my neurotransmitters, rather than as a way of just wanting and hanging on to drinking the damn stuff, if that makes sense.
I apologise for unloading here - but there's nowhere else to do it.
And, Viv, I really am sorry you are still struggling. I know how difficult it must be for you. You must have been very strong to get off and stay off of the caffeine. Staying in bed does help and then when you DO start to fall back to sleep (even if it's only half and hour), you start to BELIEVE that you can and THAT is a big, big help. TC. Jackie
User with 60 year habit says
re: hi Jsl, I think that is a
hi Jsl, I think that is a good idea, to try and stay in bed, funnily enough, I am starting to do that too, because, as you say, a new pattern started up of me having to get up at 2 or 3 am and do things for hours, resulting in even worse fatigue. I am having a sudden rise in anxiety and depression as well, which is very strange, considering the time that I have been off. I would love to know if anyone else has been hit with new symptoms after being off caffeine for ages and ages.
Good luck to everyone trying to get off or recover from caffeine addiction
Rob says
re: Sounds like what happened to me
Withdrawal from caffeine is not pleasant in my experience. The main symptoms I had were headache and tiredness/inability to concentrate in the first couple of days. It was extreme, I just wanted to put my head in my hands and sob, or put my head on the desk and sleep. My stomach was very upset from drinking coffee, although this lessened the longer I was off it. I always drank strong black filter coffee, which is pretty acidic.
After a few days I started getting muscle aches and spasms. My back muscles got very tight and tense, like I was under terrific stress, and my leg muscles would spasm and ache. One night it was so bad I was awake all night as I didn't have any painkillers. After that I took a combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen at night for about a week so I could sleep.
That said, one of the other big effects I noticed was feeling exhausted but not being able to get to sleep. Then when I did I would wake up early like you. I would be awake at 5 (sometimes earlier) and spend the next few hours trying to doze before I had to get up for work.
It is a powerful drug. I know I've said it before, but I really hope I'm done with it this time. The challenge for me is when I forget how bad the withdrawal is, get tired and think "aha ! I know what would perk me up...". I think I need to regularly visit this site to remember just how nasty addiction is and how important recovery is.
JSL says
re: kikaida
Waking in the early hours is a classic symptom of withdrawal, as you're probably aware. How long it lasts depends on how long you were drinking coffee, how much and general sleep patterns, anyway. People seem to vary so much in how they react to stopping caffeine - so it could be weeks or months. I'd say, stay in bed, though. I got into the habit of getting up (I couldn't bear how it felt) but that set up a new pattern. I started to stay in bed and eventually did get back to sleep.
Caffeine acts as a bowel stimulant so, if you stop, you might have problems. Drink plenty of water, sufficient fiber in your diet and let it get back to 'normal'. Good luck. Jackie
JSL says
re: Amanda
Hi, Amanda, I've had really terrible problems with brain fog and poor memory. I often cannot remember words or people's names. It sometimes feels like my brain has gone to sleep and there's just this low level awareness instead of a thinking process. Emotions and responses are also lacking - in fact, you sometimes feel like you really are a zombie. From what I've read, the brain chemistry can get back to n ormal but it takes time. Good luck with everything. Jackie
kikaida says
re: Digestive and sleep problems
I quit caffeine again about two months ago and after I quit I have been having digestive and sleep issues. My stomach has a slight ache with some flatulence and my bowels are all out of wack. I had to drink prune juice to help things but even that made my tummy hurt. Also my sleep pattern is bad. I wake up throughout the night and can't get a good nights sleep. Can this still be caffeine withdrawals? If so, how long more can it last???