Caffeine...has anyone been able to quit?

[raisedfist]

I've been drinking coffee for over a decade. I've been interesting in quitting due to anxiety, and because I hate relying on drugs to function, but the withdrawals are absolutely brutal after just a day or two.

[Righteous]

I've been drinking coffee for over a decade. I've been interesting in quitting due to anxiety, and because I hate relying on drugs to function, but the withdrawals are absolutely brutal after just a day or two.

I think withdrawals are different for different people. I managed to quit by switching to soda and decaf coffee.. then weening out the soda. I would say stick it out, I feel a lot better after quitting, and get to sleep easier. Now I'll feel the caffeine even in a decaf if I have one.

[ChicagoGranny]

Yes. I am better off for stopping all caffeine.

You need to do a taper. You don't say how much you are consuming, so here is an example of six cups of strong coffee per day. Week one, drop the last cup of the day. Week two, drop the last two cups of the day. Etc., until week five, you are down to one cup per day first thing in the morning. For week six, you may want to have half a cup. Week 7: zero cups.

You have to watch out for hidden caffeine. There is one orange soda which has added caffeine. Who knew oranges contain caffeine? lol

Then there is caffeine from chocolate. For me, I have two small squares of chocolate at lunch. If I finish lunch after 2:00 p.m., I don't have the chocolate due to the caffeine.

You can still enjoy coffee - just stick with decaf. I love a hot cup of strong decaf after breakfast!

[LSAT]

I drank 2-3 cups a day for at least 40 years. About 10 years ago I switched to Decaf and still drink 2-3 cups a day

[jipavl]

I've been drinking coffee for over a decade. I've been interesting in quitting due to anxiety, and because I hate relying on drugs to function, but the withdrawals are absolutely brutal after just a day or two.

I quit cold turkey and the withdrawal symptoms were brutal. Flu like symptoms, the whole body in pain, migraines etc.
I took some NSAIDs and held on, after a week or so I was free.

[chunkyfrog]

Caffeine has been used for decades against migraines.

[raisedfist]

I've been drinking coffee for over a decade. I've been interesting in quitting due to anxiety, and because I hate relying on drugs to function, but the withdrawals are absolutely brutal after just a day or two.

I quit cold turkey and the withdrawal symptoms were brutal. Flu like symptoms, the whole body in pain, migraines etc.
I took some NSAIDs and held on, after a week or so I was free.

I also just think about the coffee constantly. Not so much the pain always, but just that it's part of the daily routine. Even makes work more tolerable. And coffee is everywhere by me...ahh the excuses are plentiful!

[chunkyfrog]

Thank goodness for decaf.

[Superball]

Just the opposite... I used to get PVCs (heart "skipping a beat"), which got worse when I drank coffee. Those stopped completely as soon as I started CPAP, so now I can drink all of the coffee.

[Duck]

Just the opposite... I used to get PVCs (heart "skipping a beat"), which got worse when I drank coffee. Those stopped completely as soon as I started CPAP, so now I can drink all of the coffee.

I had that, and like you, it stopped with CPAP. I believe pre-CPAP my body was under such stress the skipped beats showed up. Caffeine only made it worse.

Adjusting to sleeping with CPAP was easier once I quit caffeine. I still love a hot cup of a good decaf.

[InnerGlow]

I used to drink caffeinated cola all day (and night) long. I tapered off of it completely and took a magnesium supplement at night to help with the withdrawal symptoms (read about that somewhere, no longer sure where). Now I don't drink any caffeine at all. Good luck with quitting!

[Janknitz]

Once a year, getting ready for a 26+ hour dry religious fast, I taper off of caffeine and stay caffeine free about 1 month. The withdrawal isn't too bad doing it gradually but I sure do miss it. I am not a morning person and without caffeine it's really unpleasant in the morning.

I'd advise caution quitting cold turkey. I saw someone faint and appear to have a seizure during that religious fast--it was caused by caffeine withdrawal.

[Superball]

Just the opposite... I used to get PVCs (heart "skipping a beat"), which got worse when I drank coffee. Those stopped completely as soon as I started CPAP, so now I can drink all of the coffee.

I had that, and like you, it stopped with CPAP. I believe pre-CPAP my body was under such stress the skipped beats showed up. Caffeine only made it worse.

Adjusting to sleeping with CPAP was easier once I quit caffeine. I still love a hot cup of a good decaf.

That's great to hear. Every time I read about PVCs, it always said to not worry about them. Kind of hard to not worry when your heart is being silly, and apparently it can be a symptom of sleep apnea.

I'm sure staying off caffeine is better for your health. I'm just so happy I can drink it now that I think I'll keep going for a bit. I also didn't drink any coffee while I was getting used to CPAP. Two or three weeks of hell, and now I'd never want to sleep without it

[Okie bipap]

My wife and I both quit caffeine several years ago. She was directed to do so by our doctor because of medication she was taking at that time. When she quit, I also quit. I couldn't see any reason to buy two kinds of coffee. I had no problems, but she went through a few weeks of withdrawal symptoms (headache, nausea, etc.).

[Mark55]

As has been previously mentioned,....simply titrate yourself down slowly, and take up decaf if you wish. That's what I did years ago, and I'm still sticking with it 90% of the time. Some days I may have 1 or 2 small cups of 50% caffeine coffee, but I really can't tell the difference.

Never more than one cup of full caffeine for me though.