I need some help breaking a caffeine habit!

[CarrieH]

It took me a year to wean myself completely off caffeine. I worked the night shift for 14 years, but I got myself off caffeine while I was still on nights, and if I can do it, so can you.

I was so addicted that I had terrible headaches when I tried to quit, so I had to wean it off very slowly – I’m talking a tablespoon’s worth at a time! Yes, I used a measuring cup, and each time I would cut back, I would stay at that amount for a week because if I backed off any more quickly, boom, there came the headache. It seemed pretty silly toward the end, drinking less than 1/4 cup of coffee each day, but “slow and steady wins the race,” and I was finally caffeine-free. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

I never had a problem with the specialty coffees because I wouldn’t let myself spend that kind of money for more than an occasional treat – I was too poor for too many years! But putting that money aside and giving it to charity along with offering up your fancy-coffee cravings will bring you many blessings besides a caffeine-free existence. Good luck and God bless!

 

[RWMorris]

First, you can learn how to make your own specialty coffee at home and stop paying big bucks.
Second, why should you give up caffeine. I’m puzzled.
I personally need my own coffee-IV attached to my arm to get through the day.

 

[aurora77]

I completely understand why you’d want to give up caffeine. I’ve gotten myself down to only having caffeine with my single cup of coffee in the morning. I’d like to cut that out too, but I’ve been too chicken–I’m concerned about the headache and crankiness.

I second the decaf option–get a good brand, like Starbucks and when you want coffee, brew up a cup of decaf.

There are a lot of good reasons to give up caffeine–mine are that I have high blood pressure and lots of caffeine just contributes to it. I’m also in surgical menopause and some things I’ve read have indicated that excess caffeine can contribute to oseoporosis. I’d rather give up my regular coffee than break a hip at 35.

 

[DaveBj]

I hate coffee, but I do do caffeine, only I take mine cold and carbonated (Diet Coke ). And sometimes via tablet if I’m getting sleepy on the job (I work security) or if I’m going on a bike-ride (200 mg of caff for the slight energy boost, 440 of naproxin sodium to keep down the muscle inflammation).

In your case, SDMom, I would be less concerned about a supposed caffeine addiction and more concerned about the “junk-food” quality of the type of coffee you are drinking. If the caffeine you consume isn’t wrecking your life (making your hands shake, keeping you up at night), then no harm is really being done.

I do go the decaf route during Lent. Caffeine detox does cause headaches in some people, but that’s why God made Tylenol. They last only a couple of days. And actually, the past couple of years I haven’t even had the headaches.

 

[Jguerra]

In January of this year, I started working overtime on Fridays–11 hour shifts. so I took along a Thermos filled with coffee (sometimes from Krispy Kreme). When I wasn’t sipping my brew I would drink from my daily supply of water (one quart). The rest of the week, I took along one travel mug of coffee–drank half in the morning, the other half on the drive home.
Then around April or May, I was told about the latest antioxidant rage: green tea. I laced my quart of water with the stuff. This on top of the daily coffee routine. This past June, I developed a bladder infection and epidydimitis which my doctor attributed to too much caffeine. Antibiotics to the rescue. Although my doctor said cut back on the caffeine intake, the symptoms and pain were enough to make me quit coffee cold turkey.
As for withdrawal symptoms: I had one moderate headache and that was it. I might have one half-cup but as I found out, I don’t really need it. In my case, the symptoms, and the fear of recurrence were enough for me to kick the habit. This isn’t a recommendation but more of a testimony.

 

[SeekerJen]

First, you can learn how to make your own specialty coffee at home and stop paying big bucks.
Second, why should you give up caffeine. I’m puzzled.
I personally need my own coffee-IV attached to my arm to get through the day.

Yeah, I’m puzzled as well. I could understand giving it up to deal with an underlying health issue, but otherwise…I agree with the poster who asked why all habits need to be labeled as “addictions”. I have to eat breakfast every morning, but I don’t think that’s an addiction. Would I be able to function without the coffee? Sure. I’ve done it before. But I enjoy the coffee. It’s a little routine that goes along with my other morning preparations for the day. I enjoy the smell as the beans are grinding (we have our own little grinder), I enjoy the smell that permeates the house as it brews, the smell that permeates my car from my travel mug, the warm mug in my hands as I wait at the bus stop, and finally, the taste as I drink my daily 14 oz black coffee while I check my email and news. It’s a few cents’ worth of beans and a carafe of tap water each day, brewed in a maker that cost $25 at Meijer, and is drunk from a reusable mug that cost $10 at Target 6 months ago. No cream, sugar, or any other things added. Far from breaking the bank.

Why does everything that’s enjoyable and harmless to most have to be labeled as an “addiction”?

 

[CarrieH]

There are a lot of good reasons to give up caffeine–mine are that I have high blood pressure and lots of caffeine just contributes to it. I’m also in surgical menopause and some things I’ve read have indicated that excess caffeine can contribute to oseoporosis. I’d rather give up my regular coffee than break a hip at 35.

Some people are caffeine-intolerant, and my mother and I both fall into that category. I have hypoglycemia, and caffeine overstimulates my already super-sensitive pancreas and drops my blood sugar to the point that I have the same symptoms that a diabetic would experience if they had too much insulin. That is not fun, believe me. I used to have episodes of heart palpitations, and those are history now that I am caffeine-free. I feel so much better since I got that monkey off my back, and I’ll bet a lot of the other caffeine-junkies would, too, once they got detoxed from the stuff and grew accustomed to life without artificial stimulants.

 

[CarrieH]

I do go the decaf route during Lent. Caffeine detox does cause headaches in some people, but that’s why God made Tylenol. They last only a couple of days. And actually, the past couple of years I haven’t even had the headaches.

You are fortunate. Tylenol wouldn’t touch my caffeine-withdrawal headaches. The only pill that would was Excedrin – because it has caffeine in it! But I was coming off of 30 years of heavy caffeine use by the time I quit, so maybe that had something to do with it.

 

[Sr_Sally]

Seems to me that the problem is more with your expensive coffee tastes than with coffee in general. I love coffee and do drink it daily (and do get that splitting headache when I don’t), but I don’t drink excessive amounts and I don’t get coffee-house specialty coffees every day.

Perhaps you could try replicating some or all of what you like in the expensive coffee with an at-home alternative. Nice brewed coffee and some ice cream might do it–at a much lower price and probably fewer calories!

If you want to give up caffine for other reasons, than I will certainly support you there. I just really like coffee and don’t feel like I have any kind of ‘addiction’! Simply a nice morning habit.

 

[SDMom]

Seems to me that the problem is more with your expensive coffee tastes than with coffee in general. I love coffee and do drink it daily (and do get that splitting headache when I don’t), but I don’t drink excessive amounts and I don’t get coffee-house specialty coffees every day.

Perhaps you could try replicating some or all of what you like in the expensive coffee with an at-home alternative. Nice brewed coffee and some ice cream might do it–at a much lower price and probably fewer calories!

If you want to give up caffine for other reasons, than I will certainly support you there. I just really like coffee and don’t feel like I have any kind of ‘addiction’! Simply a nice morning habit.

You are right, Sr Sally. My issue is more about wanting the specialty coffee, more than just regular, brewed coffee. I am really trying hard not to buy the expensive stuff. Yesterday was the first day in a long time that I didn’t! Please continue to pray for me that I could keep this up

Thanks for your ideas and encouragement

 

[Em_in_FL]

Actually, small amounts of coffee and caffeine have shown some health benefits!
There’s really no harm in moderation… so if you find yourself needing caffeine it’s not the end of the world.

But I do understand the desire to get off the expense of the designer lattes.
I’ve always been a home coffee brewer… but at one point I was pretty addicted to a vanilla creamer… mmmm so tasty! I gave it up for lent in 2006 (mostly because I noticed it had a tiny amount of trans fat and I try to eat healthfully!) and I haven’t needed it since. I just substituted skim milk (no sugar) and have grown to enjoy that flavor.

Take one step at a time… maybe wean yourself from the designer lattes at the coffee house and start brewing at home. At least you’d save money without getting stuck with headaches!

Good luck!

 

[Stolen_Rutters]

So you want to save money for more important things and you found your budget buster? Good job. Interestingly enough, I found my biggest budget buster two months ago, eating out. I cut soft drinks and fries out of my eating-out extravaganza (I also cut back on how often I eat out, too!) I like the extra weight in my wallet!

To help with the headaches, drink more water. Unfortunately, caffiene affects different people differently, so it’s not a guarantee, but it worked like a charm for me. After a couple weeks, you are clean from the bad effects of caffiene withdrawl in any case. (Hey, water’s good for you, so it can’t hurt to replace the coffee you would have drunk with at least as much water.)

 

[SeekerJen]

You are right, Sr Sally. My issue is more about wanting the specialty coffee, more than just regular, brewed coffee. I am really trying hard not to buy the expensive stuff. Yesterday was the first day in a long time that I didn’t! Please continue to pray for me that I could keep this up

Thanks for your ideas and encouragement

My husband swears by those flavored creamers sold in supermarkets (he likes the sweet, fancy coffee drinks too). Maybe you could brew up some strong coffee, mix in some flavored creamer, and put it in the blender with some ice. It would probably be very tasty and a LOT cheaper.

 

[aurora77]

My husband swears by those flavored creamers sold in supermarkets (he likes the sweet, fancy coffee drinks too). Maybe you could brew up some strong coffee, mix in some flavored creamer, and put it in the blender with some ice. It would probably be very tasty and a LOT cheaper.

That would be soooo good. I love flavored creamers. Coffeemate just came out with Blueberry Cobbler; as wierd as it sounds, it’s delicious.

You can buy different varieties of flavored coffee as well. Our grocery store carries those single pot packets, so we like to try out different flavors; usually they come in regular and decaf.

 

[SeekerJen]

That would be soooo good. I love flavored creamers. Coffeemate just came out with Blueberry Cobbler; as wierd as it sounds, it’s delicious.

You can buy different varieties of flavored coffee as well. Our grocery store carries those single pot packets, so we like to try out different flavors; usually they come in regular and decaf.

DH really likes the Blueberry Cobbler one. There was a vanilla chai spice one that he also really liked, although that might have been a limited edition.

We both like the flavored coffees, although I still refuse to “sully” mine with cream and sugar. My favorites are french vanilla, chocolate raspberry, cinnamon, and something called “White Heather”. The latter is made by a Michigan roaster, and is a butterscotch caramel flavor. That stuff smelled incredible when it was brewing.

 

[spacecadet]

ahhh yes, breaking the caffeine habit. i did it the same way i quit smoking, surrendered it to God. really if you did it for Lent you can do it again. the devil wants you to believe you can’t, but you can.

i used to drink a cup of coffee every morning before work and then wake up with a headache on sat because i hadn’t had my coffee at 5:30 AM like i did every other day. i finally decided to quit and i did. my body was just way too sensitive to caffeine to deal with it. there have been a few times since where i was enduring lots of stress and little sleep and i started again for a short time, knowing it would just be temporary and it was. and truthfully caffeine works sooooo much better when you aren’t used to it. it helped me finish grad school, deal with a 17 hour time change on a trip, and most recently moving 1000 miles. 2 months ago when i was drinking coffee during the move i noticed that my body temp seemed higher and i was hot all the time. i remember thinking this can’t be good for my body and i’m glad i won’t be using this much longer. the day after we arrived to our new location i quit cold turkey. at 10:00 the headache started. by noon the light was bothering me. by 4:00 i was throwing up all over the place. after one miserable day and night of detox it was over and the next day i resumed my caffeine free life.

now back to the original time i quit, i really remember asking myself. Do i really need this cup of coffee to help me get started? Can’t God help me more? What do i trust more God or the coffee?

good luck

 

[Zooey]

Check out the following website: www.hillbillyhousewife.com

In her recipes section she has recipes for mix it yourself versions of those latte style drinks. Start out with doing the mix it yourself. Then tweak the recipe, changing the sugars for Splenda, etc… Finally make up a caffeinated and a decaffeinated batch. Switch to the decaf every other day. Then finally, switch to the decaf version.

I suggest doing all of this over the course of a week or two. Making a big switch like this will take some time. Hopefully by weaning yourself off lik this, you’ll avoid the headaches.

I might also suggest you save the money you would have otherwise spent on the coffees. It could be put in the poor box, or donated to the St. Vincent de Paul society at your church! Good for your health and good for your soul!

Seconding the suggestion of Hillbilly Housewife!! I use her recipe for Chai.(I am a tea person more than coffee). But they are all good, you can make them way, way cheaper than you could ever buy them, and they are so easy, too.
The yummy coffee drinks are a weakness with me. I have about given up coffee, for tea, though. ( Acid reflux made that decision for me).

 

[porthos11]

I’m gonna enjoy being the devil’s advocate here.

I’m a coffee addict, I love coffee, and I have absolutely no plans of giving it up. And, yes, I absolutely believe coffee is good for the health.

Why anyone would want to give up coffee is beyond me, honestly.

If you ask me (and I know you probably aren’t), I’d say, keep drinking coffee. If your particular brew is expensive, then I’d second the suggestions that you go for the home flavored syrups or take it with simple sugar, cream, and maybe some Hershey’s. Coffee is one of the last remaining harmless joys of life.

Mmmmm…coffee.

 

[dolphinlove]

:bigyikes: You are kidding, right??

Kathy

afraid not…
we have nescafe decaf here in oz and its just great…

 

[pieta05]

I agree that getting an ice blended mocha with any regularity is terrible both to your pocket book and to your overall health. Years ago I used to go to Starbucks and get a venti mocha almost daily. Now it is more like a tall late every once in a while. Starbucks is still my favorite little splurge though. I do still drink coffe daily, just the stuff I make myself. I don’t think I drink enough coffee each day for it to be a problem though, and I do think when you drink coffee in moderation the benefits outweigh the negatives.

As far as breaking any habit, it can be done by just doing it. I gave up coffee for Lent. It was pretty hard because I do drink it daily, but just the same, I did it. Although, I will never choose to give up coffee again. After giving it up, I can see how much it adds to my day. I can think more clearly, stay more focussed, and am just generally happier when I drink coffee. Plus I set my alarm to get up extra early in the morning so that I have a cup or two of coffee and have the time to surf the net a bit before everyone else is up and the day begins in earnest. That cup or two of coffee each morning just seems to start my day off right.

Start with Half/ Caf…and work down to De-Caf. Worked for me.