I quit caffeine • Hacker News Board

Re: I quit caffeine

#71

Post by higgins » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:00 PM UTC

Congratulations, @ezekg and keep it going! I recently went 1 year without it (though technically I did have chocolate a few times: https://encapsulate.me/writing/2021.html) and will continue off it.

A few things I found helpful in my transition off it: - Panax Ginseng tea - Macca root - Regular weight lifting exercises - Regular good night of sleep

Thanks for sharing!

Re: I quit caffeine

#72

Post by lkxijlewlf » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:01 PM UTC

Happens to me as well. Stress and caffeine = heart on a roller coaster. At that point I'll usually back down to 1 cup in the morning. But, alas, I eventually work my way back up to, ahem, never mind how many cups and start the cycle over.

Re: I quit caffeine

#73

Post by hunterb123 » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:02 PM UTC

spansoa wrote: post #40

Well there is L-theanine[0] which I always found was the opposite of caffeine, and when you combine it with caffeine (500mg theanine & 200mg caffeine), you get a sort of flow state without the jitters of caffeine. L-theanine takes the edge off caffeine. You could also just try L-theanine on its own. This person needs to experiment with other nootropics besides caffeine. I've tried various stacks over the years like A…

Green tea will give you L-theanine and caffeine in a natural way.

Re: I quit caffeine

#74

Post by can16358p » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:03 PM UTC

mkaic wrote: post #67

I grew up in a house where coffee wasn't allowed, so I've actually never had it before. I have avoided nearly all caffeine my whole life out of habit (one of those cases where a rule you grow up with sticks with you even if the original justification for it didn't). Drinking a Coke is enough to make me bounce off the walls. I've often wondered what would happen to me if I tried coffee or an energy drink, but based on…

That bouncing off effect might be related to sugar too. If you really want to see caffeine's effects you might "microdose" a quarter of a cup of filtered coffee or a half shot of espresso, without mixing it with anything but water.

Re: I quit caffeine

#75

Post by mkaic » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:03 PM UTC

btgeekboy wrote: post #65

I’ve tried quitting caffeine in the past, but the problem I run into is that I’m actually not a coffee drinker, but a Diet Coke drinker. I don’t enjoy the taste of plain water. So at a restaurant/drive thru/etc, my options are diet soda (with 0 calories) or something caffeine-free with hundreds of calories. When you’re trying to budget calories, that hurts a lot. At least I’ve been able to reduce my overall consumpti…

Zero-sugar, zero-caffeine sodas seem to be slowly rising in popularity recently. I'm hopeful that we'll start to see them more often as options in restaurants, because like you said, it's frustrating when I go to a restaurant and must choose between drinking massive amounts of sugar, or drinking caffeine. Usually, even though I'd like to order soda, I end up ordering water because I struggle to justify either stimulant to myself internally.

Re: I quit caffeine

#76

Post by mandelbrotwurst » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:03 PM UTC

mkaic wrote: post #67

I grew up in a house where coffee wasn't allowed, so I've actually never had it before. I have avoided nearly all caffeine my whole life out of habit (one of those cases where a rule you grow up with sticks with you even if the original justification for it didn't). Drinking a Coke is enough to make me bounce off the walls. I've often wondered what would happen to me if I tried coffee or an energy drink, but based on…

Will a Diet Coke give you the same effect as a Coke? I'm curious how much of your bouncing is due to the caffeine versus the sugar and/or some synergism.

Re: I quit caffeine

#77

Post by wanderr » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:04 PM UTC

I have quit caffeine several times. I love the taste of coffee and tea, but I become dependent on caffeine very quickly, and have to keep upping the dose just to feel normal. Eventually I don’t feel human until half way through the day and there is no amount of caffeine that will give me energy. The withdrawal headaches are too excruciating for me to bear so I found a way to effectively wean myself off of caffeine using caffeine pills. Once you figure out how much caffeine you need to feel ok, you know your actual dose and can simply take a little less each day. For me that means a week or two of feeling a little groggy, but avoiding the headaches. I’m not a morning person, so I’ll never feel perky in the morning but I at least feel human.

Re: I quit caffeine

#78

Post by koof » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:04 PM UTC

mandelbrotwurst wrote: post #76

mkaic wrote: post #67

I grew up in a house where coffee wasn't allowed, so I've actually never had it before. I have avoided nearly all caffeine my whole life out of habit (one of those cases where a rule you grow up with sticks with you even if the original justification for it didn't). Drinking a Coke is enough to make me bounce off the walls. I've often wondered what would happen to me if I tried coffee or an energy drink, but based on…

Will a Diet Coke give you the same effect as a Coke? I'm curious how much of your bouncing is due to the caffeine versus the sugar and/or some synergism.

It's worth noting that Diet Coke has about 50% more caffeine than regular.

Re: I quit caffeine

#79

Post by WheelsAtLarge » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:05 PM UTC

I switched to decaf and found out it helps me by not having to stop my daily routine. But my days start later and I go to bed earlier. It's true the world runs on caffeine.

The world's GDP would collapse if caffeine went away.

Re: I quit caffeine

#80

Post by can16358p » Mon, Jan 10, 2022, 7:06 PM UTC

cycomanic wrote: post #68

One of the best investments I've ever made was a good espresso machine and grinder (Rancilio Silvia and Rocky for those who know something). Espresso coffee tastes so much better than drip (I really hate French press so that's not even a comparison). I find espresso also much more agreeable. While I feel jittery after several cups of drip I find I would need to drink a lot more (unrealistic amounts) espresso coffee f…

About the withdrawal symptoms: anything that you substitute in place when you don't drink coffee? When I don't drink at morning I always have headache after a few hours, and I'd like to see any non-caffeinated (natural) substitutions that'd keep the headache away.