Been feeling crappy after having to withdraw myself from caffeine. (not entirely) Is this normal?

ficklesoul
ficklesoul Posts: 54 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hello,

I think I have a severe caffeine addiction. I must have at least 6-8 shots of espresso a day, or few cups of brewed coffee. I also must have my diet coke on a daily basis and when coffee is not available I could gulp down 1l of diet coke.

With Ramadan around the corner, I had to limit my caffeine intake and this had caused me to lose focus, I get tired easily and my patience grew thinner each day. I get easily depressed and sometimes cry for no reason. All I wanted to do is sleep.

I was wondering if these are just the normal side effect of caffeine withdrawal and how long until it goes away? And I was wondering if I should consider taking caffeine pill just to get me through the day?

Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Sounds like the caffeine and it will subside in a couple of days. I wouldn't take anything to bypass this effect.
  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
    I get crazy headaches without coffee, 10 nespresso capsules a day plus coke zero or Pepsi max.

    A bit late for you now but I ween myself down by substituting decaff at increasing amounts over a week when I know I can be without my usual caffeine sources, long flights etc.

    The withdrawal last 3 to 4 days. So get some caffeine in when the sun's down to relieve your symptoms.

    Isn't Ramadan all about feeling what it's like to go without? If so, surely this means you're doing it right!


  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Do Ramadan correctly for the month and your caffeine addiction will be cured.
  • Zipp237
    Zipp237 Posts: 255 Member
    I had a powerful headache but noticed no other problems. After a few days I felt much better. You may notice that you like drinking water more than caffeinated beverages.
  • cinnag4225
    cinnag4225 Posts: 126 Member
    ficklesoul wrote: »
    Hello,

    I think I have a severe caffeine addiction. I must have at least 6-8 shots of espresso a day, or few cups of brewed coffee. I also must have my diet coke on a daily basis and when coffee is not available I could gulp down 1l of diet coke.

    With Ramadan around the corner, I had to limit my caffeine intake and this had caused me to lose focus, I get tired easily and my patience grew thinner each day. I get easily depressed and sometimes cry for no reason. All I wanted to do is sleep.

    I was wondering if these are just the normal side effect of caffeine withdrawal and how long until it goes away? And I was wondering if I should consider taking caffeine pill just to get me through the day?

    Caffeine is most certainly an addictive substance, and it sounds like you're experiencing withdrawal. Do you have sugar in your espresso? If so, you may also be having sugar withdrawal. Symptoms include irritability, restlessness, mood swings (including depression), headaches, and in some cases you may notice more physical symptoms like tremor (these will go away in time.) You should consult with your doctor or dietician to figure out the best approach for kicking any habit or potential addiction, but in my experience the best approach has been weening for one week then quitting cold turkey (my mantra is "Yes, it sucks, but it'll stop sucking soon.")
  • CupcakesMom2
    CupcakesMom2 Posts: 154 Member
    I stopped drinking caffeine twice (am still off it). Both times i had a few days of the most horrible headaches I ever had, light hurt, noise hurt, my vision was effected. And I was only drinking one cup a day.
  • JeffS435
    JeffS435 Posts: 133 Member
    ficklesoul wrote: »
    Hello,

    I think I have a severe caffeine addiction. I must have at least 6-8 shots of espresso a day, or few cups of brewed coffee. I also must have my diet coke on a daily basis and when coffee is not available I could gulp down 1l of diet coke.

    With Ramadan around the corner, I had to limit my caffeine intake and this had caused me to lose focus, I get tired easily and my patience grew thinner each day. I get easily depressed and sometimes cry for no reason. All I wanted to do is sleep.

    I was wondering if these are just the normal side effect of caffeine withdrawal and how long until it goes away? And I was wondering if I should consider taking caffeine pill just to get me through the day?

    Probably is. I've been trying to cut out caffeine the last few weeks and have bad headaches in the afternoon and fatigue

  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Normal.
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    Totally normal. Good luck with Ramadan- my friends say it can be a pretty unpleasant month if your body doesn't like fasting, especially in the summer :)
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
    oh man when i had to get a spinal tap.. it comes with a hell of a special headache that caffine will only make go away. For a month i was drinking coffee all day and sometimes night. When i quit i then also got an aweful headache. it went away in 6 days.
  • rosecropper
    rosecropper Posts: 340 Member
    Gave up caffeine abruptly for lent a few years ago, and didn't go back to caffeine afterwards.
    First couple days- tremendous fatigue, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting.
    Next couple weeks: mental fog, low energy, moody, achy.
    First month was tough!
    Took several weeks to find a new normal.
    Then realized I was waking up fully charged- no need to "fuel up" on coffee to get going.
    No lagging midday slump requiring a jolt of caffeine. Better sleep at night.
    Also my personality changed a bit. Less chatty, but also less argumentative and excitable. More chill. And no coffee breath.
    Kicking the caffeine habit is miserable but liberating!
  • ficklesoul
    ficklesoul Posts: 54 Member
    rosecropper wrote: »
    Gave up caffeine abruptly for lent a few years ago, and didn't go back to caffeine afterwards.
    First couple days- tremendous fatigue, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting.
    Next couple weeks: mental fog, low energy, moody, achy.
    First month was tough!
    Took several weeks to find a new normal.
    Then realized I was waking up fully charged- no need to "fuel up" on coffee to get going.
    No lagging midday slump requiring a jolt of caffeine. Better sleep at night.
    Also my personality changed a bit. Less chatty, but also less argumentative and excitable. More chill. And no coffee breath.
    Kicking the caffeine habit is miserable but liberating!

    Surprisingly, I do not experience headache. But I do experience most of the other symptoms like extreme fatigue, lagging, mood swings and so on. I do experience tremor but they're not so bad.

    Several weeks sounds awfully long. :( yikes. Kudos to you for being able to wean off from caffeine. Wished I'd have half of your will to do that. I tried giving up on caffeine last time and only lasted for several before I become reliant on it again. This time worse than ever :/ tried decaff but can't stand the stuff.

    I really wished it would go away soon. It's never been this bad before. Guess I'll just have to wait then.

    Thanks guys.


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