With all the coffee deals going around, I'm curious to know has anyone from ozbargain attempted to and successfully quitted caffeine for good?
I have been drinking coffee daily for over 10 years and went cold turkey last Friday. Having big headaches and muscle pain, didn't know caffeine was so addictive.
Edit: just thought I'd add, although I do have the on/off headaches and muscle pain, my sleep has definitely improved slightly, and I'm not too sure if it's related but I'm seeing more dreams.
Not that I've seen. There's a pretty big body of evidence now that attests to health benefits from coffee including protecting against cancer, parkinsons and alzheimers, as well as warding off heart disease thanks to its high antioxidant content. There are downsides in terms of people with sleep issues and hypertension, but for the average person all current evidence suggests consuming 1-2 cups a day and more as you get older.
Thank you
@Willco88: Yes, thanks guys. There is an evil conspiracy above trying to blame coffee for everything that's wrong in my life, and they nearly brainwashed me into giving it up.
I was having 1/2 a day in the office but since WFH i keep it to about once a week, i'm not hooked i just enjoy it
I don't drink coffee but drink at least 5 cups of tea a day. I don't ever see myself quitting and also don't want to quit, I'm English so drinking tea is a necessity.
I was a massive pepsi max drinker when I was younger. drunk that for like 12-14 years solid. Then I discovered coffee. Now 10 years on that stuff and I still love 2-3 a day. I have gone cold turkey a few times. The first 5 days is the worst. Then it gets fine. But I just love drinking coffee for the taste now. So I could do decaf if I wanted, it is 99% the same in most cases (although hard to find really nice decaf).
I remember when I quit the soft drink caffeine, that was much more of a game changer for my body. Just less up and down.
A quality coffee is awesome but i stopped drinking it due to the anxiety and stress it caused. My life is around 12% duller now. I will have a decaf every now and then to try and fake it but my brain knows and laughs at me.
But like now your living life at 88%! Boo!
Where's Marty Mcfly when you need him
Yeah, it does it to me too! I'm gonna finish my last bag of beans and be done with it.
im one of those weird people that has a cup of coffee or redbull and goes straight to bed.
I tried giving up the goods but the headache got the better of me after 3 days and went straight back to it.
I've started restricting myself to 1 coffee a day, and usually a small (I usually have 2, sometimes 3 a day).
Haven't noticed any changes yet.
I enjoy coffee itself too much, slowly getting more and more into the coffee nerd territory, with more methods of brewing coffee than I can use. I enjoy the preciseness of it, how changing small variables can have a noticable impact to the final result.
I type this as I drink my 3rd cup of instant for the night haha.
To me, caffine is the safest drug to be addicted to, but then again I'm not addicted, I can stop at any time.Its the buying of strange new brew contraptions I can't stop.
No, why would you do such a thing?
I have a cup or two of coffee on several days, but I couldn't care less if I didn't have it for a day or a week or even a month. How do I know? Because I suddenly realise after a week that I've not had a coffee in a while.
As long as you are in control, there's no need to quit coffee for good.
I have quit multiple times. I guess I am one of the lucky ones who don't seem to get addicted to anything, I get no cravings or withdrawal symptoms from going cold turkey. I quit for a year or so purely to save money (would have been buying 4 large coffees a day at the time plus some coffee machine crap in the office), then again to prove to my wife I am not addicted to it and then again to once again save some extra money. I enjoy my coffee, I don't seem to enjoy the caffeine free ones (taste isn't right), though I happily drink caffeine free pepsi. WFH has dramatically decreased my coffee drinking.
Never drank tea or coffee as a habit. Only ocassionly had it maybe once or twice in 6 months when my wife makes me try her drink. She says I am weird and from another planet
Helps your teeth too… Started getting slight cavities so stopped. Last big break was a couple years. There's "hidden" caffeine in chocolate and cocoa. Stopping helps with stronger bones, reflexes, concentration, sleep "depth" and having a stable mood. You can massage away the headaches and I think you might get thirsty as well.
Not one person here has mentioned Milo, which trumps all other drinks.
I can quit coffee no problem, as long as I have Milo.
Gotta be made of Milo.
Mate, Milo is 50% sugar, that's what you are addicted to. Milo is very bad for your teeth and general health, way worse than coffee.
Sugar is a carbohydrate. I have a healthy BMI and I haven't had a filling since highschool, which was over 20 years ago.
Anything left sitting on your teeth creates the opportunity for bacteria to grow, and for cavities to develop.
Sugar's bad for you even if you have a good BMI, doesn't just affect teeth
@fredblogs: Excessive calories, surplus to your requirements can be bad. Other than that, it's just a carbohydrate. It's a component of nutrition that is part of many foods.
@Oofy Doofy: It's not just calories, its blood sugar levels and the havoc that causes with your body. Ask any diabetic.
Massive sugar hits to your body is bad news, and the least of your concerns are calories and body mass index.
@UFO: While this is true, the amount of sugar in a serve of Milo is actually pretty minimal.
Only a little over one teaspoon, so I wouldn't call it a massive sugar hit.
Pretty much equivalent to a cup of tea or coffee (if you take sugar).
@trapper: Point taken. Whilst Milo is half sugar (43.6% according to side of tin just now), it would still be be equivalent to a coffee with two sugars once shovelled into a glass. I still reckon that's a lot of sugar in one serve of drink though…. regardless of the delivery system. Definitely a sugar hit in my opinion.
Far too much sugar when the body is quite capable of receiving all of its sugar needs from other foods normally eaten throughout the day.
@UFO: Sugar intake is not the cause of diabetes. It's much more complicated than that. What is known, is that having a high BMI increases insulin resistance, which can then bring on type 2 diabetes, and that can eventually become type 1 down the line.
immune system disorders can cause diabetes also, but I digress.
Why the hell would any one quit coffee, it's the best (I mean caffeine) thing ever, time slows down, you get more done, it's only when you add sugar to it, or sweeteners, or even Coco powder that it becomes the serious problem.
Next time your feeling a crash, buy Woolworths instant coffee, pour hot water in to a smoothie bottle, blend it(can easily be bought at Kmart fro less then $10 smoothie blender, very versatile) add coffee, and watch it froth as if milk was in it, and the tastes nice, no need for sugar, can add soy, almond, banana, or what ever that works, even great cold with ice.
Definitely nice.
However, I'd best avoid coffee if your in a stressful environment, doing the late shift, can definitely wreck havoc on your hormones, and create insomnia and irritability, strangely coffee works differently on people, for some it puts them to sleep.
Best to drink coffee between 4am and 11 am, definitely not after 2pm, a energy bar can help ward of the crash.
However if your addicted to online games, avoid energy drinks, and make your own coffee cocktails, and a triple expresso for 11am, to reset your sleep during the evening (best not drive or work during those times as it can be dangerous , it's just incase you have those gamer days, but best to prioritize when you'll do it)
Just like exercise, if you say your going to lose weight you'll never really going lose weight until you incorporate it into a life style choice, then you'll have greater control and will power to quit or march on.
Because people may experience a faster heartbeat to get less concentrated.
So there is no one size fit all in this situation, everyone reacts differently to coffee.
I used to drink 2 cups a day at work for about 3 years, the above-mentioned issue starts coming up, I find that not only it will not wake me up but also make my heart beating much faster and I can't concentrate.
I worked with people who drink 3-4 expresso a day and smoking, he is around mid-'40s and his handshake like hxll, I ask him what caused it, he said it is because of coffee and smoking but he is so addicted to both. 5 years later when I meet him again, he told me he has diabetes at the ago of 50
Yeah I had a hand tremor once, don't smoke, it was very mild, can't say it was coffee tho(I dunno I'm not a doctor), maybe a compressed nerve in the shoulder.
Instant coffee and hot water in a blender you say. Interesting..
Cocaine is good
One does not simply quit caffeine.
I think a reduction in caffeine consumption is the way to go. I'll usually have one coffee a day. My issue was having a pre workout before working out in the evening. Minimum 150mg of caffeine at night, not a smart idea.
I just love getting off caffeine for a month, then to feel the effects once you're back on it.
There's not much point quitting coffee unless it creates negative effects, like insomnia or muscle pain. Most all studies to date indicate it having small to moderate health benefits when consumed with any regularity.
I used to drink about 3-4 espresso coffees a day because I worked as a barista for a while. After leaving hospitality I still maintained a habit, but it's now 2/day, a filter and a flat white in the arvo.
I've quit before and the headaches are fairly unpleasant and last for a week. I find myself missing the daily ritual/break of having a coffee so I got back on the bandwagon.
I don't smoke and rarely drink.
"didn't know caffeine was so addictive": you should try quitting narcotics; withdrawal effects are at least 20 times worse.
Caffeine is a weak stimulant and is useful during the day to help ward of fatigue and increase productivity. It is only problematic is you drink it before going to sleep.
I am surprised our totalitarian nanny state hasn't regulated caffeine more (even beer is taxed at over 50% in comparison). I have always been of the opinion that an individual has the right to put whatever substance they want into their body (food, drink or chemical), and any government that interferes with that right is evil. My body, my choice, as the abortion lobby would say.
People choose to take drugs; people choose whether to maintain an addiction or to quit. Psychoactive substances don't automatically enter the bloodstream; they require action to acquire and administer.
I don't think leaning on free will is the best option when people don't really have any. 'my body my choice' is fine for abortion because it doesn't impact anyone else, but drinking heavily, going on psychotic meth binges or blacking out on benzos/dissociatives can hurt people. There's heaps of drugs that are just objectively awful for you or incredibly risky, mostly opiods, amphetamines, benzos and alcohol, all of which really should just be banned. When it comes to these substances we should take a more risk averse harm minimisation approach to regulatory measures, over "it's all my choice bro"
I think the policing is doing more harm than good, but I don't think it should be completely unregulated. As you allude, it's a health issue not a criminal one.
I agree it is a health issue. They should all be decriminalised.
Almost everyone does caffeine the wrong way. They drink the same amount daily, so that due to tolerance, they are essentially just satiating their withdrawal symptoms and receiving no net positive benefit.
Caffeine is a beneficial drug, but you're much better off not drinking it daily, and then only taking it in situations such as an unusually bad night of sleep, needing to stay up late, going on a long drive, have an assignment/project due etc etc.
If you use it as needed, rather than daily, you'll experience far more benefit.
Current evidence does actually indicate that daily caffeine use is associated with various benefits. Personally I still feel 1 coffee (or 80-110mg caffeine) with a habit of 1-2 coffees a day.
If you use it as needed, rather than daily, you'll experience far more benefit.
You're under the assumption that everyone drinks caffeinated drinks purely as a 'pick me up' drug.
I actually really love coffee for the taste, aroma and variety. I couldn't care less about whether it has caffeine or not. While I could just drink decaf, roasteries tend to focus on caffeinated varieties a lot more due to demand and unfortunately decaf doesn't get much love as a result. If you're going out for coffee, a lot of cafes either don't stock decaf at all and even if they do, you're more likely to get a stale batch because turnover is much much lower.
I run on 4-6 hour sleep during the weekday and as a nightowl I just need it to give my body a good buzz in the morning without feeling sleepy. Once it's past lunch time where my body feels more energised, it's all smooth sailing.
I don't feel withdrawal symptoms if I don't have it though :)
I don't drink any caffiene, but when I do the effects are very strong and quite awful. If I had a cup of coffee I have pretty much wrecked the next two days of my life with sleep issues. I will also get anxiety and shake. Just not worth having the smallest amount of caffiene. Lucky I am happy to drink water and pretty much nothing else.
A few years ago, I was able to use it when I needed to stay awake/get stuff done. But now I can't even do that. I can't have tea either, that also has too much caffiene.
ithoughtaboutitbutthenirealisedthatiwasntreallyaddictedtocaffeinebutthatcaffeinewasaddictedtome
andthenightsweatsandjittersandheartpalpitationswereallperfectlynormalandthatifistoppedcaffeine
beingaddictedtomeiwouldntbeabletoflylikeahummingbirdbzzzzzzcanyouseemyflyzzzzzzzzandmy
eyesarelikeachameleonsoicanseethecaffeinewhentheytrytosneakuponmebzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I drink 1-2 coffees (double shots) a day and had similar symptoms as OP (I had headaches/migraines but it felt different from a common headache). So I had to reduce it to 1 shot coffee and an instant just to lower the caffeine (along with sugar from 2 teaspoon to 1 or none). It worked quickly to recover. I don't drink the energy drinks but they are more addictive than coffee due to sugar and has a high effect on teeth (in U.S. there's the infamous "Mountain Dew teeth").
Yeah i gave it up while I was pregnant. I had a couple of decaf coffees at Coffee Club and found it not too bad. Now I'm breastfeeding I don't want a hyper baby. My friend put me onto the Coles home brand freeze dried decaf. It's not too bad after a long day and the baby is having a nap. I think it's the sitting down and relaxing with a warm drink that I enjoy rather than the caffeine hit. Although sometimes I need a pick me up but sadly decaf gives you false hope hahaha
I never had any headaches or withdrawals. I've been a shift worker for years. I love my Cafe style coffees. I did limit it to one coffee a day a few tears back. The only one I can't resist is Dare Double Shot
Not all caffeine, but I gave up energy drinks and coffee about 13 months ago. At my worst I'd drink 750ml of brewed coffee and 2x 500ml energy drinks every day. I still have one black tea in the morning now but that's it. It was hell to start with as my caffeine intake dropped so much, but I got used to it after a few (grumpy) weeks. Am considering giving tea up too.
I have two coffees a day when I'm at home (double shot espresso based each) as well. I've had zero coffee 'time outs' quite often (usually in a country where the coffee is crap) for sometimes weeks. No ill effects, so I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't suffer withdrawal symptoms, though I know they are real for many! I roast my own beans for freshness and big savings (mostly, I pay $12 a kilo for green beans delivered). I tried a 'big supermarket brand' 'macro' organic roasted beans recently, and at $25 a kilo thought them the best value for quality by far. No one seems to have mentioned another side-effect from caffeine. It loosens many people's (mine too) stomach muscles. For constipated people, this can be a bonus!
I have severed many things in order to simplify my life, and coffee may be next in line.
Got caught out with coffee/caffeine withdrawal a couple of years ago when a bout of gastro meant I couldn't keep much down and stopped drinking everything but water for a few days, so went through that and caffeine withdrawal together, which was not fun. Then didn't have coffee for a few months, until I gradually crept up again due to needing a wake up around 10am!. The banging headache was not nice!
Now I limit to a max 2 coffees a day and nothing caffeine containing (as far as I know) after 4pm as it reduces sleep quality even 6 hours after drinking it, and no, or almost no, coca cola/pepsi etc. Never an energy drink, they're foul muck.
Did it about 6 years ago, down to zero over a couple weeks. Stayed on zero for a couple months then started getting migraines ~once a week (usually get them once or twice a year), so went back to caffeine drinks.
I feel like giving sugar or dairy would give better health benefits than giving up caffeine (unless you are consuming gratuitous amounts of caffeine). Just my personal opinion. Gave up soft drinks about 3 years ago and feel way healthier.
Coffee really isn't bad for you unless you have a condition that it aggravates. It's also very high in antioxidants (although you could switch to decaf and get the same result).
I went off caffeine for about 6 months a year or two ago when I thought it was causing me problems. I get headaches for a few days when I stop, but fine after that. The habbit is harder to kick, so I switched to decaf. After I'd ruled it out as the cause of my stomach problems I just started having it again. I only have a couple of coffees per day.
I think I'm so loaded on caffeine it has no effect - I can switch to decaf without a problem, but instant decaf is far more expensive so I don't see a reason to.
I was nearly convinced in this discussion that I should give it up. Maybe I'll try decaf and see how my life changes.
When I was doing decaf I was buying the aldi decaf coffee pods. They tasted pretty similar to the normal pods to me - and they were the same price. My opinion on instant is that it's not coffee.
i’m allergic to insta coffee and only can do proper ground beans or coffee machine stuff. Thats enough motivation to have it only when needed (which is like extremely cold days or when very tired in morning, so say about twice a month…)
I love coffee but I don't drink it like I used to do. I'm far more careful with my caffeine consumption from anything these days.
I have given up caffeine for nearly a year due to possible issues. It wasn't hard to give up. I just missed the ritual so I switched to a caffeine free tea instead.
Anything your take must in moderation, a cup or two of coffee per day is ok but people drinking over 8 cups a day is in serious trouble.
Yes. Replacing it with tea initially and other tea flavor will help.
I love coffee. I'll never quit.
I did reach a point I was drinking far too many cups a day. I managed to ween myself down to 2 a day and have stuck to that since.
Calculated that my intake was around 450-500mg a day of caffeine when I was at my peak.
It was a reflection of being overworked and underslept at the time.
Down to 1 coffee on only some work days. None on others.
Although I do love to have a coffee before the gym.
I don't remember getting headaches. But I do remember not being able to wake up and perform properly until I had a coffee. It's a drug, but if you're going to do something every day, you could make worse choices.
I had to quit caffeine when I developed epilepsy as an adult about 5 1/2 years ago and one of the side effects of the medication I was on when mixed with caffeine was bad shakes. They were really bad. Also had to quit booze. I took up non alcoholic beer and decaffeinated coffee and that sucked. Was glad when they changed me to a new medication that didn't have that reaction to caffeine and actually stopped the seizures, give me the shakes or make my hair fall out. I regularly stop drinking coffee and other caffeinated drinks and I don't notice any side affects but I'm not a big drinker, 2 cups of coffee a day max during the working week. On the weekend might not have a coffee at all. If we go on a holiday for a week or 10 days I rarely drink coffee.
Yeah, caffeine can be bit of a pain to withdraw.
I think if I have the choice, I would love to. That said, as someone who recently got back into university, it's genuinely difficult.
I don't like the feeling of sluggishness, especially when I have to work on my uni work. :(
Hard AF. I did a 1 week fast of coffee. Day 3 was the hardest. I did find myself less agitaed by the end.
I was a big Coffee drinker for many years, then decided to give up Cold Turkey. The headaches started a couple days later, and then the Muscle Pains… WOW!! That was Painful, however after about a week, no more discomfort.
I also gave up Black Tea, and drank only Green and Chamomile Tea.
I stopped for 2 years, and been back on Coffee for about a year now, however no where near as much as before.
Honestly can't say I've slept any different and any other side effects
Have always been drinking Moccona coffee. Changed to the decaff Moccona. Tastes the same. :)
Unblievable to me how many people seem to be addiction-prone.
I drink coffee and/or tea on and off without suffering any of these (imaginary?) withdrawal symptoms.
I can go for long periods (months) without either and, guess what? … NO WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS!
I also used to take valium tablets with a shot of whisky to help me get to sleep when I was in the labour force and had to rise early in the morning.
I quit these as well (cold turkey) without ANY (imaginary?) withdrawal symptoms.
I have never been addicted to anything in my whole life and just cannot understand how or why some people become addicted … maybe it's in their genes … or maybe they're just imagining addiction.
HMMM …
You are not addicted to bang bang (sensual)?
Just because it is easy for you, don't make it sound like it is a norm. Even for someone who hardly drinks coffee, it is addictive (to me). If I were to drink coffee for a few days in a row then stopped, I get withdrawal symptoms. I avoid drinking coffee because of that. I can imagine how difficult it must be for regular drinkers.
HMMM … so you're supposedly one of the addiction-prone types.
What withdrawal symptoms do you get?
I have a lot of trouble imagining what withdrawal would be like coz I've never experienced it.
Just as I would like to know what hallucinating would be like coz I've never experienced that as well. Would be quite an experience.
I've always wanted to experience hallucinating …
Even a mild headache counts as a withdrawal symptom. It was easy for me to quit as I hardly drank coffee and it was more for socialising with colleague than actually needing that cup of coffee. However, mild symptom is still a symptom. Also, I am not sure about your definition of on and off. Is it more time on or more time off? It is more time off than on, I really doubt that's the right condition. Just drink 1 or 2 a week, that's not going to cause any issue.
Your body is smart enough to get all the benefits of chemicals without taking on any of the negative side effects, good for you.
I also used to take valium tablets with a shot of whisky to help me get to sleep
Hm… that's not good. Just because you believe your body will not be addicted to those chemicals, doesn't mean having them is good for you.
Well technically withdrawal and addiction are separate concepts. For example, caffeine addiction technically isn't something that's recognised right now, but caffeine withdrawal is. There simply isn't enough studies on it to have the concept of caffeine addiction whereas withdrawal has fair bit of supports.
Another thing is, you might have gotten withdrawal symptoms and passed it off as something else. It's not, I crave coffee because I haven't had it in 24 hours, it is more of my head hurts like hell, or I feel tired etc.
"my head hurts like hell, or I feel tired etc".
And because of these mild symptoms some people claim they're "addicted"!!!!!
So that's what this "addiction" stuff is all about …
No, people are talking about withdrawal symptoms.
To keep it very simple, caffeine works on certain parts of the brain and causes constriction of blood vessels in the brain.
So when you have no caffeine in your system, blood vessel in your brain no longer is constricted, which increases the pressure in your head, causing headaches. This is of course, not the full picture, but a part of it.
Does this cause dependency or cause addiction? I have no idea. There is not enough studies on it to say.
As I said, addiction and withdrawal are different concepts.
Do you eat food most days? Maybe you're addicted.
I drink coffee because I like the taste and the actual process of making it. I find the caffeine doesn't really affect me. On weekends or holidays, I can easily go a morning without a coffee and not really notice. So I think I could give up caffeine quite easily, but given that I don't really seem to depend on it, I also don't see much of a reason to.
I'm in the process of giving up at the moment. Ive tapered down to half a mug in the morning. It seems to mess with my sleep no matter how early in the day I have it.
I tried my first roasted dandelion brew yesterday and it's pretty good. Similar mouth feel to coffee and the right amount of bitterness.
I attribute the negative effects to just getting older. I used to be able to have a coffee at 9:30 in the evening and it wouldn't noticeably affect my sleeping.
It sucks because I love the stuff, but good sleep is just more valuable to me.
I never drank coffee for the last few decades, but recently have started the occasional drink before sports or with work colleagues as its a social thing for them to go on a coffee break and a smoke break while i dont do either :(. I do worry about the negatives / addiction state of it. As a lot of people i know / work with seem to state that they cant function without it these days.
I drank about 3 cups a day. Every afternoon, I could feel overwhelmingly tired particularly if I was doing things that heavily require my brain power, e.g playing an intense online competitive game. And at this time, if I took another cup, it didn't help but to increase my heartbeats. Since I quit, I can sometimes still feel tired. But this tiredness is kinda gradually and slowly increasing. It is not like that the tiredness knocks me off all at a sudden.
Every two months, I abstain completely from caffeine for one week. (I usually consume two or three cups a day, thanks to this damned Delonghi machine we got for Christmas.)
It resets my caffeine sensitivity. My first latte after that week without is like a mighty kick to the heart - absolutely wonderful.
While abstention can feel mildly uncomfortable for a couple of days, the dreams are amazing: full technicolour trips whose every detail you remember the next morning.
I find with caffeine and pretty much any drug for productivity use, less is more. I switched from coffee to diet coke which helped stop me from having to do a caffeine reset every fortnight as I would see diminishing returns if I kept drinking it. Then I switched to tea which was the best thing I ever did as I was getting real bad anxiety in the morning for a while when starting my studies.
Lately I am finding exercise is also hugely beneficial for me. Before I would do everything I could to avoid it as I didn't want to waste 1-2hrs each day at the gym when I could be studying so I tried to improve my energy levels through other means such as getting better quality sleep etc. But one day I thought that since I always seem to slack off around 3pm, I should try jogging for 20mins around that time and it massively increased my energy levels throughout the day post 3pm.
I also didn't exercise last week and no joke, every single day of that week I felt tired. I thought I just needed some rest, but when I was still tired for the 5th day in a row, I realized that I wasn't tired from a lack of sleep but from a lack of exercise. It took me so long to notice because usually when I don't exercise I feel lethargic, not tired. And the tiredness got progressively worse the longer I didn't exercise.
coffee taste like burnt water. WHy do you drink?
LoL, you get use to it and later you'll enjoy it.
Clearly you've never had good coffee
Drugs not good, smokes not good, sugar not good, fast food not good, coffee not good…. *sad
Caffein is very addictive and depends how much you drink a day. I drink one espresso, usually double shot per day. When there is no coffee at home I don't drink it.
Give it another week and the headaches will be gone.
I drink 1-4 coffees a day depending on how busy/tired I am. Have gone caffeine free cold turkey for a month, twice over the last 5 years to try decrease my tolerance. No withdrawals when I'm on or off caffeine.
I quit caffeine about 6 years ago after I was having trouble sleeping. Made a huge difference and I haven't missed it that much. If you ever get a craving I've found decaf coffee is usually good enough for me and you can't tell the difference between decaf tea bags and normal. Plus there's heaps of herbal tea varieties for when you want a hot drink.
Caffeine isn't an issue unless you're having just before bed…. and even then it doesn't affect everyone the same way.
I can have a black coffee as a night cap on occasion and still sleep like a bird.
It's not sugar and its not harmful at even small doses like other drugs, so unless you're actually experiencing issues "quitting caffeine" isn't necessary.
Like everything just don't overdo it. If it's in a Coke or energy drink, the sugar component in those can cause far more harm than caffeine ever could.
I drank 5-6 double espressos daily for a few years. I quit that recently due to reflux issues (all cleared up thank god) and I have noticed that whilst I can still be tired, I am never exhausted like I was without having a coffee. I would say I sit in more of a happy medium all the time. I have some caffeiene every now and then, the effect is much more noticable.
I had a headache after about 24 hours without (the longest I had been without caffeiene for maybe 8 or 9 years) which lasted a whole day until I slept the next night. I had a couple of naps on that day as well because I feel like I had a fair bit of sleep to catch up on. No headaches or physical side effects after the first day, but I did take a few days catching up on sleep without feeling supper sluggish in the morning.
I am pretty sure I've read somewhere that there is actually more caffeine in tea than there is in coffee…
Anyway, I am in the camp that most things in moderation are ok - and why would you deny yourself something that you clearly enjoy?
It is not as if there is loads to shout about at the moment, so enjoy what small pleasures you can - whilst you can - unless it is doing you or those close to you some harm.
I quit for a few months to gauge any differences. I felt like I had more energy without the after coffee crash but otherwise nothing else.
I have about one a day in the morning as part of breakfast. There's worse evils.
I get severe withdrawals from caffeine, I had caffeine daily since about the age of 10 (diet coke). When I missed having a coffee or was late by more than an hour or so I would get severe migraines, vomiting, nausea, and blurred vision.
I ended up replacing my 3 daily coffees with caffeine tablets (No Doz). And gradually reduced the dosage over about 6 weeks. Managed to not get any withdrawals.
As someone else mentioned here, it does suck to not have the morale boost of a coffee, but to me it is better than being a prisoner to it.
No
Coffee has never had any stimulant affect on me. Therefore I have no need to stop. :)
Similar to another guy here I can drink it before bed just fine!
I've successfully quit sugar in coffee many times, this time it's stuck really well too. Learnt from a friend about a decade ago.
When you go to start, simply don't put sugar in for a week and just grit and bare it at first.
The 'cure' comes when you go back to sugar, put in 1 more than you normally would. It should taste so sickly sweet, that you'll not want to put sugar in for the next coffee.
So then return to 0 sugars on the next one and hopefully, success! How I've relapsed is when I've accidentally taken a sip of someone else's coffee with a sugar in it from time to time and thought 'actually that's pretty good' so try and avoid that, hopefully this helps someone.
Caffeine has a half life of three weeks. After that, you'll sleep like a log every night. Best thing I ever did was give up coffee. Problem is now, I'm very caffeine sensitive, so a can of Coke causes muscle pain for about three days.
Well I know it helps me get through the day and actually caffeine helps in the gym is in alot of workout products.