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I quit caffeine

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Re: I quit caffeine

#281

Post by coldpie »

kkjjkgjjgg wrote: post #210
coldpie wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you should give it a shot. Unless you have some pre-existing condition (severe anxiety or something), there's basically no risk. Head to a coffee shop some morning and spend a few bucks for a small coffee. Maybe you'll find a new small joy in life. I have one cup, each morning when I get up, it's a tasty little ritual. Or maybe you won't like it after all, and then you'll know.

Don't forget the risk of getting addicted. Are there even any actual upsides apart from the (acquired) good taste?

I think the good taste is sufficient, but also I find a caffeine buzz enjoyable.

Re: I quit caffeine

#282

Post by ezekg »

kseistrup wrote: post #150

I am currently trying to limit my caffeine intake by mixing increasing amounts of decaf beans into my regular coffee beans, as I do not wish to go through seeveral weeks with low mood, headaches and feeling tired. So far it's going beyond my expectations: I have tried to go decaf so many times in my life and has always relapsed because of the withdrawal symptoms. Slowly and gradually decreasing the daily caffeine int…

Their website lists their Amazon store for international customers: https://www.amazon.com/rasa

Maybe it's available for you there?

Re: I quit caffeine

#283

Post by ezekg »

mirekrusin wrote: post #34

Just get L-Theanin and pair it with coffee – palpitations and panic like feeling will go away.

It is true that it helps, but only for so long. I built up a tolerance for L-Theanin within a couple weeks and it no longer helped.

I chose to quit caffeine entirely and not try to suppress what my body was telling me.

Re: I quit caffeine

#284

Post by Aldrynt »

wayoutthere wrote: post #19

Same experience. I didn’t quit completely, but I do limit myself to one cup of coffee in the morning. The rest of my fluid intake is water. I don’t have trouble sleeping anymore.

No post body was provided.

Re: I quit caffeine

#285

Post by linsomniac »

qqqwerty wrote: post #246
linsomniac wrote: post #63

I quit about the same time the author did, I stopped back in July or Aug. I never really had jitters. I'd drink 1-2 10 cup carafes in a day along with my wife, I'd drink the bulk of it. I decided to stop for two reasons: I sleep pretty crappy, and I was doing a bunch of other diet changes so I figured why not one more... Everyone is different, but in my case switching to decaf was pretty easy. I had headaches a coupl…

Just an anecdotal note. I also switched to decaf, but I found that even decaf had enough caffeine in it to impact my sleep. I didn't really notice any sleep improvements until I had cut out all sources of caffeine. YMMV of course, but if sleep is still an issue, might be worth a try. And just as a warning, I got worse withdrawal when I stopped the decaf then when I went from caf->decaf. That was very unexpected, but…

Curious, thanks for pointing that out. I mostly stop decaf at 3pm just like I did with caffeinated coffee previously, so hopefully that's not impacting my sleep.

I've lately been trying that sleep optimization thing posted here over the holidays the last couple weeks and feel like that's been helping. My fitbit is reporting pretty high sleep score for the last week, today was the first <80 in a week, and it was 79 so pretty close...

Re: I quit caffeine

#286

Post by WOTERMEON »

fristechill wrote: post #214
rzimmerman wrote: post #26

Quitting caffeine cold-turkey is very unpleasant. It can take a full two weeks of withdrawal (bad headaches, general tiredness). I’ve had more success reducing the amount (3/4 caf -> 1/2 caf) over time. Anything more that 4 cups a day is probably unhealthy. Remember that 1 “cup” of coffee is actually 6 oz, so a normal coffee mug or latte is twice that. One coffee (2 “cups” or a latte) in the morning and one around 2p…

I've 'quit' tea and coffee for long periods. It only takes a small daily quantity of caffeine to eliminate the withdrawal headaches. One 'Pro Plus' pill per day is probably sufficient (50mg anhydrous caffeine), reduced to half a pill per day after a week, then nothing after two weeks. Pills don't trigger the addictive yearning as much as the full coffee experience does. There's still sleepiness to contend with, howev…

yeah, i wish i knew that this was an option. I did it cold turkey and it sucked for a week. but now in not going back. sure i miss the ritual and the identity, but i feel much better.

Re: I quit caffeine

#287

Post by kseistrup »

ezekg wrote: post #282
kseistrup wrote: post #150

I am currently trying to limit my caffeine intake by mixing increasing amounts of decaf beans into my regular coffee beans, as I do not wish to go through seeveral weeks with low mood, headaches and feeling tired. So far it's going beyond my expectations: I have tried to go decaf so many times in my life and has always relapsed because of the withdrawal symptoms. Slowly and gradually decreasing the daily caffeine int…

Their website lists their Amazon store for international customers: https://www.amazon.com/rasa Maybe it's available for you there?

Thanks for the link. I don't think it's a solution, though: Stuff from amazon.com tend to get shipped from the outside of the EU, and as a minimum it will incur added VAT (+25%) and flat fee (around $25).

It would work if Rasa were available from, say, amazon.de, amazon.nl, etc., but, alas, it isn't — I already checked before I wrote my original comment.

Thansk for the suggestion, though. Perhaps it will be useful for other international customers.

Re: I quit caffeine

#288

Post by rm445 »

xcambar wrote: post #205
oneplane wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to drink a lot of the crappy stuff as well but as soon as you know the taste of real coffee (be it an excellent 3-minute 1:15 V60 single origin or a double shot espresso fresh from the machine from a local specialty roasting place) it just doesn't go down anymore. While it wasn't really much of a caffeine thing for me, I did simply like the taste and the fact that it's warm, but once you see it for the watery…

Coffee snobs are leagues ahead in terms of snobbery of any other snobbery I know. And I am from a wine heavy culture, so born and raised in snobbery. And your comment highlights everything that can be irritating about coffee enthusiasts. Every paragraph is quote-worthy. Almost climactic. I don't know what has triggered such an elite-like culture in coffee but it never ceases to amaze/amuse.

I find it weird that there are two kinds of snobbery for goods. (Harmless snobbery - de gustibus non disputandum est).

Coffee, wine and whisky lovers adore the rarest and most refined, and insist the everyday stuff is vile. But lovers of crime novels, science fiction and anime adore the widest range, and insist that the most obscure trash contains treasure. I've never met a wine lover who would rave about obscure objectively-bad wines, or a sci-fi fan who will only read the most perfect works. I don't know quite what the difference is - consumability? Physical flavour?

I'm all for letting people enjoy what they enjoy. Personally I wouldn't want my palate to become so refined it became a hassle.

Re: I quit caffeine

#289

Post by ezekg »

Ancalagon wrote: post #25
ezekg wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can lapse at any time later just indulging in one craving. This rings very true. I tried coffee one time after quitting and the withdrawal migraines came back the next day like I was back in the thick of it. I haven't had caffeine since then.

Does tea or soda give you the migraines as well? Or just coffee?

They do, to an extent (though I very rarely drink coke). I tried a chai-based and cocao-based coffee alternative which had slightly more caffeine than decaf coffee, and it still gave me the same symptoms after a second cup. I guess my body just metabolizes caffeine differently than it did.

Re: I quit caffeine

#290

Post by can16358p »

eurasiantiger wrote: post #262
can16358p wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That will give you coffee effects, not caffeine effects. Coffee contains a LOT of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The only way to ingest pure caffeine is to take a pill.

Honest question: Would MAOIs have any jittery/stimulant effects that mimick caffeine?
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