Caffeine withdrawal ... help!

[Rocsand03]

Hi I’ve been trying for years on and off to give up coffee and just caffeine in general.... i can’t 😫... can anyone please please offer me ways to actually stay awake through giving it up as I feel it’s coffee especially that I rely on to keep me awake

[1990shopefulftm]

i had to go cold turkey from caffiene for health reasons, i find very cold glasses of water helpful to stay awake.

[magicmallow]

can't you gradually wean off it - add a bit of decaff then gradually work down to fully decaff or something?

tea is good, it's not as caffeinated.

water should keep you hydrated also

[NotStayingIn]

Why do you want to give it up? (Personally I wouldn’t unless I had to for health reasons. Love it too much!)

[Rocsand03]

Yep it’s for health reasons. I’ve tried going without and the longest had been a couple of months but I’ve never managed again. I get soo tired, sore head, horrible feeling. I really can’t do tea as it gives me a terrible headache but I really can’t do without hot drinks in general

[GoldfishGirl]

Don't go cold turkey. I made that mistake a couple of times with tea. Five days of constant headache.

I managed to get my tea down to just under half a cup, by cutting down about a fingers worth a day with no withdrawal.

Now, I really need that half a cup. I have it first thing the morning and it's enough to get me going.

Maybe in the Summer I could look to give it up completely but for now I am happy it's under control.

Coffee alternatives - matcha green tea, ginseng tea/supplements, a piece of ginger in hot water.

[Oldmum55]

Do you really need to give it for health reasons? Can't you just cut back gradually? I now limit myself to two cups in the morning or I wouldn't wake up. During the day I have a couple of cups of tea. Otherwise have you tried decaf?

[BlastEndedSkrewt]

was going to say the same as GoldfishGirl - green tea with ginseng is really nice & wakes me up more than coffee does these days. I'm a big fan of the pukka green tea with ginseng but not sure if they still sell it as haven't found it in the shops for a while

[Hairwizard]

If you are struggling try some tyrosine in the mornings instead.

[Rocsand03]

I’m afraid so yes x

[5LeafClover]

Buy or make your usual cup of coffee. Pour some of it into another mug and top up with hot water.... keep the rest for your next cup. Slowly increase the number of drinks you get out of a single original cup until you either reach a level you feel better on or you are ready to switch to a different ( non caffeine) drink.

[Loopytiles]

Is it for actual health reasons, eg advised by a doctor, or because you think it’ll help your health?

Cutting back, eg drinking decaff much of the time, is easier IME than cold turkey.

[Loopytiles]

Sleep, exercise and healthy food are good.

[stripeypillowcase]

I go for cold turkey for lent and after a few days/a week it's fine.
how is your sleep otherwise?
maybe concentrate on that and not only on the caffeine.
I find a nice spicy chai tea is a good uplifting alternative to a cuppa.

good luck!

[Rocsand03]

My doctor has advised me several times it’s not doing my body any good. My sleep can be awful as I wake up during the night

[Thedevilofsmallthings]

I stopped drinking tea and coffee after 3pm to help my sleep.

After 3pm I drink apple juice diluted with boiling water, so 1cm of apple juice in a mug topped up with boiling water. Then in the evening I drink Barleycup.

I make sure my only cup of coffee in the morning is a decent one though.

[Rocsand03]

That sounds quite nice. What is barleycup?

[Thedevilofsmallthings]

It's made like instant coffee, with or without milk. It's made from barley and you can buy it from health food shops. No caffeine and no sugar, I drink loads of it.