Kicking caffeine

[Fresser]

Ever the vigilant Jewish mother, Mama Fresser noticed that I was often getting up in the middle of the night to visit the bathroom. After she quizzed me about my blood sugar levels (we're both diabetic), Mama Fresser said, "Fresser, you need to stop drinking caffeinated coffee. All the caffeine is making you pee!"

So I took Mama Fresser's advice and switched to decaf. I noticed a change immediately. My first night sans-caffeine, I slept like a log and was able to hop out of bed without whacking the snooze button repeatedly. Plus I needed to make far fewer pit-stops at work, thus devoting more time to computing and eGullet-surfing.

Mind you, I never drank coffee in the evening--just when I waddled out of bed and upon leaving work around 4 P.M. But now I stick to decaf Gloria Jean's (mighty fine decaf flavors) and feel better for it.

Has anyone else tried this?

[Jensen]

I quit about 6 months ago. I have coffee occasionally now, sometimes leaded and sometimes unleaded. I've found that the leaded coffee now gives me the shakes something fierce.

[NulloModo]

I haven't kicked it completely, but I have switched to green tea as opposed to coffee in the mornings, which still contains caffeine, but only 30 mg as opposed to over 200. I have noticed that I feel much better for it.

The other day I was feel really tired at work though (I had pulled only about four hours of sleep that night, and only five the night before) so I wandered into the teacher's lounge and made a pot of regular coffee. I have to admit, I have never used drip coffee makers much (I got into coffee when I bought my Moka pot) so I just filled the filter basket all the way up for a pot of water all the way up. Maybe I made it too strong, maybe I am just unused to the caffeine now, but I was feeling wired the rest of that day.

[Marlene]

Because I drink so much coffee during the day, I was definitely starting to notice the "caffeine buzz". I've since switched to; a full pot of regular caffeine in the morning, then my second pot is half caffeine and half decaf and the last pot is all decaf. i have noticed a significant difference. Not only in how I sleep, but also my hands shake less from the caffeine buzz!

[jo-mel]

I switched from all 'regular' to a ratio of 1 to 4. Maybe it is psychological, but I still want that first cup in the morning, !immediately!, and even the lower caffeine wakes me up in a few minutes. I sip the stuff all day and feel just fine.

BUT ---- one time, I made a mistake and made it 4 regular to 1 decaf, and after about the 4th cup, I was jumping out of my skin!

Decaf is now so good, that I drink it for the taste -- not for the jolt.

[fifi]

Now you have me wondering. I used to drink coffee pretty much all day years ago. For the past few years, I just kinda stopped that. I wasn't thinking about caffeine or anything. It was just a happening. I now only have maybe two big mugs in the morning. The only time I have coffee in the evening is if it is an after dinner coffee toddy type drink. But I have seen a change in sleep patterns as I have aged. I seem to get a maximum of 6 hours. I have been thinking that it is just an age thing but I just might switch to decaf and see if it makes any difference. I could also have become more sensitive to the caffeine. Hmmm.

Fresser, you have a good mom.

[viva]

Don't you guys get headaches? I only drink Diet Coke as my caffeine of choice, which has way less caffeine than coffee, probably 4-5 cans per day, which I think barely equates to one cup of coffee. Every time I try to give it up, I get these massive headaches that take DAYS to get over. Migraine-level headaches. Pure agony.

The only reason I try to give it up, however, is vanity. I don't want my teeth to turn brown. Oh, that, and for health.

[jgm]

Don't you guys get headaches?  I only drink Diet Coke as my caffeine of choice, which has way less caffeine than coffee, probably 4-5 cans per day, which I think barely equates to one cup of coffee.  Every time I try to give it up, I get these massive headaches that take DAYS to get over.  Migraine-level headaches.  Pure agony.

The only reason I try to give it up, however, is vanity.  I don't want my teeth to turn brown.  Oh, that, and for health. 

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If you want to give up caffeine, wean yourself off it slowly. Decrease the amount by 1/4 weekly until you're off. If you start getting headaches, add a little back in and decrease more slowly. It can be done!

[peppyre]

I had to give up caffeine a few years ago when I started getting really serious migraine. It was all part of the "let's see if it's food related" diet and I was a mess. I was the type of person that would drink several coffees and espresso's throughout the day and evening and of course I found out that caffeine wasn't affecting my migraines at all. I felt so much better when I started having my morning coffee again. I was human again! Although, I do limit my coffee intake. One cup before I leave the house and another when I get to the office. That's it. If I decide to splurge and have an espresso in the afternoon, I'm shaky and wired, it's really quite amusing.

[irodguy]

I have been pretty much off caffeine for the last few months. I have been drinking caffiene free soda and water. Every so often I have to hit the Ice Tea when I know I want to stay up late, but that's a pretty rare thing.

I find that I am sleeping much better.

[Jensen]

If you want to give up caffeine, wean yourself off it slowly.  Decrease the amount by 1/4 weekly until you're off.  If you start getting headaches, add a little back in and decrease more slowly.  It can be done!

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Also, increase your water intake. Yes, when I quit the caffeine, I had headaches. I get migraines anyway and, as the meds for that didn't have any effect on these headaches, I knew it was from caffeine and not something else.

Extra water did seem to help though. And, after a week or so, they went away.

[spaghetttti]

Mama Fresser said, "Fresser, you need to stop drinking caffeinated coffee.  All the caffeine is making you pee!" 

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Mama always knows best . Though I don't want to, I may try to wean myself gradually, but I can't imagine how decaf tastes, any good?

[ladyyoung98]

i gave up coffee a while back as i just wasnt drinking as much as i used to ..i still drink my tea but usually when we go out...other than that..its dcaf drinks all the way

[Chufi]

there's also the phenomenon of 'weekend headaches'. When you drink a lot of coffee at work (and many people do because 'taking a break' has become synonimous with 'having a cup of coffee', I have people at my office who drink at least 20 cups a day), chances are that on weekends, you get withdrawal symptoms because of the different coffee rhythm.

I alternate regular coffee with decaf and I only have coffee in the morning, at a total of 3 cups maximum. I really don't like the way too much caffeine makes me feel!

Edited February 6, 2005 by Chufi (log)

[easternsun]

Don't you guys get headaches?  I only drink Diet Coke as my caffeine of choice, which has way less caffeine than coffee, probably 4-5 cans per day, which I think barely equates to one cup of coffee.  Every time I try to give it up, I get these massive headaches that take DAYS to get over.  Migraine-level headaches.  Pure agony.

The only reason I try to give it up, however, is vanity.  I don't want my teeth to turn brown.  Oh, that, and for health. 

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i stopped two weeks ago and the headaches are finally going away.....

i have to say, herbal tea just isnt doing it for me though. has anyone tried "inca" or a suitable replacement (tastes like it coffee but isnt coffee?)

[viva]

When you said "inca" I thought you were referring to dried coca-leaf tea, which certainly did the trick in Peru.

Everytime I try to get off caffeine, it's such misery (headaches + insane amounts of yawning) that I wonder WHY I'm doing it. I have so many more vices that need to be addressed before I give up Diet Coke.

[Richard Kilgore]

There is some variability in the responses that people have to caffeine and to withdrawing from it. And we tend to get more sensitve to its effects with age. The shakes, yawning and headaches, as well as a dysphoric feeling are all symptoms related to what we now call Clinical Caffeinism. Most find it easiest to withdraw by slowly decreasing the amount of caffeine consummed daily. As others above have suggested you can try cutting it back 20-25% initially, and then another 20-25% in the next step, and so on. You can stay at one level for several days (try three) before reducing the % for the next step down.

[Fresser]

Mama Fresser said, "Fresser, you need to stop drinking caffeinated coffee.  All the caffeine is making you pee!" 

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Mama always knows best . Though I don't want to, I may try to wean myself gradually, but I can't imagine how decaf tastes, any good?

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I don't think caffeine really affects a coffee's taste that much.

Try to find a full-bodied decaf--flavored, perhaps--and you should be satisfied. Do they have Fourbucks® or the other coffee chains in Indonesia?

[ghostrider]

It's interesting how many folks equate caffeine with coffee. I gave up coffee 30 years ago because it was tying my stomach in knots & I had discovered the pleasures of really good tea.

The few times I've tried coffee since then, I've gotten a noticeable buzz, considerably more intense than the simple feeling of being fully awake that I get from tea.

The even fewer times that I've drunk an entire pot of coffee since then have resulted in a distinctly unpleasant wired feeling & a bit of the shakes that others here have mentioned.

I've gradually reduced my intake of tea over the years, for no particular reason other than not feeling the need for it. My cardiologist still thinks I drink too much of it, yet remains puzzled that it doesn't seem to affect my heart rate. I've explained to him many times that a cup of properly brewed loose tea from a pot is considerably less strong than a cup made from a Lipton teabag, but it never sinks in, he just doesn't get it. Oh well, he has his areas of expertise and I have mine.

[phaelon56]

I drink two or three double ristretto shots of espresso most weekdays (each containing about 1.5 oz of espresso). On occasion I'll just have a 12 oz cup of coffee instead. Sometimes such as during my recent vacation, I might have only two espresso's per day, one in late morning and one before dinner.

I suppose I'm just constitutionally blessed but when I stop drinking coffee for a few days or longer the only noticeable effect is a very mild headache mid to late afternoon the first day. One Tylenol fixes that and on subsequent days I detect absolutely no change.

I do recall a time in my life when I was drinking 8 - 10 cups of cheap coffee per day and getting way too jumpy. Back then I found myself instinctively cutting back. It's worth noting that higher quality coffee (arabica in general) typically has less caffiene than cheaper coffee (robusta) and per "drink" (a 1 oz espresso being equal to a 6 oz cup of coffee), espresso has much less caffiene than drip coffee or French press.

[jgarner53]

I never really developed a taste for coffee, except for the really rare cappucino. Mostly it makes my stomach jittery.

I've been drinking green tea in the mornings now for probably about 5 years, and then I usually have a Diet Coke at lunchtime.

[Cusina]

I wonder if part of the removal issue is dehydration as well as caffeine withdrawl? That can cause headaches too.

[Patrick S]

Mama Fresser said, "Fresser, you need to stop drinking caffeinated coffee.  All the caffeine is making you pee!" 

←

Mama always knows best . Though I don't want to, I may try to wean myself gradually, but I can't imagine how decaf tastes, any good?

←

I don't think caffeine really affects a coffee's taste that much.

Try to find a full-bodied decaf--flavored, perhaps--and you should be satisfied. Do they have Fourbucks® or the other coffee chains in Indonesia?

←

Well, caffeine itself is a bitter, and a cup of coffee may contain over 100mg of it, so I imagine it could be a flavor component of coffee. On the other hand, Ive seen studies of cola in which consumers could not differentiate caffeinated from decaff.

Decaf coffees can definitely taste quite different from regular coffee for reasons other than caffeine content. For instance, the solvents that are used to remove caffeine may remove some of the flavor compounds, or may degrade them in some way. Theoretically what happens is that the caffeine is removed from the coffee extract and then the extract is added back to the beans, but I doubt all of the non-caffeine parts of the extract actually make it back to the bean. For whatever reasons, Ive never had a decaff that tasted just like its caffeinated counterpart.

[Susan in FL]

Glad you brought up this subject. I've been thinking about quitting coffee except for an occasional cup. Morning coffee is my main source of caffeine. I enjoy good coffee and drink just high test or espresso, but have always imagined why drink coffee without caffeine...

But how would I get awake in the morning? How are you quitters doing, waking up without it?

[sourmango]

I used to drink 3-5 cups of coffee a day, starting the day off with a strong cup of French Press coffee. However, I also used to get stomach aches from the coffee and horrible sleep.

I decided to make the switch from coffee to tea and have been much happier with my quality of sleep. Also, the stomach problems have gone away. I do, however, long for coffee. But, I know once I have one cup, I'll start drinking a whole lot of it again. So, I treat myself to good teas from mail-order sources so I don't get tempted with coffee.

Also, when I quit coffee I had a headache for about two weeks. And, was all around cranky for about a month.