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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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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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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I have made it! I have arrived! The crowd goes wild as I raise my arms up in the air with victory!
No caffeine for one week. 
This started off great, but the last three days have been non-stop insomnia. I believe this is, in part, due to weening off Gabapentin and Clonidine at the same time. I’ve been on a very high dosage of gabapentin for a while and I take Clonidine at night. I don’t respond to the normal PTSD medications, SSRIs and SNRIs have the opposite effect on me, Benzos are off the table, and there are certain medications I refuse to play with.
I feel like I’ve done enough work on myself that I’d like to try and live without medication. And really, caffeine itself acted as a medication for me in a lot of ways. Caffeine boosted my mood in a way that very few other substances can.
I want to be free, and that means not being dependant on any substance for my well being. FOR ME this is an important thing. This is something that I want for myself. I don’t begrudge anyone their morning coffee, or the depression medicine they need to get through the day. I get it. I live with a constant hyper awareness born from PTSD that can be maddening sometimes. My brain doesn’t filter things because anything could be a threat.
And you know, caffeine actually helps with the anxiety. For a while. It makes me happy, energetic, productive, and internally calm. But only for a while. Then I get used to it and need more. And like with other things, I just don’t want to need something.
I want to be free.
So, here’s to a week. Eventually, I’ll stop counting, but that’s later.
@Minatasha You are totally welcome to drink as much caffeine as you wish or not. 
And I think you’re right, in that sometimes it comes down to choosing to have one thing over something more distructive.
I’ll tell you though, I used to pound energy drinks from morning until night, then drug myself to go to sleep because my sleep hygiene was probably -3 or something. So I get it.
I think everyone should just take things as is best for them. I have a laundry list of things I’ve quit, picking one off at a time often. Each change was good for me, despite the fact that I had other stuff that was not so good for me going on.
And maybe you never quit caffeine, or maybe at some point you reduce. What matters is what works for you and what makes your life a better life, yeah? BUT, if you do decide to reduce or quit, please feel free to share your experience in this thread for other people to read.
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Wow, that’s so cool!
Congratulations on your week! I hope the sleep will get better.
I am at lower doses as before but I know the direction which leads to a higher, yet stable dose. 
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