Hey there so im 28 days sober woo hoo. But…of course as an addict im now drinking 6 to 8 cups of coffee or diet coke. I also upped my smoking to a pack an half a day. Im conerned that im going to have a heart attack. History of heart attacks in my family. I see people at meetings all the time with there energy drinks and smoke too. Im 30 and dont know if im being paranoid but i feel like its helping me get through sobriety right now. What do i do???
i drank a ton of coffee up until about 2 months ago. I wouldn’t let it bother you too much at this point. Try some black tea, that has a high caffeine content and can help you slowly minimize your coffee intake. Tea can even be made the same way as coffee with cream and sugar. Try some all natural energy drinks and maybe try a one time use vape to help with the cigarettes.
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I’m smoking more too and just letting myself get away with it for now. I’m focusing on not drinking for now, and will wait to tackle other bad habits.
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I share all the same problems. I want to quit smoking but I enjoy it so much. I went to hazelden and they said research shows if you quit both at once the people who do are 50 percent more likely to stay quit. I’m a numbers guy and that intrigues me. The thing I really like about smoking is it gives me a break from everyone and I like being on my own. I’ll have to replace that activity with something else
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I noticed that caffeine makes my anxiety a lot worse and my tolerance for everyday annoyances a lot lower. Definitely try black tea. I drink English Breakfast tea in the morning with honey and soymilk and it’s delicious. I feel much better having cut out coffee. But take it slow because caffeine withdrawal sucks.
Try replacing one cup a day with black tea. Maybe a mid-morning one to start. Yogi tea makes a few teas with a higher caffeine content. My favorite is Refreshing Mint Vital Energy. After you feel comfortable with subbing out one cup of coffee - sub out another one. Keep going until you get down to where you want to be. It really does help you to feel a lot better after the initial caffeine withdrawal subsides.
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Is it possiblele tho to have a heart attack doing this? I get heart palpitations that freak me out.
I’m not a doctor but a good friend of mine had two heart attacks at 25 because he was drinking too many energy drinks. I know it’s different but caffeine and ciggs stress out your heart so I’d say yes. Definitely talk to a doctor if you are concerned. They can better advise you.
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I am the same exact way. I am on my 16th day sober and worried a bit on my caffeine intake. I usually have 1 energy drink a day but lately craving another which is very unusual for me. I have been drinking lots of soda. Used to only smoke up to 5 cigs a day. Now up to 10 about a day. Today I have been controlling my cigarettes though better than usual cause I noticed the increase of them. I have been craving a ton of sugar too lately. I just try to control it best I can for right now cause I am more focused on not drinking alcohol right now. Once my cravings are less of alcohol, then I am going to tackle quitting smoking. One thing at a time for me. Maybe though tea would be better than the energy drinks. Or just more control how much your doing. If you can wait an hour for that next cigarette than do it.
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I relate! 30 year-old female (until midnight, anyway lol), 70 days sober, family history of heart trouble/mitral valve prolapse, and I have seeeriously upped my coffee/caffeine intake, as well as cigs, since I stopped drinking. I know it’s not ideal and yes, risky, but I understand feeling like it really helps you not to drink. (At least this fresh out of the gate into sobriety.) I hope to really reduce the consumption, but for now, one thing at a time. For me, that’s just staying away from booze! Maybe when it is just a bit more “under my belt” I can kick the caffeine/cigs down some. I have slight arrhythmias & tachycardia here and there, too, but I’m small. It passes so I don’t worry too much. Anyway, just know you’re not alone!
Hi @Brittney_Garretson. I have some common ground here - drinking lots of coffee every day, diet soda, but not many energy drinks - because they taste awful! Maybe try to at least cut out out or back on the energy drinks. I also now try to alternate between cups coffee and tea (green or black). Also a quality decaf (like starbucks) tastes the same as caffeinated. But if you are having palpitations please see a dr to get pressure checked and maybe an echocardiogram. I had some of that, and also odd hand numbness and tingling at night. It got much better after I lost weight and got my BP down.
I have that problem too. And since I’ve gotten so into indoor gardening, I bought a coffee plant! 
it produces actual coffee beans!!! Lol!
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@Brittney_Garretson I also have been drinking a lot more coffee since I quit drinking. It seems I just crave it more now (along with sugar). If you are having heart palpitations, you need to ratchet back on your caffeine intake. Try drinking decafe coffee and herbal teas. You might find Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer Tea to your liking. As for smoking, I quit smoking 3+ years ago. Heart disease does run in my family. However the main reason I quit smoking was because I was tired of walking around smelling like an ashtray - so gross. Good luck.
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You can only worry about one thing at a time. I wouldn’t try to quit anything else right now and your upward intake is probably temporary. The most important thing is you are doing a great job with your primary objective! You’re in control right now. I have never been 28 days sober. Keep up the good work!
BTW - Google “energy drinks and health.”
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Im worried for you guys! I dont want to be preachy and I get it about fixing one addiction at a time, but cigarettes are pretty bad for you, as is that much caffeine. Do talk to a doctor… I quit cigarettes years ago, after many failed attempts; i know how hard it is, but eventually, if you can get through the first couple of months, it starts to feel nice to have functioning lungs. In getting off alcohol, I’ve made a big effort not to up my caffeine (from one cup a day, sometimes hslf decaff) because I know that stress and anxiety are triggers to me to drink, and caffeine makes them worse. Have you tried gradually shifting to herbal tea? I like Sleepytime; if I’m craving alcohol to unwind I tell myself, this tea will calm you down even better than a glass of wine. Coffee is not a relaxant…
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Hey! I was in the same boat, when I was around 21 I had a prescription to adderall that I didn’t need, smoked almost a pack a day, and drank coffee like it was the only liquid that existed. I guess I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, this was before my drinking really got out of control but I was still a heavy drinker. Anyways, after living that ride or die lifestyle for too long I got really sick, not necessarily heart attacks, but palpitations, not to mention horrible anxiety attacks at work and home I felt like I was dying I didn’t even know what was happening one time I thought I overdosed. WAY over stimulated, there is a line where you get too much and it’s awful, I would barely sleep on any given week. I quit and started taking them again several times before I finally quit for good a few years ago. Now I’m just happy feeling as normal as I can feel. But I mean coming from someone who has been in a similar boat I can say that there are many downsides to that life style, even without the adderall the coffee and constant smoking really messed up my health. That being said you probably won’t just drop dead at 30 from a heart attack even though it might feel like it, that’s one of those things that takes time to accumulate. BUT I would obviously suggest try to cut back, and if you can quit smoking do it, I’m at twelve days today and it’s made everything a lot easier for my sobriety and my health. I would highly recommend the “Easy Way to Quit SMoking” by Allan Carr, I might of spelled his name wrong that book is an amazing tool that will make it immensely easier to stop any addictive behavior really, if you apply the tools he give you.
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I was clean and sober almost 18 months before I quit caffeine. Now caffeine free for 3 months.
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