Has anyone ever successfully given up caffeine??

[ScarlettOHairy]

I want to cut down/give up caffeine as I suffer from anxiety, but I've drunk coffee for as long as I can remember and am totally addicted. When I've tried to give up in the past, I have felt terribly depressed.

Can anyone give me any success stories - does it really make you feel better to give up?

It's totally possible. I had no caffiene except from dark chocolate for years, but now I drink the occasional cup of tea, which I think is healthy so it doesn't concern me. If I ever have coffee then I get decaff. The first week will sting but after that it gets easier and easier.
If you don't want to give up cold turkey then try reducing the coffee by one mug a day/couple of days, or switching one to decaff every few days. Then you won't notice it as much.

Yes, I gave up about 4 years ago and went through about three weeks of feeling shitty (much worse than giving up smoking) but then felt great, no longer had the constant caffeine peaks and troughs, headaches etc.

Would also recommend cutting down first if you can, so swap a few of your daily cups to decaf or herbal tea.

Thanks Shrooms. Did you feel better when you didn't have any caffiene?? (She says with a large coffee in her hand....)

The headache and lethargy got to me when I gave up but these stopped within a couple of weeks. I would definitely recommend cutting down very gradually because it is addictive and you will feel horrid if you cut down completely. Also find yourself a replacement for your coffee - e.g. herbal tea because you will notice you miss the actual act of drinking it.

MegBusset, yes, for me anyway, it is far more addictive than nicotine (which I gave up four years ago).

So, it takes about 3 weeks before you start to feel better?

please can someone tell me why caffeine is bad for you?

Me too. I gave up about 3 years ago and feel so much better. Took me a while to find the right replacement drinks.

Feel so much better - less lethargic and just bit more spring in my step!

Not deliberately, but i only drink Redbush tea now which is delicious and sooo soothing.

I love my coffee but I found when I was going through an anxious stage it would really make my heart pound. I gave it up for a while, when I had dealt with my anxiety, I started drinking it again. I tried all sorts of substitutes - chamomile and fruit teas we ok, roobosh (sp?) was shit.

It helped loads with my feelings of panic/anxiety.

For about 6 year black coffee and diet coke were the ONLY drinks I use to have. I managed to give up completely for about 4 years but since ds came along it's crept back in again although only 1 or 2 cups a day.

Custardo - it is not bad in itself - in fact I think it has some health benefits - but it is bad for me as I suffer from anxiety and am super-addicted. When I drink too much I get panicky about things and can't settle or keep my mind on any one thing. Am also knackered in the mornings and sometimes go to sleep at night looking forward to my coffee in the morning.

I love Redbush tea and chamomile tea. I just feel kind of empty if I'm not caffiened to the eyeballs.

I don't drink coffee but I do drink about 2-3 cups of strong tea a day. I gave that up a couple of years ago and got terrible headaches for about 3 days then I was alright. However I really missed my tea - I don't think it was the caffeine really, just the taste and the whole experience . I can't say I felt any different in terms of well-being on or off the caffeine except for the initial withdrawal symptons. So after a couple of months I went back to it though I still drink quite a lot of herbal teas generally only two cups of proper tea a day.

caffeine seems to be painted as one of those bad things - like saturated fat and smoking

and whilst the other two will kill you - am wondering what all the fuss is about

so apart from one v. particular case - why is caffiene a bad thing?

it is actually proven to help with asthma

I've given up caffeine kind of by accident. Was only a tea drinker (coffee made me feel too panicky), and have started drinking redbush (rooibos) tea. It's sooooo nice that I've gradually stopped drining proper tea (I actually prefer redbush!! After over 30 years of being a tea addict ).

You can drink it with milk, and it has all the lovely thirst-quenching qualities of proper tea, but no caffeine.

I think it's considered ok in moderation?
Some nasty types of filter coffee have been linked to pancreatic cancer, but apart from that, it doesn't cause any problems afaik.

ive given it up whilst im pregnant as it gives me migraines, i dont have an addictive personality though so havent really noticed a difference. just swapped over to decaf. have you tried cutting down gradually? having every other cup decaf?

I only drink decaff now, I gave up during all my pregnancies but this time stayed off it. I was quite affected by it as I could feel jittery.

I gave it up because I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, along with wheat and dairy, in an attempt to control my symptoms.

Over the years wheat and dairy have crept back into my diet but for some reason I have never been bothered about drinking caffeine again. Plus I am BF and DS is active enough without any caffeine getting through to him!

Caffeine is believed to interfere with the absorption of vitamins & minerals, which is the particular reason I gave up -- when you have UC your body doesn't absorb enough nutrients so you feel very run down.

I also decided i didn't like the weird sour taste coffee leaves in your mouth.

am always giving up caffeine, the best part is going back on - I cut it out when I start to get a bit too jittery or have problems sleeping, headaches though, band of pain around head for first few days

Try cutting back first.

I am down to 2 cups a day - 1 cup of instanct and one filter.

I once cut it out altogether and had the most horrific headaches and lethargy for about 4 days.

I am happy on 2 cups now but will aim to reduce by "lst of the day instant" back to 1 spoonful of coffee in the mug instead of 2!

I don't have caffeine, it makes me jittery and a bit hyper

cut down VERY VERY slowly or you will feel like absolute death

it feels like you have the flu otherwise

I cut out caffeine 10 days ago. Felt dire for a couple of days, really tired and unable to concentrate. No headaches though. By day 5 though I wasn't missing it at all. Feel calmer and my eyes look somehow brighter