[–] gcb 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago (edited ago)
I skipped caffeine accidentally for a few days and got a raging headache. When I finally figured out it was from the caffeine I decided to quit and see how long withdraw would take. After another week I was fine. Two weeks of crazy headache was enough to keep me off it for a few years. I've recently started up again but I limit myself to one or two cans of coke a day and frequently go a few days without any. Not having it regularly now doesn't seem to have any effect. I did notice that sleep better without caffeine and I wake up more alert.
[–] [deleted] ago
Any reason why? I consider caffeine is way worse. It blocks a receptors in the brain to fake your body out that you're not tired then when it wears off you get this flood drugs into those receptors telling you how tired you are and you crash. If you need energy, sugar is the best source - it's quick and your body is built to process sugars.
Caffeine is a tiny molecule that's similar to nicotine. The problem with these small molecules is that they are hard to track where they go and what they do. Relatively little is known about the brain compared to how the body converts sugar into energy. I think sugar is the safe choice by far.
[–] PM_me_your_mitts 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago (edited ago)
Done and done
Edit: Oh. Story. Drank coffee at work. Drank 6 cups one day and thought I was having a heart attack.
Quit cold turkey. I am back on it now. I have about half a cup a day if I have any.
[–] middle_path 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Drank coffee at work. Drank 6 cups one day and thought I was having a heart attack.
I used to work at a coffee shop. I did this one day, then had the genius idea of going for a run. I honestly thought i was dying.
[–] [deleted] 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
[–] [deleted] 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
[–] armday2day 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
I replaced my morning coffee with a real breakfast, leaving only my lunchtime coffee. So maybe just cutting out one instance per day is a good start.
[–] pacman2000 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago (edited ago)
Mostly just headaches. Usually just good 'ol ibuprofin and laying down helps. Oddly enough it doesn't happen every time I abstain from caffeine, but most times it does.
[–] [deleted] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
[–] pacman2000 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
The only issue I have is the headaches. I don't really notice much of a difference so it must be subtle. However, when I go back after abstaining for a week or so I do notice I actually feel speeded and energetic when I take caffeine.
[–] LOLATU 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Yeah I quit for two years. Cured chronic neck pain and tinnitus I had. Starting drinking coffee again. It never came back.
First week is the hardest. After that it's not too awful. At first you will never feel awake. Then, after you kick the addiction, you'll feel like you wake up bright and alert without the caffeine.
The only tip I can think of is don't drink decaffeinated coffee or tea (herbal tea without caffeine is fine). The reason is because decaffeinated coffee can actually have quite a bit of caffeine and you won't kick the addiction.
[–] rwbj 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
I went from 1-2 pots of coffee per day to a couple of cups. There was a pretty simple 'trick' I used. I started diluting it with hot water and it scratched the same itch, and eventually hot water did as well. Soft drinks are easy to drop if you look at the healthfulness of them. Keep drinking those and you'll end up a land whale. As for completely dropping the coffee itself, you're obviously to boss of you but there are a surprisingly large number of positive health benefits to drinking a moderate amount of it.
[–] middle_path ago
there are a surprisingly large number of positive health benefits to drinking a moderate amount of it.
I find most of these studies are founded on bad or unreliable science. It's like the same people who drink a glass of red wine for their heart health. The same benefits are gained from eating grapes, but that's not as fun.
All health and human physiology is still just correlational on the micro scale. The scale of the benefits for coffee are so large (approaching 20% for things like reduced mortality rate) that it's pretty hard to imagine it's just a correlation. The inverse correlation also holds strongly true in that people who don't regularly consume coffee have a significantly higher rate of all-cause mortality. I think another thing is that people have actively searched for evidence of negative health consequences of coffee because intuitively it seems there 'ought' be. That study I linked to is a meta-analysis looking at a wide array of other studies and still seeing those strong correlations.
As for wine, you'd have to eat an obscene amount of grapes - likely in the hundreds - to get comparable benefits and some studies have shown the ethanol itself as a positive player though obviously in moderation.
[–] Matter_and_Form ago
Several times incidentally over the years. I've never noticed any withdrawal effects, though I also suppose I wasn't intentionally avoiding all possible sources of caffeine, though I'm sure I went without caffeine for at least days at a time.
Similarly, I don't use caffeine intentionally on the weekend.
That being said, I use relatively large doses of caffeine during the work week for performance reasons. I have a job that requires both high mental performance and the ability to remember many exact details. Doing this to the degree needed seems to necessitate the use of caffeine. While it is certainly possible to be passable without caffeine (and I do so if I happen to run out of coffee, etc), being my best does require it. My degree of mental clarity and efficiency of memory is measurably higher when using caffeine. Unless you suffer health problems due to caffeine use (tachycardia, etc), and you don't have to worry about dehydration or heat stress in your job, I would seriously consider its use or continued use at work.
[–] dirkgently 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago
I have on multiple occasions. I did get some headaches for about a week and also found myself crazy tired during that time but it leveled out and I felt a lot better without it. I'm back now drinking more coffee than ever but that's just because I don't have any other vices. I figure this one is the least harmful. Give it a go, it's good practice to quit things every so often to prove you are the boss of you, and not to substances.
[–] middle_path 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
You sounds just like me. Quitting coffee sucks, but i feel so much better without it. Problem is, I love the taste of black coffee, it's what always brings me back. And decaf is a joke.