Quitting caffeine

It_Is_My_Time

It_Is_My_Time

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Has anyone here quit caffeine, or at least stopped making it a part of your daily routine? I am working on it now, this week I have only used caffeine, in a small dose of BCAA Energy mix, before my lifting. Other than this, so far this week I have not had any other caffeine. I started to wean myself off of it last week, drinking less and less coffee and so far, I have kept from going back to coffee. I slept better and had better dreams last night than I have had in a long time. I don't know what the longer term impact will be. I have been using a blended mix of water, lemon, ginger root, cayenne pepper, raw garlic, pink salt and ACV to get going in the morning, and it is bitter but does a better job of waking me up than coffee has done in years.

I'm just checking to see if anyone else has had success in quitting caffeine, and if so, what their longer-term affects have been. Also, a support thread for those who are trying to do so.
 
Coffee isn't bad for you it's actually a natural anti oxidant, cream and sugar is bad for you, caffeine in general without the sugar that usually comes with it isn't bad for you but overusing it can lead to issues. I had a friend who was using massive amounts of stimulants, espressos, pre-workout, energy drinks and etc.....he ended up having to deal with adrenal fatigue which is incredibly difficult to get over. I begged him to get off the stimulants but he just kept suffering through it, I told him the caffeine withdrawals are well worth getting over the adrenal fatigue but he's a hard headed greasy italian and wouldn't do it. He suffered for months and eventually relented and stopped all stimulants, it took him a while but he did get over the adrenal fatigue.

He doesn't use any caffeine at all anymore and he's probably one of the most energetic people I know, it can be done and caffeine withdrawal alone isn't too crazy just some headaches and lethargy. It's just a matter of asking yourself why you are doing it, do you genuinely have an issue with it or is it something you're doing just to do it and perhaps your actual issue is the sugar that often comes with the caffeine.
 
FrancisK said:
Coffee isn't bad for you it's actually a natural anti oxidant, cream and sugar is bad for you, caffeine in general without the sugar that usually comes with it isn't bad for you but overusing it can lead to issues. I had a friend who was using massive amounts of stimulants, espressos, pre-workout, energy drinks and etc.....he ended up having to deal with adrenal fatigue which is incredibly difficult to get over. I begged him to get off the stimulants but he just kept suffering through it, I told him the caffeine withdrawals are well worth getting over the adrenal fatigue but he's a hard headed greasy italian and wouldn't do it. He suffered for months and eventually relented and stopped all stimulants, it took him a while but he did get over the adrenal fatigue.

He doesn't use any caffeine at all anymore and he's probably one of the most energetic people I know, it can be done and caffeine withdrawal alone isn't too crazy just some headaches and lethargy. It's just a matter of asking yourself why you are doing it, do you genuinely have an issue with it or is it something you're doing just to do it and perhaps your actual issue is the sugar that often comes with the caffeine.
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I cut out all sugar a while back, I was only drinking black coffee. The reports I see are better sleep, more natural energy, and better food digestion.

I never overdid caffeine as it was, but it was part of my morning routine to have a cup of coffee. I am hoping to cut it out, to see if I get these benefits and then if I am ever really sleep deprived, I can have a cup and it will probably hit me a lot harder and do more good in that time of need.
 
It_Is_My_Time said:
I cut out all sugar a while back, I was only drinking black coffee. The reports I see are better sleep, more natural energy, and better food digestion.

I never overdid caffeine as it was, but it was part of my morning routine to have a cup of coffee. I am hoping to cut it out, to see if I get these benefits and then if I am ever really sleep deprived, I can have a cup and it will probably hit me a lot harder and do more good in that time of need.
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Yea sure that sounds reasonable, I don't see any reason not to go with that. If you were only at a cup in the morning I don't see why you would have any issues cutting it out other than the mental aspect of the routine, I doubt you would have much at all in the way of caffeine withdrawals and if you do you can taper off.

But that also applies to other side, you may not get much out of cutting it out if it was only a single cup a day. The benefits you read in a bias article probably don't apply so much to someone using a small negligible amount.
 
I don’t drink coffee. I take caffeine tabs now and then if I need to stay awake or have something important.

Last year I took it everyday for a week and the day I didn’t take, gave me a crazy headache.

I saw a funny comment about stopping caffeine and ibuprofen to show how old and dependent you are to those medications.
 
All stimulants have a cost and when I realized that, after only a few years of drinking one small cup of coffee a day, I had developed a dependence on caffeine, I gradually decreased my intake.

I cut the amount of beans per cup in half for a while from 30g to 15g, then skipped days, and continued to decrease the beans down to 7-10 grams per cup, with only 1 or 2 cups a week.

Now I just have it for emergencies and try to organize my sleep schedule better so that I don't need it, which also requires having a more consistent daily prayer rule.

Reducing my dependence on caffeine led me to better sleep and prayer, which is why I continue to avoid caffeine as much as possible.
 
Well, I completely eliminated soda - i.e., Pepsi, Coca-Cola, etc. - years ago in early 2000's. It is the only thing I quit.

As for coffee, it is a part of my normal morning routine for years so I'm not going to stop just to fit in with the "quit caffeine" crowd. No offense. Heck, my late father and grandparents drank coffee well into their late 80's.
 
Reporting back 2 months later.

This has become one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am so glad I got off caffeine and I will never go back on it.

Changes I have experienced...

I replaced caffeine with lemon water. In the morning I have half a lemon with ginger root blended up in about 12 ounces of water. It gives me a better buzz than caffeine and it is more natural. In doing this, I felt the familiar swollen throat early cold symptoms last week, but downing two of these drinks and I was back to 100% right away.

I sleep better and sleep less. Beyond 6 hours of sleep is now only when I really push it hard during the day, or I force myself to go back to sleep. I am going to stop trying to force myself to go back to sleep, I just don't think I need any extra 30 minute sleeping after waking up.

I have more energy than before. I get that same sort of caffeine energy spike, but with just some cut up lemon in a glass of water. I have way more energy during the day, I get to sleep easier at night.

I have way less anxiety/stress. I just have a very calm and even feeling throughout my body and my anxiety seems to have diminished.

I am losing body fat. From what I understand, caffeine places extra stress on your body via your adrenaline and this can cause you to store extra body fat.

Most importantly, this was my only vice. I work some pretty insane hours, so I thought the only way to do it was to be caffeinated up all the time. It was never a deep addiction, but at the end of the day, if you need a cup of coffee to function, it is an addiction. It isn't nearly as harmful as hard drugs or alcohol, but still an addiction. And it isn't the physical side of it alone, it is the mental side. It is the constantly telling yourself that you "need" something to get by. That you alone are not enough, that you are not whole without this outside substance. When you stop thinking that way, your mental strength and confidence really grow.
 
Didn't notice this thread before, but I recently quit caffeine. Because of the job I took recently, I can't afford to be running to the bathroom a lot because of a diuretic. I've been off caffeine for about a month now. I weened myself off slowly, drinking less and less until I got sick one day, then I cut myself off. I had a low grade headache and felt more tired throughout the day until I was past the withdrawal. Lately I feel like I get better sleep. I'm also completely awake within minutes after I first wake up. No morning grogginess ever. I also don't get tired in the afternoon when caffeine would normally wear off. Around 2-3pm I'm still feeling wide awake. I generally feel wide awake until bedtime, then I go to bed easily. I also noticed my guts don't give me issues, and I never feel a sudden urge to go in the morning when the caffeine used to hit. I used to have IBS, which seems to be pretty much gone unless I eat crap, and coffee was a part of that. No more stomach aches, no more forced bowel movement cramps. Caffeine also gave me an anxious butterfly feeling in my gut which I no longer get. In fact, I think because of that, I don't feel as much anxiety about anything because it isn't being artificially enhanced.

I don't think I'll ever go back to caffeine. Once you're off it and you feel great you wonder why you ever needed it in the first place. I really don't think it'd enhance my wellbeing in any way. I do drink decaf coffee on weekends as a treat. Decaf coffee doesn't give me any of the problems caffeinated coffee does. I highly recommend at least trying to cut out caffeine to see how your body reacts. Coffee is also really expensive and now I'm saving money as a side bonus.
 
thinkreadwritecode said:
Didn't notice this thread before, but I recently quit caffeine. Because of the job I took recently, I can't afford to be running to the bathroom a lot because of a diuretic. I've been off caffeine for about a month now. I weened myself off slowly, drinking less and less until I got sick one day, then I cut myself off. I had a low grade headache and felt more tired throughout the day until I was past the withdrawal. Lately I feel like I get better sleep. I'm also completely awake within minutes after I first wake up. No morning grogginess ever. I also don't get tired in the afternoon when caffeine would normally wear off. Around 2-3pm I'm still feeling wide awake. I generally feel wide awake until bedtime, then I go to bed easily. I also noticed my guts don't give me issues, and I never feel a sudden urge to go in the morning when the caffeine used to hit. I used to have IBS, which seems to be pretty much gone unless I eat crap, and coffee was a part of that. No more stomach aches, no more forced bowel movement cramps. Caffeine also gave me an anxious butterfly feeling in my gut which I no longer get. In fact, I think because of that, I don't feel as much anxiety about anything because it isn't being artificially enhanced.

I don't think I'll ever go back to caffeine. Once you're off it and you feel great you wonder why you ever needed it in the first place. I really don't think it'd enhance my wellbeing in any way. I do drink decaf coffee on weekends as a treat. Decaf coffee doesn't give me any of the problems caffeinated coffee does. I highly recommend at least trying to cut out caffeine to see how your body reacts. Coffee is also really expensive and now I'm saving money as a side bonus.
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Yea, the first day I tried to go without any coffee, I caved around noon and had about 3 ounces of black coffee. My head was spinning, I couldn't focus, a headache was coming on. The next day was the same, but the symptoms were milder, so I toughed it out and made it through the day. By the next day the withdrawal symptoms were completely gone, and I have never looked back. I will never do it again. If I am tired, I just need to take a quick nap and accept that I am tired.
 
thinkreadwritecode said:
Didn't notice this thread before, but I recently quit caffeine. Because of the job I took recently, I can't afford to be running to the bathroom a lot because of a diuretic. I've been off caffeine for about a month now. I weened myself off slowly, drinking less and less until I got sick one day, then I cut myself off. I had a low grade headache and felt more tired throughout the day until I was past the withdrawal. Lately I feel like I get better sleep. I'm also completely awake within minutes after I first wake up. No morning grogginess ever. I also don't get tired in the afternoon when caffeine would normally wear off. Around 2-3pm I'm still feeling wide awake. I generally feel wide awake until bedtime, then I go to bed easily. I also noticed my guts don't give me issues, and I never feel a sudden urge to go in the morning when the caffeine used to hit. I used to have IBS, which seems to be pretty much gone unless I eat crap, and coffee was a part of that. No more stomach aches, no more forced bowel movement cramps. Caffeine also gave me an anxious butterfly feeling in my gut which I no longer get. In fact, I think because of that, I don't feel as much anxiety about anything because it isn't being artificially enhanced.

I don't think I'll ever go back to caffeine. Once you're off it and you feel great you wonder why you ever needed it in the first place. I really don't think it'd enhance my wellbeing in any way. I do drink decaf coffee on weekends as a treat. Decaf coffee doesn't give me any of the problems caffeinated coffee does. I highly recommend at least trying to cut out caffeine to see how your body reacts. Coffee is also really expensive and now I'm saving money as a side bonus.
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Interesting. I am definitely groggy in the morning, and I'm about ready to pass out at my desk a lot of times in the afternoon from sleepiness. The thing is, I like caffeinated drinks. I'm not willing to give it up entirely, but maybe I should cut back even further to maybe only one caffeinated drink per day.

Edit: on a side note, I had a friend who had quit cigarettes a number of times, then took them up again, a few years apart each time. Whenever he was ready to quit again, he would quit both caffeine and tobacco at the same time, cold turkey. He would suffer through the withdrawal from both for a few days, then start back with caffeine. He did this intentionally because the relief of going back on caffeine helped him carry through with quitting tobacco. I saw him do this twice in the time we were close. He succeeded in quitting cigarettes both times.
 
I understand the benefits of being totally durg free to include even caffeine, probably the most common addiction in the world. I tried to go without coffee completely for a month earlier this year. I was definitely extra tired for the first week or two, but then felt mostly normal again. What happened after that was that I began to notice I was generally less focused and impulsively saying things I would usually think twice before saying. It was nice being more mellow, but I'm already a mellow dude, anyway.

Overall, I find I focus better and am more productive when drinking a black cup of coffee at sunrise before my workout. I never do energy drinks and stuff like that, though. Just a cup of coffee or tea, thats it.

I respect all of you who can inexplicably live without vitamin caffeine.
 
Thomas More said:
Interesting. I am definitely groggy in the morning, and I'm about ready to pass out at my desk a lot of times in the afternoon from sleepiness. The thing is, I like caffeinated drinks. I'm not willing to give it up entirely, but maybe I should cut back even further to maybe only one caffeinated drink per day.

Edit: on a side note, I had a friend who had quit cigarettes a number of times, then took them up again, a few years apart each time. Whenever he was ready to quit again, he would quit both caffeine and tobacco at the same time, cold turkey. He would suffer through the withdrawal from both for a few days, then start back with caffeine. He did this intentionally because the relief of going back on caffeine helped him carry through with quitting tobacco. I saw him do this twice in the time we were close. He succeeded in quitting cigarettes both times.
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Right before I decided to quit I was regularly drinking 2-liter coke zeros within a few days, and had my regular coffee. I was pretty much addicted to carbonated drinks. My job doesn't allow regular bathroom breaks so I decided I needed to cut out carbonated and caffeinated drinks just so I wouldn't have to go pee all the time, and suffer as a result. If it weren't for that necessity, I think I'd still be drinking a lot of diet soda and coffee, but to be honest, I'm kind of glad I'm off the stuff, because I don't know what the long-term effects of all the artificial sweeteners would be, and all the acidity on my teeth. I still have fizzy water on the weekends as a treat. It's definitely a doable change, and while it hasn't been some kind of life-hack enhancement, I appreciate how the body adapts and you feel fine. I also thought I'd never be able to stop eating pizza, but I haven't had any pizza since Mother's Day, and I'm down 20 pounds.
 
Read_Lives_of_Saints said:
Good on you for quitting coffee. It seems odd to me that lemon and ginger would give you a boost the way coffee does. Any ideas?
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I add in some cayenne pepper as well and then Himalayan salt. This combination gets your digestive system and lymphatic system moving, so it gives you great natural energy without the adrenaline spike and eventual crash afterwards.
 
Thomas More said:
Interesting. I am definitely groggy in the morning, and I'm about ready to pass out at my desk a lot of times in the afternoon from sleepiness.
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Without derailing from the caffeine theme, how's your eyesight? Do you wear glasses? I used to have a huge fatigue crash at the office around 1-2pm, and it turned out I needed reading glasses. A couple years later when I started to feel the same thing again, I needed to change the prescription.
 
ed plrbs unm said:
Without derailing from the caffeine theme, how's your eyesight? Do you wear glasses? I used to have a huge fatigue crash at the office around 1-2pm, and it turned out I needed reading glasses. A couple years later when I started to feel the same thing again, I needed to change the prescription.
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I do need new glasses, but I never get around to making an appt. I will get on this. Thanks!
 
Reading this thread, I feel relieved that I’ve always avoided coffee like the plague. To me, caffeine as a stimulant is simply the other side of the coin to alcohol as a depressant. Even when invited to coffee shops, I would always order a non-caffeinated drink—like a milkshake or something similar. I only drink coffee when it’s truly unavoidable, such as when someone serves it to me. Even with tea, I prefer green tea for its milder caffeine content compared to black tea.

Because I rarely consume caffeinated drinks, when I really need a boost—such as for long-distance driving or staying alert during exams—just one bottle of Kratingdaeng is more than enough to do the job.

Being natural and not dependent on performance-enhancing drugs certainly has its advantages.​
 
Update on this, 2 and a half months later.

One of the best decisions I have made. I have more energy, I feel better, I never get headaches when I am worn down, my immune system seems stronger, and I feel less stressed and on edge.

I used to get super painful migraines behind my left eye, that I came to realize the only fix was to take a OTC pain killer and wait it out. They would sometimes be so extreme I would vomit and sleep 12 hours. I have not even had the start of one of these migraines since I quit caffeine.

I never really feel tired or worn down, unless I way over do it, and even then, a little extra sleep or a 10-minute nap and I am back up and going again.

The real big change, that I never expected, is the true inner peace. Between not pressing my adrenaline hormones, which caffeine does to your body, and the lack of needing something external, I have a inner peace I have never experience in my life. Things that used to stress me no longer matter to me. This has given me a new outlook on life and what I want for the 2nd half of my life. The fact I no longer feel I "need" something external is such a huge weight off my shoulders. I don't have to plan to have caffeine, or worry about headaches from not having it, or better yet, feel I need anything else. Everything I need is already in me. Which then makes fasting easier, and the desire to cut carbs easier, and eventually it all snowballs into making my health better.

I hear people say "I need a shot" or I see young people sucking on their vape pen like it is a pacifier. I realized I was no better than them, by needing caffeine. Just because it is cheap, legal, and socially accepted, doesn't mean it is healthy or the right thing to do for your body and mind. And getting away from this mindset, of need, is a real-life changing event. It moves into other avenues. I don't need anything else, I have all I need, and this is the greatest peace I can imagine one coming to realize. This then expands into desires and needs for other things also soon evaporates.

I recommend getting off caffeine. It isn't easy, but it is well worth it.
 
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