Headache from giving up coffee and soda?

I just started this journey on Monday and I went cold turkey on coffee and soda. How long with this caffeine withdrawal headache last?

Replies

  • StephanieJane2
    StephanieJane2 Posts: 191 Member
    Mine lasted about a week - Then I gave in and went back to drinking coffee !
  • Hilltopper1997
    Hilltopper1997 Posts: 22 Member
    You are brave! I kicked my soda habit about a year and a half ago, but kept coffee. I usually only drink my one travel mug in he morning the. Switch to water and green tea. My soda headache lasted about a week.
  • mer1cose
    mer1cose Posts: 90 Member
    edited April 2016
    Try and increase your water intake.. if the headaches are too much, you could try switching to half caf/half decaf for a few days.. then 3/4 decaf.. until you feel ok and can cut it out completely
  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    I am trying raspberry lemonade green tea this am and I am upping my water intake. I did not factor in giving up both would be so hard lol. I am jonesing for both right now. So hopefully this green tea gives me the desire I need to keep going cold turkey
  • kandell
    kandell Posts: 473 Member
    Anywhere from a couple days to a week for me. Tea is definitely a good option to wean yourself off of caffeine! Going cold turkey doesn't work for everyone, so don't worry if it takes a while.
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
    Giving up both at the same time is adventurous!! I wish you the best. I would try @mer1cose idea of 1/2 and 1/2. That may ease the headache a little!
  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    My weakness is French vanilla creamer. I cut back on sugar and just started using black coffee then adding French vanilla creamer for flavor and sweetness. Green tea and water is helping with the headache I guess I should of weened myself off instead of going cold turkey but I do feel a lot better with cutting out coffee and soda as I was consuming way too many liquid calories
  • mommazach
    mommazach Posts: 384 Member
    Green tea has caffeine in it too. It should help. You can also take the green tea extract supplements. I however drink my coffee daily, and the French vanilla creamer I use is a protein shake mix. smile.amazon.com/Big-Train-Vanilla-Frappe-Coffee/dp/B00B1CMU9A/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1461248712&sr=8-2&keywords=big+train+fit+frappe I am not a big breakfast eater. It takes me forever to get motivated in the morning, so I switched to mixing this in my coffee and is now logged as a meal. I add mine to my coffee, or you can use it on it's own. I use 1/4 cup of it, and it has 10 grams of protein as well as 60 calories. Great cold drink blended with ice. My favorite is the mocha one they have though. Super good.
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  • I currently did the same.. mine lasted a few days, and then I started drinking cold brewed tea throughout the day and it helped so much! I don't even have cravings for soda or coffee now and I feel so much better drinking all the water! Good luck! (Oh, and if you are interested... check out theteaspot.Com - it's where I started with my tea)
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  • kuftae
    kuftae Posts: 299 Member
    mine lasts for 2 days, one more day for the low-energy phase to pass.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    EGADS! Giving up coffee?!?! I just...couldn't ever.
  • lphellm
    lphellm Posts: 1 Member
    Are you trying to give up just coffee and soda, or caffeine in general? If the latter, just a heads up that tea (black and green) contains caffeine. If you don't mind the caffeine, tea is definitely a great solution for the withdrawal headaches.

    I gave up all caffeine about five years ago. The withdrawal headaches lasted strongly for about a week, maybe a little longer. After that, I felt 100x better than before. Without any caffeine intake, I had tremendously more energy than I did before (and I didn't feel as though I lacked energy before). I also rarely get headaches now, where as they were a regular occurance for me while drinking caffeine (2-3 days per week). Long story short, giving up caffeine is one of the best things I've ever done.

    Now, not having caffeine severely limits the things I can drink. I pretty much stick with water, or occasionally fresh lemonade. The hardest part is not drinking tea regularly. I'm a huge lover of Matcha green tea, so I treat myself about once or twice a month. However, I've noticed if I drink tea on consecutive days, I experience slight withdrawal symtoms afterward.
  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    Giving up on coffee and soda since I found myself pretty much drinking my daily calories away. I've been mixing it up with drinking water with lemon or water with lime and adding green tea into the mix for that caffeine fix. I just started drinking a green tea supplement and it's pink lemonade flavor which is not bad at all. I was considering trying the cucumber, mint leaf, lemon water drink to see if that curbs my urge for the sweetness of soda. Great advice from all. Thanks
  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    Update: I woke up today with no headache :) and I have more energy. I drank a lot of water yesterday and I started my morning off with some green tea while enjoying listening to the rain fall. So happy one goal achieved onto the next
  • jackie_van_d
    jackie_van_d Posts: 240 Member
    I've been Coca Cola free for 6 weeks, I was drinking 3 cans a day and slowly ( over 2 weeks) cut back to 1/2 a can then stopped altogether , the withdrawal headache about 5 days
    I gotta say my moods are better, teeth less sensitive. I tried one the other day and spit it out, too sweet!
    Good luck, stay strong, it's so worth it!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    Tea has caffeine. What are your main reasons for reducing coffee and soda? The calories?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • janekenney95
    janekenney95 Posts: 22 Member
    For me, it was about a week. Imagine this: I used to consume 1 large caramel macchiato from Starbucks in the morning and have 4 grande sized caramel macchiatos throughout the day. The detox was awful, but so worth it. It's so much more rewarding not having to depend on so much coffee! You can do it! Water is your best friend. :)
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  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    Cutting out liquid calories is my reason; with 3x a day 24 oz coffee with French vanilla creamer and soda with my meals plus a salted Carmel cappuccino smoothie a few times a week too. So when I started using this site and it told me I could have 1900 calories a day. Well I did the math and I consumed that just in liquid calories alone, so I decided to cut those two things out of my life. Then the headaches came on. I switched to water and green tea and yes I do feel a lot better now that the headaches are gone. I do not feel sluggish like I did before and my urge to wake up and go get a coffee is no longer part of my morning routine. For flavor I add a lemon or lime to my water and for my green tea, I use natural honey.
  • sbrya03
    sbrya03 Posts: 40 Member
    You cant give up yet... Try gum ... Or try diet soda...
  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    I went cold turkey although I do chew that different flavored gums that taste like desserts which helps :)
  • sndrd49
    sndrd49 Posts: 234 Member
    I drink coffee black, no sugar so no calorie issues. Used to use milk and sugar but it was a quick adjustment to black and I can't stand the taste of sugar in coffee now.
  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    I know I cannot drink coffee black and working out gives me the energy I need to get me through the day and night now. So it was good to get off the coffee and away from the soda. There was even soda at the family party today and I stuck to my water. I didn't over eat so it's a little victory for me :)
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    sndrd49 wrote: »
    I drink coffee black, no sugar so no calorie issues. Used to use milk and sugar but it was a quick adjustment to black and I can't stand the taste of sugar in coffee now.

    +1
    I prepare my own coffee, black no sugar, no sugar substitutes. One cup before going to my workout,early in the morning. I do not have to worry about the calories