Caffeine withdrawal is a powerful thing...Ouch

[bicentennial_baby]

So I was going to quit coffee cold turkey, starting today. Got up at 7, went to school...As class began, the headache started. Took some Ibuprofen that I had in my bag, did nothing. Stabbing headache. Ow Ow Ow.

Came home, it got worse.

I have to write a research paper proposal today as well as do a lot of reading. I gave in and reheated what was left of Sniffa's pot from this morning (1/2 cup), and am drinking it now. Headache almost gone. Guess I'll have to step down a little more gradually from my 4 cups a day.

Sigh.

But, I did drink a lot of water today already, and bought a new water bottle.

:)

Oh, and once the headache is fully gone, I can listen to my new iPod Nano! w00t! :bounce:

[NJmaverick]

1. You need to cut back gradually

Coffee addiction is not something you kick cold turkey (at least not want to do it that way). There are too many physically withdrawl symptoms to deal with, when you go cold turkey.

[bicentennial_baby]

3. Lesson learned...I felt like I was going to have an aneurysm

No way to get school work done. I'll take it slowly. :)

[suninvited]

2. Maybe cold turkey isn't the way to go

with caffiene. I have heard that unless you taper off the headaches are unbelievable.

Good luck !!!

[bicentennial_baby]

4. It was getting really painful, really fast...

I'll take the mellower route now, and supplement with more water. Thanks! :)

[sasquatch]

5. Why are you quitting caffeine?

:shrug:

[bicentennial_baby]

6. Because I between my coffee intake and

my alcohol intake, I'm dehydrating myself and generally feeling like crap. So, I'm starting with the caffeine. Maybe not quit altogether, but I don't want to continue to be a 4 cup a day, every day drinker. These 8:30 classes 5 days a week have really upped my intake.

:)

[RebelOne]

22. I don't drink coffee anymore. When I need a boost, I take a caffeine pill.

[Pierre.Suave]

7. When I quit caffeine...

I did it cold turkey but ate just as much Bayer aspirin as I did food...

it wasn't fun at all.

[bicentennial_baby]

9. I don't have any aspirin on hand, so...

I should have taken a Midol, they have caffeine in them, iirc.

[Pierre.Suave]

13. FYI...

so does Migraine aspirin and some extra strength aspirin.

Caffeine helps the aspirin work better, gives it a little boost so to speak.

[TZ]

8. I know exactly what you mean!

Those headaches are killer. I try to only occasionally drink caffeine. That way, I don't tend to get the headaches when I don't have any....x(

[NJmaverick]

12. or you could just drink coffe all the time

:evilgrin:

[CreekDog]

16. or Vicodin

:evilgrin:

[TZ]

17. ......

:spray:

[tjwmason]

10. Hurrah for the new iPod.

:bounce:

I've given up caffeine during Lent twice in the past - both were pretty hard, and after the second time my then flat-mate told me that I should never give up caffeine again.

A more gradual approach worked very well with me - I now drink coffee first thing in the morning, and certainly do feel the difference it makes, but don't normally touch it thereafter sticking to green tea and water.

[bicentennial_baby]

11. That's what I might do, just once in the morning

Normally I fill my big travel mug with coffee from home, and then refill it after two classes with Starbucks Sumatra Extra Bold. I think I'll sub water for that 2nd go-round.

And thanks! I'm very excited to have my new toy to get me through the next 5 weeks of academic hell :pals:

[Dangerously Amused]

14. Quitting caffeine is a bitch.

Good luck!

[Shakespeare]

15. I am the Charleton Heston of coffee drinkers.

From my cold, dead hands.... x(

I've tried quitting before, so I know what you're going through. :hug:

You can ease things a bit by drinking some green tea (low caffeine, and very good for you).

And yay for the new Nano!!

[shaniqua6392]

18. You need to cut back gradually

or the withdrawals will make your head feel like it is going to explode!! Good luck to you. I don't know what I would do without my coffee. I do drink the 50/50 coffee and I have no other caffeine in my diet. I will never give up my coffee. You would have to pry my coffee cup out of "my cold dead hands". LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

[Shine]

19. I've detoxed from coffee several times and it ain't pretty

I get a withdrawal headache from HELL that lasts about 12 hrs.

We're talking 11 on a scale from 1-10.

Ugh.

I always end up vomiting at least 3-4 times, too. :puke:

NOT fun. :(


But, once the headache is gone, I feel pretty decent and have actually gone about 3 mos. w/out coffee AT ALL. Pretty amazing. There's something about waking up in the morning and feeling AWAKE and refreshed, like you used to feel as a young kid, without NEEDING to have that caffeine fix.

These days, I'm back on the caffeine bandwagon again and I'm fine with it.

Everybody needs to have at least one vice. :D

[Dora]

20. Yerba Mate helped me kick the coffee habit.

I was drinking cofee morning, noon, and night. Hot, iced, and day-old at room temperature. My stress level had skyrocketed - and nothing had changed except my caffeine consumption. So I knew I had to quit.

I'm not drinking the mate any more, but neither am I drinking coffee. I'll have one cup of green tea at home before leaving, and one cup of black tea at the office. As nightfall comes, I feel much more relaxed and able to release the events of the day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate


http://www.guayaki.com/index.php?p=view_category&category_id=11&gclid=CMnq5Ke7zpICFQPHPAodRjh-Gg

Good luck kicking the caffeine.

[billyskank]

21. It'll take a maximum of two days.

I've been through it several times. Even paracetamol doesn't kill it. You just have to ride it out. Lying down helps, if you can.

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