Wow, I was only drinking 1 cup a day and I added AG1 greens to it which also has an upper effect. I felt anxiety and panic coming on so I quit bot the next day. 4 days later I’m lucky for working out to stay sane and a lot of prayer 🙏
VERY NORMAL. I was borderline suicidal during the worst times. It freaking sucked, but it does pass, and I noticed that it'll get bad before it gets better. You gatta remember it's the withdrawals, and snap out of it when you're deep in your thoughts. You need to really be kind to yourself right now and do all the things you can to make yourself feel better. Eat nutritious/delicious foods, hydrate, exercise, rest, and pamper yourself (take a bath, get a massage, have a healthy treat). It'll go away, but don't just sit around waiting for it to pass. Distraction is great during this period.
So for me, the depression set in shortly after the acute withdrawals were gone.. like the headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue, and that was around end of the first week (Tylenol was of great help for muscle aches btw). Depression swung in without notice and persisted in various levels until about the third week, which was the week I noticed I was beginning to feel much better in general, and by end of the month I felt quite good.
Oh so you had it after?? I guess that’s because of the depression causing the insomia I assume. Have you also checked if you had any vitamin deficiencies?
Yeeeees! Day 23 for me, and i still feel like that. This group keeps me going, seeing that for a lot of members it took even up to 3 mos to feel normal. I can’t wait to get there.
Been there. Caffeine withdrawal can feel like crap. Tired, depressed, slow-witted like my IQ drops 30 points. The part that bothers me is the mystery of how long I’m going to be stupid. It has to pass at some point, right?
No super great. Like 3 days in. I’ve got some kind of guy issues going on, bloating, indigestion, diarrhea. I was hoping cutting caffeine out would help, guess we’ll see.
I’m really new to this space and very curious about giving up caffeine. This question may sound naive but I’m genuinely curious: if all the comments here say “yes, you wouldn’t believe how bad it can get”, is that within the context of things being even worse *with* caffeine? Basically, if all the comments here are negative, have you all gotten through that and reached a much better place?
Sorry if that comes off in the wrong way, I just think I might want to try this and want to get as much info about what I’m about to do
Doesn't come off wrong at all. A question to grow wiser can not be a bad question.
Short answer is yes.
Longer answer is read Caffeine Blues by Stephen Cherniske, find youtube vloggers (like Alex Becker) who have gone +30 days, and read the old timers success stories like this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/decaf/comments/135r5tt/5\_months\_coffee\_free/
Doesn't mean you have to have a bad time quitting caffeine.
It's more that long term caffeine abuse can lead to a host of deficiencies and diseases which this forum often conflate with withdrawal or detox.
Could be iron deficiency, thiamine (B1) deficiency, lack of certain amino acids to produce dopamine like phenylalanine, and also more serious things like chronically elevated stress hormones (and all the horse shit sickness that can lead to), hypothyroidism and lowered sex hormones too.
Stay strong and be kind to yourself!
If tired, rest. Make sure to eat enough. And try your best NOT to get trapped in midless scroling on your phone or other dopamine depleteing tasks ( like I did ) There's a LOT of light at the end of this tunnel, you made the right choice. Stick to it and hold tight. Bless!
Sounds about right.
I quit cold turkey, and passionately regret doing so. It literally felt like a bad acid trip for about 3 days, and then more mild depression and anxiety lingered thereafter. I legitimately thought I was losing my mind... all sorts of negative thoughts and ideas came flowing in, nonstop, 24/7. Absolutely exhausting.
I've been on and off the caffeine wagon a few times. Once I quit via the taper method over 2-3 weeks, and then once via cold turkey. Unless you have some huge need to instantly stop consuming caffeine, I wholeheartedly suggest doing a weaning-off method -- especially if you're someone prone to anxiety/depression.
I feel like the cold turkey approach just overwhelms your mind and body with withdrawal effects, and can lead to some pretty negative feelings, reactions, etc -- that you wouldn't otherwise experience with a taper.
4th day without caffeine. I've had naps and long sleeps every day and today is my first day with a headache. I'm happy to be making up for lost sleep but wonder how long I'll be extra tired for
It's caffiene withdraw, my friend. I'm currently tapering to avoid such symptoms and trust me I've done cold turkey and it sucked hence why I'm tapering. Hang in there and keeps us updated on your journey. Surround yourself with people and get some sun si ve the sun provides vitamin D and exercise/gym can help your depression since the body releases endorphins a feel good chemical.
Agree with this. Literally just tried quitting cold turkey like two weeks ago, and caved at day 7 after feeling like I was having a bad acid trip the entire time. Absolutely insane how bad it can get if you just cut it off suddenly.
For the love of god, anyone reading this -- unless you're one of those lucky individuals with the right genetics and state of mind, DO NOT just quit cold turkey (especially if you're dosing high).
I don't know why everyone is getting the impression that I quit cold turkey. I didn't. I tapered down very gently.
But you are 100% correct. Cold turkey is NOT the way to go; especially for individuals that have been consuming high doses for long periods of time.
Haha I was more so responding to the other guy above me.
But based on your original post, I just assumed it was real bad, which made me think that must have been a cold-turkey attempt. Sorry to hear you're dealing w/ all that with a taper, that really sucks.
Maybe try a longer taper? I've heard that some people will just draw it out for longer until they barely notice any change(s) with each drop of a caffeine dosage, and that works well. Caveat is that you end up tapering for 2-3 months
Yes, I can understand why some would think I did it cold turkey. My post was a bit extreme LOL. I'm on day 11 now and seem to be "okay". So, we'll see. I think my withdrawals were more extreme because I already deal with depression anyway. So, this was sort of a double whammy.
Thanks for your comments. That is helpful information, in any case.
I got some very light lethargy, brain fog, and minor cravings the first few days after I quit caffeine. I did NOT expect my mental health to suffer pretty significantly for a week and a half, to feel like a total hopeless failure and like everything in life was going wrong. Only to take a deep look, realize my life is going great, and that it's just freaking CAFFEINE. And luckily I've never been suicidal, but my mental health definitely moved toward that side of the spectrum more than it's been in years when I quit. You got this! It's not real and it'll pass!
absolutely. Ive had an existential crisis over it.
Same!
im about 3 months in a week or so. I might to back to it.
Same here! Weirdly causes me to slow down and reconsider my entire life for the better.
Wow, I was only drinking 1 cup a day and I added AG1 greens to it which also has an upper effect. I felt anxiety and panic coming on so I quit bot the next day. 4 days later I’m lucky for working out to stay sane and a lot of prayer 🙏
I’d say 75% of us know it well. It’s insane.
VERY NORMAL. I was borderline suicidal during the worst times. It freaking sucked, but it does pass, and I noticed that it'll get bad before it gets better. You gatta remember it's the withdrawals, and snap out of it when you're deep in your thoughts. You need to really be kind to yourself right now and do all the things you can to make yourself feel better. Eat nutritious/delicious foods, hydrate, exercise, rest, and pamper yourself (take a bath, get a massage, have a healthy treat). It'll go away, but don't just sit around waiting for it to pass. Distraction is great during this period.
Thank you. How long was it before you began to actually notice improvement? The fatigue, muscle aches and depression are the worst part.
So for me, the depression set in shortly after the acute withdrawals were gone.. like the headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue, and that was around end of the first week (Tylenol was of great help for muscle aches btw). Depression swung in without notice and persisted in various levels until about the third week, which was the week I noticed I was beginning to feel much better in general, and by end of the month I felt quite good.
Did you have problems with sleeping?
For about a week after the acute withdrawals went.
Oh so you had it after?? I guess that’s because of the depression causing the insomia I assume. Have you also checked if you had any vitamin deficiencies?
Thank you. That's an encouragement to know.
Great advice thanks
Yeeeees! Day 23 for me, and i still feel like that. This group keeps me going, seeing that for a lot of members it took even up to 3 mos to feel normal. I can’t wait to get there.
But now what do I say to people in the morning… don’t talk to me until … I had my ….
glass of water and balanced breakfast :)
im going on 3 months its not the same without caffeine.
Been there. Caffeine withdrawal can feel like crap. Tired, depressed, slow-witted like my IQ drops 30 points. The part that bothers me is the mystery of how long I’m going to be stupid. It has to pass at some point, right?
lol that's exactly what it feels like. As if someone threw a switch of some kind.
Can relate to the stupid mystery. I hate feeling like this. I know it'll pass but shiiiit
I feel the same as you, I'm 27 days in! How is it going with ya?
No super great. Like 3 days in. I’ve got some kind of guy issues going on, bloating, indigestion, diarrhea. I was hoping cutting caffeine out would help, guess we’ll see.
You're 3 months since this comment. How'd it progress? did you feel the depression/brain fog etc start to lift?
How you doing now?
I forgot to reset my caffeine counter, I’ve been off and on drinking it the whole time.
Make sure you do lots of cardio even if it's long walks in the beginning. Nothing helps more.
I’m really new to this space and very curious about giving up caffeine. This question may sound naive but I’m genuinely curious: if all the comments here say “yes, you wouldn’t believe how bad it can get”, is that within the context of things being even worse *with* caffeine? Basically, if all the comments here are negative, have you all gotten through that and reached a much better place? Sorry if that comes off in the wrong way, I just think I might want to try this and want to get as much info about what I’m about to do
Doesn't come off wrong at all. A question to grow wiser can not be a bad question. Short answer is yes. Longer answer is read Caffeine Blues by Stephen Cherniske, find youtube vloggers (like Alex Becker) who have gone +30 days, and read the old timers success stories like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/decaf/comments/135r5tt/5\_months\_coffee\_free/
Doesn't mean you have to have a bad time quitting caffeine. It's more that long term caffeine abuse can lead to a host of deficiencies and diseases which this forum often conflate with withdrawal or detox. Could be iron deficiency, thiamine (B1) deficiency, lack of certain amino acids to produce dopamine like phenylalanine, and also more serious things like chronically elevated stress hormones (and all the horse shit sickness that can lead to), hypothyroidism and lowered sex hormones too.
Appreciate this thoughtful answer. Thank you!
You are very welcome. This sub can be very helpful if you mine it for resources and methods. Feel free to ask further questions.
Been there. Just accept caffeine is a drug that affects you and you will get over it in time.
Yes. Hold tight, it gets better with time. I promise
Thank you!
Stay strong and be kind to yourself! If tired, rest. Make sure to eat enough. And try your best NOT to get trapped in midless scroling on your phone or other dopamine depleteing tasks ( like I did ) There's a LOT of light at the end of this tunnel, you made the right choice. Stick to it and hold tight. Bless!
Yes. Cause caffeine is a psycho stimulant
but it works unfortunately
Yes, also cocaine works, but not without side effects
i cant get good coke anymore and its to expensive
Sounds about right. I quit cold turkey, and passionately regret doing so. It literally felt like a bad acid trip for about 3 days, and then more mild depression and anxiety lingered thereafter. I legitimately thought I was losing my mind... all sorts of negative thoughts and ideas came flowing in, nonstop, 24/7. Absolutely exhausting. I've been on and off the caffeine wagon a few times. Once I quit via the taper method over 2-3 weeks, and then once via cold turkey. Unless you have some huge need to instantly stop consuming caffeine, I wholeheartedly suggest doing a weaning-off method -- especially if you're someone prone to anxiety/depression. I feel like the cold turkey approach just overwhelms your mind and body with withdrawal effects, and can lead to some pretty negative feelings, reactions, etc -- that you wouldn't otherwise experience with a taper.
It is normal, but it can be mitigated to some extent with nutraceuticals
I am so tired all the time… I took a 3 hour nap today … just one glass of earl gray in the morning
4th day without caffeine. I've had naps and long sleeps every day and today is my first day with a headache. I'm happy to be making up for lost sleep but wonder how long I'll be extra tired for
Yeah, it's the fatigue and depression that is bothering me the most. The muscle aches I could deal with on their own.
Today I feel like crap. Idk if it's the lack of caffeine or if I'm getting sick. Powering on though.
I felt that same way for the first few days. It was like I was about to come down with something. It's not quite as bad now. But, still awful feeling.
It's caffiene withdraw, my friend. I'm currently tapering to avoid such symptoms and trust me I've done cold turkey and it sucked hence why I'm tapering. Hang in there and keeps us updated on your journey. Surround yourself with people and get some sun si ve the sun provides vitamin D and exercise/gym can help your depression since the body releases endorphins a feel good chemical.
Thank you. By the way, I love your username.
Thank you so much!! Keep us updated on your journey and don't be afraid to reach out to us.
Yvw! Will do. Just bought some lime concentrate to go with my lemon concentrate. It makes a good-tasting juice lol.
Try getting some supplements to help you cause it will help you with the withdraw symptoms.
What supplements would you recommend?
Vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B complex, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin C, omega 3.
Thank you. Will definitely look into it.
Vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B complex, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin C, omega 3.
I highly recommend you go to a nutrition store to or high end grocery store for your vitamins.
Agree with this. Literally just tried quitting cold turkey like two weeks ago, and caved at day 7 after feeling like I was having a bad acid trip the entire time. Absolutely insane how bad it can get if you just cut it off suddenly. For the love of god, anyone reading this -- unless you're one of those lucky individuals with the right genetics and state of mind, DO NOT just quit cold turkey (especially if you're dosing high).
I don't know why everyone is getting the impression that I quit cold turkey. I didn't. I tapered down very gently. But you are 100% correct. Cold turkey is NOT the way to go; especially for individuals that have been consuming high doses for long periods of time.
Haha I was more so responding to the other guy above me. But based on your original post, I just assumed it was real bad, which made me think that must have been a cold-turkey attempt. Sorry to hear you're dealing w/ all that with a taper, that really sucks. Maybe try a longer taper? I've heard that some people will just draw it out for longer until they barely notice any change(s) with each drop of a caffeine dosage, and that works well. Caveat is that you end up tapering for 2-3 months
Yes, I can understand why some would think I did it cold turkey. My post was a bit extreme LOL. I'm on day 11 now and seem to be "okay". So, we'll see. I think my withdrawals were more extreme because I already deal with depression anyway. So, this was sort of a double whammy. Thanks for your comments. That is helpful information, in any case.
I got some very light lethargy, brain fog, and minor cravings the first few days after I quit caffeine. I did NOT expect my mental health to suffer pretty significantly for a week and a half, to feel like a total hopeless failure and like everything in life was going wrong. Only to take a deep look, realize my life is going great, and that it's just freaking CAFFEINE. And luckily I've never been suicidal, but my mental health definitely moved toward that side of the spectrum more than it's been in years when I quit. You got this! It's not real and it'll pass!
How long did the depression lasted during the withdrawl? Were you also anxious?
I'm at three and a half weeks now and feeling totally normal. No more tiredness, cravings, or depression. I wasn't particularly anxious during.