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I quit caffeine

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Re: I quit caffeine

#51

Post by throw1234651234 »

Personal anecdote. I work, study, and lift heavy (for me). I sleep 7-8. This is not enough. I started drinking Monsters (energy drinks).

Was twitchy, sweated a lot, got sick easier, slept worse, and got worse results at the gym. It works great for a day, and then you crash hard, it's also addictive. Spikes blood pressure. Another poster reminded me about the headaches, which I normally NEVER have. I am under the impression that its worse than drugs (dont do drugs, so can't tell). Affects are very, very strong.

Solution is to lift lighter and sleep MORE than 8 hours. I still don't believe all the successful people (eg Schwarzenegger) who claim to sleep less than 8, especially athletes. I still drink a bunch of caffeinated black tea, but it's not even close to coffee/energy drinks.

No point to this other than "Don't drink energy drinks, they are probably worse than coke".

Last note - the military studied caffeine pills since they control ideally for dose. Maybe something to consider not to stain teeth and standardize if you HAVE to have your coffee.

Re: I quit caffeine

#52

Post by brightball »

I quit successfully several different times. The key to avoiding all the withdrawal symptoms is drinking a lot of water IMO.

I’ve just reduced intake at this point though.

Re: I quit caffeine

#53

Post by chomp »

daxfohl wrote: post #38

I'll be the contrarian. I was a pot per day drinker and quit for three months and felt no different, just missed the coffee. I quit the quit and I'm back to a pot per day, feeling much better.

It depends on the person, I can go on and off caffeine with no repercussions, but my wife goes through grueling withdrawals when she does it.

A pot per day can be a lot, or a little depending on the bean and the roast, so I can't comment on that.

Re: I quit caffeine

#54

Post by throw1234651234 »

xboxnolifes wrote: post #36
hunterb123 wrote: post #3

Caffeine is the hardest drug to quit. Takes two weeks of miserable migraines. You can lapse at any time later just indulging in one craving. It just takes one bad morning to break it.

That seems pretty excessive. Whenever I've gone off caffeine, it's only taken 2 days of light headaches. Am I an outlier here?

Two days for me, for energy drinks, which are worse than coffee. I think they just overclock your CNS, so you are wasted the next day, and maybe the day after. Then I am fine if I sleep enough.

Re: I quit caffeine

#55

Post by throw1234651234 »

anonymousiam wrote: post #43

I gave up all forms of caffeine about 35 years ago. My experiences were similar to the author, but worse. I had been drinking coffee from about age 12. The first time I quit (at age 24) I had bad headaches. I "fell off the wagon" after a week or so. A month later I quit again and then felt so bad that I missed two days of work. I lapsed again after about a month. The third and final time I quit (maybe a month later),…

Sugar is in the same boat of "well, everyone does it, not that bad."

Re: I quit caffeine

#57

Post by wbobeirne »

I catch a lot of flak for all the money I waste by buying coffees at coffeeshops, but it's my way of rate limiting. If I want a cup of coffee, I first have to make myself presentable, go for a walk, and pay a cost. I also feel a bit weird about going back to the same place twice in one day, so that usually dissuades a follow-up trip, or at least makes me go on an even longer walk.

Caffeine plays with everyone differently, but it's a technique that's worked for me. I'll probably never get a full setup at home as long as I live in a city.

Re: I quit caffeine

#58

Post by shmel »

anonymousiam wrote: post #43

I gave up all forms of caffeine about 35 years ago. My experiences were similar to the author, but worse. I had been drinking coffee from about age 12. The first time I quit (at age 24) I had bad headaches. I "fell off the wagon" after a week or so. A month later I quit again and then felt so bad that I missed two days of work. I lapsed again after about a month. The third and final time I quit (maybe a month later),…

It is well-known that people metabolize caffeine with different speed due to genetic reasons. Therefore people can experience wildly different peak blood concentration after drinking many cups per day. I suppose it influences how strong withdrawals are.

I personally used to drink a lot of coffee and rarely experienced any withdrawal effects. I also know (from comparing myself with other people) that I am a very fast caffeine metabolizer.

Re: I quit caffeine

#59

Post by p45please »

I quit cold-turkey around 3 years ago. Caffeine started to affect me differently the older I got, and it wasn't until I was almost hospitalized from dehydration during a house move that I realized I was perhaps a little too dependent on it.

The following couple of weeks after quitting was hell. Migraines, shakes, generally feeling awful. I doubted my decision, but powered through, and am thankful I did.

Waking up is easier, going to sleep is easier, and personally I wasn't a fan of the adrenaline rush feeling I would get after drinking coffee. Your mileage may vary, but if you're getting older and feeling jittery then definitely give it a try.

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