Question:
Please help! My head is KILLING ME!!!
Having trouble giving up coffee. Any advice for a backwoods Oregonian who has been drinking coffee for over 20 years? Thanks! — annmarie B. (posted on February 22, 2003)
February 22, 2003
COLD TURKEY. You will feel awful (headaches, shakes, etc) for at least a
week, but that's the only thing that worked for me. I was a 2 pot a day
drinker, along with at least 3-4 Pepsi's. I was a total caffiene junkie.
I had to just go cold turkey and deal the best I could. I have been
caffiene-free for over 8 months and can't tell you how great I feel!!
Someone suggested a Soy coffee called RocaMojo, I bought some but have not
been brave enough to try it yet. Maybe that would work as a substitute, I
just found it easier to go without, once I went through the hell of
quitting. Best of luck to you, I feel for ya! Renee
— Renee D.
February 22, 2003
Hi Annmarie, its too hard to quit cold turkey, so I'd start making it a bit
weaker, or substitute a small amount of decafe, for the regular, and
gradually add more decafe until you are using total decafe, and if you want
to stop it totaly, gradually weaken it, until its too watery, and your just
down to water.
— wizz46
February 22, 2003
Definitely take Tylenol or whatever headache remedy you use to get thru
this. It really will pass. Thinking of you....
— Wannabe A.
February 22, 2003
I've never actually given up coffee, but when I'm sick & don't want
anything that thick (I make STRONG coffee), I drink Earl Grey Tea. That has
about 1/2 the caffine, if that. I'd cut down slowly. Caffine withdrawls are
horrible! Be gentle & safe.
— LionGirl2k
February 22, 2003
I gave up coffee for a few months as an early post-op. Just lost my taste
for it-and did have headaches, and was tired alot. Then I re-developed my
taste for it and decided to keep the amount of caffeine as low as possible
so started drinking 1/2 and 1/2 (1/2 cafeinated and 1/2 decaf). And I
limit to 1 cup a day. Gets me thru that early morning and yet not alot of
caffeine. Do you have to give it up? It was suggested that I do, but I
know many woho did not...
— Cindy R.
February 22, 2003
Well, I really don't have an answer for your headache but I thought the
headache was the worse part of the entire surgery but as soon as I got home
and got some sleep it stopped hurting. So hang in there. Hugs Carol
— Carol B.
February 22, 2003
My doc made me quit for blood pressure reasons... I just halved the amount
I drank every week... that worked better than the times I have gone cold
turkey, it is a killer!
— Tim W.
February 22, 2003
Hi- I can relate. The last time I tried to give up the caffeine- I really
thought I was going to die. I mean I felt very sick. I am now in the
process of givng it up again. I have surgery on the 3rd of April and want
to be completely off it by then. I am cutting down on the amount I have. I
was a huge Diet Mountain Dew drinker- like 12 cans a day. I now allow my
self to have about 20 oz of that a day. It has taken me about 3 weeks to
get to this amount. I still will get a headache every once in awhile. My
suggestions are to mix regular and decaf together for your coffee. Or cut
the amount you do drink in half wait a week or so and then halfs again
until you are comepletly caffeine free. I took tons of tylenol for the
headaches- also maybe increasing the water may help flush out your system
faster. Good luck.
— Jan S.
February 22, 2003
I highly recommend a nutritious energy drink called XSGEAR.COM No carbs,
no sugar, no problem and loaded with cafeinne and LOADED WITH B
VITAMINS.THE STUFF IS OUT OF THIS WORLD AND TASTES GREAT. If you can't find
it on the net let me know and i'll tell my distributor. :)
— barbsbasic
February 22, 2003
ARe you my sister? I am a fellow Oregonian who goes to PSU--with loads of
yummy coffee shops at every corner! I am having a really difficult time
giving up coffee--I simply do not want to but I need to because the sugar
and carbs are killing my weight loss! I'm cutting down slowly, one per
week until the craving is gone. I can't go cold-turkey because I think I
would go crazy! I'm switching to decaf tea on my non-shop days!
Coffee has become such a normal part of our culture in the Pacific NW.
It's everywhere and everyone has a cup intheir hands all the time. We
don't go for drinks, we go for coffee!
I hear ya and sympathize!
— jenn2002
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