Caffeine withdrawal: Personal stories? I'm not sure if I always had this and just noticed, or if it is a withdrawal symptom, but others have mentioned it going away, so I've included it here with the hopes that in future updates it may be completely gone. "For those who have repeatedly tried to give it up and can't because it's too difficult, you are not alone. "When receptors are full, the effects of coffee are felt." I saw many doctors back then and in spite of me asking, they did not connect it with caffeine withdrawal. Without coffee, my brain was really hurting, and I felt fairly nauseated thanks to an intense migraine. Unfortunately, I fell into the latter category. This site is meant to provide a resource for those going … I quit coffee cold turkey, didn’t really have a choice, and switched to green tea. Over 5 years ago I had to stop consuming caffeine. Its [caffeine] inconstant usefulness in getting me through the day is counterproductive to helping me live the life I want. After nausea and a two-day migraine, muscle aches kicked in. I bought some of those intense heating pads for advanced muscle pain therapy and wrapped them around both legs, stuck some Salonpas pain-relieving patches up and down them, and even purchased a hot water bottle to help soothe and calm my tight, caffeine-deprived muscles. How Are You Now? My answer: YES! "Breaking up with coffee and caffeine is not a joke," affirmed Carly Brawner, holistic nutritionist, health coach, and founder of Frolic and Flow. Redline Energy Drink has a history of sending some people to the hospital after drinking. Thankfully, I decided to work from home that day because I certainly wasn't in any shape to speak with anyone. This fact is important to note because many of my friends who gave up coffee didn't ditch caffeinated tea or green tea either, which is why I think their detox symptoms weren't as bad as mine. But I haven't given up everything. (In retrospect, the lower dose of caffeine was probably treating the symptoms of withdrawal partially.). ), I Challenged My Coworkers to Drink a Gallon of Water a Day, Here's What Happened, 13 Successful Women Share Their Morning Routines, 14 Simple Ways to Be Healthier Every Single Day, The 17 Products Our Editors Loved Most Last Month, 10-Minute Rituals to Start Your Day Stress-Free, This Is What the Healthiest People Do Before 7 a.m. Every Day, The Scariest Ghost Stories Ever, Straight from the Depths of Reddit, In Case You Were Wondering, These Are the 8 Best Detox Teas Out There, The Beginner's Guide to Holistic Medicine—and Exactly How It Works, MyDomaine uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our. However, sometimes when sitting still or having a conversation, I would have slight anxiety. This happened less and less and does not really happen anymore. In fact, I distinctly remember a day when I drank my usual weekend dose of coffee (6 tablespoons brewed with 6-8 cups water) and then went to the gym to exercise and my headache wouldn't go away, so I had even more coffee. Regular rooibos is a little too earthy for me, so I was happy to find this chai fusion. I actually felt OK for the first 2-3 days, maybe even felt good, and some of the issues I noticed went away. Now sleeping about 7.5 hours per night without difficulty. See also our Scientific Research page. The risk is about “just having one” or “just one Coke Zero a day” which turns into weeks, because after all, “it’s just caffeine”. Sue J, 40, Research lawyer and office worker. According to Brawner, caffeine withdrawal severity typically depends on how much caffeine an individual has consumed and for how long. Day four was so bad that I feared I had the flu. This is likely not true dizziness or vertigo, as there was no specific spinning sensation (i.e. When I'm not feeling like a milky rooibos tea or if I need a bit of an afternoon energy bump, I'll pour myself a green tea, which I probably only have once a week. Now, I am starting to have energy to do chores or work projects even at night, © 2019 by CaffeineWithdrawal.net. There are several other forums which are also listed in our links, and a sizable number of the posts are from people asking whether their symptoms really could be from caffeine. No replacements. But after three days (and nights) of aching from the legs down, my discipline was starting to wear thin. I’d been drinking coffee for about 7 years fairly heavily. When I asked Brawner why, she told me it's because caffeine is chemically addictive. "It's both fat- and water-soluble and is able to enter the blood-brain barrier," she explained. Withdrawal symptoms vary from headaches, depression, muscle pain and stiffness, flu-like symptoms, constipation, heart rhythm abnormalities, and more. A girl has got to have some vices in life, right? I am also sleeping like a baby, whereas before I woke up several times a night. Should I be worried? In fact, I used internet symptom checkers multiple times, and the number one hit was always "drug reaction". But knowing ahead of the five-day cleanse that I couldn't have caffeine, I decided to go cold turkey. Then in winter 2018 I started skiing again and realized that it is was very hard for me to tolerate strenuous physical activity. ), When: In the first few months after quitting. Journal of Caffeine Research. I still miss the taste of coffee and the good feelings I felt drinking it. . I was also more irritable during the day, even after I consuming my usual amount coffee. However, for some people, various symptoms continue for much longer than this. Replacement Drinks? Yet, the physical reaction to it now is terrifying and dangerous. I thought, Is this really what caffeine addiction can do to your body? Read our, "Self Care-antine": How to Practice Self Care When You're Quarantined, Day 2: Headache Intensifies and Nausea Sets In, Day 5: Body Aches Diminish and Skin Clears Up, Day 6: High Energy Levels and Glowing Skin, Caffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda. We reached out to some caffeine quitters to get their stories. Caffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda. These were no ordinary muscle aches, either. Currently: Mostly resolved. I am still may be more fatigued than usual, and having some brain fog which might just be anxiety, but feeling pretty good. Currently: Still experiencing it a little bit (1 year caffeine free) but it is bearable. For many, the best option is to quit caffeine completely. Some conditions – such as (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) IBS – are a diagnosis of exclusion. Why Did You Quit? I also keep this to a minimum. It was difficult to believe, and I was in sheer denial. Janine, 40-something, Childcare support staff. How Did You Quit? "It's structurally very similar to adenosine, a molecule that produces a feeling of tiredness in the body. Harvard Medical School. I attribute my present status to heavy doses of vitamin B-12, my levels went up from 400 to 600, and a gluten-free diet. It won't be that hard, I thought to myself. I tend towards anxiety and may have developed a sensitivity to caffeine over the years and by serial quitting. At the time I skipped over this one, thinking "I don't take any drugs." No one really knows the precise causes, and caffeine could be exacerbating the issue. Replacement Drinks? Currently: Resolved since approximately month 5-6. (Of course, this is not a substitute for consulting a doctor - I did see two different doctors, had lab tests and even a CT scan, and they found nothing to account for my symptoms.). Some health issues are very difficult to self-diagnose – particularly fatigue, anxiety, and gastrointestinal upset. This can be challenging, in no small part due to the withdrawal effects that kick in the moment consumption starts to drop. Replacement Drinks? This is a big one for a number of people who post on other forums, such as Reddit decaf, and others. SPOILER : I can't remember the last time I took medicine for a headache now that I'm caffeine free! If I do wake up for some reason, even if I am worried about something, I am usually back asleep again in 30 minutes or less. After 3 months of this, I started noticing that I am not recovering easily from physical activity (such as hiking and skiing). Including cocoa. Weaned down to just water. I know my triggers – the day job I hate or, conversely, “celebrating” free time: as my #1 healthy lifestyle factor, staying off caffeine is about maintaining a resolve to be my best self. (after the first few months of withdrawal, that is). At the end of my time of caffeine addiction, I started to experience dizziness / lightheadedness during the day that seemed to really correspond to the time after I started consuming caffeine until I stopped for the day (10 am to 4 pm). In retrospect, this was probably exactly right! I am still not sure if I can resume heavier physical activity. Hello, alertness," said Brawner. Over the next few weeks, I continued to have symptoms (possibly still being withdrawal, since I substantially reduced my dosage), and I didn't find that the smaller amount of caffeine I was using (1-2 coffees, down to 1-2 decaf coffees) was curing the symptoms, so I decided to go to zero. Although that may be true for some people, we have encountered a number of very similar stories from individuals who struggle with caffeine withdrawal symptoms for much longer! Currently: Resolved, since an unknown time (maybe 6-8 months? They started in my lower back, moved down to my butt, and then eventually down my thighs and into my calves. Despite this being rather disturbing, it only interfered with what I was doing on a few rare occasions in the first few months. "My take on coffee is to enjoy it without dependence," said Brawner. I am also fairly sure that I became sensitive to gluten and had to eliminate it from my diet.