Caffeine withdrawal. How bad to you have it?

Caffeine has been a part of my life for decades off and on, mostly on. Coffee for me. I co- owned a coffeehouse in the early nineties and it was then that my caffeine mistress really became my wife in the form of a continuous supply of espresso, etc.

My problem is that I can never catch up to properly regulate my caffeine intake to avoid caffeine withdrawal which for me usually manifests itself in the form of the signature headache coupled with mild to moderate nausea. At its worst, it will at times result in a full fledged migraine that will shut me down for a day.

So...too little caffeine and withdrawal starts. Once withdrawal symptoms are set in motion a 5 gallon bucket of caffeine will not stave off the side effects.

I've quit in the past for this very reason the longest being about 1 1/2 years without any caffeine. Normally I drink anywhere from 1/2 to a complete quart sized french press pot of fresh ground coffee.

Does anyone else get bad caffeine withdrawal? I'm juuuuuuust about to call it quits again.

Chris L

Oh yeah... I get the headaches bad.
But my poison of choice is Dr. Pepper... go through quite a few of those in a week :D

With how much coffee i drink, I am surprised don't get the withdrawal symptoms when i don't drink it.


/drinking a red bull right now.

I've gone off it a few times and have experienced the headaches. I've been able to completely avoid them by gradually reducing the amount over the span of a week or two.

2 big cups of coffee in the morning, 1 in the afternoon. That's a schedule I am comfortable with.
If I don't get coffee I don't have withdrawal symptoms, though I might have a slight yearning for hot coffee.

I can drink more without losing sleep, but I get a bit antsy then, so I don't.

Coffee is something I grew up with. My parents drink a lot of coffee, and so does everybody else in our family. I once heard that in the US, coffee is considered for grown-ups, but I think that is a bit of a tall tale. I started drinking the occasional coffee when I was 5 or so.

I drink coffee constantly, it doesn't really affect me one way or another.
I once stopped drinking coffee and even tea for 3 weeks to see if it affected my wellbeing at all. It didn't.

People tend to overestimate how much caffeine they are drinking, but I guess some people are more sensitive to it than others.

I genuinely wish espresso came in big mugs instead of teeny tiny cups, that might give me the kick I'm after.

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Originally Posted by Auto Express article

Motorway coffee too weak for tired drivers <hr style="color: rgb(73, 120, 68);" size="1"> <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> New research shows motorway service station coffee is so weak that a drowsy driver would have to drink 11 pints to ward off fatigue.

http://www.landrovernet.com/forum/at...id=12991&stc=1

Of 25 service stations tested, not one served coffee strong enough to keep a driver awake for the recommended two hours, the motoring magazine Auto Express found. The weakest had so little caffeine you would need nearly a gallon and a half to wake yourself up, while even the strongest, a double espresso, would take half a pint to deliver the necessary kick-start.

David Johns, the editor of Auto Express, said the research showed that government advice was "highly misleading". He explained: "There are more than 100 sizes, varieties and makes of coffee sold to hundreds of thousands of motorists every single day. The bottom line is there’s absolutely no way of telling how much caffeine you’re getting in what you buy."

Dr Louise Reyner of Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, said her experiments on a driving simulator showed that 160 milligrammes of caffeine could revitalise a dozy motorist for up to two hours. But not one of the cups of coffee bought by Auto Express at motorway service stations came anywhere near that. The strongest, from Costa Coffee at Sandbach services on the M6 in Cheshire, had less than half the necessary dose, while the same double espresso from Strensham services on the M5 had only half the caffeine of its Sandbach counterpart. Dr Reyner said: "The problem is that consumers cannot tell how much caffeine they are getting. There’s nothing written on the cup or anywhere at the point of sale, so they can’t possibly know if the coffee will have the desired effect."

Furthermore, price is not a reliable guide to caffeine levels, although the two cheapest cups, from McDonald’s and Burger King outlets, were in the bottom three for strength. An espresso from a self-service Coffee Nation machine at the Membury Welcome Break site on the M4 cost only £1.30, but it had a caffeine level 15 times higher than a £1.89 Costa Coffee latté from RoadChef’s Woodall services on the M1.

This year, the Department for Transport launched a campaign advising motorists to drink two cups of coffee every two hours on long journeys to combat fatigue, as a quarter of serious crashes are "sleep-related". Yesterday, a spokesman for the department insisted: "We are not saying coffee is a panacea. It should be seen as part of the whole package of measures, including taking a rest."

Mark Kitson, of Costa Coffee, said: "Caffeine levels can vary between coffee beans by up to 100 per cent. But we are not aiming for consistent caffeine levels - we are trying to make the best-tasting coffee each time."

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yes, i am also well and truly addicted. there was a very interesting article about it on /. the other day:
Slashdot | Beware the Perils of Caffeine Withdrawal

I've been drinking black tea more regularly and have found that without at least a cup in the morning I'm quite lethargic. Not good when you're chasing around a 1 yr old.

When I was in school in Montréal I was coffee junkie and we would put on the first pot of coffee before even taking a morning whiz. Then I would get headaches without caffeine.

X

I get it pretty bad when I stop, even for a day. At my worst (which is right now), I drink 4 or so cans of coke a day. What's funny is the caffeine really doesn't do anything for me when I'm not addicted to it. I just really enjoy the taste I suppose.

My withdrawals are pretty bad. It takes about 8 hours, then starts to set in with a small, but increasingly painful headache. For me, it's a different kind of headache than migraines, but the result is usually the same. My head feels like it's in a Jorgensen clamp, and after about 15 hours, if I don't get a coke in me, I turn irritable, can't think well, and can't even sleep (which is where it's different from migraines). I usually don't realize it's a withdrawal headache until it hurts pretty bad, but by day two, I know exactly what's going on.

Day 2 is simply painful. It feels like a pan being banged on my head continuously. It takes a lot of diversion and willpower to only drink water. Assuming I get good sleep, Day 3 is much better, and by Day 4 I'm not feeling pain- but I still want the coke. It takes about a week for me to quit craving coke.

My issue with quitting is that nothing else quite satisfies me flavor wise. We drink tea around here, which is also a source of caffeine. That leaves me with water:gth I like water, but after drinking water for months and months, coke or tea just sounds too damn good. Everyone says to use crystal light, but that gets old quick. The only flavor that doesn't taste like crap is pink lemonade.

What does everyone use as a method to quit? I always go cold turkey, but only when I've got a good 3 days where nothing is expected of me in any way.

Two doubles by 10am.
One single at 11
Caffeinated soda with lunch
Single at 2 ish (late today....)
Single at 4 (sometimes skipped)

Occassional sugar free energy drink at 5:30 or so, expecially if I want a "supercharged" workout.


If I don't get enough caffeine in the morning, by noon I have a headache. By then, like you, it's too late...I might not get worse, but I'm not getting better any time soon. I can beat it with tons of sugar and caffeine and food, and by that night, I might feel OK. If I wait until 2 or 3....migraine accompanied by the painful pukies is possible.

Since I became a caffeine junky, I have not attempted to quit (going on 20 years). In that time, Ii have given up some really bad, really difficult to quit habits, not the least of which was cigarettes that I smoked (up to 2 packs a day at times). The thought of quitting coffee scares the hell out of me.

That said, I thought about it this very morning (NO KIDDING!) for what was probably just the third or so time. I'm sick of "needing" a chemical to function.

I wonder...I tried EVERY type of smoking quitting, cutting back, the patches, the gum, and nothing worked except going cold turkey and gritting my teeth through it.
I wonder if gradually cutting back on coffee would work for me.....

I'm going to go get a cup of coffee and think about it.

Has anyone else noticed that if you drink enough coffee it leaves a taste in your throat similar to the smell of tobacco? I wonder if there is a link between the two addictions.

The times I've quit I've used Excedrin pain reliever which contains a small amount of caffeine to wean off of it. Actually thankfully Excedrin is FINALLY starting to kick in now since I felt a caffeine headache coming on this morning and grabbed a few tabs of Excedrin to take at lunch.

I'm definitely not one of those people that can drink 20 cups of coffee each day year in year out, stop and not get the crushing headaches.

I find that sometimes I'll drink more on the weekends since the french press is at home on the counter and is therefore accessible throughout the day; then Monday rolls around, I drink less and can start the headache process. I don't buy coffeehouse coffee and I won't drink the garbage found at virtually any restaurant or store, so for me it's usually half the press pot in the am, and 1/2 at night. It doesn't affect my ability to sleep at all. As a matter of fact, after a brief initial perk up, I'm more tired after drinking coffee than less.

I don't sip coffee, I gulp it. A bad habit I learned working as a hung over waiter in my youth.

Chris L

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Originally Posted by Rajagra

Has anyone else noticed that if you drink enough coffee it leaves a taste in your throat similar to the smell of tobacco? I wonder if there is a link between the two addictions.

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No, except in the way that all addictions are linked, i.e. some people have a more addictive nature than others.

No withdrawal symptoms that I know of here. Used to drink a lot of coffee on my old job (knowing what we threw in the sinks, I didn't really want to drink pure tapwater, and the taste was bad anyway, so...) but now that I live between people who consider a coffee to be good only if your spoon stay upright in it and if you need a large glass afterwards, I try to avoid drinking it at work. Two cups in the morning, one in the evening. Tastes great, lifts my spirits by smell/warmth and no negative results.

i should add that when i was a newbie dev, straight outta school, working 80+ hour weeks, i frequently had 2 POTS a day, occasionally 3. and that's the industrial coffee maker pot, not the little personal ones. so about 30 cups a day.

now a days i have one personal pot, which is about 3.5 cups or so. it got so bad i couldn't function without caffeine and started having genuine withdrawal; headaches, dizziness, nauseau, tremors, etc. basically like a junkie. i wouldn't go back to that for anything.

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Originally Posted by smokelaw1

That said, I thought about it this very morning (NO KIDDING!) for what was probably just the third or so time. I'm sick of "needing" a chemical to function.

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That's what got me off of it for that year and a half. Finally being sick of needing it to function. I will say when I was completely caffeine free for that time it was very liberating. Then, I'm on vacation, stroll past a coffeehouse with the smell of gooood coffee hitting me in the face and decide, "what the heck, I'll have a double cap for old time's sake". Buh bye no caffeine.:gaah::gaah:

Chris L

I went off for medical reasons a while back I used DHA or something like that. It was sorta caffeine but not really.

Helped alot.

Also I have found that a good b-complex in the morning does wonders. I had an undiagnosed sleep problem, I was, according to my docs, border line narcoleptic. I was really tired one morning and grabbed a Red bull.

Good Stuff. B-Vitamins and as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

Maybe I should drink this instead of coffee? :eek:

What?? Is somebody plotting to take my coffee away, is that what you're saying??? :medvl: Hell no, I'm not addicted ... aaaahh my head hurts ... :(

Um, seriously--I'm with Ray:

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Originally Posted by Rajagra

I genuinely wish espresso came in big mugs instead of teeny tiny cups, that might give me the kick I'm after.

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I probably drink 2-3 cups of coffee on a typical day, the stronger the better. And yes, I'd be miserable for days if I tried to quit, and would probably find it very hard to stay awake and functional all day. I suppose that's an addiction of sorts, and I respect the views of those who don't want to get dependent on anything. For myself (and only for myself), I regard it as a minor and affordable vice that gives me a good deal of pleasure, does no harm, and may even be good for me; and I've got plenty of bad habits, character defects, and other issues to deal with, without tackling coffee. If I ever have to do without, well then I'll manage it.

Interesting article that you cite, Ray, on the weak coffee on (I presume) British motorways. It's the same for us Yanks. For all the jokes about a Starbucks on every corner, the fact is once you get outside a metropolitan area, it's damnably hard to get a decent cup of coffee in the U.S.--partly it's the quality of beans, but the besetting sin of our coffee is that everybody makes it so weak.

I use my own version of the horseshoe test:

Lower a horseshoe vertically into a large mug of freshly brewed coffee and observe results.

--Horseshoe plummets to the bottom and flops over: Coffee is too weak.

--Horseshoe sinks gradually into coffee and stands upright: Coffee is strong enough.

--Horseshoe cannot be driven into coffee, or is violently ejected and flies twelve feet into the air, or dissolves in three seconds or less: Coffee may be too strong for some tastes; drinkers should be prepared to add a few drops of hot water.

~Rich

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Originally Posted by Rajagra

Maybe I should drink this instead of coffee? :eek:

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:eek::eek: To use a technical term, that stuff has a buttload of caffeine! That, plus all those other stimulants, plus all the sugar, plus the b-vitamins...wow.

I wonder how many MGs I take in in a day.

first i will say, all you coffee lovers please don't take any offense by what i may say. *HEALTHY RANT WARNING*

i have never been a coffee drinker, ever. i always thought it looked like a nice habit, nostalgic even, get up and brew the first cup and enjoy waking up. but then i smelled it. then i took a sip. i didn't like either. then my mom told me how she really wished she could quit, but just couldn't go without it, this was the third turn off. but i think one of the biggest factors was that my dad NEVER drank coffee, and i always wanted to do everything like him. so if he saw it as a weekness, then there was no way i would do it.

i also really hate having to rely on a substance like that to function. it just bugs me for some reason.

now heres the part that is going to tick some people off. :shrug:
there is absolutely no reason that you shouldn't be able to get enough energy from your food to function from early in the morning all the way til bed time without any nap times. it is that simple. i don't have a perfect diet (and i should since i own a health food store;)) but i can honestly say that when i wake up i am up and don't ever need a nap. whether it is 6 hours of sleep or 9 doesn't matter (though i find more then 9 makes me feel sleepy). food can give you all the energy you need if you choose the right stuff.

also, coffee is bad for you. there, i said it, everyone all at once try to hit me through the computer screen. coffee is a mild neurotoxin that depletes your adrenal glands which can cause mood swings and low energy levels. it is also a diuretic and it is recommended that for every cup of coffee you drink you should be drinking something like 2 cups of water.

if your going to drink coffee buy a free trade organic brand, grind it yourself and drink it black. it doesn't have to be free trade really but that is better. coffee is heavily sprayed with pesticides so organic is important.

if you want to quit i suggest you use some type of adrenal support/cleanse supplement for the first little bit, also infrared saunas are great for getting rid of the withdrawl symptoms. a good greens supplement is a great suggestion for anyone but especially for quitting coffee (or smoking) as you will have significantly more energy, and the increased amount of anti oxidants will aid in you body detoxing. if you really love the taste, all i can say is that they do make greens supplements in cappucino flavour ;) thats the best i can do.

there, i'm done, please don't think less of me. ";"

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Originally Posted by chee16

there, i'm done, please don't think less of me. ";"

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You managed to make your points in a way that gave this dedicated coffee-lover a chuckle. :) So, well done.

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if you really love the taste, all i can say is that they do make greens supplements in cappucino flavour ;) thats the best i can do.

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I'm just going to take your word on that, though. :D

~Rich

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chee16

there is absolutely no reason that you shouldn't be able to get enough energy from your food to function from early in the morning all the way til bed time without any nap times.

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I think perhaps we need to make a distinction between physical energy and mental alertness. when I don't get caffeine it doesn't make my physically tired, i can workout and do whatever and i'm fine. but it gets harder and harder to really focus, mentally. if i worked in a factory doing something repetitive, i doubt coffee would help my job performance at all.

as it stands, i don't know a SINGLE person in my field that isn't addicted to caffeine. not one. all of them drink sodas or coffee or energy drinks or even all three mixed up with some vodka for those really late nights :tu. but the point is i think it's an important part of the lifestyle. caffeine is bad for you, physically, but seems to do wonders for you mentally (until is wears off).

I just recently quit drinking so much coffee, this morning was my first cup in about 3 weeks. I did it from a whole pot, to nothing overnight. Granted, I went with tea, 2-3 cups, but no more energy drinks(unless alcoholic)

I had a low grade headache for about a week.

My main reason for quitting was at about 7PM, at work, I would be asleep on my feet, and needed it to continue, then I would be awake till midnight or later, wake up and do it all over.

Now I find that I nod off very quickly, and wake up refreshed, I still have a mild headache till the first cuppa.

Many years ago I was concerned about drinking too much coffee. I asked my doctor if it was likely to cause any problems, his reply: " yes, zipper trouble"

damn.. I really want a cup of coffee now.

Need to chug the rest of this red bull and go grab one.

i used to work with a guy that was a caffeine addict. he loved coffee and used to eat chocolate covered coffee beans. he was a work out mad man too, never wore tight shirts to show off but i'm talking using 400lbs for 6-8 reps on bench. plus he paid just as much attention to the rest of his muscles and was pretty lean. the funny thing was that he was french and spoke very fast normally so if he was drinking coffee i could barely understand him. he did decide to slow down to one coffee a day after a while though because of his mood swings, plus i think his wife had something to do with that also.

I can go months drinking several cups a day from morning till night and then give it up just as easy. No withdrawals, no headaches. It doesn't hinder my sleep either or help to keep me awake when I am tired.

Pretty much every day since I was 15.
http://www.stickergiant.com/Merchant...f?code=125.gif

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Originally Posted by chee16

he did decide to slow down to one coffee a day after a while though because of his mood swings, ...

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Mood swings?! MOOD SWINGS??? Listen, dammit, COFFEE DOES NOT CAUSE MOOD SWINGS, DO YOU HEAR ME???!! :rant:

Oh, God, I'm sorry. :ziplip: I don't know what came over me ... please, try to forgive me ... what a stupid thing to say, I'm just no good :(

But you know what, I LOVE YOU GUYS! I REALLY DO! :bow:y

I don't know, though, I just ... my God, look at all this stuff I've gotta get done, how in the name of God do they expect me--all right, look, I've gotta go, it's been real but--

--hey, look out the window ... what a beautiful day outside ... ahhh, life is good ... we really all need to just stop and smell the roses, sometimes, don't you think? :p

But getting back to the point--coffee, mood swings ... naaaah. :D

'Scuse me, gotta go warm up my cup ...

~Rich

I quit caffeine many years ago and I did it by going cold turkey. This was after it being my crack for years and years though. Working double shifts, 8 years in the Navy and just all around weird hours meant I lived on the stuff. When I quite it was bad, headaches, upset stomach and irritable as hell. It started to taper off after a few days though and after a month I didn't miss it.

I'm not like an anti-caffeine freak or anything now. I end up drinking it on occasion and won't avoid it if I'm out and the only tea they have is caffeinated but my tolerance is way down now, lol. I can't guzzle gallons of it like I did in the past or I would be climbing the walls. :y

I just drink about 6-8 cups of black a day. works for me! :rofl2:

About a year ago, I read a series of articles, like this one, about why caffeine is bad for diabetics. It stimulates the adrenal gland to produce more adrenaline and adrenaline stimulates the liver to dump more sugar in the blood to provide "fight or flight" energy. But caffeine also inhibits burning sugar in the muscles and the end result is a big spike in blood sugar.

I decided to eliminate caffeine entirely to see what would happen. Not only did the diabetes almost disappear (I no longer need to take glucophage) but I lost about 12 pounds without dieting.

Based on my anecdotal experience, I've come to think that some diabetes is actually caffeine poisoning.

When I worked the midnight shift a while ago,and was building my house during the day,I drank about 12 cups of coffee a day.When I could finally get to bed,I couldn't get any sleep because my legs wouldn't stop twitching.Restless leg syndrome.It's wicked.Doc said 12 cups of coffee is enough for three days.Cut that down to three a day and your legs will behave.From then on THREE cups(or four)a day and I sleep well.

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Originally Posted by Chimensch

I decided to eliminate caffeine entirely to see what would happen. Not only did the diabetes almost disappear (I no longer need to take glucophage) but I lost about 12 pounds without dieting.

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WOW! congrats! that is great! i love to hear stories like yours.

type 2 diabetes is very preventable and treatable with a proper diet which includes watching how much caffeine you take in. plus some peoples bodies can be overly sensitive to caffeine which can cause a number of different things. unfortunately doctors don't typically tell people that their diets can cure anything (please don't think i am doctor bashing as i respect them immensely, but they are typically not trained on proper diet). just for clarification, when i say diet i mean well rounded eating habits that include a balance of proteins, fats, carbs, minerals, etc. i don't mean "diet" as in the south beach diet or any other clicky fad that simply seems to starve a person into loosing weight, and then they gain it back.:mad:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chimensch

About a year ago, I read a series of articles, like this one, about why caffeine is bad for diabetics. It stimulates the adrenal gland to produce more adrenaline and adrenaline stimulates the liver to dump more sugar in the blood to provide "fight or flight" energy. But caffeine also inhibits burning sugar in the muscles and the end result is a big spike in blood sugar.

I decided to eliminate caffeine entirely to see what would happen. Not only did the diabetes almost disappear (I no longer need to take glucophage) but I lost about 12 pounds without dieting.

Based on my anecdotal experience, I've come to think that some diabetes is actually caffeine poisoning.

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Yuck, that glucophage stuff is nasty. SWMBO was on it shortly for some glucose issues and she was miserable.

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Originally Posted by Quick Orange

Yuck, that glucophage stuff is nasty. SWMBO was on it shortly for some glucose issues and she was miserable.

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Originally Posted by chee16

WOW! congrats! that is great! i love to hear stories like yours.

type 2 diabetes is very preventable and treatable with a proper diet which includes watching how much caffeine you take in. plus some peoples bodies can be overly sensitive to caffeine which can cause a number of different things. unfortunately doctors don't typically tell people that their diets can cure anything (please don't think i am doctor bashing as i respect them immensely, but they are typically not trained on proper diet). just for clarification, when i say diet i mean well rounded eating habits that include a balance of proteins, fats, carbs, minerals, etc. i don't mean "diet" as in the south beach diet or any other clicky fad that simply seems to starve a person into loosing weight, and then they gain it back.:mad:

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Thanks to you both. I would also like add that things really began to turn around for me when I moved to Italy. What happened? I unconsciously started eating a better diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, pasta, olive oil, the whole Mediterranean diet. Also, I moved into the old town center of Modena where everything is in walking distance, so I walked a lot and didn't use the car much. The typical suburban American lifestyle where we're always in the car and don't walk much and eat a lot of fast food is really unhealthy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chee16

first i will say, all you coffee lovers please don't take any offense by what i may say. *HEALTHY RANT WARNING*

i have never been a coffee drinker, ever. i always thought it looked like a nice habit, nostalgic even, get up and brew the first cup and enjoy waking up. but then i smelled it. then i took a sip. i didn't like either. then my mom told me how she really wished she could quit, but just couldn't go without it, this was the third turn off. but i think one of the biggest factors was that my dad NEVER drank coffee, and i always wanted to do everything like him. so if he saw it as a weekness, then there was no way i would do it.

i also really hate having to rely on a substance like that to function. it just bugs me for some reason.

now heres the part that is going to tick some people off. :shrug:
there is absolutely no reason that you shouldn't be able to get enough energy from your food to function from early in the morning all the way til bed time without any nap times. it is that simple. i don't have a perfect diet (and i should since i own a health food store;)) but i can honestly say that when i wake up i am up and don't ever need a nap. whether it is 6 hours of sleep or 9 doesn't matter (though i find more then 9 makes me feel sleepy). food can give you all the energy you need if you choose the right stuff.

also, coffee is bad for you. there, i said it, everyone all at once try to hit me through the computer screen. coffee is a mild neurotoxin that depletes your adrenal glands which can cause mood swings and low energy levels. it is also a diuretic and it is recommended that for every cup of coffee you drink you should be drinking something like 2 cups of water.

if your going to drink coffee buy a free trade organic brand, grind it yourself and drink it black. it doesn't have to be free trade really but that is better. coffee is heavily sprayed with pesticides so organic is important.

if you want to quit i suggest you use some type of adrenal support/cleanse supplement for the first little bit, also infrared saunas are great for getting rid of the withdrawl symptoms. a good greens supplement is a great suggestion for anyone but especially for quitting coffee (or smoking) as you will have significantly more energy, and the increased amount of anti oxidants will aid in you body detoxing. if you really love the taste, all i can say is that they do make greens supplements in cappucino flavour ;) thats the best i can do.

there, i'm done, please don't think less of me. ";"

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Okay Chee, so if I were to translate all this crap into an answer to the original question, would I be correct to say you do not suffer from caffiene withdrawal?

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Originally Posted by icedog

Okay Chee, so if I were to translate all this crap into an answer to the original question, would I be correct to say you do not suffer from caffiene withdrawal?

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You obviously were when you wrote that.