Coming off caffeine

[Stewart]

I could stop smoking, I could stop thinking about naked ladies, I could even watch Hollyoaks if it was completely needed, but when I get up in the mornings I *need* a cup of tea.

And then I need one every hour or so until I go to bed. I had a day and a half off tea not so long back, no headaches or shakes, I just really wanted a cup of tea so I had one.

Mmmmmmmmm tea.

Chucky - cans of cola for breakfast? Thats sick.

[chuckskull]

Chucky - cans of cola for breakfast? Thats sick.

I know

[IBM]

They did a brain study which showed that a caffine addict needed a high dose of coffee to operate at peak efficiency, an efficiency which was actually less than the peak efficiency of a person not addicted to caffine. So despite the fact people addicted to caffine think that drinking caffine stimulates the brain to work harder, you're actually only bringing yourself up to par.

I cut out caffine for a month, and by the end of it I realised apart from kicking you awake in the morning (which can easily be replaced through drinking lots of water and breathing techniques) I didn't really need it. Trouble is that I really, really like drinking coffee, so now I'm back on.

Question. Who uses a coffee machine to make coffee? Say you're making three mugs worth, how many scoops of coffee do you use? I'm using five generously heaped scoops (the scoop that came with the machine)...is that strong? I go through a bag of illy or Lavazza in about 5-7 pots of coffee...

[kalniel]

Question. Who uses a coffee machine to make coffee? Say you're making three mugs worth, how many scoops of coffee do you use? I'm using five generously heaped scoops (the scoop that came with the machine)...is that strong? I go through a bag of illy or Lavazza in about 5-7 pots of coffee...

Depends on the machine, size of mugs and strength of coffee

If they're big mugs and you have some left for top ups I'd say 4-5 scopes is about right - so if you're heaping them then try 3-4. Any more than that won't actually increase the strength of the coffee if it's a filter machine, just allow you to pass more water through it at normal strength.

[Funkstar]

for a normal sized mug (like you get as corporate gifts) i would use one heaped "coffee spoon"* per mug plus one for the filter/machine. This is also true of large caffatiers.

*You know, those weird black or dark brown ones you find at the bottom of kitchen drawers

[tiggerai]

I could stop smoking, I could stop thinking about naked ladies, I could even watch Hollyoaks if it was completely needed, but when I get up in the mornings I *need* a cup of tea.

And then I need one every hour or so until I go to bed. I had a day and a half off tea not so long back, no headaches or shakes, I just really wanted a cup of tea so I had one.

Mmmmmmmmm tea.

I'm gonna sneakily swap your teabags for mine one of these days... see if you notice. And then sit you down to watch hollyoaks.

I happen to have a jar of de-cafe downstairs that I was bullied into buying, so ive been trying to drink that

*ahem, there was no bullying involved, at all, ever.


*lalala* no caffeine here... for 10 years! (can you imagine me *on* caffiene? oh my god... not good.)

Ok, i do admit that having Real Coca-cola is like a heroin fix to me... but being off caffeine totally is not that bad... it's a lot easier these days, I tell you. Everything I drink now is decaf - tea, coffee and coke (i source my coke from france)

Many will know that I can't have caffiene, I won't bore you with the details again... but once upon a blue moon I was addicted to cherry coke and dr pepper. I had to go cold turkey overnight too... and I still crave it even now. (anyone in my presence is banned from drinking coke, or at least get a very evil look!)

[MadduckUK]

i miss mountain dew. that stuff was delicious

[chrestomanci]

I have given up caffeine once, and like other people I got headaches and the like. I stayed off it for about 6 months, and was fine getting up in the morning.

The problem is, I really like espresso, and I got a new job where there is a good espresso machine in the canteen that only costs 23p per shot. I would happily drink defcaf espresso but the machine only makes caffeinated, so I am back on the drug. To compensate I drink decaf coffee first thing in the morning, so my first dose of caffeine is about 2 hours after I first wake up.

[TheAnimus]

i drink copious amounts during work time, only way i can stay awake! Normally at least 6 shots a day.

but at the weekend i never have any coffee, no double expressos, no capichinos nothing.

I've never had a headache when i go without it, i do feal less focused, the quality of my work suffers. But i feal fine physically. Mentally i feal slower.

Try the weekend no caffine thing, works rather well. Soft drinks included in this (ie lemonade not cola)

[pollaxe]

I remember taking Pro-Plus when I was younger. Your brain is still in slow-mode but your body is running around in super-fast-mode. It's a weird feeling, not entirely unpleasant I suppose but one as a boring middle-aged person I don't feel inclined to repeat unless I really had to.

[Moby-Dick]

(anyone in my presence is banned from drinking coke, or at least get a very evil look!)

oops

I suggest you try CherryB with dodgy froggy caffine free , yet full fat coke

it might just be the fix you need.....

[Matt1eD]

We all should do a lot of things, but we don't. Why? Cause we get by by not doing it, we enjoy ruining our bodies. Don't give up caffeine, you won't feel any better and have cut out a great drink!

Having said that I do intend to do 'health fast' during lent: no alcohol, tobacco, coffee, computer games (RSI), crisps (not that I eat them much anyway), biscuits (eat far too many), going out to the chippy/kebab in the evenings and I can't believe it... seconds at meals. I want to see how I feel after that - If I succeed!

My life one term was a coffee on waking, with breakfast, after breakfast, around 11, after lunch then down to a coffee house for four hours, coming back and having coffee till about midnight and going to bed. Interspersed with coke. Then I cold turkeyed for five weeks as proof to some concerned medics - not a single problem or side effect!

[Thor]

I did read somewhere (when I was into such things) that it can take up to three months to rid your body of the effects of caffeine.. I've no idea if this is true or not so take this with a pinch of salt but it could be true (or partially so..)

I'd have to agree with that, I've been off caffeine for about 3 & half months now due 2 doc advice, I also use 2 have Excessive amounts of the stuff in the form of Jolt Cola, Coca Cola & Bawls Guarana (my fav). Oh, I have a buttload of Jolt left if any Caffeine lovers out there want/crave any?

I cut caffeine out completely for a couple of days, got massive headaches

I'm now trying to limit myself to 1/2 glasses of coke a day, no proplus/red bull or the like, working well so far, and as a bonus I'm drinking more water

Weird that, I didn't get any headaches when I came off me caffeine, yet when I decided to treat myself to a nice bottle of ice cold cola on xmas day I received an almighty headbanger of a headache, similar to the one I had when I first starting drinking cola. Oh and another headache to follow the next day. Took me ages to build up a tolerance for high caffeine doses yet within 3 months odd it's all gone, still, I suppose it's good for me in the long run.

I only drink squash now, 2 litres a day oh and a pint of skimmed milk. Plenty of water or low sugar squash and a decent bit of exercise will give you all the natural energy you need.

[RDL]

I used to have a massive addiction to caffeine (coffee in particular), but it was more the strength of the coffee's I craved. I would regularly drink cups of coffee with 6 spoons of coffee in them, no sugar. At that time when I used to come off coffee (even for a day) I got major headaches which were cured with coffee.

It was getting a bit worrying at the amount of coffee I consumed per day, so I cut down a bit, and started drinking a bit of tea as well. Now I can quite happily go a day without any coffee, and have no side effects. Love it too much to quit though!

[torched_geek]

I wanna try Bawls. No fair.
I have a very high Caffeine tolerance.
But I don't drink Coffee.. I have the odd bottle of Energy drink though when i'm out on the weekend.

[Thor]

I wanna try Bawls. No fair.
I have a very high Caffeine tolerance.
But I don't drink Coffee.. I have the odd bottle of Energy drink though when i'm out on the weekend.

Good stuff it is, especially if you drink 3+ in one day, gave me a kind of hazedeffect, but then again I did already drink 2 Large cans on Jolt before them, heh

I direct your attention to American Soda - this is where I used to purchase all my high caffeine drinks from before I had to stop.

Or you can try KustomPCs if you just want to buy 1 bottle of it, either way it's not cheap. Both places also sell American Dew along with other misc food/drink products.