How long for caffeine withdrawal headaches to go away?

[JESW]

ugh. I am trying to wean myself off my daily med. iced coffee from DD's and my couple days a week med. diet coke from McD's and these headaches are killing me! I gave in today and bought an iced coffee but I know I need to stop. Any suggestions on what can help with the headaches?

Jill

 

[LadyyRedd]

Doing it cold turkey is VERY hard. I did it 10 years ago. I was in misery for 2 weeks, but they did go away.

It's easier to do if you slowly decrease the amount by getting 1/4 decaf and 3/4 caffeinated for a week...then 1/2 decaf...then 3/4 decaf.

Tylenol (or advil, if you can take it) might help as well.

Kimya

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I'm not sure, but I can sympathize with you. I was trying to cut my consumption of soda down from several a day to just 2 or 3....it was hard to do without a bottle of advil around. I eventually fell off the wagon started drinking too many again. I'm going to try and cut down again. However, my mom said, when she gave up sodas all together, said she felt like she had the flu for a month (she didn't metioned headaches specifically).

 

[Jennasis]

Quitting my Diet Coke caffieine thing back in 2005 was the worst mistake I ever made. It triggered headaches of an epic proportion that lasted from the moment my eyes opened in the morning until I finally cried myself to sleep each night...everyday...for over a year.

I finally had to go to a nuerologist who treated me for the migraines after ruling out lots of other stuff.

It was bad.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Start by doing have caffiene free and have regular for awhile then go down to like 1/4 regular to 3/4 decaf. Just wean yourself off slowly from it and it is much easier. Those headaches are the worst and nothing will help them unless it is caffeine.

 

[taylor4fam]

I wish I could give you an answer. I can never wait it out and always fall off the wagon. I have no other addictions but caffeine, I can't imagine trying to come off something stronger than that! I guess I will always be a Coca Cola junkie.

 

[puffkin]

Those headaches are killer and I never was able to come off it either.....but I was able to cut back to one or two diet sodas a day. It is my only vice though, so I don't worry too much about it.

Good luck

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I saw a study on one of those "health" shows and it came down to 7 days before the headaches and pain go away.

It was a blind study with 2 people, one had caffeine in the coffee and the other didn't but the participants didn't know which one they had. It took an entire week before the non-caffeinated groups headaches went away.

 

[MushyMushy]

I went off caffeine years and years ago. For about two weeks I had headaches and trouble sleeping, but after those two weeks were up, I was fine! I quit cold turkey too, no pop, coffee, tea, chocolate or anything that had caffeine. It's been about 18 years since then (wow, so long!) and I've relaxed to the point where I can have a cappuccino or something with caffeine and be fine with it.

 

[KelNottAt]

Do not take Excedrin to relieve your caffiene withdrawl headaches.

Caffiene is the active ingredient in Excedrin, so you're really not doing yourself any favors.

 

[ckay87]

Oh Lord, I can't even think about it. That headache is the worse! Fortunately my caffeine addiction is purely to black coffee in the am, not soda or other sugary stuff. So I have NO intention of giving it up until my very life depends on it.

I agee others that this is not a substance to quit cold turkey. There are lots of ways to cut down. Doesn't Folgers even make a half-caf coffee?

Good luck....I'll pray for you (and secretely be glad I don't have to live or work with you)

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

I agree with LadyRedd...going cold turkey is hard.


There was a time when I worked in a resteraunt where we were allowed to drink as much soda as we wanted. Needless to say, in a very short amount of time I was drinking a LOT of soda. When I quit working there I went through a very tough caffiene withdrawal that reminded me a lot of when I quit smoking. I was shaking and had headaches and felt absolutely MISERABLE.

But it will go away sooner or later. Promise.

 

[suzannen]

When I was pregnant and gave up caffeine, my doctor recommended LadyyRedd's method of slowly cutting back over a 3 week period and I never had one headache.

 

[RUDisney]

I gave up caffiene in February 2007 after I had surgery and was on percoset. I didn't feel any withdrawal symptoms. Actually, I didn't feel much of anything.

Sorry that you're going through this, but it is SO worth it when you're unhooked.

Drink lots of water to stay hydrated.