For those that quite caffeine...

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How did you do it?

I am down to one Diet Coke (with caffeine) a day, but if I don't drink it I feel AWFUL. I'm not sure if it's mental or what.

Is one a day that bad?

Replies

  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
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  • xarrium
    xarrium Posts: 432 Member
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    Personally, I don't think one diet coke a day is bad at all. I tried to quit drinking coffee (which I thought was going to be easy since I usually only drink one cup a day), but it didn't work out so well. I think being able to have a little bit provides a little reassurance, but totally cutting it out makes you think about it all the time, so you're more likely to "feel" the withdrawal.
  • wrevhn
    wrevhn Posts: 864 Member
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    heard it takes 3 days to get it out of your system.

    i'd suggest drink lots of water and decrease comsuption slowly.

    or quit cold turkey.

    i'm caffine free, but i'm to sensitive to have it.
  • vickiele1
    vickiele1 Posts: 394 Member
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    Caffeine is a strong chemical and the body/brain can become quite addicted to it. The last time I quit caffeine i experienced symptoms similar to severe flu - body aches, headache, fever, etc. I had been off it for 3 days when those symptoms appeared. It took a week without caffeine for my body to adjust and recover. I haven't quit cold turkey since that one time. If/when I feel the need to quit caffeine, I now do it slowly and over time. So, if you are trying to cut caffeine completely out - then I would suggest reducing how much of that one coke you drink. So today, you drink the whole bottle (however many ounces that is). But tomorrow you reduce your consumption by 1 ounce, then the next day another ounce, etc. That way, over time, your body will adjust to the lesser amounts of caffeine and sodium. Quitting cold turkey is painful - at least it was for me.

    Good luck with your goals.

    Vickie
  • bobbijomacknight
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    I can totally relate! I was a huge diet pepsi drinker and I would get sick when I tried to cut it out. I tried increasing my water so I wouldn't get headaches but that didn't help me. I started drinking green tea, 2-3 cups a day, along with drinking my 8 cups of water. I don't need the green tea anymore, unless I want to have one, and I don't drink pop anymore either. It was enough to keep me feeling good and the headaches away.
  • Suedre
    Suedre Posts: 435 Member
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    I just stopped. It was a Friday at 5PM. I woke Saturday and felt like hell. I was headachy, tired, moody, and generally hard to be around. I sat in my arm chair all day and went to bed as soon as it was time. I got up Sunday morning and I was fine as wine. Never missed it a day since. The hardest part was getting used to missing the taste. :)
  • HidyleDidyle
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    I have given up all caffeine for periods of time (4 months, a few weeks etc.) The first week is a killer...your head will hurt like crazy. But honestly, even though I'm drinking tea/coffee right now, I feel WAY better when I have no caffeine.

    So, to get through that first week, especially the first few days, I drank tons of water, herbal tea (non-caffeine, not my favourite but I needed to drink something, no green tea - full of caffeine), hot water with lemon, and I'd take the odd Tylenol when things were really bad.

    Once you get past that first hurdle, you will feel good. I need to do it again, for keeps this time!
  • BleacherAddict
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    Before I started this venture on Oct 1, I was drinking 3-4 cans of Mtn Dew and 2-3 cans of Dr Pepper a day.

    I went the first week cold turkey. My head hurt for about two full days, which I expected, so I made sure that was Saturday and Sunday, so as not to affect my work. I was definitely feeling better by Monday, around lunch time.

    I've since added in just a bit. I'm having 2-3 servings of Diet Mtn Dew or Unsweet Tea a week. Usually with dinner, or out with friends. :)
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    I used to drink TONS of soda, I'd stop and get the 44 oz drinks from circle K....like 3 times in one day. I quite drinking soda the beginning of this year ( I don't drink coffee (thats not starbucks covered in junk haha) so it was mostly just soda for me caffeine wise).

    At first I felt so bad, I had super sucky migraines, like keep you in bed, in the dark, and don't move kind of migraines, but after a few days it got better, and it was much easier after. For a few weeks on days when I was tired I would still crave soda, like it was going to magically make my work day less long, boring, and tired....but it wasn't the same kind of craving, it passed really fast.

    The problem is your pretty much detoxing your body, and it doesn't like going through withdraws haha