Stopping Coffee - A personal log of events

(Since I am sure that a lot of us drink coffee, I'm posting this rather personal topic here.)

I will test, on myself, what it's like to stop drinking coffee from scratch, after being addicted for over 15 years and log my experience in this thread.

In the meantime, I would like to raise a discussion in this thread about the pro's and contra's on coffee consumption.


-----------LOG--------------
Subject: Male, 29 years old, white caucasian, smoker
Location: China
Addiction: 15 years, 3-5 espresso shots per day

DAY 1 (24 hours without coffee)
I had a hard time getting anything done this morning at work. At around 11 I felt very hungry, what is very unusual for me. Around noon some headaches started to appear, and as of right now (8PM) they are getting more intense. I feel kinda dizzy, just like after drinking 2-3 beers. I am tired, and exhausted and in a "I don't give a &*& mood".

DAY 2 (48 h.w.c.)
-- tomorrow

-----------LOG--------------


Background:

I always knew that coffee "isn't very nice", yet what I didn't know is that it contains over 1000 chemicals.

More than 1,000 chemicals have been reported in roasted coffee; more than half of those tested (19/28) are rodent carcinogens at maximum tolerated dose, but because animal cancer tests build in enormous safety factors, these chemicals should not be considered true risks

en.wikipedia.org...

I had a lot of work to do recently and drinking 4-5 espressos per day was the average, sometimes even more, sometimes with Red Bull or just some Coke's. At some point I just couldn't fall asleep normally, and when I did, I couldn't wake up normally. I was like a zombie going to the kitchen as soon as I get out of my bed in order to get my coffee, before going even to brush my teeth.

In the meantime, I am working for a Chinese tea company, and that's where I learned a lot about tea, and actually why people prefer tea over coffee. I was never a tea lover, neither am I now, but I learned a lot about coffee during the past months here while comparing it with tea. It was strange for an European to be around people who don't drink coffee at all (my colleagues). Yet they are so energetic, active - how is that possible without coffee?

That pushed me to decide stopping coffee, and make a log on how my body and my brain recovers in time.

I like it. I look forward to your log about smoking next.

As I both smoke and drink coffee, I can only imagine what you are going through. When I don't have caffeine I get those headaches that feel like I have a clamp on my head and my eyeballs are gonna pop out.

I will be interested to find out if you smoke more during your caffeine withdrawals....

I love coffee. I can go without it and do not need it and there are days I do not drink it... no problem.

However, I usually keep a pot on all day. Wake up... coffee. Break time, lunch time, down time.. have a cup a joe. When your whole day has been a struggle... nothing is as relaxing as kicking back and sipping a cup of hot, black coffee.

Plus, it is relatively cheap compared to sodas and the like. I also like sweet iced tea... just "tea" here in NC, but if it is cooler than 80 degrees, I'll probably have coffee.

And coffee with a gold ol' wedge of Chocolate Fudge Cake or some Krispy Kreme Donuts is heavenly..

And I have read it helps with Diabetes, fights cancer, and does a host of both good and bad things to your body... but if I couldn't drink coffee.. why live to be 90?

I think you're crazy.

I have been a dedicated coffee drinker for about 10 years. I drink about a pot a day, depending where I am and what I'm doing that has gone up to 2-3 pots a day, sometimes for months at a stretch.

I save espresso for days I know are going to be especially long. Then I get a large cup of espresso, it's fun seeing their faces when you tell them to fill their largest cup up with espresso.

The last time I remember not having coffee was about 2 months ago, I had to drive 250 miles, and I got a headache that would not go away, after eating about 14 ibuprophin, I got home and immediately pounded a whole pot. I felt better almost instantly.

I have no interest in quitting coffee, but good luck dude.

You've never had to stop it before for any reason?

LIke a tooth ache or something ? (tooth abcesses hurt bad when drinking hot drinks)

I purposely stop drinking coffee from time, to re-instate my tolerance levels. When I get ot a point where I am drinking many cups a day, and they are only having an effect of making me more tired (or none at all) I stop for a week or so, so that I can again feel that cool spurt of energy when I drink one cup.
It will be interesting to follow another persons experience! I fidn that I am tired at first, but also have less ups and downs in energy- I feel more stable. So it is not completely uncomfortable.

But quitting smoking was another thing altogether.......

reply to post by Doodle19815


A little Apple cider vinegar with some sugar gets rid of that headache. Been testing, I do that sometimes while waiting for the coffee.

This should be interesting. I recently cut back [a bit] on my coffee. It was screwing up my aim.
I was drinking coffee all day long and when my son and I would go shooting, I noticed my hands were jittery.
I did have a mild headache, off and on, for about 2 days, but other than that, nothing. Good Luck.

reply to post by absente


Eat Dark Chocolate. Bakers Dark from the supermarket baking aisle is good. This will take the symptoms away. Slowly, eat less.

I don't know why anyone would want to give up coffee. You don't need expensive expresso to get the health benefits of coffee. Coffee can help maintain long term memories by stimulating the building of some kinds of neurons in the brain. Eat fish to build other neurons. There are more antioxidants in a cup of coffee than any other food, some of those thousand chemicals are really good for us. The caffeine stimulates the body to absorb and utilize nutrients, it has many positive effects but overuse is no good either. It keeps alzheimer disease at bay and it helps people with diabetes of certain kinds. Coffee has a natural fluoride antidepressant in it also, not nearly as strong as tea, but it does mellow out the buzz. You need a little extra magnesium when drinking coffee, it doesn't have much. It causes the body to process things which can deplete you of magnesium and this means energy can not be seperated from carbs. There appears to be more good in coffee than bad, the caffeic acid can detox certain aflotoxins also. Get used to drinking plain coffee, it is better for you than that sugary crap.

reply to post by DAVID64


Magnesium mellows out the muscle tone, eat sunflower seeds ocassionally.....That is unless you have an allergy to them. The food coops have organic salted sunflower seeds bulk that taste better than bagged seeds and don't have the chemicals. Coffee has caffeic acid to help neutralize some of the asparagillus aflotoxins that grow on nuts.

The magnesium will help take away the jitters.... or you could just take a magnesium supplement too.

As the official ATS Coffee Czar I have to say OMGZ.. I couldn't live without coffee, it is one of the few things that I actually allow myself that may not be "perfect" for me.... Kudos to you for even attempting this but .. wow... no coffee, I'd be lost...

I only drink one and a half cups a day, and a month ago switched to half caff.Not that it matters much because I drink Insane amounts of soda. That is what I need to quit.. Oh and smoking.

Good luck with those headaches! Hopefully they wont last long.

If your hooked on Coffee i suggest you check out Yerba Mate. I switched over about 5 years ago and will never look back. It is really great stuff and will help with a number of health issues.

reply to post by rickymouse


Thank You. I really like sunflower seeds, but try not to eat them often because of the salt.
I'd eat the unsalted, but they just don't taste the same.

Caffiene sensitivity runs in my family. Had to give up about ten years ago. I would kill to drink a cup, but unfortunately it would probably kill me.

When I quit, I didn't notice any withdrawals. I'm fairly certain it was because at the time I worked out a great deal.

Of course, your drinking a bit more caffiene than I did. Might try working out before you go to bed. Good luck OP.