Thinking about quitting coffee/caffeine. Has anyone done this?
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Yep. Rasa is my favorite tasty alternative. wearerasa.com
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Did it for a year. Noticed no difference.
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Yea for 6 months when my wife was pregnant and couldn't bear the smell of anything with caffeine.
The main effect on my life was a constant unmet desire for coffee.
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I’ve been drinking decaf only for years now, AMA ????
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I stopped a couple years ago because it was affecting my sleep.
I notice no real difference in the morning, feel just as tired as when I drank caffeine. Except I don’t have cravings for it.
It’s easier to sleep at night
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And if I rarely do have caffeine I notice an actual effect from it
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That’s true love
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Is there a particular reason you quit? I‘m wondering if it would help with anxiety and other mood things personally. I have noticed my thoughts go even faster when I’m super caffeinated. :)
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That sounds pretty useful actually
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I haven’t but you can try it with going decaf (especially if you have fully automatic or capsule machine), usually decaf is the highest quality coffee anyway.
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I tried it for a day once. Worst day of my life.
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I did, in the middle of college, with undiagnosed ADHD. And I had a WICKED habit.
That was 30 years ago, give or take.
1) Breaking the physical dependency is predictably miserable.
2) Check if you’re using caffeine to medicate something (asthma, ADHD, etc)
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3) Like any social habit, it’ll go better if you figure out appealing substitutes. What will you order when everyone else is having coffee? What cold thing will you drink when all the pop is cola?
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Thanks! Literally was just talking with my kids about how there aren't many caffeine-free and sugar-free sodas at restaurants. I have a few I like at home.
Most of my life is self medicating, heh. Good tips.
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yes! it's a life changing (for the better) thing for me.
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Anyplace that makes alcoholic drinks, I can order a soda-and-bitters, or soda-with-lime. Family restaurants are harder, especially since I don’t do well with artificial sweeteners. I like a ginger ale.
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ahhh, awesome post, thanks! I get anxious too. I think I will try this. I like chicory coffee (like Cafe Du Monde), although I don't know if I've tried chicory by itself. Might go with regular decaf for now but will also try those alternatives.
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I quit caffeine about 3 years ago to help with anxiety/stress. Helped so much. It’s *wild* how even decaf now gives me anxiety, I really don’t like the feeling of being caffeinated now. Which is slightly sad because I love the taste of green tea. Used to drink 4-5 cups a day
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This! I quit caffeine about 8 months after starting ADHD meds
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I did back in early 2000's for medical reasons (bad back, and caffeine aggravates inflamed muscles).
There's a three day headache you can't avoid. I drank 4-5 litres of water a day for the first week. Then it calmed down and I was off caffeine for a couple years. Long enough for back to recover.
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Quit caffeine (never drank coffee) for about 2 years when I had a heart arrhythmia. It’s… fine? Low carb lunches makes afternoons much easier, which is typically when I’d be drinking a Diet Coke to wake me up. I guess it depends how you use it
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This year, I’ve gradually come back to small amounts. 75mg in the mornings, as apparently it can have a protective effect for those post-ablation, and sometimes 75-150mg for longer exercise/swim sessions.
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Good to hear that it helped so much! I want to try quitting for the same reasons.
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I tried it after I realized while on vacation that I was vaguely stressed for no reason, as if there was something I needed to do urgently. I was a bit sleepy/distracted for 2-3 weeks but that was it.
Now I'm actually too chill sometimes, and have decaf when I need a little anxious productivity ????
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haha, nice. I am naturally high stress/anxiety, and sometimes caffeine has me vibrating, why do I do this to myself lol
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I *thought* I was naturally high stress, and it turns out it was just the 2-3+ cups of green tea I’ve been drinking per day since my mid-teens
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I quit before to see if I would sleep better and didn’t think it made a big difference. I did find that physical activity helped with the withdrawal symptoms though.
And going back on the caffeine after felt really nice at first lol.
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I was told it might help with my migraines. Spoiler - it didn’t but I’ve been on decaf for so long, it’s a habit now. Anxiety-wise, I’m not sure, I was anxious before and I’m anxious now. But who knows, I might be even more anxious (and have more migraines) if I did drink caffeine ????♀️.
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yeah, it's a journey! experiment and have fun. I have been converted to the Dandy Blend since even decaf is a lot for my system at this point ????
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FWIW peppermint tea is my go-to — it has a zipiness that’s sort of caffeine-adjacent
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Interesting thread. Came in out of curiosity, now considering quitting too. I feel like it generally doesn’t have a big effect on me, but I don’t really have a control to test against.
Appreciate the informative replies!
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I quit caffeine about 2 years ago, and my sleep has improved in general. Lower anxiety too.
I had headeaches for about a month after quitting, then I was fine.
But I only started drinking coffee late in life. Some people seem to be able to handle caffeine just fine.
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I certainly underestimated the effects of caffeine on my mood and alertness. I used to drink 1-2 espressos a day, and it was just way too much caffeine.
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Thanks for sharing! And glad it worked for you. I did a cup with half decaf this morning and will try that for a week, then full decaf.
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good luck! ????
