When I tried caffeine pills, I would cut them into certain sized pieces to reduce. Not sure if that’s useful for you, but I thought I’d mention it.
Good luck! I know you can do this. 
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I think one thing that has helped me cut back before is to time my big reductions of caffeine on a day when I have less going on. Then I can take it easy a little and not feel like I have to be “on.” Having alternatives helps too. Since I’m cutting back on coffee and doing tea instead, I try to get tea I really like and make it properly. I make it a ritual — boil the water, let it steep, set a timer, etc. I figure out how I really like to maximize my enjoyment.
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Caffeine is my other addition after Alcohol. I don’t take much, under 300mg and usually just 100mg per day. But it is a chemical/drug and I NEED that 100mg to function at work throughout the day. I know it controls me if I can’t stop and that is why I want to. I record my intake and try to quit but I am stuck at 100mg per day. To reduce the damage I take it in a fruity drink called Bodyarmor Edge and try to keep it at one. If I get up and over 200mg my chances of drinking Alcohol later that night increase greatly.
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@mcmxlv @Chiron Cold turkey is still the best in my opinion. The fact that we “need” caffeine is but a mere illusion. When you fully cut caffeine, you will feel groggy and very tired, which is why we tend to think we “need” it to function. In reality, after 3 days, you’ll feel better again and after 10 days your tolerance will be reset. Only limiting yourself to a certain amount will not help, as your tolerance grows greater everyday, and it will just leave you longing for more.
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I was looking at my 23andMe profile and I saw this and started laughing internally. Good job 23andMe. You are right. I am definitely more likely to consume more caffeine.
Money well spent.
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@MagicILY That sounds like a great way for you to reduce. I like how you have a little ritual with your tea, which helps you enjoy your reduction from coffee.
@mcmxlv That’s really interesting, actually. I wonder what is going on that your body isn’t stabilizing after that 100mg reduction point. How long have you been drinking caffeine? I wonder if it could be due to something else you are taking in or maybe the length of time you’ve had caffeine. Have you tried to reduce by 5 or 10mg per day? I know that might seem silly to reduce by 5mg every few weeks or whatever, but that might be what your body and mind needs to find homeostasis.
@MwinecwaftOwO I really appreciate your view point and sharing your personal experience with getting off caffeine. You are lucky that you’ve had that experience. @mcmxlv’s experience is different, and so is mine. I’ve actually gotten off caffeine many times. Sometimes I’ve gone cold turkey, sometimes I’ve reduced slowly.
For me, one of my experiences with cold turkey left me exhausted, sick, and depressed for over a week (about 7-10 days of adjustment) and I had intense insomnia. I finally started sleeping in the second week, but I was utterly depressed for a few more weeks and my sleep was off and on before it finally stabilized. It took me about a month to be okayish, but I was never actually okay and I finally just started drinking caffeine again. But then I was taking in somewhere around 1200-1400mg of caffeine a day. Not quite at my highest level, but it was high.
I had a better experience when I cold turkeyed from around 6-700mg/day, but it still took me a week and a half to adjust from the worst of it, then there was some lingering blahs. I’m sure if I was going cold turkey from 3-400, it might not be as bad as that. So, I’ve found that for me it is important to reduce slowly if I’m taking in a higher amount, and I can be kind to myself if I reduce even from a lower amount. But that’s just me and I’m some weird person who can down 2000mg of caffeine in one day and be just fine.
I’m not saying you are wrong; rather, I am saying that my personal experience hasn’t been yours. Regardless of the differences between our experiences, I really appreciate your input and opinion because for someone who reads this thread, either now or in the future, your input will be precisely what they need, and I have read the experiences of others online who have had a similar experience to yours.
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My check in for today. Tomorrow will be the last day of having 3/4 of a energy drink can, then it will go to a half. I have been starving the last several days. I understand this isn’t something a lot of people experience when reducing caffeine, but every time I quit caffeine, I want food like a stoner in the middle of the night.
Right now I’ve had a nice dinner and even a dessert, but I still want to eat more.
This here is a massive barrier for me to quit caffeine. I hate being hungry to the point of aggravation. The possess of quitting caffeine tends to make me anxious and irritable. Since I feel tired, I’m guessing that somewhere in my brain, food seems to be the best option for giving myself energy.
Also, as a child, food was everything in my household. Are you sad? Eat. Happy? Eat. Bored? Eat. Getting together with someone? Eat. Etc, etc. In general, I’ve worked on this in my life and it’s not a problem, but for some reason this anxious needy desire to eat just… well… eats at me. Pun intended 
So, here we reach the psychological line of quitting caffeine, for me. I eat more, and naturally my pants feel slightly tighter. What do I feel then? PANIC. I feel fucking panic.
I am nowhere near overweight, but I grew up overweight. I was teased and tormented by kids my age; ignored and tolerated by adults. There is a lot there, but I definitely developed a massive complex. It’s better now, but it is an old wound that gets picked at during caffeine withdrawal. This is the point where I start to seriously contemplate turning back. The emotional pressure to be thin and fit is another topic, but it mixes in with caffeine for me.
But here I am, still walking the same path. I’m sure tomorrow will be better, but tonight I feel anxious and sad.
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Maybe try switching caffeine source? It’s what I did prior to going cold turkey. Energy drinks like bang and monster contain other stimulating stuff that I cannot wrap my head around, so at the time I switched to Monster Triple Espresso. Because it is litteraly coffee with milk, you won’t have such the sugar crash as you would with any other energy drink. Careful though, the can is half the size of a regular Monster/Bang can and is very easy to drink too much of.
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Not a bad idea and I appreciate the suggestion. I have actually tried that a few months ago, though that was more because I wanted to save money and I think this particular energy drink is messing with my teeth. But I switched back because the sudden disappearance of the crap additions really messed with me, and that was not a good time in my life for that kind of change.
Still, I think it’s a good tactic for people to try and I’m glad you mentioned it. Thank you for all of your input. Your suggestions are really valuable to this thread.
You’re also right about switching to a coffee based energy drink vs a sugary one laden with crap additions. The sugar crash is a good point. I personally only drink sugar free energy drinks (which are super unhealthy in their own right, because sugar substitutes are shit), though for the possible future reader they’d definitely want to remember that a noticeable cut in sugar intake might not make them feel so good for a while either.
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Okay, wish me luck for today. I realised yesterday that I only have decaf at home and during my online seminar the whole day I was negotiating buying coffee afterwards. Then I thought, fuck it. This morning I have a mild headache, not really but tired. I don’t want to spoil this withdrawal with caffeine now 
it’d be an endless suffering then. I hope today will be the worst. Stick to decaf. Hoping that I won’t fall asleep during the seminar. Speaking of a good setting, an online seminar from 9 to 5 is certainly not.
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I finally quit the caffeine monster about a month ago, I had a headache for about 2 damn weeks. My sleep has gotten better, overall mood is a little better and I am not nearly as tired as I was when I was drinking 2-3 rockstars a day.
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i did it some years ago and felt great after sleeping like 10 hrs a night for 2 weeks. then, like the moderation devil sneaked in and i negotiated like 1 cappuchino a week with friends… became 1 per day. we know how it goes.
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I CT coffee ten years ago after drinking two cups every morning for forever. It was pretty much without a blip. After I don’t know how long, not that long, I didn’t miss it or anything.
Then about four years ago I started drinking coffee again. I liked it I liked what it tasted like.
OK so I’ve been drinking 2 cups of coffee a day.
I cannot stand how when I wake up I don’t want anything but want that cup of coffee.
I’m not awake until I start drinking a coffee. I waste all this time drinking 2 cups of coffee. Just to wake up.
Yes I enjoy the quiet time but still. It’s nice.
When I didn’t drink coffee I would wake up alert and not all sleepy Then get on with things and not spend 30 minutes drinking coffee. So I decided that I wanted to quit. I’ve looked at caffeine pills and I really only want about 50 mg and then I think why do I want to replace it with pills. What I want is to have the caffeine and not have coffee that staining my teeth.
But I also don’t like the idea that the coffee is taking up that time and that I’m so dependent on needing it to wake up.
So I decided I did not want the caffeine pills and that I should just go cold turkey.
I haven’t exactly gotten around to it yet. In the meantime I’ve got a lot of coffee here in case the supply chain gets interrupted, the one thing I don’t want to be without is coffee.
I’ve noticed a common theme in here that people can’t wake up unless they have a coffee. But when they’re not drinking coffee they wake up just fine.
That’s the same thing with me, what’s the deal?
Coffee has turned in to one of the great antioxidants so that is something to its benefit. It’s also being touted as good for heart health. You’re healthier if you drink coffee than if you don’t. But all that’s immaterial
I’m tired of it staining my teeth
and being dependent on it to wake up.
I know from past experience that I cold turkey off of it just fine, didn’t miss it at all.
I really wanted to quit last month and I didn’t.
At least I got the caffeine pills out of my head.
I swish water in my mouth after I drink coffee or brush my teeth. I’m putting more almond milk in it. A couple years ago I tried the straw trick and that doesn’t work that well for me.
I’m careful to do the same with blueberries. Thank goodness I’m not a wino. I feel sorry for those people.
Best to all of you on your endeavors.
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@anon74766472 Good luck ro you! How are you doing today? How’s the headache?
@CaptAZ Did you go cold turkey or did you ween yourself down?
@Alisa I know what you mean when you say that you can’t stand how all you want to do in the morning is drink coffee just to wake up. I feel the same way. I hate feeling like I’m part of the walking dead for an hour.
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Cold turkey. I drank 2 or 3 rockstars and caffeinated soda every day, then just stopped. I knew I’d have some headaches, they sucked for sure, ibuprofen didn’t help with them at all.
I definitely had to change that morning mindset, rockstar was the first thing I drank in the morning. Plus side, I’m drinking more water. I still drink soda, just make sure it’s caffeine free.
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I drink coffee and take pre workout with caffeine in it.
Sometimes (like yesterday) too much in total and I spewed whilst training. Not a common occurrence but shows the impact it can have on the body.
Never been big on the energy drinks but known a few people have the regularly and sometimes seem to tip into an addiction with them.
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I was having a coffee and an espresso in the office. I have to get completely over it during vacation. Being stick to the office chair and concentrated all day and super tired… Headache was gone, though.
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Am struggling atm going to the shop and buy diet coke. But I am determined not to. My mind is running around and I know water will help.
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I get what you’re saying. You can do this. You’re right that the water will be good. The craving will pass.
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I really related to this today. I literally had another Bang in hand, fingers on the tab with a “fuck it” feeling, but I remembered your post about the Diet Coke and I put it away. Reluctantly! But I put it away.
It was good though. I think I needed that, so I’m glad you posted what you did.
@Quinny251 I think you’re right about how energy drinks are easier to get addicted to. They have all kinds of crap in them that can add into that.
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