Discussion Almost completely de-caffeinated! AMA (I'm quitting caffeine)

[Deleted member 2670]

Background: I was a long time vaper (Quit in 2020! Yay) Then a medium term user of Nicotine Gum and Patches (Quit in 2021! Yay). I don't have alcohol every week and no other drug addictions. Well......

I've got a final daily addiction to kill; caffeine. I have two caffeine pills a day, totaling roughly 2.5 cups of coffee worth of the stuff. (400mg of caffeine). I don't drink coffee, rarely drink tea, enjoy a few diet sodas and go hard on drink mixes (like lemonade) and seltzers, so caffeine pills are nearly my only source of caffeine. No fun flavors, coffee culture or anything surrounding my use, its cold and clinical. It reminds me that I'm dependent on a psychoactive drug every day. Not fun. So how did I get here, ready to quit?

History of usage; I got myself into a huge caffeine addiction by mid 20s,(1g a day of the stuff before I calmed it down lol) tried to quit without success at least 6 times, been a caffeine pill user since 2015. I'm 34 now and ready to feel free again.

How I'm doing it; because I don't have a daily ritual surrounding a warm drink/coffee (not even in the winter) cutting caffeine pills in half and quarter doses was an easy way to go. I went from 400mg to 200mg, from 200mg to 100mg 7 days later, to 75mg the following seven days and I'm on my first day of 50mg only. (Roughly the same as a can of diet coke).

How it has gone so far; because of the taper I haven't had horrific headaches or periods where I couldn't function, however, I have experienced disrupted sleep (which is unexpected, as cutting caffeine down to 100mg resulted in BETTER sleep), which was also a major part of nicotine withdrawal. By next monday, I expect to be over the acute part of caffeine withdrawal. Then follows the work of making sure to savor caffeine on rare occasions, which I've failed at in the past. However my success with nicotine has armed me with confidence that I've got this. I'm young enough to change, old enough to know how to do it right.

What I hope to get from this; During my previous quits, I had days and weeks where I woke up feeling like I had my caffeine without needing any. I know what its like to be free of it and I want that back. No afternoon crash that I fight off by chewing a caffeine pill by 1pm, no fuzzy and dragging state of being until I chew that first pill, nothing. Last Saturday I took a nap, successfully, for probably the 3rd time in 4 years. I miss napping. Nicotine and caffeine destroyed my ability to nap and I want it fucking back damn it.

So AMA.

 

[Mazzle]

Proud of your work. Can't imagine how hard all of this had to be.

I personally, in terms of caffeine, will remain a coffee drinker, but not more than one cup on given days. Which is less than just half a year ago when I was drinking two cups every single day. I am an owl, but need to get up early for work. Will now try to go back and drink more green tea instead.

 

[Koyota]

Thanks for the OP,

I need to do this myself.
Purchasing a bulk set of 200+ coffee along with a work schedule that has me waking up at 13:00 some times and 7:30 other days, was actually a horrible choice. It gets me in a routine and I might end up drinking 2 in a morning, 1-2 in the Early afternoon, without even thinking about it.

Wish there were canned options for half or low caffeine coffee.

 

[Deleted member 101]

On work days I drink a lot of coffee but basically because I'm bored, not because I have to. There are days where I don't feel like drinking coffee in the office so I just drink water or full fat milk.
I'd rather not drink coffee than drink decaf though.

 

[Fercho]

I drink tons of coffee due to work and keeping up with my child, some days more than others, there are days that I drink even around 8 cups of coffee, maybe more. If there are periods of time with VERY poor sleep (I have one very active 1 year old at home after all) i drop coffee during 2 or 3 days in order to try to have a good night's sleep, then the circle starts again.

I only drink dark coffee, no sugar, no milk, nothing. My nutritionist says that this is healthy, do you know what long time consequences you can have for coffee abuse? he says that it actually helps you to prevent strokes and heart issues and that you need to drink astronomical amounts of coffee on the same day to die or something.

Not planning in quitting coffee anytime soon.

 

[Deleted member 2670]

Proud of your work. Can't imagine how hard all of this had to be.

I personally, in terms of caffeine, will remain a coffee drinker, but not more than one cup on given days. Which is less than just half a year ago when I was drinking two cups every single day. I am an owl, but need to get up early for work. Will now try to go back and drink more green tea instead.

Easier than other times but still not easy. Headaches, feeling down/tired, some difficulty sleeping and not being sharp have been my reward so far. And some decent sleeping!

I drink tons of coffee due to work and keeping up with my child, some days more than others, there are days that I drink even around 8 cups of coffee, maybe more. If there are periods of time with VERY poor sleep (I have one very active 1 year old at home after all) i drop coffee during 2 or 3 days in order to try to have a good night's sleep, then the circle starts again.

I only drink dark coffee, no sugar, no milk, nothing. My nutritionist says that this is healthy, do you know what long time consequences you can have for coffee abuse? he says that it actually helps you to prevent strokes and heart issues and that you need to drink astronomical amounts of coffee on the same day to die or something.

Not planning in quitting coffee anytime soon.

You don't suffer any issues when dropping coffee for 2-3 days? For me, going cold turkey has led to me being partially non functional.....

For me it isn't about dying, its that any benefit caffeine could give (not coffee, as I don't drink it), its that my improved sleep with make up the difference.

I do wonder how many people would view caffeine differently if their main delivery system was a small yellow pill you took twice a day. No fun allowed style.

 

[Fercho]

You don't suffer any issues when dropping coffee for 2-3 days? For me, going cold turkey has led to me being partially non functional.....

It depends really, if i was going to be office no way i could drop coffee cold turkey, no way, will be fumbling around the office. But with WFH i can take this 10 minute power map sometimes and that helps me through the day. My sleeping pattern is so jacked up, i hate it, but it is what it is.

 

[Ray00101]

I drink coffee and around 32oz of sugar free red bull every day. Never have issues going to sleep or getting up every few hours to feed the newborn.

I have a job that can be pretty intensely physical from time to time though. So that might explain things.

 

[Deleted member 2670]

Day two of completely no caffeine. No headaches but lagging a bit. I've got this though. Woke up today a bit earlier than usual, watched some Picard, and after 5 minutes or so I started feeling like I had my morning caffeine pill, without the caffeine pill. Shit is magic.

Really surprising to hear that some people don't have an issue with caffeine keeping them up. Just like hangovers, everyone is different. (I always had bad hangovers)

 

[Fercho]

Day two of completely no caffeine. No headaches but lagging a bit. I've got this though. Woke up today a bit earlier than usual, watched some Picard, and after 5 minutes or so I started feeling like I had my morning caffeine pill, without the caffeine pill. Shit is magic.

Really surprising to hear that some people don't have an issue with caffeine keeping them up. Just like hangovers, everyone is different. (I always had bad hangovers)

Many congrats dude, keep on going!!!

Personally i DO HAVE issues with caffeine keeping me up hehe, but i need to be up, sadly it is what it is (at least for the time being)

 

[Deleted member 2670]

Update!

I'm FREE!!!!

Yes, free!

No afternoon crash everyone... I REPEAT THERE IS NO AFTERNOON CRASH! Does. Not. Happen.

No need for a morning pick up! Your body releases cortisol naturally to smack you awake and damn if it doesn't feel just like my caffeine pill did.

Sleeping? Wonderful! Alarms? Who needs them! Go to bed later, fall asleep faster, stay asleep, sleep better and even wake up a bit earlier!

10/10 would recommend

 

[Mandos]

Why doesn’t the poll have a “I already live without it” option? I always avoided getting on the caffeine train. Heck I cut soda out of my diet 3 years ago

Update!

I'm FREE!!!!

Yes, free!

No afternoon crash everyone... I REPEAT THERE IS NO AFTERNOON CRASH! Does. Not. Happen.

No need for a morning pick up! Your body releases cortisol naturally to smack you awake and damn if it doesn't feel just like my caffeine pill did.

Sleeping? Wonderful! Alarms? Who needs them! Go to bed later, fall asleep faster, stay asleep, sleep better and even wake up a bit earlier!

10/10 would recommend

Congrats dude, welcome to the party

 

[MissingNo.]

Congratulations!

Used to be reliant on way too much coffee to get through the day, but I've been living without caffeine for a couple of years. Definitely was a good decision to make for me.

 

[Handicapped Duck]

Good for you, at my worst I was drinking 2-3 monsters a day, now I usually only have one every 3 days.