I had to give up caffeine yesterday due to having an MRI test evening, no caffeine for 24hrs prior. I probably have at least 5 most days (aeropress or v60.)
By 9am yest morning I felt pretty rotten, strong cravings. By lunchtime, banging headache that later the rest of the day. By late afternoon, the cravings were gone, I wouldn't normally drink coffee later than 4-5pm anyway.
Didn't sleep better last night, but that's probably down to hayfever and the litre of small bowel dye I had to drink. It 'might' have a mild laxative effect they said. That was a lie 🤣
I think I would like to reduce my caffeine reliance tbh, but I do love it. Maybe one day 🤔
I don't drink coffee after lunch. Maybe has a cup of tea in early afternoon. Probably have about four over he course of the morning, but nothing after, nor any fizzy pop. I have been cutting the booze, easy way to shift a few kg without trying.
Cut out coffee or tea? Nooo way, if I go a day without either oh that headache is just awful!
Your body is telling you something
I tend to not get addicted to anything
Are you sure?
Cut out coffee or tea? Nooo way, if I go a day without either oh that headache is just awful!
I tend to not get addicted to anything and always have anything in moderation so think that keeps me on an even keel. I do love a good coffee though!
As above that is clearly a sign that you are addicted to caffeine !
I never used to drink coffee as I didnt like the taste. Instead I would get my caffeine hit from Coke. Drinking a bottle of coke at maybe 8am every day and maybe another later in the day !
Switched to coffee when we got a proper coffee machine and now enjoy nice coffee (not the shite you get in instant) ditched the coke completely. When I started on coffee I would visibly shake but now my body is used to that level of drug.
Usually I have a coffee about 8am now. If I dont have one though I feel just a bit weird all day long so it must already be getting my body addicted to that level of caffiene
Didn’t sleep better last night
AS the OP on this thread I should stress that I always thought I was a champion sleeper. Asleep within a minute of head hitting the pillow and rarely wake up during the night. The difference has been how fresh I feel getting up in the morning.
It is interesting to see other people reputing similar experiences.
I think alcohol as more of an impact on sleep than caffeine
I just chucked caffeine due to long covid. Felt pretty awful for 9 days - headaches, anxiety, increased HR etc.
When working, would normally have 3 coffees a day so not exactly hardcore but I guess 3 a day for 15 years fair adds up…
I have one big drip filter coffee in the morning to kick start the day - then that's it. I used to drink loads of strong coffee during the day but sleep quality reduces as you get older and it wasn't helping.
One coffee early enough is fine. Now If I have more then I have a tendency to sounding like Spud at a job interview
I usually use bitter Chinese gunpowder green tea when I'm off caffeine. It helps sooth the withdrawal. Luckily I have loads at home because I ran out of Diet Pepsi and I have a choice to make.
When I was ordering bulk crates of Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Black this morning (can't buy Diet Pepsi locally), the online sellers rang me canceling the order. I'm not sure if they decided, or were ordered to by the state. I couldn't interpret the use of the word "state" in their translated message. Either their stock is spoiled, or the 'state' ordered sales on hold temporarily after the story over aspartame.
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I have one big drip filter coffee in the morning to kick start the day – then that’s it. I used to drink loads of strong coffee during the day but sleep quality reduces as you get older and it wasn’t helping.
Thats me nowadays. I used to drink gallons of strong coffee during the course of the day but now I just have one nice one in the morning, first thing, then I don't bother with any more
I sleep the sleep of the dead, every night, whether I've had caffeine or not. The main thing I've found since massively reducing my caffeine intake is my anxiety (which I'm quite bad for) has reduced in direct proportion
The difference has been how fresh I feel getting up in the morning.
Yep, agree
I think alcohol as more of an impact on sleep than caffeine
100% alcohol is terrible for sleep, on a anecdotal pov it has improved my sleep reducing removing caffeine.
Sleep is one of these odd things that until you get back better sleep you don't realise how bad your sleep has been.
Relationship between alcohol and sleep changes with age.
In my 20ys a few too many beers would mean sleeping like a corpse, get up in the morning and crack on with life.
Now, in my 40s, a few too many beers means light, interrupted sleep, toilet trips and a ruined next day.
Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively - what did you replace the coffee with?
Stopping smoking was easier than giving up caffeine for me.
I stopped smoking as I couldn't be arsed to walk to the shop when I ran out of cigarettes one day. Didn't bother me at all and never smoked since or had any lapses back to smoking. that was about 15-20 years ago.
I cut out caffeine a few years back, I was drinking probably 10-12 cups of tea a day. After the first day the headaches were monumental, had a feeling of total lethargy as well. It was horrendous and carried on for about four or five days before I stared drinking tea again. I've tried cutting it out a couple more times since then and had similar symptoms. Now I've just cut down to 2-3 cups a day and drink decaf after lunch.
Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?
@IdleJon - we’ve got a Tassimo and these decaffeinated pods are actually pretty decent. I’ve gone from reducing my caffeine to cutting it out completely with these
IdleJon
Full Member
Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?
Decaff, but then coffee wasn't the main source of my caffeine intake. All the Pepsi Max just got replaced with good old water. If I still want some fizziness these days it's usually 'slimline' tonic water.
I have completely given up on caffeine, it started when I realized I was arguing with Madame for no reason at all on a saturday morning, one hour after our breakfast. So I went to decaff, and then following a course of antibiotics and the usual upset tum, gave up altogether, including tea as well!
It has been an interesting journey - I have never once felt like I had any withdrawal effects, but now when I accidentally drink something with caffeine it completely blows my head off, and will probably give me the Arthur Hits. Even a cup of weak tea feels pretty potent. So this makes me realise I was very much addicted to it when I was drinking it. And to be honest, when I read about people drinking multiple cups of coffee a day I just can't see how they aren't axe murderer's. It's incredible how the body will adapt to it
Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?
So for me it is redbush tea with milk, and Barleycup drink which is a kind of morning drink for me as it has a slightly coffee flavour that goes nicely with a bit of cake or a pastry.
I don't miss coffee although I can understand how people like the process and ritual of it all
Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?
You can make good tasting coffee from Lavazza ground decaf. But everyone has different prefs.
I usually use bitter Chinese gunpowder green tea when I’m off caffeine
Surely you are still having caffeine but, depending on the quantity, less than some other caffeinated drinks?
I have not been feeling the benefits of coffee for some time. Giving up caffeine this morning...loaded decaf beans into the machine...let's see what happens...
IMO it's much easier if you wean yourself off! Don't go cold turkey unless you're a masochist. Switch from coffee to tea to green tea over a couple of weeks. Much easier.
(I used to do this every January, as part of a general attempt to reset my diet)...
+1 for Lavazza decaf (which I routinely mix 50-50 with various caffeinated stuff), though I've got a big bag of decaf beans picked up on holiday to start next.
I gave up Coke & Red Bull about 3 months ago (couple of litres or so a day). Felt awful / headaches for a couple for weeks and still really wanted it after that but now don't crave it and am sleeping better. Do still have the occasional cup of tea.
Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?
Decaf beans from our local roaster, Peak Bean, ginger tea occasionally and water out of the tap.
Thanks guys, a few answers for decaf then. The reason I asked is that I don't drink much coffee, but have 5-6 mugs of tea a day, and can't now drink it after about 7 in the evening because I won't sleep. If I don't drink tea I drink water. None of you have inspired me to find anything else. 😀
Water and squash here
I gave up about 2 years ago. Went completely cold turkey - from around 6 cups of very strong coffee per day - to nothing, no caffeine whatsoever. The withdrawal symptoms were horrific. Mind-bending splitting headaches for the first week, total inability to focus or do anything and searing pain from my legs when cycling or running uphill for the first three weeks. I was almost about to cave in at that point and give up, giving up. After three weeks, however, these withdrawal symptoms went away.
Unfortunately, having given up all caffeine and got back to being 'normal', there were very few real long-term benefits I could see to be honest. I stuck at this zero caffeine thing for at least 6 months and found that during that time I couldn't focus when I needed too and felt sleepy occasionally throughout the day. I found no noticeable improvements in my sleeping either.
Since then, I have gradually allowed myself a caffeinated Coke Zero in the afternoons at work. This was followed by 'allowing' a coffee out on Saturdays. Recently, Mrs no_eyed_deer bought a coffee grinder for home and so I 'allowed' myself a coffee at home on Sundays. Then, last week I went down with 'flu and was bedridden at home, so I was having two massively strong cups of coffee to try and feel a bit better each morning. Oddly, drinking this massively strong coffee with the 'flu had absolutely no effect on me - I still felt exhausted and like shite.
I've cut straight back to coffee at the weekend only now. I think for me, it's okay as long as I'm not drinking it most days of the week. I can definitely see a dependence thing that develops with caffeine, which I want to stay away from. I also seem to enjoy it a lot more as an occasional treat - if I have periods of abstinence each week.
