what symptoms if you stop drinking caffeine?

[MAKmom]

I have Marilu Henners's Total Health Makeover. I've tried to give up caffine with no success. The side effects she list are.

Throbbing headache most common. 10 % will get depressed & fatigued & even have flulike symtons including nausea & vomiting. Apperaing within 12 to 24 hours of kicking the habit. Vitually all caffine is eliminated durning that time. The withdrawal symtoms seen to be worst on the 1 or 2 day & can last for a week. 4 days is usual.

 

[princess pooh]

I get a bad headache, and I feel very blah and tired. I also get in a very bad mood if I go too long without my daily espresso fix. There have been times when dh just looks at me and says "we're going to Starbucks - now!".

 

[Sthronds]

As I type this I am drinking my afternoon coffee so. . .I get horrible headaches when I don't have my coffee. I don't drink soda so all my caffeine comes from my twice a day coffee habit. The last time I went without, I woke up with the worst headache of my life and I ended up vomiting. I have always said that when I go off caffeine (which I will someday ) I will take the week off and hide away. That's the only way I will be able to handle it.

 

[LBAK]

I gave up caffine 6 years ag at my dr.'s request. Once in a while I will have soda or coffee with caffine. I really haven't noticed any difference in my health. It's supposed to be healthier so I stay off it but I'm not sure why.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I am a diet coke-aholic...and would drink regular diet with the caffeine...ALOT....like equivalent to 3 2-liters a day....my eye doctor made me cut out my caffeine cause of my eye pressure (glaucoma symptom)...I cut the caffeine out totally for 6 months straight and my pressure considerably dropped....I now drink caffeinated diet coke very limited....like at our gas station who doesn't carry de-caf....but buying it from the grocery store for the house....I only be caffiene free diet.

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

Thanks so much to the OP for bringing this topic up.

I came off of caffeine b/c of pregnancy, so it's hard to tell you what changes have been caffeine related vs. new mommy related!

I did the same thing. I was so sick in pregnancy that I don't think I really noticed the withdrawal at the time.

However, I went back to drinking Pepsi, unfortunately. I didn't have it one day, I had the worst headache of my life, I was shaking, nauseous, and wound up vomitting.

So I have to go the route of slowly cutting down the caffeine instead of cold turkey.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

it's been 3 weeks for me now. no more headaches. I did have the shakes for a few days. I used to drink 6-8 diet pepsi's a day. the smell of it makes me ill now.

 

[THE HAT]

headaches will be the most common side effect. from mild to severe. you also need to drink 8+/- glasses of water, to relieve this somewhat. your body (getting used to the lack of caffeine, and also the lack of fluid from the cafeine drinks you are no longer having), will dehydrate, and will cause the headaches to be more severe. it will take from 1- 2 weeks to be over the withdrawl.

 

[makinorlando]

Migraine....

 

[Nancy]

Not to hijack, but I guess I am

But we can all learn from this question--

For those who gave up caffeine--Do you feel you are better for it? Do you feel healthier? What were your health benefits?

I consume waaaay too much caffeine. I am almost embarrassed top reveal how much

I stopped caffeine recently...for the second time.

I feel better, I definately sleep better. I am not waking up all the time at night. I probably sleep 5-6 hours straight now where before it was maybe 1-2 hours and then I would walk up on and off the rest of the night. My heart doesn't do these weird flippy things anymore either. Sometimes felt like it was racing.

The one really strange thing, when drinking lots of Pepsi I always felt very lethargic, (I thought caffeine was supposed to give you energy) but you can actually overdose (not really OD) on it and it has the opposite effect.

 

[arminnie]

I've never gotten a "pick me up" from caffeine. Wish something would kick start me in the morning.

I rarely drank coffee until about 18 months ago. I found some really good stuff that I like with a lot of cream and sweetener. I can drink it all day long for months (because it tastes good), but not feel anything if I don't have any for a week.

I can have trouble going to sleep if I have caffeine in the evening.

Caffeine can keep me from sleeping, but it doesn't seem to "wake me up".

 

[FreshTressa]

I have been caffeine free for over 2 years now.

I mostly just had really bad headaches for about 5 days...then nothing.

In fact, I rarely get headaches anymore and used to get them at least once a week.

Also, decreased PMS symptoms, I sleep better at night, no headaches, less moody

BUT, I have less athletic endurance and don't get as much done as I used to.

 

[Sparx]

I totally stopped drinking it once for many months. but I finally went back to a little. and Now I need to quit again. I dropped 10-15 pounds FAST from the lack of sugar too. I got headaches and I still get them. I got tired (My system was saturated with it, so when I ran out I had a serious crash from it all)but in the end hte good outweighed the bad.

 

[aprilgail2]

I had a headache for like a day or two when I stopped drinking it..nothing to bad but I also didin't drink a ton of it a day...I stopped when I got pregnant, I figured it was healthier for my baby to not be subjected to caffiene... since I do consider it a drug...while I was pregnant plus even the amount I was drinking was messing with my heart.

 

[LindaR]

I stopped having any caffeine at the same time as my gallbladder surgery. I did NOT have any headaches (and it wasn't because of any pain meds from the surgery because I do not take pain meds at all!). I timed it this way because I knew I would be home recovering from the surgery. I was very tired for a week (took 3 naps a day) and decreased my bathroom trips.

I wasn't sure I would be sucessful but I have been very sucessful! I drink lots of water (I used to anyway) but never drank water with pizza or popcorn! I drink water with them now. I never drank coffee. I drank diet soda and iced tea and water. Now I just drink water.

I also had to adopt a low fat "diet" because of problems digesting since I don't have a gallbladder. Since the beginning of December (surgery was early November) when I started low fat and no soda/no caffeine, I have lost 17 pounds!