Day 3 of water instead of morning coffee. This is hard😭😂
Discussion
The headaches will subside. Eventually. It’s just withdrawal symptoms 😁🫂
I'm not totally caffeine free yet. Afternoon bump is still necessary 😅
It’s not an easy thing to do. Afterwards, it made me realize just how addictive it was.
Oof, that I know all too well. I'm a legal drug dealer by trade 😂
Right there with you, dropped all coffee and other caffeine three days ago, but cheated at some point on day 1 (midmorning I think) and drank someone else's leftover coffee. Still, nothing since then. No headache, but my energy and drive to do anything productive are very different.
Different how?
I still have energy, but no desire to do much with it? I've watched a ton of youtube, but not done much else productive over the last few days, aside from the things I absolutely had to do. I assume that will clear up in a few more days. More curious about what changes will happen with sleep, but too soon to tell (and too much other stuff impacting it)
after 2 weeks clear the main thing I can say is that it takes time for the metabolites of caffeine to get out of your blood, and you may get some odd things happen along the way as your blood pH returns back to normal, you will have more oxygen carrying capacity and a load is taken off your kidneys.
I'm surprised it hangs around that long, given how fast the withdrawal sets it.
the withdrawal is really nothing, but i'm not sure you are aware how long lasting the metabolites are.
i had a condition called "gout" some years back that was related to dehydration and caffeine metabolism. it blocks up fine capillaries all over your body especially your skin.
i have again been seeing this, and gradually the blood vessels are clearing out. i've also been having odd problems with my teeth and part of that has been related to the way that caffeine's metabolites literally clog up your fine blood vessels.
caffeine is nasty stuff, a lot more nasty than you'd think. almost all of it turns into uric acid and clogs up your blood and kidneys for weeks after you stop.
this is also why many people are addicted to both caffeine and alcohol, as the alcohol thins the blood and reduces the bad side effects of chronic caffeine use.
Wow, I'm glad it's clearing up for you. Gout is not fun condition to deal with. I had no idea caffeine stuck around that long but I'm glad I do now. This could be a more interesting adventure than I expected
I'm still enjoying my afternoon caffeine at this point. I can't imagine cold turkey-ing this. Bravo! Keep it up!
You too! Looks like there's a few of us on this journey presently.
Another thing to add - I'm definitely hungry more. Coffee worked nicely as an appetite suppressant, especially in the morning. I may not be able to skip breakfast for a while!
I'm noticing that too. It works out well. I just recently started breakfast again after years of one meal/day. It's difficult "training" myself to eat in the morning again but ditching coffee in the morning is making that easier.
I have my omad in the mid-morning. Decaf coffee helps with the caffeine ritual part too.
I personally can't stand decaf. I roast & brew for a living and decaf is just very different, I've become accustomed to a distaste for it.
It certainly is different, but I find the ritual of morning coffee is more powerful than the actual drink or the flavor. It’s ridiculous, but like smoking, I think fixation and context were more powerful factors is the challenges of quitting than nicotine ever was.
I don't think that's ridiculous at all. It makes perfect sense. We are creatures of habit. The rest is just chemicals.
the brainwashing that these things are good for you is the worst and hardest part of breaking the habit, even when your symptoms from their damage are so bad you are, like i was, literally losing your vision, your ability to walk even...
and it's not just stuff we eat and drink and inhale, i also have put down the phone and stopped using it, i don't even have a nostr client on it and don't run any chat clients on it anymore and in fact, avoid taking it with me unless i'm going to really unfamiliar places.
Right. There's trade-offs with some things so it's always worth weighing all sides. I think the most important thing is to figure out what works for your body, your mind, the condition you're in, and the lifestyle you want to achieve/maintain/get away from. And finding ways to transition there. That's the tough part.
welcome to the club!
i will only say that pure chocolate powder is also quite good but it doesn't give the buzz at all, it's just a good source of fibre, magnesium and theobromine gives you a little more mental clarity. Oh, and stearic acid, that shit is so good for your skin. the only better source is beef fat.
Pure chocolate powder? Do you sweeten it with anything? I like dark choc but it's got to be a little sweet.
nah, no sugar, just milk. milk has lactose in it so it's still a bit sweet. you acquire a taste for the chocolate pretty fast once you get used to it, and it has really good nutrients in it, unlike coffee, which has nearly literally nothing in it.
I'll have to try it for a few days. Just baker's cocoa type or is there a specific choc?
well, just the 100% cacao powder. obviously extra points if it's organic. mine says "rainforest alliance".
I'll put it on my list & try it. Thanks!
yeah, i think it definitely calms the nerves and helps alkalinise the blood. i've had problems with cramping for quite a few years now, and now after 2, must be nearly 3 weeks caffeine free and now a week of regular cacao i am starting to not get those cramps all the time.
i think the uric acid from the caffeine definitely reduces magnesium absorption, and that also leads to bone thinning and nervous problems as well.
Did they seem to have a trigger or were they just random?
the cramps just happen from fatigue and heavy loading. yes, the muscles are like as though they are constantly in bad fatigue state. i'm pretty sure that is partly from the low pH from caffeine, and a secondary effect from changing my magnesium metabolism.
Why are you trying to stop drinking coffee?
I developed an inexplicable sudden reduction in tolerance. I suspect it's related to my general mission to be well and I just hit a point where my body started rejecting caffeine but I honestly don't know.
Oh that sucks, how does it manifest itself?
Shakiness mostly. I was & have always drank 2 cups/morning but halfway through the 1st I now get that shaky/quivery too-much-caffeine feeling. It just started maybe 2 weeks ago.
Bummer, I love my coffee as I imagine you did too, it's horrible to have to part with it.
Are you going through a lot of anxiety or stress recently?
I will miss it. Coffee is literally my livihood so it also feels hypocritical. 😂
Yes & no on the stress. I'm dealing with more than a healthy amount but it's mostly self-imposed & I've definitely been under more pressure in the past.
Amd I'm not totally giving it up yet. Afternoon coffee doesn't seem to cause chaos for me just yet but ultimately I'm better off without chemical dependency so it will have to go too at some point.
I'm just thinking stress may play a part, I get a bit jittery too if I have coffee when I'm really stressed, but who knows really.
Straight coffee has been shown to be quite beneficial to you, so I personally don't see any reason to try and ween yourself off it if you enjoy it. But it makes sense you would if it doesn't make you feel good.
Yeah, thinking that would do my head in. Actually been drinking booze in the morning since being separated from the girl I'm in love with. Mama help.
Oof, coffee is probably a better option during those types of circumstances.
Yeah, no doubt. I can pretend it's her pee. Miss her so bad. She's a coder tho, so drops in.
Well... whatever helps you cope. Best you can do is distract yourself with something positive, I'd say.
Good choice
And here's one of my own, about her :
That's awesome, I love the watery ambiance.
🎯💪