Cutting Out Coffee

[jd_1984]

I never used to bother with coffee. However I got a taste for it a couple of years ago. One cup in the morning led to 2-3 a day and most recently about 7-8 cups a day. Purely habit, obviously caffeine is an addictive substance.
I realised last week that I had become agitated and jittery (occasionally mildly dizzy) at some points during the day. This had become fairly noticeable, to me.
I assumed I was coming down with something, tired perhaps.
Somebody suggested it could be the increased amount of caffeine.
I stopped drinking coffee last week and the symptoms have completely disappeared. I realise now that it is very likely the caffeine had been giving me these side effects.
Strange how things can effect you and only when you make a change you realise?
Has anyone had similar with caffeine??

[dannyk13]

If you like coffee so much why not change to decaffeinated rather than give it up altogether.

[jd_1984]

Yes, could certainly do that.
I have started to wonder if I do really like coffee, or if it was largely habit, after initially taking one cup in the morning.....

[Old_Geezer]

I got heart palpitations and skipped beats for a while due to too much caffeine, although that was too much cola rather than coffee. I've since learnt you can play for hours in the evening on the computer without quaffing most of a large bottle.

[jd_1984]

OG - yeah caffeine is no good if you have a sensitivity to it. Its strange (in a good way) how much better I feel just a week not drinking coffee.

[rsvp]

I love coffee but limit myself to two cups only with my breakfast as I'm like the Duracell bunny on speed if I have more. What I did notice was that a while back I got a virus and couldn't eat or drink a thing - couldn't even keep water down so I had nothing at all for two days and on the third day had the headache to end all headaches which I just couldn't shift. Anyway, the penny dropped it may be caffeine withdrawal symptoms so I made a cup of coffee which I managed to keep down and immediately the headache went.

[jd_1984]

Luckily, so far, I am not suffering withdrawal from caffeine.
I feel less jittery and agitated. Energy levels more or less the same

[gingejbee]

I don't drink tea (never have), but don't forget that it also contains caffeine. Actual amounts can be similar to coffee but depends on strength/ brewing time.

[murraymints]

I cut coffee many many years ago when I realized it had kind of a control over me like a drug..needed it to start the day and function...so just stopped it..although I do still drink tea

[Brinjal]

Yes and I also had quite a number of cups per day. I now have one cup at breakfast one at lunch and one about 4.pm and no symptoms everything in moderation

[ummmm]

I gave up coffee for lent. It made me so ill. I limit myself to two cups a day now.

[Sycamore3House]

Too much coffee affects me the same I have had 3 cups today but what I have done recently is buy a smaller mug/teacup. Therefore I am still having a drink but not feeling like I need to finish a big mug full.

[Buenchico]

At college I was drinking up to 30 mugs of coffee per day, usually with three heaped teaspoons of Nescafé in each mug. (So that's the equivalent of 90 mugs of normal-strength coffee per day) Perhaps that explains why, after having had no real sleep for a fortnight, I ended up on tranquilisers?

That didn't break my caffeine habit though. I drank less coffee after leaving college but simply switched to Pro-Plus tablets, sometimes getting through several packs in a day (particularly if I was refereeing football matches).

Several websites now tell me that I should be dead but (unless I'm nothing more than a figment of my own imagination) I appear to still be alive. I don't seem to need as much caffeine these days but the thought of drinking caffeine-free coffee is still abhorrent to me; if I'm going to drink the stuff I most definitely want the 'kick'!

[Cloverjo]

I used to drink a lots of cups of coffee at work, but not at home except for one in the morning to get me going. I realised it was making me more anxious than I usually am so stopped completely.
I had no withdrawal symptoms, and can't stand even the smell of it now.

[askyourgran]

I enjoy my coffee, strong with milk. I often think I'm coming down with something, feeling tired, jittery and headachy and light headed. I wonder if you have given me the answer here. I don't drink a lot of water, and only have two cups of tea a day, but probably up to 6 cups of strong coffee. Perhaps I should try to cut down.

[jd_1984]

askyourgran - of course we are all individuals, but, since cutting out the coffee and hydrating with more water - I feel considerably better

[douglas9401]

Like methyl I've taken to having my coffee like a continental, specifically a Spaniard, with brandy.

No side effects yet. :-)