HollyDay Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I love my daily lattee. I make my own chocolate syrup and I use Pioneer Woman's iced coffee recipe. It is heavenly!! I love the taste. But, I'm discovering caffeine is not my friend. Cold turkey scares me too much. So, how do I break my coffee habit?? Is decaf okay? Half caf?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Don't go cold turkey unless you hate yourself. :) Ask me how I know. Decrease the caffeine slowly and take a couple of weeks to completely wean off. Your head will thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 When I go off caffeine I just reduce my daily coffee some each day until I am down to a very small cup. Then I switch over to decaffeinated black tea. It gives me the feeling that I'm still having my morning drink without the caffeine. Eventually I stop the tea too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I like caffeine. Caffeine is my friend. Sure, we break up every now and then, but we always get back together. I don't smoke, drink, or use any fun recreational drugs, so caffeine and sugar are pretty much all I've got. And I'm keeping them. They make me happy. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I'm curious why you are giving it up. I gave it up a while ago because it made me feel jittery and irritable. While I loved it, I realized I must stop. I did go cold turkey so I had headaches for a week, but it wasn't terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 My withdrawal headaches from cold turkey were almost unbearable. If no compelling reason exists to quit cold turkey, it is much better to ease off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Texasmamma gave you the best answer. My answer is that if I felt the need to do this, it would best if I were put in restraints under medical Supervision so that I would not be in danger of hurting myself or others. I wish you all the best in what I consider to be a most courageous pursuit! FAITH THE ULTIMATE COFFEE ADDICT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Another vote for easing off slowly. The one time I went cold turkey, we were out of town and I handed my dh my insurance card and told him I thought I was having a brain anuerysm and to call the number on the back of the card if I passed out. It was like someone was driving an ice pick through my eye. With my second child, I cut my amount by 4 ounces every three days until I was down to one cup. With my third child, I didn't even stop drinking it. She was a surprise and #2 was not sleeping through the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I had to go off it because it was ruining my joints. It can be done. Just, be brave. And don't do it all at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'm curious why you are giving it up. I gave it up a while ago because it made me feel jittery and irritable. While I loved it, I realized I must stop. I did go cold turkey so I had headaches for a week, but it wasn't terrible. This. I am finding it is making my jumpy. I love it. I really do. But, I don't like the jumpy feeling I'm getting from it. And the headache if I don't have any. I think it is just a matter of too much of a good thing. I went from 2 cups a week, to 1 cup, sometimes 2 a day. I'd like to get back to a cup once or twice a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 I had to go off it because it was ruining my joints. It can be done. Just, be brave. And don't do it all at once. I'm also wondering if it is making my now chronic pain worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 I like caffeine. Caffeine is my friend. Sure, we break up every now and then, but we always get back together. I don't smoke, drink, or use any fun recreational drugs, so caffeine and sugar are pretty much all I've got. And I'm keeping them. They make me happy. :D See, this is what I think too. Life is just more vibrant with coffee! Coffee and chocolate are really my only vices. But, I don't think it is doing me any favors...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I've been slowly coming off caffeine for 2.5 years. I'm not having withdrawal headaches. I stopped drinking Mt Dew a couple of years ago. I filled the gap with black tea. Now this week I've started drinking organic green tea after 3p. I hope to ever so slowly move that down to 10a with the hope that by Christmas I'll be only drinking green tea. Perhaps for the new year I'll be drinking herbals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 When I've quit, I've first made it so I don't like my caffeine source. The fact of the matter is I only enjoy coffee with lots of sugar and milk. So if I switch to black coffee, I'll only have a smidge to avoid a headache. After a couple of days of that, I can let it go without issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'm with Cat on this one (well, except the "I don't drink" part). :tongue_smilie: But since it's making you jumpy, I can understand wanting to quit. I've never quit myself, but if I did, I would take a similar approach to what Chucki described (black tea/green tea). While coffee is actually healthy for you (in moderation), I have some concerns about decaf, so I would not use decaf to wean myself off of coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Ease off slowly, and make half-caff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Just when I'm content about having given up my coffee habit, I read articles like this! http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/5-diseases-coffee-prevent-120500545.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 BTW, I only gave up coffee cold turkey once, while I was nursing, because I had a cranky baby who didn't sleep. I have happily had much coffee since. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I quit last month cold-turkey. I quit caffeine and chocolate to see if it would help my chronic migraines. SInce then, I've had fewer migraines which actually responded to medication. It was worth it. The first day, I didn't drink coffee until I had a terrible headache then only had one cup. The second day was worse. MY head hurt enough that I thought I'd throw up. I had a half cup. The third day, the headache wasn't so bad. A week later, I still felt like I was ill, but no real headache. Now, I just miss it. It did help my migraine get back to something controllable instead of a beast that required shots and days of pain. I've tried to reduce before then quit, but it just seemed to make the whole experience worse and doomed the quitting to failure. Cold-turkey is the only way I could have quit. I drank 4-6 12 ounce cups of coffee a day for decades. I still miss it. Did I mention that I miss it? It was also a fair trade for the amount of pain it has already saved me from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'm with Cat on this one (well, except the "I don't drink" part). :tongue_smilie: But since it's making you jumpy, I can understand wanting to quit. I've never quit myself, but if I did, I would take a similar approach to what Chucki described (black tea/green tea). While coffee is actually healthy for you (in moderation), I have some concerns about decaf, so I would not use decaf to wean myself off of coffee. Would you share your concerns about decaf, please? I've never heard anything along those lines. OP, drinking a lot of water helps my caffeine-withdrawal headaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Yeah, caffeine is something I'm not prepared to give up. Ever. I gave it up during my first trimester of pregnancy, which was 11 years ago, and I still remember it. But yes, I'm also with Cat. (Except for an occasional glass of Moscato wine... Oh sweet heavenly nectar... ;) ) But yes... If you need to do it, don't go cold turkey. Reduce gradually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Would you share your concerns about decaf, please? I've never heard anything along those lines. I have concerns about the chemical solvents used in the decaffeination process. While there are various decaffeination processes (some of which don't use harsh chemicals), the most common process uses methylene chloride. This chemical has been found to cause cancer when inhaled by lab animals (which is why it was banned for use in hair sprays and some other products). Since there was apparently no carcinogenic effect when the animals drank the chemical (as opposed to inhaling it), the FDA has approved the compound for use in decaffeination. Personally, I don't find that sufficiently reassuring and would rather just avoid it. Since regular coffee has greater health benefits than decaf coffee anyway (e.g. higher antioxidants, etc.), it's a non-issue for me. About methylene chloride (from Saferchemicals.org - more here): Numerous poisonings and deaths have been reported over several decades among workers and consumers using furniture strippers or other products containing methylene chloride in unventilated areas. Easily inhaled, methylene chloride converts to carbon monoxide once inside the body—making it especially dangerous for people with heart or lung disease, and pregnant women. Furthermore, several federal, state, and international agencies have identified methylene chloride as a cancer-causing substance. Methylene chloride affects the nervous system (brain) and can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, clumsiness, drowsiness, and other effects like those of being drunk. Effects on the nervous system can be long-lasting and possibly permanent if exposures are high and if they occur frequently over months or years. Methylene chloride causes cancer in laboratory animals and potentially can cause cancer in humans. Methylene chloride causes lung and liver tumors, and mammary (breast) tumors in animal studies. But yes, I'm also with Cat. (Except for an occasional glass of Moscato wine... Oh sweet heavenly nectar... ;) ) Moscato is one of my favorites too. So, so good. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'm sitting here wondering why when someone says she needs to/wants to give up caffeine others feel the need to post comments about how they would never do such a thing. No where did the OP say, "Everyone should give up caffeine." She simply stated she wanted to and asked for help on how. I don't think that posts saying how you won't give up caffeine at all helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'm sitting here wondering why when someone says she needs to/wants to give up caffeine others feel the need to post comments about how they would never do such a thing. No where did the OP say, "Everyone should give up caffeine." She simply stated she wanted to and asked for help on how. I don't think that posts saying how you won't give up caffeine at all helpful. I'm pretty sure we were all just kidding around with her. It's not as though anyone said she was wrong for wanting to give up caffeine. I'm not sure why anyone would have been offended. What's the big deal? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 This. I am finding it is making my jumpy. I love it. I really do. But, I don't like the jumpy feeling I'm getting from it. And the headache if I don't have any. I think it is just a matter of too much of a good thing. I went from 2 cups a week, to 1 cup, sometimes 2 a day. I'd like to get back to a cup once or twice a week.One of my friends ended up switching to decaf, because she'd developed a similar kind of sensitivity to caffeine that you seem to have. She said that it was actually worse for her to only drink the caffeinated stuff occasionally, than when she used to drink it every day. She could always tell when they accidentally gave her regular coffee instead of decaf in restaurants, because after a very short time, her hands would start to tremble a little and she would feel very edgy. It wasn't a scary reaction or anything, but it was uncomfortable for her. So maybe you would be better off trying to find a decaf that you really like, and drink that once or twice a week. (I have heard that Starbucks decaf actually contains quite a bit of caffeine. I'm not sure whether or not it's true, but you might want to find out before you pick Starbucks brand as your decaf-of-choice!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'm pretty sure we were all just kidding around with her. It's not as though anyone said she was wrong for wanting to give up caffeine. I'm not sure why anyone would have been offended. What's the big deal? :confused: It is HARD to give up caffeine and hearing people say how impossible it is makes it seem harder. It can add to the fear that quitting can't be done. It is also the reason that I didn't tell anyone before I quit because I didn't want to hear people tell me it was hard. I KNEW it was hard. Confirming fears is not the same thing as giving advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 To come clean here - I normally drink 3 cups in the morning to get my self moving (SOOO not a morning person). But periodically I go caffeine-free because it starts making me jumpy. What works for me is to ratchet back my intake. Day one, I get the same number of cups, but only fill them half full. Day two and three, I get just two half-full cups instead of three. Day Four, I'm down to one half full cup and then I can usually go on from there without the headache. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 It is HARD to give up caffeine and hearing people say how impossible it is makes it seem harder. It can add to the fear that quitting can't be done. It is also the reason that I didn't tell anyone before I quit because I didn't want to hear people tell me it was hard. I KNEW it was hard. Confirming fears is not the same thing as giving advice. I viewed the comments entirely differently. I thought the people who weren't obviously just joking around, were commiserating with HollyDay, not trying to discourage her. If HollyDay comes back and says that she was upset or offended by any of the posts, I'll go back and read them again, and if anything I said was upsetting to her, I will certainly apologize, but as it is, I didn't get a negative vibe from anyone. I thought everyone was being nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 All this talk of caffeine, and I had to stop at Starbucks for an iced vanilla latte :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I gave it up a few years ago and my headaches only lasted about 3 days; I just took over the counter pain med and lived with it. I did schedule it so that I wasn't busy with a hundred things. My body runs better without caffeine, but I'll always miss the yummy drinks no matter how long it's been. Whichever route you take, let us support you through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'm pretty sure we were all just kidding around with her. It's not as though anyone said she was wrong for wanting to give up caffeine. I'm not sure why anyone would have been offended. What's the big deal? :confused: I didn't say certain posts were offensive or someone would be offended. I said those posts were not helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 well, for starters, none of the posts were upsetting to me at all. In fact, I found many of them humorous. Second, I got my labs back from the doc today and I came away with 5 prescriptions (YIKES!!!). But, the most surprising was for thyroid medicine. I didn't see that one coming. He said my thyroid was "running on empty". This is making me rethink some of my nutrition, including coffee. I bought some water processed decaf ground coffee today from my favorite local coffee store (while waiting for the pharmacy to fill the prescriptions :)). When I set my beloved iced coffee by Pioneer Woman to soak overnight, I mixed both caffeinated and decaf. I'm going to see what happens with that. Doc said I need to make some adjustments. Hopefully this "half caf" will be a good adjustment. One of the prescriptions was for D3 by the way. He said my levels were still way too low and not budging with the supplement I was taking. So, pls keep the encouragement coming. Not sure what to expect the next few weeks..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I had to give up caffeine 23 years ago. It was causing me lots of problems with ovarian cysts. Once you've experienced an ovarian cyst rupturing, you'll be willing to do just about anything to keep it from happening again. Quitting caffeine cold-turkey is extremely difficult, but I knew I couldn't wean myself off of it. It had to be all-or-nothing. If you go cold-turkey, expect 1 week of absolute misery and then another week of just misery. By 3 weeks, you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 I had to give up caffeine 23 years ago. It was causing me lots of problems with ovarian cysts. Once you've experienced an ovarian cyst rupturing, you'll be willing to do just about anything to keep it from happening again. Quitting caffeine cold-turkey is extremely difficult, but I knew I couldn't wean myself off of it. It had to be all-or-nothing. If you go cold-turkey, expect 1 week of absolute misery and then another week of just misery. By 3 weeks, you should be fine. Interesting you should say that......I have a history of ovarian cysts. Even at my age, it is a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Sounds like a good plan, OP. good luck and let us know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I'm glad to hear that you're taking charge of your health, and I think you have a good plan. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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