Caffeine headaches - is the only solution to cut it out completely?

[roisin]

I used to have (strong) coffee at 7.30 am, and another at 11 am. But in the summer (out of routine) I was astonished that I was getting blinding headaches mid-morning if I hadn't had my coffee, which then lasted all day. So I switched to decaf for the first coffee.

But it still happens if I miss my mid-morning coffee. It is a real problem as I work in school, and sometimes I'm just too busy to grab a drink at breaktime; and yr9 set7 with a splitting headache is no fun at all.

Sorry I'm rambling - I don't understand why I'm so reluctant to just ditch the caffeine completely.

I gave up caffeine about 3 years ago, and it's OK. You just hjave to remember to take your decaf with you when you go away somewhere.

I recently gave up coffee altogether and feel a lot better for it. I have a couple of cups of normal tea per day and then redbush tea which is caffeine free and quite nice!

give it up is my advice - Ihad a coffee the other day as a 'treat' and felt sick afterwards!

donnie you could go the whole hog and get decaffinated tea, there's not much difference in the taste.

i get vvv bad caffine related migraines. can't do without altogether so i use nescafe half-caff now and have been ok for 3m

Roisin, my dh used to get headaches and linked it to his caffeine intake. He cut out tea and coffee completely and initially had 'rebound' headaches, from the withdrawal. It only lasted a few days. He has kept off caffeine drinks and his headaches have gone completely. Feels much better for it.

I gave up coffe when I reached the point of not being able to function without 8 strong cups a day!!

I had blinding headaches for 7 days.

On the last day I felt jittery and quite giddy, then all of a sudden better!

Give it up. You will feel tons better,.

I have given it up before and the headaches are really bad but only last about three days - I took nurofen plus. Then you feel much fresher and more awake.

It sounds like you need to give up - there is too my dependancy and that is not a nice feeling.

the fresher and more awake is from teh giving up coffee nit the nurofen plus!

I used to be a complete coffee addict and used to have about 10 cups aday plus a few glasses of coke. I now have two first thing in the morning to kick start me and thats me for the day.

Don't forget you get headaches if de-hydrated anyway so could it be that as you haven't had anything to drink full stop that is causing the headaches? Could you get a bottle of water to keep with you to sip from instead between lessons?

My DH was adicted to coffee could not function without it first thing.
He suffers from migraines and decided to ditch the coffee which was a major change for him.
He now doesnt touch it and neither do I - have you tried decaff - I cant tell the difference

I have had to cut out caffeine as it was triggering dreadful indigestion.

Headaches are a classic sign of withdrawal, and absolutely no fun, especially if you've got yr 9 set 7!

Wait until the holidays and do it then, so you can down the painkillers as and when you need to.

It should only take a few days to get it out of your system especially if you're only having 2 cups a day.

I have found that decaff (ground) coffee is a good substitute btw.

Message withdrawn

Agree that giving it completely is the way to go, and yes, you will get headaches for a weeks or so after.

If occasionally I have coffee when I am out, I can almost guarantee that I will get a stinker of a head that only goes with paracetamol, when I usually take a nurofen as a pain killer.

I gave it up for about 3 yrs. But I'm back on it now - just one (proper) one in the morning. My headaches are more linked to hormones (periods - never had a single one when pregnant) and to lack of exercise. Thought it was the coffee, turned out it wasn't.

OK we break up on Thursday, in-laws on Friday; so I plan to go cold turkey on Saturday.

Wish me luck!