How the title is correct. I need to change for tomorrow. I drank the first coffee at 9 am. I was feeling he first mild headache and became nervous and had very mild cold symptoms. Wtf. I drank 2 coffee until 11 am and the headache got worse. Fresh air didn’t help. So tomorrow I will have a coffee first thing in the morning. And then none over the day. It will be the moderation fucking kindonof thing which never works. But I cannot quit as I really need to concentrate at work. So it’ll be the weekend. Ahhhhh, it sucks.
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That sounds like a good idea. Quitting while needing your brain to work can be hard. Starting over the weekend will hopefully help.
Sometimes I think that tapering with caffeine is hard because of how accepted in society it is. At least with alcohol, its generally not accepted to drink it at work, but caffeine is not only accepted, but even encouraged if it seems like you’re tired.
I know this is something I’ve run up against myself.
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How are you doing today? Have you been able to make it through the weekend alright?
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So far so good. I keep on drinking decaf though. Been taking an ibu each day as a have getting these stupid one sided headaches. I don’t want to repeat this withdrawals as minor as they seem to be. I am pretty nervous and my mind is around coffee a lot. Hope there won’t be any new symptoms around the corner that I don’t know. 
But it’s still fascinating what is covered by my use. It’s not even that I am super tired. I am not very fit. The cold like symptoms were only yesterday. I am curious about tomorrow and working.
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I’m glad to hear that things are going well and that the withdrawal symptoms aren’t debilitating. I’ll cross my fingers for you that it stays that way.
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So, all began okay this morning at work. Only decaf. Then around 10 or so a mild headache began crawling form my trapezius to right front. And I started to have back pain. I had one coffee before noon and symptoms subsided quickly as also my concentration got better. It’s awful. I am not mad mad at me, though. I thought that after the weekend this was about it. It’s shocking for me what caffeine covers.
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And I want to say a special thanks for this thread. You are taking it seriously. Not making fun of it. Or rolling the eyes as if I am talking myself into sth. I do really struggle with this one. I feel the weakness inside of me, yet I am curious what’s behind the withdrawal symptoms.
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Besides the fact that, for me, caffeine has been an underlying issue through my harder addictions, and still persists to this day; I have learned that we can’t take someone else’s experiences and apply our own logic and understanding to them.
My life, my body, my experineces, etc., are completely different from yours or anyone else’s. The things that are detrimental to your life may not necessarily be for mine, and vice versa.
I just had a thought about your withdrawal symptoms. This might not be anything, but I wonder if… Because often we have muscle aches when we reduce caffeine, that it could cause a tightening of the muscles that would put pressure on certain nerves in your neck or back that could radiate and cause some pain.
I also wonder if the way you move during this time causes other symptoms because when we are in pain, we often change our movement patterns to relieve issues, but that compensation can cause issues of it’s own.
They’re just thoughts, of course, but I like to puzzle things out and I’ve noticed through my own experience that if something isn’t labeled and accepted by medical academia, that it’s “not real”; and yet, I’ve found that’s absolutely not the truth.
Keep going forward. I’m glad you post here. We never know how us sharing our experiences will one day help another.
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I have no idea. It is sometimes just annoying to make people believe the symptoms I get and that they are due to caffeine withdrawal. Well, why would I want them to understand. Old topic, old problems.
I read that caffeine is maybe related to increase pain killer efficacy. And might reduce pain sensitivity. But only certain types of pain. Whatever it is, it is true for me and I think that most people just don’t abstain long enough. I mean the back pain came on day 3.
So, I will do it like this. I have Friday off. So until Friday 1 coffee a day to don’t have the back pain and headache. And then I hope to overcome these symptoms caffeine free within three days where I can move and don’t have to concentrate.
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I have also heard that caffeine can help pain killers and I’ve had that experience myself.
I like the idea of you waiting until Friday before cutting back again. I think you have a solid plan.
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It’s too hard for me. I suck at it. I cannot sleep better. Maybe I can stay at a minimal dosis. Maybe is already the wrong wording. Now, where I am atm I feel withdrawal although slightly every day. Fuck it. I knew it would be hard but not that hard. Or I am weaker. Or I lack other drugs I used in the past. I have to admit that I struggle. I had a coffee this morning as the cats stole my sleep during the whole night. From the coffee I drank during the week I didn’t get headaches over the last two days. Mild back pain and overall feeling a bit low like no energy or less explosive. Like a turtle. Strength okay but please no fast moves. I am sorry I hijacked your thread.
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I am glad you mentioned caffeine, according to a survey caffeine is most widely abused substance today, and most of the beverages companies are in constant race to increase caffeine content in drinks / coffee.
Any stimulant based dependency can cause addiction and it can trigger need for more stimulants, thats what i have noticed with my own experience.
Most recent update in my life has been reducing caffeine from 300mg per day to 50 mg, and replacing urge with green tea and its going really well i have been able to sleep very well since i have adapted green tea instead of coffee and other caffeinated drinks
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Good to see you here. Have a read around. We are not too numerous here 
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I already kinda like this community, Friend’s make life easy and recovery more fun 
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You didn’t hijack the thread. It’s not my thread. It’s our thread. It’s here for anyone who needs it.
I’m sorry this has been such a struggle for you. I can relate with the struggle though not in exactly the way you experience it. Perhaps, if you’re going to do it, it needs to be the slightest bit forward, hold for a long period, slightest bit forward, hold for a long time, etc. It reminds me of how one particular expert had a patient get off their depression medicine. Shave a tiny amount off the tablet, hold for a week, then do two shaves, hold for a week, etc.
As an aside, I’ve read that people who have animals, especially if they are allowed into the bedroom at night, get less sleep than those who don’t. I personally am now writing this from being unceremoniously woken by a yowling cat that would not be appeased.
I am really curious about the symptoms you experience and wonder if there is an undiagnosed health problem that caffeine serves to act as a medicine for. 
@NEWLIFE22S Welcome to the forum and to this thread. I’m glad to hear green tea has been really useful to you in your reduction. You are so right about caffeine being the most widely abused substance. I think sugar gives it a run for it’s money, but not withstanding, caffeine definitely is number 1.
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Caffeine was a huge part of my life in excess up until maybe five months ago. When I was younger it started off with coffee and Mountain Dew, and honestly it always felt like it just made me feel better. As I got into my 20s I started drinking monsters a lot, I would even have negative consequences from those but still continue to drink them. In the last couple years my anxiety has increased tremendously from drinking and mental health … so a few months ago I really sat down and just thought about what can I do to be more calm. And I realize that I don’t even need ridiculous amount of caffeine, it’s not like I’m back on the job site tearing down walls, I’m not operating a forklift, I’m trying to stay sober that is my job right now. I realized how much caffeine was contributing to my anxiety … specially in the morning. I haven’t had coffee or energy drinks in probably five months. I only drink black or green Lipton tea. Because it has a really low amount of caffeine. It’s just enough to be able to get out of my room and get my day started. Edit. I had one Pike Place a couple months ago and it made me really sick and uncomfortable after stopping for so long. I think it’s always made me sick and uncomfortable to drink coffee but I do it because I’m an alcoholic and an addict. Green tea and black tea from now on. For life
I bought this huge box of Lipton black tea and green tea, it’s like 400 teabags, I swear that box is like never ending… Probably cost like $10
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Those energy drinks will really get you! I remember when I really started to pound Monsters and all was fine for a while, but then I could really start to feel this underlying sick feeling when I drank them. At a certain point, they didn’t even taste good anymore; like there are certain chemicals that make them taste great, but once you get used to them the effect wears off and you can taste the filth underneith.
I made the bad decision to start drinking Bang energy drinks last year, and I’m starting to have that same experience.
Thanks for sharing your story!
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Yeah those monsters are something else. I feel like I used to get energy as soon as I cracked it open lol. But it’s fake energy. And for me because of my drinking history I already struggle with eating so those drinks would suppress my appetite so much. I got kidney stones a few years ago pretty certain from monsters. Yeah those bangs are like 300 mg. I drank one at work once and I told my boss like I have to go take a break somewhere for an hour and calm down hah … I’m going to listen to my body because honestly it just want tea from now on. If any caffeine at all.
For me personally…Fortunately or unfortunately like everything else I got tired of the monsters when enough things happened, and my body was just like I don’t want this anymore
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My friends, once again I’ve decided to try my hand at giving up caffeine, but I feel really good about it this time. Today makes day three. I feel pretty bad, but I’m coming from 300mg/day, which for me isn’t very high, so it’s not as bad as it could be.
Last week I found these Ghost energy drinks that have a sour patch kids flavor, that I tried out of curiosity and found that they were really good. Also, they were 200mg/ea, so I ordered a case of each flavor with this idea that I’d step down from the Bang drinks I was drinking, and then find something I liked that was 100mg/can, etc., etc., in order to appease that habit of drinking something from a can every morning.
BUT, then I just decided I was just done. So now I have two unopened cases of energy drinks along with approximately 15 cans of Bang just hanging around for the moment. It’s disappointing that I spent the money on it, but what is done is done. I’ve felt that way before as I dumped bottle after bottle from my home bar down the sink.
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Ive been regularly making myself sick with it. I have about a pot a day. Sometimes more than water. Probably affects my mood more than i pay attention to, same as screen time.
I have an evening cup of coffee right now, i had 2 this morning and 2 this afternoon. Im the only of my roommates who drinks it regularly so the pot is just there. Maybe time to buy a new piece to the unused french press?
I can get tea bags to keep so im not always getting gas station coffee that i spend Way too much on…
No way will i quit, but internet and caffeine and sitting around in my bed doing nothing amd detaching from reality have been my favorite things to do since getting sober
Sobriety is not some magical thing that is going to make my life great or my decisions good. I can give myself grace and pick extra coffee over alcohol (is what i want a sick stomach??)
But my sleep hygiene is 0/10!
So thank you for revisiting this thread. Given me something difficult to think about.
…
sips coffee at nearly 10pm
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