Caffeine

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victoriaannewilliams
victoriaannewilliams Posts: 64 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So i'm a caffeine junkie lol. Like it's bad. I have my dr. peppers, starbucks, etc. I'm trying to cut that out because i know it's not good for me, but was wondering how do you deal with the major headaches that come with it. Do you wean yourself off or stop all at once. It seems like i'm constantly taking tylenol or something to help with my headache but when will it stop?
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  • GurleyGirl524
    GurleyGirl524 Posts: 578 Member
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    you will definately want to wean yourself off, but it may take a couple of weeks at a minimum for the headaches to stop
  • cinsuccess
    cinsuccess Posts: 333 Member
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    I had to go cold turkey a few years ago due to health problems and I don't recommend it. I would say cut down by one each week until you're only having one per day. After having no caffeine for 4 years, I can tell you that if I have more than one caffeinated beverage in a day that gives me a headache!
  • editnonnalynn
    editnonnalynn Posts: 495 Member
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    Are you talking regular soda and candy coffee? Sounds like a sugar addiction if the coffee has sweeteners. Put coffee in your smoothies, but without the sugars and see if that helps. Get your caffein sans poison.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Ugh. It took me about two weeks to wean off of caffeine. Excedrin has caffeine in it so it really alleviates the headache but extends the torture. I also had a bottle of no-doz and took 1/2 a caffeine pill if if got bad enough- but again if you're trying to kill the habit its not the best solution. I wasn't going cold turkey with the caffeine- I just needed to "reset" because my caffeine requirements got so high I was constantly teetering between withdrawl headaches and sour stomach.
  • dirtbikegirl5
    dirtbikegirl5 Posts: 391 Member
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    I would definitely wean myself off of it slowly, especially if you are a junkie. I would also wean myself off of the tylenol. Taking too many causes rebound headaches.
  • ajcamber
    ajcamber Posts: 89 Member
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    I had to wean my self off. I started by mixing decaf and regular caffeinated coffee adding more decaf each time until I was able to cut out the caffeine completely.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    I take a 200mg pill of caffeine 3 times a day, plus coffee/tea at night usually. I couldn't give it up if i tried xD no reason for me to!
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    Are you talking regular soda and candy coffee? Sounds like a sugar addiction if the coffee has sweeteners. Put coffee in your smoothies, but without the sugars and see if that helps. Get your caffein sans poison.

    ^^^This. Sounds more like a sugar addiction than a caffeine one. Caffeine isn't that bad for you (though, of course, you don't want to overdo it). A cup of coffee only has 5 calories, if you drink it black.

    The sugar/sweeteners/flavoring (and, at Starbucks - the awful, horrible for you whipped cream) you definitely need to cut out. If you have to, start slow and move to the "Skinny" drinks at Starbucks. But cut the soda completely - don't even drink diet. No benefits whatsoever and tons of pitfalls.
  • PepeGreggerton
    PepeGreggerton Posts: 986 Member
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    Why, what's wrong with caffeine?
  • sgballow
    sgballow Posts: 40 Member
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    I have been useing the Mio water enhancer and they have some that are energy boosters and it might have caeffinie in it, and also green tea it does and it is really good for you!
  • still_crafty
    still_crafty Posts: 692 Member
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    The caffeine, in moderation, shouldn't be a problem. BUT, if your vehicles for getting the caffeine are fully loaded soda and Starbucks, you are packing on the calories and other nasty stuff.

    If you have to have the caffeine, drink your coffee black. If you can't stand it, add small amounts of Splenda and/or skim milk until you can tolerate it. Then you can work toward weaning yourself off of it or make an effort to cut back depending on what your ultimate goal is.

    I haven't given up caffeine but I did drastically cut back my intake and modified how I was getting it.
  • footballmom12
    footballmom12 Posts: 100 Member
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    Going cold turkey isn't going to kill you and is probably better...that way your not tempting yourself to overindulge when you have a pop. Coffee is actually not bad for you and has some benifits (like caffeine)... because it is natural and not chemical based...as long as you don't add all the sweetners etc. If you get bad headaches like I did...use Motrin (Ibprofen)...it's much easier on your stomach and liver than tylenol. Good luck...I hope you find what works for you!!
  • victoriaannewilliams
    victoriaannewilliams Posts: 64 Member
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    I had to go cold turkey a few years ago due to health problems and I don't recommend it. I would say cut down by one each week until you're only having one per day. After having no caffeine for 4 years, I can tell you that if I have more than one caffeinated beverage in a day that gives me a headache!

    Ha, okay awesome. I can't wait for the day to come when having a coke makes my head hurt lol.
  • victoriaannewilliams
    victoriaannewilliams Posts: 64 Member
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    Are you talking regular soda and candy coffee? Sounds like a sugar addiction if the coffee has sweeteners. Put coffee in your smoothies, but without the sugars and see if that helps. Get your caffein sans poison.

    ^^^This. Sounds more like a sugar addiction than a caffeine one. Caffeine isn't that bad for you (though, of course, you don't want to overdo it). A cup of coffee only has 5 calories, if you drink it black.

    The sugar/sweeteners/flavoring (and, at Starbucks - the awful, horrible for you whipped cream) you definitely need to cut out. If you have to, start slow and move to the "Skinny" drinks at Starbucks. But cut the soda completely - don't even drink diet. No benefits whatsoever and tons of pitfalls.
    Yes, i don't drink black coffee, so it is like 500 calories for the one i drink it's ridiculous.
  • jessgwinn3
    jessgwinn3 Posts: 13
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    Great idea I may try myself! :smile:
  • chocoholicdiva
    chocoholicdiva Posts: 345 Member
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    I used to be able to drink a 2L bottle of diet cola a day, I loved it so much (no kidding!!!) and a cup of coffee AND a cup of tea!!! Then one day I had a really bad reflux attack and came to the realization that it was all the caffeine I was taking in that was causing the attacks (because it'd be more than just that one time). The next day, I stopped drinking diet cola and started drink Diet 7up in its place. Still had the one coffee and one tea a day, but it made the difference!!! So there's something to think about...
  • dianacom
    dianacom Posts: 30 Member
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    I agree the sugar addiction is worse than the caffeine. I would cut that first, drink tea or coffee-not soda. Carbonated drinks are bad for your bones, esp if you eat it with a meal. It prevents the bones from absorbing calcium. Unless you're the type that just likes torture, stop the sugar. Then cut the caffeine slowly. I've read that for some people, cutting cold turkey can cause other health issues. I don't know if that's true tho.
  • 10acity
    10acity Posts: 798 Member
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    So i'm a caffeine junkie lol. Like it's bad. I have my dr. peppers, starbucks, etc. I'm trying to cut that out because i know it's not good for me, but was wondering how do you deal with the major headaches that come with it. Do you wean yourself off or stop all at once. It seems like i'm constantly taking tylenol or something to help with my headache but when will it stop?

    I drink black tea, because I prefer it plain (whereas I put cream in my coffee). Find a yummy tea you like that provides some caffeine and none of the negatives? Let's Do Tea is a great brand! ;)
  • RoboLikes
    RoboLikes Posts: 519 Member
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    Are you talking regular soda and candy coffee? Sounds like a sugar addiction if the coffee has sweeteners. Put coffee in your smoothies, but without the sugars and see if that helps. Get your caffein sans poison.

    ^^^This. Sounds more like a sugar addiction than a caffeine one. Caffeine isn't that bad for you (though, of course, you don't want to overdo it). A cup of coffee only has 5 calories, if you drink it black.

    The sugar/sweeteners/flavoring (and, at Starbucks - the awful, horrible for you whipped cream) you definitely need to cut out. If you have to, start slow and move to the "Skinny" drinks at Starbucks. But cut the soda completely - don't even drink diet. No benefits whatsoever and tons of pitfalls.
    Yes, i don't drink black coffee, so it is like 500 calories for the one i drink it's ridiculous.

    What about replacing them with the 'skinny' options at Starbucks? Those are only about 100 cal each for a medium.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Wean and take some extra strength Tylenol for the headaches.

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