I'm quitting coffee/caffeine. Has anyone else on here done it?

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Years back I used to have 3 or 4 cups a day. I never felt like I was relying on the caffeine for alertness or similar. When I started to have irregular heartbeat, the cardiologist said no more coffee. I asked about decaf. He said a few cups a day were okay. I now have 3 or 4 decaf some days, 1 or 2 other days. I had no issues with switching from caffeinated to decaf.

Good for you! So many people forget about decaf-they seem to equate coffee with caffeine. Or else, like someone I know with high blood pressure said when I asked him why he doesn't switch to decaf-"I don't like the taste of coffee without caffeine." Didn't tase any different to me when I switched, and I didn't get any headaches either. But the funny part is that, even without caffeine, I feel like I'm addicted-I HAVE to have my morning coffee. And I miss decaffeinated Dr Pepper-I could find it in grocery stores pre-pandemic, but haven't seen it since Covid.

I'm the same ... I used to drink about 4-5 cups of caffeinated per day, now I have 3 cups black decaf every day, mainly because of HBP. Occasionally on vacation I'll have caffeine, or half-caf, but not often. I love the flavor and holding the warm cup. I look forward to the morning coffee even with no caffeine, and really I can't tell any difference other than I don't turn into a jittery jumpy mess all day.

 

[Cadiewampus]

I quit drinking Alcohol a couple years ago. If I quit coffee I might kill somebody

 

[bdrex28]

I did, it wasn't that bad. I have never been a soda drinker and I found that my couple of coffees a day were typically just due to liking the warm drink in the morning and once in the afternoon. So I basically just went to Tea (non-caffeinated) and de-caffeinated coffees.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Its been 2+ weeks at this point.
Definitely had some unexpected withdrawal symptoms.
It was just very minor headache for a few days and more tired but that went away quickly.
The ones I was not expecting was quite severe back/hip/general joint pain and some pretty bad low stomach pain.
That has all passed now.
Certainly don't feel more energized and I'm not getting better sleep.
But I will say that I'm my old could take a nap at any time throughout the day person.
About the only plus is that I don't have surges of jittery energy its more just steady paced tiredness all day lol.

 

[goofyernmost]

Never started it, but I did have to stop smoking after 40 years. That wasn't fun! The worse part of it was after going through all that old age set in and I'm not as anxious to just stop that.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

I have tried to quit drinking soda multiple times. I don't drink coffee, but I get my caffeine from soda. I have made it about 10 days each time before the intense headaches and migraines made it impossible to continue.

 

[Frwinkley]

I'll never quit coffee, but I would love to quit the artificial creamer/sweetener that I put in it.

Sometimes I think I like the creamer more than the coffee!! I don't ever think I could drink it black, but am trying to cut back on how sweet I drink it.

 

[Karin1984]

On day 11 of no cafeine and no soda.

 

[amcnj]

I occasionally think about starting to drink coffee, as I feel with age I am a little more sluggish when waking up than I used to be. But so far I haven’t done so.

 

[disykat]

I was never a huge coffee drinker, but did enjoy lattes, mochas, etc. once or twice a week. I "drank coffee socially!" I had an episode of heartburn that was so bad I ended up in the ER for a lidocaine cocktail during the height of the pandemic. I haven't had a single cup of coffee since. Scared me straight! I do miss it, though.

 

[goofyernmost]

I have tried to quit drinking soda multiple times. I don't drink coffee, but I get my caffeine from soda. I have made it about 10 days each time before the intense headaches and migraines made it impossible to continue.

I used to be a continual Pepsi drinker. I always had my 16 oz, old A&W Root Beer, mug with me all day long. What I did was over time (not a long time) I just added more ice until I filled the mg with ice to the top and had by then diluted it enough to have slowly decrease the amount of caffeine. Then I switched to unsweet Iced Tea which is already 99% water, with a mug full of ice I finish by adding the tea. I haven't had a Pepsi now in probably 10 years but allow myself one aforementioned 16oz of Iced Tea which I slowly sip on for hours and as the tea disappears I just replenish it with Ice and water for the rest of the day. No noticeable reaction to no longer drinking the heavy caffeinated/sweetened but a noticeable difference in what it cost me. A few tea bags are pretty cheap especially if you make the tea in a pitcher sized container.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

I used to be a continual Pepsi drinker. I always had my 16 oz, old A&W Root Beer, mug with me all day long. What I did was over time (not a long time) I just added more ice until I filled the mg with ice to the top and had by then diluted it enough to have slowly decrease the amount of caffeine. Then I switched to unsweet Iced Tea which is already 99% water, with a mug full of ice I finish by adding the tea. I haven't had a Pepsi now in probably 10 years but allow myself one aforementioned 16oz of Iced Tea which I slowly sip on for hours and as the tea disappears I just replenish it with Ice and water for the rest of the day. No noticeable reaction to no longer drinking the heavy caffeinated/sweetened but a noticeable difference in what it cost me. A few tea bags are pretty cheap especially if you make the tea in a pitcher sized container.

I have tried tea a few times and I just don't like it enough to drink it all the time. I'll drink hot tea from time to time, but iced tea is just not for me. I've tried carbonated water, other "healthier" sodas, etc., and I just haven't been able to make it work.

 

[MsChristy12]

I never tried quitting coffee...and that won't ever happen unless it's health related w/ doc's order. I LOVE coffee (black coffee) so even if I don't need it, I would still drink it because I'm a coffee lover. I did, however, decrease the amount I consume. I used to drink 2-3 cups a day. 2 cups in the AM, then maybe 1 cup mid-afternoon. Now I only drink one cup (up to 12oz unless I'm really tired), and that's it for the day. If I really feel like I need a boost, I'll have an espresso in the PM instead of full cup of coffee. I don't remember when I decided to cut back, but I thought, do I really need those extra cups? Let's see what happens if I don't drink as much. Well, nothing really changed, and my energy level remained the same so I just kept it to one cup a day.

 

[MsChristy12]

I'll never quit coffee, but I would love to quit the artificial creamer/sweetener that I put in it.

Sometimes I think I like the creamer more than the coffee!! I don't ever think I could drink it black, but am trying to cut back on how sweet I drink it.

You absolutely can do it! About 10 yrs ago, I used to put 2-3 packs of sugar in my coffee depending on how big of a cup they were. At the time, my husband saw this book at Costco called the Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise, and he talks about how sugar is the main cause for feeling sluggish, weight gain and belly fat that won't go away. After some research, I decided my first cutback on sugar is my coffee. I started putting about half pack less, it wasn't bad at all, very slight difference. Then after I got used to it, I cut back another half pack. Eventually, one day I no longer wanted any sugar in my coffee, just milk (half and half) and even that I cut down a little. Then one day I was like...let's try with no milk. Well, it's not so bad! That's how I started drinking black coffee.

Not saying everyone should follow what I did, but I feel like the minimal cut back over time instead of cold turkey, really helped me with the transition to consuming less sugar. Basically, once your body gets used to it, it craves less. Now I can't drink any drip coffee with sugar or milk in it, they just don't taste right to me anymore Bottomline, if you want to eliminate the sugar, do it slowly and you absolutely can achieve that! Good luck and believe in yourself that you can!

 

[patm95]

I do quit periodically but always end up having to start back up again because I drive a lot and find myself falling asleep. I always feel better when I do quit though.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Sooner quit living.
Whether I need it or not I have convinced myself that it allows me to face day. Is that bad? I don't think so.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Used to roll by Starbucks with my 9 year old daughter when she got off school early.
Wife saw how spun the daughter got on Starbucks and banned those stops.

Not bad, only 3 house rules set down by the wife.
No hard Liquor, no profanity, and no kids drinking caffeine drinks.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

So easy to just order your coffee black.
You do get accustomed to it pretty quick.

 

[Sheryl2059]

Coffee? Nope never giving that up. But then again, I dont drink soda. Seldom drink alcohol. Dont smoke. So I'm ahead of the curve already. One thing I DID give up however was Starbucks. Too pricey for what you get.

 

[Kameron Milne]

Coffee? Nope never giving that up. But then again, I dont drink soda. Seldom drink alcohol. Dont smoke. So I'm ahead of the curve already. One thing I DID give up however was Starbucks. Too pricey for what you get.

Oh, I’m absolutely with you on this! Coffee is a must for me—no way I’m giving that up. I don’t drink soda or smoke either, but coffee? That’s non-negotiable. I make coffee at home, and I frequently grab one when I’m out. Since we had an Illy coffee machine installed at work, it’s been even easier to enjoy a good cup during the day. It’s just a part of my routine, and I genuinely feel like it has a positive impact on me.