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

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I've been someone that has never felt awake my entire life.
I also never used to drink coffee or energy drinks.
I did grow up drinking Pepsi but it never made me feel more awake or anything.

So in the last probably 6 years I started to drink coffee and energy drinks.
At first it was amazing and I thought dang had I drank these things starting in my teens maybe I would have felt normal like others who seemed to be able to get up and go.

But I've noticed in the past month and actually when I think back on it its probably been a good 6 months that first they aren't helping as much as they used to and overall I've had some stomach upset, bloating, running to the bathroom multiple times a day, aches and pains etc and after googling I found that all of those things can be caused by the caffeine.

So I just decided to stop.
Its been 3 days since I had any and I'm actually not feeling too bad.
And energy wise I'm a little bit tired but that's probably better than the high and low of having caffeine.

I know supposedly you're not supposed to stop abruptly but so far its been fine and since I don't have an addictive personality it was easy to just say ok I'm done and actually be able to just stop like that.

Just wondering if anyone else on here had been reliant on caffeine and decided to quit and if you've found you ended up getting more natural energy or are you still always tired?
And did you find any other benefits to quitting?

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I stopped drinking coffee about ten years ago - used to drink 5-6 cups a day. That was the only caffeine I consumed minus the occasional piece of chocolate.

The biggest win for me has been not needing that first cup of coffee in the morning. It had reached a point where if I didn’t have any within the first 30 min, I could pretty much guarantee a headache. Not worth it IMO.

A few years after stopping I did start to incorporate a cup of slightly caffeinated tea into my mornings - but I’m not dependent on it. Plenty of days I’ll switch it up and have a decaffeinated tea and NBD.

Overall I’m not sure I have MORE energy but I certainly don’t have less (which may mean I DO have more since I’ve aged ten years ).

But the fact that you’re 3 days into it and not experiencing any major side effects is awesome!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I've been someone that has never felt awake my entire life.
I also never used to drink coffee or energy drinks.
I did grow up drinking Pepsi but it never made me feel more awake or anything.

So in the last probably 6 years I started to drink coffee and energy drinks.
At first it was amazing and I thought dang had I drank these things starting in my teens maybe I would have felt normal like others who seemed to be able to get up and go.

But I've noticed in the past month and actually when I think back on it its probably been a good 6 months that first they aren't helping as much as they used to and overall I've had some stomach upset, bloating, running to the bathroom multiple times a day, aches and pains etc and after googling I found that all of those things can be caused by the caffeine.

So I just decided to stop.
Its been 3 days since I had any and I'm actually not feeling too bad.
And energy wise I'm a little bit tired but that's probably better than the high and low of having caffeine.

I know supposedly you're not supposed to stop abruptly but so far its been fine and since I don't have an addictive personality it was easy to just say ok I'm done and actually be able to just stop like that.

Just wondering if anyone else on here had been reliant on caffeine and decided to quit and if you've found you ended up getting more natural energy or are you still always tired?
And did you find any other benefits to quitting?

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.

 

[Travel60]

I quit with each pregnancy - actually lost my taste for it. But after each birth went back to caffeine. Two cups a day, black no sugar - but I think it's the warmth of that morning drink more than the caffeine.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I stopped drinking coffee about 15 years ago. I didn’t like routine. I felt like it was another thing to do in the morning and when traveling I didn’t like having to seek it out. I just stopped one day. I had a headache for a day or two but haven’t really thought about it since. I do occasionally have a glass of soda with caffeine. I find I have a lot more energy and I’m more of a morning person (typing this at 5:45 am on a day off) without it.

 

[sam_gordon]

I never got into coffee. My drink of choice was Pepsi, or if not available, Coke. Pepsi I would have 2x 20oz bottles every morning. I did this for DECADES.

At one point I decided to quit cold turkey. Was on a project for work, and we had lots of snacks and drinks. I felt fine, but my coworkers said they could see a difference in me and were all but begging me to have some Pepsi/caffeine. I went a couple years with no caffeine what so ever, and now have occasional tea (unsweet) or soda (diet) (both caffeine free if I can get it) just for a "different" flavor.

So yes, it can be done. I don't notice any difference in my health or "wakefulness". I'm still diabetic (diagnosed 2-3 years after I quit), so if it does have a actual medical benefit, I haven't noticed it.

 

[Micca]

When I was working early in the morning I drank massive amounts of coffee. When I finally had a more normal schedule I was still drinking 6-8 cups in the morning. Over the past year or so I've reduced to 3 cups--which is two servings in my coffee mug.

 

[hertamaniac]

Congrads to the OP on his/her mission. I can go a day or two without coffee, but it would be a rarity.

I weaned myself off of creamers and 99.9% of the time drink black coffee only first thing in the AM. I continue to see articles about several cups a day being beneficial for the heart, kidneys, liver, etc.

 

[kdonnel]

I used to drink a lot of Coke every day. 5-6 20 oz bottles and an alarming number of refills at restaurants.

If I didn’t get my doses of caffeine at the right times throughout the day I would get horrible headaches that would not go away until after a nights sleep.

Travel days were always horrible because my dosing schedule was always off.

I was a textbook drug addict.

I ended up giving up caffeine and soft drinks cold turkey. I now drink water as my main beverage with an occasional lemonade as a treat.

Instead of a headache every week I have had less than one a year.

Once my body got over the sudden shock of stopping the regular caffeine doses I felt so much clearer headed. It took one long miserable week.

Good luck. It has been 15-20 years for me. I had stopped before in the past but never for this long.

 

[loves to dive]

Over 40 years ago I stopped all caffeine when I got pregnant. Just cold turkey, no coffee, no tea, no soft drinks, nothing. It was hard at first because I got terrible headaches but powered through. I can assure you, as soon as he was born I was back on coffee. I actually don't notice any difference in energy levels either on or off it. I actually take B12 as well (sometimes in the morning even with some coffee) and that doesn't give me any more energy either. Caffeine doesn't keep me awake at night either, actually, I'm one of the few who if I drink it at night it makes me sleepy. I don't drink it after a certain time just because it does give me stomach problems that late (no gall bladder) but otherwise no difference other than blinding headaches if I try to go off it. I don't drink soft drinks that often but do drink hot coffee and hot tea a lot during the day, I don't drink iced coffee or iced tea. I like the taste of coffee and hot tea and in the winter like the comfort of a warm beverage. I can pretty much drink decaf if I want to but I don't think the decaf coffee tastes as good as the full strength.

 

[Owlpost23]

Caffeine makes me feel awful.I drink hot lemon water in the morning-I can't even drink any kind of tea because it gives me stomach cramps.I'll have a diet coke at the airport.

 

[Uk145081]

I quit caffeine a few months ago because it was messing with my stomach and giving me crazy energy crashes. The first few days were tough, but after about a week, I noticed I had more consistent energy throughout the day without the highs and lows. My sleep got better too, and I wasn’t feeling bloated anymore. It took a little while for my body to adjust, but now I feel more steady and less dependent on that jolt. Overall, I’m glad I gave it up—it’s been a lot smoother than I expected.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I occasionally have to give up coffee because I have a medical condition that makes it or I shouldn’t be drinking coffee it’s brutal because I get a caffeine headache and I actually really love drinking coffee I drink it black no sugar
I gave it up both times I was pregnant did not get the caffeine headache but couldn’t wait to get back to my coffee
I will have soda occasionally but I am a person that will drink soda nonstop so I really limit myself on the soda because I cannot use diet soda because the diet part gives me migraines regular soda has way too much sugar in it so I really limit my intake of soda
Recently had surgery and some test prior to that and could not have any caffeine and the headache I had was almost unbearable so the first thing I got after the test and after the surgery was a soda because I didn’t want hot coffee and within five minutes the headache went away I had clarity I wasn’t foggy headed anymore and I felt perfectly fine then so am I addicted to caffeine yes I know I am I’m OK with that I have 2 cups of coffee every day and I think I’m more than the range of normal coffee drinking I don’t drink it past 10 o’clock And I have no other caffeine the rest of the day
I have been drinking coffee probably since I was about 12 years old I’m no spring chicken

Good for you that you were able to kick that habit and leave it behind and I’m always impressed with anybody who can completely give up soda I’ve come close but never completely!! I think the longest I’ve gone without sodas one week the longest I’ve done with no coffee because of my medical condition I believe is one month I was not a happy person to be around because I was really mad that I couldn’t have my coffee!! I think it was more me being mad than physically not having the coffee Because I wanted my coffee I just enjoy my morning routine of getting my coffee and reading the boards while enjoying my cup of coffee!!!

Good luck you should be very proud of yourself!!!

 

[hertamaniac]

I forgot to add that I used to take Excedrin (or similar) to address a/the caffeine "headaches". And then I noticed that each tablet contains 65 mg of caffeine and thought the product was working wonders.

 

[georgina]

I think everyone has to find what works best for them. I never consumed 'energy drinks' and don't drink soda, but do have a couple of cups of coffee in the morning. Caffeine after noon tends to keep me awake at night. I don't consider myself reliant on caffeine, I do enjoy the taste of coffee, and it does have some proven health benefits!

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hea...hy-the-right-amount-of-coffee-is-good-for-you

 

[Judique]

I forgot to add that I used to take Excedrin (or similar) to address a/the caffeine "headaches". And then I noticed that each tablet contains 65 mg of caffeine and thought the product was working wonders.

Not laughing at you but at the 65MG in the excedrin. OMG! I don't ever take it so had no idea but would have considered it to be something like a tylenol.

I drink one cup (8 oz) of sweet coffee with half and half in the morning. I will have about 6 ounces of orange crush about once every couple of months 'if' we order pizza. Otherwise it's water and the occasional hot or iced tea (no sugar). Again, every few weeks, maybe.

Moderation is important in everything. Going cold turkey is probably best for some people. I've never been able to understand the coke/pepsi drinking but my Mom took a bottle to bed with her at night, for a drink in the middle of the night. It never struck me as unusual as a kid, but if she were around now I'd be all judgmental about it.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

The Covid shot disconnected two nerve pathways to my heart, according to 3 UCLA Heart Specialists and caffeine would send my heart pumping and head spinning.

I miss that blast of energy in the AM and still occasionally have a cup of instant.
When a cup hit $4 at Starbucks out here, that was a good reason to quit too.

Nurse Wife works all night shifts and needs a hot load of caffeine to make the drive home.
That will all end next week when she retires.

 

[Simba's Mom]

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.

 

[dreamer17555]

Wishing the Op success on their mission.

Personally as a migraine sufferer- going off of caffeine is a non starter but wishing the OP all the best

 

[SavvyTraveler]

I've been someone that has never felt awake my entire life.
I also never used to drink coffee or energy drinks.
I did grow up drinking Pepsi but it never made me feel more awake or anything.

So in the last probably 6 years I started to drink coffee and energy drinks.
At first it was amazing and I thought dang had I drank these things starting in my teens maybe I would have felt normal like others who seemed to be able to get up and go.

But I've noticed in the past month and actually when I think back on it its probably been a good 6 months that first they aren't helping as much as they used to and overall I've had some stomach upset, bloating, running to the bathroom multiple times a day, aches and pains etc and after googling I found that all of those things can be caused by the caffeine.

So I just decided to stop.
Its been 3 days since I had any and I'm actually not feeling too bad.
And energy wise I'm a little bit tired but that's probably better than the high and low of having caffeine.

I know supposedly you're not supposed to stop abruptly but so far its been fine and since I don't have an addictive personality it was easy to just say ok I'm done and actually be able to just stop like that.

Just wondering if anyone else on here had been reliant on caffeine and decided to quit and if you've found you ended up getting more natural energy or are you still always tired?
And did you find any other benefits to quitting?

I think it depends on how much you drink. The short answer is your energy levels will be steadier. If you suffer from anxiety, reducing caffeine will help with that.