Quitting coffee and the ensuing effects

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I have a 20 oz. cup in the morning when I get into work - I don't know if I'm numb to it, but it doesn't really do much for me (except warm my tum-tum). And that's my coffee intake for the day. On weekends, I don't have any (except on rare occasions, after a meal, w/ desert). And I have the occasional jumbo-sized sody pop. And a soda @ work. I probably get most of my caffeine thru soda.

I just had a 20 oz. Mountain Dew, and it felt like I had gone swimming in it after I finished. Very strange. I think fountain sodas are kinder to me than bottled sodas (possibly a carbonation issue).

I USED to have wicked shakes after drinking caffeine, tho. And occasional headaches. I only get headaches now after drinking Gatorade, which I don't do anymore, because of the headaches.

David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:17 (nineteen years ago) link

Coffee is the Man's drug, the only drug supplied to the workforce free by EVERY EMPLOYER.

I knew the printing company I worked for was in trouble when the coffee well ran dry. (Five months later, Chapter 7; one year later, Chapter 13.)

Remember in Leaving Las Vegas how Cage's character had to drink a certain amount to keep from getting the shakes? That's me and coffee. I should probably quit, but I love it so much, especially since my wife bought me a grind-and-brew coffee maker and I can go straight from beans to brew.

Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:20 (nineteen years ago) link

huh - well, me personally I've never worked anywhere, office, retail, or otherwise, that didn't have a coffee pot in the breakroom or something. Sure the coffee might've been low quality, but it was still there to drink for all who wanted it.

Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:26 (nineteen years ago) link

I always had as well until I became a teacher. Fifty cents for a small styrofoam cup from the cafeteria. Just an example of what a shitty work environment schools are. . .

Miss Misery (thatgirl), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:31 (nineteen years ago) link

It was more upsetting that the free coffee was gone than the fact that we couldn't afford scotch tape or pens anymore.

Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:33 (nineteen years ago) link

I had to buy my own staples, paper clips, copy paper, pencils for the kids to use on state standarized tests. GAH! I must stop that depressing past is behind me. . .

Miss Misery (thatgirl), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:34 (nineteen years ago) link

I have recently rediscovered that coffee in large amounts (I mean like 6-8 cups successively) will grant me temporary reprieve from a depressed mood. But now I've used this trick twice in the last four days and I'm almost to the point where if I don't stop this now I won't have the power in the future because I'll be scared of the comedown and ensuing depression.

Strung the fuck out, on coffee!

Aaron A., Monday, 2 May 2005 21:14 (nineteen years ago) link

a lot of painkillers have caffeine in them! (dunno if you were using 'asprin' as a general term for 'painkiller' or what but thought it would be worth mentioning.)

yes, it was a general term for painkiller.

maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Monday, 2 May 2005 22:06 (nineteen years ago) link


I quit too - about a month ago. It was so bad for my nerves. I really do feel much, much better.

you work for kay (dymaxia), Monday, 2 May 2005 22:25 (nineteen years ago) link

If I have coffee for two days and no coffee the next day, that night I'm edgy.

Last week this happened and I thought something specific was pissing me off but didn't know what it was. Turned out to be nothing, just the vague edginess caused by caffeine withdrawal.

Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 00:34 (nineteen years ago) link

I quit nearly a year ago now and feel great for it. Plus I save a load of money (and calories) not getting large Pret lattes every morning. the downside is that I always forget to take fruit teabags with me when I go round friends' houses or out of London - trying to find a café with chamomile or peppermint tea in the deepest countryside can sometimes be problematic...

Mog, Tuesday, 3 May 2005 11:41 (nineteen years ago) link

For the last couple years I've been subsisting on one cup in the AM and otherwise no caffeine in any form (tea coke medicine etc). Doctor's orders and no joke, I get a BAD reaction if I go one sip over the limit. Suppose I feel better physically now, but I miss it like a long lost love. Even with the one cup allowance I experienced withdrawl headaches for awhile. Guess it really is a drug!

m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 12:03 (nineteen years ago) link

My sister quit coffee after having been a serious caffeine addict for many many years. She then discovered that the slightly nervous hysterical personality trait she'd always had, well, disappeared. Haha.

Hanna (Hanna), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 12:29 (nineteen years ago) link

I have this gigantic coffee cup, that holds like 3 coffee cups. I drink two of these every morning. I can't see myself without caffeine right now. In fact, I don't think I could see at all.

Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 13:03 (nineteen years ago) link

i am on my third cup right now. i'll be dead by 40, but at least i'll be alert when the end comes.

strng hlkngtn, Tuesday, 3 May 2005 13:12 (nineteen years ago) link

I quit drinking coffee for a few months a couple of years back (I only have 1 or 2 cups a day anyway) and honestly didn't notice any difference in well-being. I never get any of these positive effects. Like when you quit smoking you're supposed to suddenly taste everything better and feel amazing all the time. I quit smoking and everything was exactly the same as before, except I coughed slightly less often.

Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 13:13 (nineteen years ago) link

i was actually supposed to give it up (along with spicy food, cigarettes, beer, a reason for living, all joy, general sanity) three years ago when my lining of my throat was damaged after a particularly awful illness. fat chance, doc.

strng hlkngtn, Tuesday, 3 May 2005 13:16 (nineteen years ago) link

Essentially you were being asked to give up fun? Sucks.

Too much (i.e. more than two cups a day) coffee makes me jittery, grumpy and shouty. Tea is just safer, given that I'm a witch at the best of times.

Liz :x (Liz :x), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 13:25 (nineteen years ago) link

one month passes...
She then discovered that the slightly nervous hysterical personality trait she'd always had, well, disappeared. Haha.

This is now my concern. After saying several times, on this forum and elsewhere, that I would rather go blind than give up coffee, I am starting to become concerned about the possible psychological side effects. I have a reasonably large coffee intake (5 or 6 cups a day), and lately I have not been able to so much as lose my credit card without going into a mild hysterical fit. I also have a lot of trouble concentrating. I've started to wonder just how things would be without coffee. Will there be changes? How is it done?

Yakuza Ghost Six (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 18:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Smoke some weed, it'll help. If not, wel, it's fun anyway.

nathalie's baby (stevie nixed), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 18:05 (eighteen years ago) link

I did! On Saturday! It was great!

Yakuza Ghost Six (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 18:07 (eighteen years ago) link

ohhhhhhh my god, the headaches.

Yakuza Ghost Six (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Can anyone recommend a decent hot drink substitute, something low calorie and tasty (and NOT tea)?

Yakuza Ghost Six (nordicskilla), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:57 (eighteen years ago) link

(still going, obviously)

Yakuza Ghost Six (nordicskilla), Thursday, 9 June 2005 17:59 (eighteen years ago) link

Have you tried Japanese tea? (It has traces of caffeine though.)

nathalie's post modern sleaze fest (stevie nixed), Thursday, 9 June 2005 18:45 (eighteen years ago) link

two years pass...

I HAVE TO GIVE UP COFFEE AND ALL FORMS OF CAFFEINE.

Also, my almost daily cocktail of Excederin Migraine needs to stop ASAP (I apparently get rebound headaches).

My doctor told me I could get such a bad headache that it might send me to the EMERGENCY ROOM.

YAY.

I AM NOW BORING (I can't really drink booze either).

molly mummenschanz, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:27 (sixteen years ago) link

TIME FOR A NEW BRAIN

El Tomboto, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:28 (sixteen years ago) link

excedrin migraine has lots of caffeine! i hope he gave you some other headache meds at least.

bell_labs, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:29 (sixteen years ago) link

LOBOTOMY PLZ

yeah, he gave me stuff for my migraines and a low grade anti-depressant (?!) to ward of potentially terrible withdrawal headache.

I AM OFFICIALLY DULL

molly mummenschanz, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:30 (sixteen years ago) link

don't quit coffee! coffee needs you!

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:30 (sixteen years ago) link

what do doctors really know

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:31 (sixteen years ago) link

can you taper? do the half decaf half regular? or did he say you have to stop immediately?

bell_labs, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:32 (sixteen years ago) link

is it time to try topamax yet?

La Lechera, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:32 (sixteen years ago) link

I LOVE COFFEE BUT IT DOES NOT LOVE ME ;_;

excederin migraine is officially a BITCH

AM I GOING TO TURN INTO A HIPPY WITH MY NEW HERBAL TEA DRINKING BEHAVIOR??!

I have to go cold turkey! The fact that I could get such a raging headache that would send me to the emergency room is scary.

molly mummenschanz, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:33 (sixteen years ago) link

brain doctor put me on samples of Maxalt?

Imitrex doesn't work for me, as demonstrated by 4 DAY migraine. ;_;

molly mummenschanz, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:34 (sixteen years ago) link

i have to say that quitting coffee did help my headaches a lot. i stopped over the last month or so.

bell_labs, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:35 (sixteen years ago) link

I had no idea caffeine was so addictive. It's like you guys are talking about smack or something. Good thing I've always preferred tea.

the next grozart, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:35 (sixteen years ago) link

how fancy of you

bell_labs, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:37 (sixteen years ago) link

honestly though i lived for a good 2, maybe even 3?, years drinking non-caffeinated tea, having maybe a coffee or caffeinated tea every couple of weeks. then introduced it again slowly.

i mean now i'm almost full-blown addicted again but hey we'll see

what i'm saying is that you can do it! see how you feel, gauge it, etc

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:38 (sixteen years ago) link

xposts - tea has caffeine

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:39 (sixteen years ago) link

I basically only drank tea for about 5 years, but now that I'm back in the US and there isn't much to do besides hang out and read at a starbucks, I'm drinking coffee again. The effects vary, from invigorating to draining. Driving home yesterday buzzing off the caffiene felt more dangerous than driving home from a bar after a couple of beers.

Gukbe, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:39 (sixteen years ago) link

i think that most people just like being drugged

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:40 (sixteen years ago) link

which is obv not new news!

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:40 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah, my dr said i'll feel a million dollars better with my daily headaches (i know, sad!). migraines, maybe not, but i won't be taking a frightening amount of excederin to counteract the withdrawal of excederin.

thank you, all. i can do it, i guess. i mean, anything is better than having a headache all the time, right?

i *might* be able to drink coffee eventually, but NO MORE excederin. EVER.

molly mummenschanz, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:41 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah, my dr said i'll feel a million dollars better with my daily headaches (i know, sad!)

that didn't make sense. blame my creeping headache that is coming on.

WITHOUT my daily headaches.

molly mummenschanz, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:41 (sixteen years ago) link

maybe you also need yoga!

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:42 (sixteen years ago) link

but no headstands

rrrobyn, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:42 (sixteen years ago) link

YOGA!! excellent idea!

laurel and i were just discussing what i need to take up to make me seem badass now that i'm officially boring.

it's down to jujitsu or kickboxing.

molly mummenschanz, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:43 (sixteen years ago) link

If I ever go off coffee cold turkey, I'll have to spend about four days in bed with the lights off.

Rock Hardy, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 23:44 (sixteen years ago) link


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