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Cutting down caffeine

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Fire-Pig - proud to wave the protest banner (U12231213) on Thursday, 23rd September 2010

  I've been advised to cut down on my caffeine intake. Is it better to go cold turkey and have none of the stuff or cut down gradually?
  
  Any advice gratefully received.
  
  F-P

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by willywoanty (U14258512) on Thursday, 23rd September 2010

  Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:35 GMT, in reply to Fire-Pig in message 1
  
  I did the same about two years ago, F-P.
  Just do it. Caffiene does not stay in your system so there is no 'cold turkey' effect to endure.
  Decaff tea is not as strong as the ordinary kind (I like strong tea) otherwise there is no taste difference at all.
  Cut out ALL fizzy drinks, especially the canned kind. Plain water is good for you.
  Decaff coffee is ok, no flavour difference to the full monty.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by puzzler76 (U3733897) on Thursday, 23rd September 2010

  Personally I would cut down, maybe have caffeine in my morning drinks, which is when I find it helpful to get me going, but switch to decaf at around midday. I suppose it depends on your personal habits, when and how you have the stuff.
  
  Not much more I can add, except to wish you all the best with it!

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Westsussexbird or Birdy aka Westie (U6316532) on Thursday, 23rd September 2010

  My experience:
  
  I only ever drink very weak tea but was finding I wanted my coffee stronger and stronger.
  
  I had wondered about where this was going, but didn't think about it much until one day when my husband was out for the day I had rather a headache and realised I had been so busy I hadn't had any coffee at all ... it was now getting on for lunchtime. I decided to have some lunch and then have coffee afterwards. But, after lunch the headache got quite a bit better although it didn't go completely away and I realised it was probably because I hadn't had my usual fix of coffee ... one at 10, one at 11.30 and another after lunch.
  
  Having got that far I thought I might as well continue without coffee so didn't have any that evening or the next day and by the end of the second day my headache had gone away.
  
  Now I have de-caff in the house but often don't have it, and just occasionally have a caffeine coffee when we are out. I will never have two caffeine coffees together again as I don't want to get used to it.
  
  My husband has a coffee for breakfast and de-caff at 11.00 and then de-caff later unless he decides he'd like a shot of caffeine after lunch. He sometimes has one in the evening but I've noticed he's helping himself to my Molasses a bit!
  
  When we were out yesterday I said I'd like a coffee and it was such a filthy cup of coffee (like dishwater) that I'm going to have juice in future! We paid proper coffee prices for rubbish!
  
  I had hoped I would lose the ringing in my ears, but I haven't. Hey ho!

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Trillian (U14033122) on Thursday, 23rd September 2010

  I'm a full-on caffeine addict, which I only found out when I tried to give it up for a diet a while ago. I felt like hell all day when I missed out on my first thing in the morning coffee.
  
  However, as long as I have caffeine in my first cup, I'm quite happy to switch to decaff later in the day if necessary.

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  Posted by Dame_Celia_ Molestrangler (U14257909) on Friday, 24th September 2010

  I tried a detox diet once when I lived in London. I started not drinking coffee on a Thursday evening. By Friday, on the way back from work, I felt as though my head had a metal band around it that was being tightened and I thought "What must heroin/cocaine addicts go through?"
  
  However, I found that, during the week I had no caffeine, I was crawling into bed at 8 because I couldn't keep awake.
  
  In your position, I'd make weaker coffee (can't drink the standard coffee at German restaurants and homes as it's tooooo strong). Then you could substitute some cups with herbal teas and some water. I don't like drinking water ... well.. I forget to drink at times. But if I fill a half-litre bottle with water from the tap, I can generally get through it.
  
  When I'm on holiday, I can just get by on two cups of coffee for breakfast and nothing more but water for the rest of the day.
  
  But my life would be a bit barer if I couldn't have a nice cuppa coffee in the morning.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by mistresslucy (U9471573) on Friday, 24th September 2010

  Sitting here debating whether to have another coffee or not!
  
  Like Janx,when I don't have coffee its the "metal band " headache.
  
  I had a procedure in hospital seven weeks ago and didn't have any caffeine for forty-eight hours and felt ok,(did have self administered morphine tho!)
  
  But as soon as I had that first cup of coffee,straight back to being an addict.
  I do have very low blood pressure and was advised by my G.P. to take an extra cup of coffee "now and again"
  Who am I to argue??? Lucy

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• Message 8

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  Posted by SmoctusMole (U13882662) on Friday, 24th September 2010

  A friend, currently holidaying in California, did the 3-day detox of all caffeine and alcohol before and during the flight and reports on feeling wonderful. In 'normal' life though caffeine is only partaken on a Sunday, so perhaps it wasn't that hard?
  
  Myself, I think it must be a bit like giving something up for Lent - very hard for the first few days but then OKish. And have you discovered all the wonderful herbal teas on offer? Some do include caffeine, though, so take care to read the small print.

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Fire-Pig - proud to wave the protest banner (U12231213) on Friday, 24th September 2010

  Thanks all. I'll cogitate. Yesterday I had had three cups of tea before going to the GP, and then a latte when I reached work (thinking it was only half and half). I felt fine all day, had some redbush tea before going to bed. I woke in the early hours. Gradually a headache developed, really bad with hot and cold flushes, I took migraleve and eventually got back to sleep. Now I still have a headache, but not nearly as bad as in the middle of the night!
  
  As far as I know, I've never yet tried decaff coffee!
  
  F-P

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• Message 10

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  Posted by gigglemahanaz2 (U14257954) on Friday, 24th September 2010

  De caff coffee's ok once you get useed to it as id de caff tea.
  
  I have to have my two cups of *proper* tea in the morning to get going but than for the rest of the day it's water and de caff tea.
  
  It's trial and error really to find out what suits you the best and how you want to do it.
  
  Good luck anyway with it Fire pig and letr us know how you get on.

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• Message 11

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  Posted by gigglemahanaz2 (U14257954) on Friday, 24th September 2010

  De caff coffee's ok once you get useed to it as is de caff tea.
  
  I have to have my two cups of *proper* tea in the morning to get going but than for the rest of the day it's water and de caff tea.
  
  It's trial and error really to find out what suits you the best and how you want to do it.
  
  Good luck anyway with it Fire pig and letr us know how you get on.

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by stolenkisses (U6230663) on Friday, 24th September 2010

  I'm another one that doesn't recommend the cold turkey approach. I've only ever drunk tea (no coffee, no cola etc) and decided to give it up a while ago after reading a health article.
  
  I stopped on a Friday night and by Sunday evening my headache was unbearable and I actually just had a cup of tea to cheer myself up. The headache was gone in minutes and I finally made the connection.
  
  Although caffeine is not technically addictive, I have read that repeated intake leads 'receptors' to develop in your nervous system (trying to remember this from years ago). If they don't get their fix, you do get symptoms. However I understand that the number of receptors will reduce if you withdraw the caffeine gradually and that is what I did.
  
  After 2-3 weeks I had it down to 1 cup a day at breakfast and could probably cut that out as well, but I no longer see any health resaon to do so.
  
  sk

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