Giving up caffeine

perhaps 4-6 per day.

If you stick to one cup at breakfast and one cup at lunchtime, you'd probably find the same benefits.

I only drink decaffeinated now, M&S or Waitrose to excellent ones, and still limit to 3 a day - breakfast, morning coffee and one after evening meal.
On *occasion* such as holiday I have a full-fat coffee and I can feel it in my system.

I really like coffee.

I didn't drink tea or coffee for a few years probably between 2008 and 2011 maybe '12. Then I started again.

I know I used to feel much better back then. Up at 6 in the morning three times a week for a 10k run or bike ride. Don't do that anymore. But not drinking booze makes feel soo much better than not drinking coffee.

Has anyone else given up caffeine and how did you get on?

short answer went back

but longer answer might be more relevant

I was drinking shitloads of coffee (literally) and originally stopped altogether
This coincided with the end of a contract working Thai times so my sleep was already disrupted but I'd still have the odd black tea.

Anyway... a bit of trail and error and I have 4-5 in a morning (before 11-12) of strictly 100% arabica made in expresso or airopress only and I have the same benefits (not pooing rusty water and sleep)

I'm up 0430 to 0500 at the moment which usually (sadly not today) lets me finish work by mid day and ride after lunch.

I used to drink a lot, but now have 1 cup of decent coffee at around 4.35am before going to the gym. Cut out everything later than that and now find I sleep better.

On holiday I will have a coffee or coke mid morning.

4-6 a day sounds like a lot, no wonder you feel the difference! I was on 1 a day and now only 1 a week instead, the advantage being I no longer require it to be awake, and the effects of it are much stronger when I do need/want it. Any more than one a week personally sets me on a slippery slope to reliance annoyingly quickly.

If you stick to one cup at breakfast

Caffeine interferes with cortisol production (wake-up hormone), breakfast is very not ideal time for coffee if you're wanting to limit the downsides of it

i've always drunk a lot of caffeine and never really thought it had an effect on my sleep (unless i had way too much and too late in the day). now having to cut down / give up for health reason on doctors advice, so interesting to hear about the potential benefits of feeling better in the morning.

any recommendations for good decaf coffee and tea?

listened to a podcast on coffee/caffeine the other day, there's loads of (proven) health benefits to them [I]in moderation[/I]. 4-6 sounds way too much. Your body will become dependent on the caffeine for "energy" so you won't actually get the benefit in that department. I generally have a double-espresso in the morning, and that's it!

Caffeine interferes with cortisol production (wake-up hormone)

stopped drinking coffee after 1pm probably 3-5 years ago , i never have  problem going to sleep, my problem is waking up early, missus has just bought decafeinated dow egberts it tastes pretty much same as normal one.

i rarely drink proper coffee, was in spain a few weeks ago and had a coffee bonbon (a layer of condensed milk, espresso on top) was like rocket fuel, jabbering away within 30 seconds of downing it

Gave up years ago as it doesn't really agree with me in doses higher than a single cup of tea! Unfortunately I haven't found myself up at 6am to go for a run.

I gave up about 10 years ago when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Made no sodding difference to my energy levels, blood pressure or sleeping! I've never had trouble sleeping though.

My daily consumption now is 4-5 mugs of regular filter coffee and 3 mugs of decaff (just so I'm not too triggered! 🙂 ).

I make 1630 my usual last time for a coffee, problem is I probably drink at least 5 cups and as many as 8 cups most days.

As some have already suggested, I limit my intake to 3-4 cups per day and have a rule of not after 3pm or so. I do occasionally break this rule, particularly if I'm visiting a cafe as part of a bike ride.

Caffeine blocks your adenosine receptors. You produce adenosine as you fatigue regardless of whether the caffeine is blocking the receptors or not.
So on 6 cups a day, all the ‘fatigue’ from each day was hitting you at once after your nightly caffeine fast.

Your body also produces more receptors so you need more and more and more caffeine to produce the same effect.

So if you really need the performance enhancements caffeine brings (for a race etc)- you need to stop caffeine for a while beforehand. That way, a smaller amount of caffeine can block a higher percentage of the receptors as the ‘extras’ will disappear.

There’s also a genetic element to how well you respond.

Drinking the same amount becomes necessary to feel normal once your body has adjusted so I’ve settled at 2 cups a day. One at breakfast and one at lunch.

Stopping early enough in the day gives your body the chance to gradually clear the days adenosine so you actually feel tired when it’s time to sleep and don’t carry fatigue into the following morning.

(Not a doctor, rubbish at biology, just listen to a lot of podcasts so take with ample salt).

Caffeine never affected me much, didn't keep me awake or fire me up no matter how much I drank. I quit coffee for a bit, felt a benefit, switched to (good) decaf. I'll have the real stuff occasionally, still don't feel a kick from it.

Mentioned to a friend the other day that there's plenty of caffeine in green tea, how their face fell.

Since giving up caffeine it is like I have a new superpower. I wake up and boom, out of bed cracking on with the day. Woke up this morning at 6am, 5km run with the dog, laundry on and 1 hours (productive) work all done before 8am.

The zeal of the convert?

I don't drink it in the afternoon (though I do drink tea, fairly weak).

Occasionally my wife and I give up for a while, just to see what it's like really. Withdrawal can be a bit unpleasant if coming off a high dose to nothing, but tapering down slowly is basically fine.

De-caf here. On the doctors advice and I can relate with how you / the OP is finding it.

Weening off of it was savage, but I thought; If it makes me feel like this, then I really want off of it! Glad I did. Feel better for it across the board. If I have a cup now I really feel it. Like @crosshair notes.

@sofaboy73 decaf from Crankhouse coffee and Yorkshire Tea decaf are the ones.

The zeal of the convert?

I don't think so. I kind of fell into stopping coffee by accident, it wasn't a big thing and it took me a couple of weeks to connect my new morning energy with stopping caffeine.

I have anywhere between 1-2 cups at breakfast and then maybe a couple more at work during the day. I generally don't drink after about 4pm. although I have had espresso after dinner and it makes no difference to my sleep. I don't have trouble sleeping, I wake up with the alarm, and it doesn't effect my energy levels. I think we just all tend to differ when it comes to how sensitive we are to caffeine

I too believe coffee increases cortisol.
I stopped for a while,and it helped with anxiety, but didnt help as much with the insomnia as i thought it would,so now its 2 cups a day not after 2pm, or maybe 6pm if im working past midnight

i sometimes wonder if drinking 6 or so cups of coffee a day is for a distraction from work, rather than a need or desire for the actual coffee.

that aside, sounds like your new routine is working well, OP.

I gave up caffeinated coffee and tea when I had long covid. It just made me disproportionately jittery and didn't help with sleep either. I felt head-achey for a couple of days, but that was it. Nothing dramatic and the long covid stuff I was dealing with made it feel like nothing tbh. Before that I was doing a couple of coffees a day, home-brewed with a double shot, one flat white, one Americano.

Haven't drunk full-on caffeine since. I do, I think, feel a little less edgy and jagged than I used to, but that could just be placebo, in honesty, I can barely remember. I do miss the combination of the taste and the buzz, but our local roaster does a really nice decaff bean, so that fills some of the requirements.

It's really hard to know what to make of coffee and its health benefits or not. Depending on what you watch or read, it's either Satan's evil breakfast brew or the best thing ever for brain, heart and CV health as well as being a legal performance booster (which it is).

I keep almost starting drinking full fat coffee again. I'll update this if I do, but for now it doesn't feel like a big deal.

Gave up a while ago when recovering from a head injury. Really enjoy coffee so reintroduced it at 2 cups per day, none after lunchtime. Seems to be the best way for me as I’ve never found a decaf that suits my taste (although decaf Yorkshire tea is a regular in our house)

If I drink 6 coffees a day, I'll feel shitty the same day, never mind the next.

I'll have on first thing, sometimes another earlyish in the morning (especially if I'm on a long drive), then it's usually just water until alcohol time.

Sometimes I'll have a coffee in the afternoon if I'm on a long drive home.

Working in an office is a bugger for blowing this out of the water though. Thankfully, I don't very often

I have 1 double shot espresso flat white or aerocano from my sage every morning, on the odd occasion another one around lunchtime. I don't find it really perks me up, if anything it stops my head spinning as I open the laptop for work and have to catch up on what's happened overnight as we cover APAC and NAM as well as EMEA, lets me concentrate a lot better as my mind feels calmer, clearer, not as many random thoughts flying around, semi blows away the morning cobwebs too.

I've found cutting out beer and not eating too late on an evening to be a big help with feeling alert on a morning, however I'm now on some meds and it's hell on a morning in terms of feeling like I've been hit by a truck and am horrendously groggy for at least 3o mins, I'm sleeping better but have found I need to get up 30 mins earlier to actually feel like I can start my day

I have gone to drinkimg decaf tea and coffee. Coffee was one cup a day, tea was pints. Interestingly, I drink less tea now, almost always stick to one cup rather than going for 1-2 refills. So there must have been something in the caffeine.

Also almost given up booze.

This is mainly for blood pressure reasons as the meds I am on tend to elevate it. So like @eatmorepizza this masks any feel good effect (but not to that extent), but it is interesting that I don't miss either caffeine or booze. Giving up has been surprisingly easy.

I  gave up Caffeine at the beginning of April. I also gave up  Alcohol, Wheat, salt and sugar, and bacon. 3 months later, I now partake of them all again , in moderation, except foe sugar and caffeine.

I replaced my morning cuppas with tea of chopped ginger and a slice of lemon. It's tasty, and apparently does one good.

Feeling very lively, but I wouldn't credit the caffeine abstinence alone for that. Dropping 12 kilos may have something to do with it...

Wow 12 kilos, impressive. Assuming you were overweight, otherwise eeeeek!

No caffeine for over 10 years now. Was on only one super strong coffee before that but shedloads of Pepsi Max each day (4 cans plus).

Advised to ditch it while doctors tried to diagnose ectopic beats.

Was lucky - never got the 2 week withdrawal nightmare that a lot of caffeine ditchers describe.

Almost immediately noticed an improvement in sleep pattern and effectiveness of sleep - much better and more even energy levels throughout the day as a result.

Now only one one cup of instant decaf each morning is as close to caffeine as I get. I do find I need to use loads of it in the cup though to get any sort of flavour hit. Hasbean ground decaf was much better, but obviously more pricey and more faff to make before work.

I cut out most caffeine I have it occasionally at a race or if I’ve had to do big miles driving. I went from not noticing caffeine to really knowing it when I do have a caffeine hit. Obviously sleep has improved plus I don’t get a slump a little while into my working day.

Possibly coincidence but my blood pressure dropped.

I have it breakfast, mid morning and lunch, seem to do ok.

any recommendations for good decaf coffee and tea?

I'm a big fan of 200 Degrees Mellow Slinky

Month or so I massively reduced my intake. Went from 1-2 coffee a day and 10 caps of tea to green tea only. Headaches for a day or so then much better. I feel much better overall. I now have one or two coffee on weekends and one or two during the week and it gives me a really good kick so it's really nice to get the boost when I need it rather than drip feeding.

Initially read that as "mellow stinky", I probably should inject some caffeine into my eyeballs...

In fact a quick google suggests it elevates cortisol?

Yes that's what I was referring to, interferes in an upward direction... Poor word choice! This is still not ideal if we're talking in terms of the anxiety inducing downsides and suchlike

Sofaboy.
Katja (wife of Marcel, the ace designer at Geometron bikes) runs Kontext coffee and has a really ace decaf.
Apart from the lack of jitters you’d not know the difference.
I use Aeropress. She has a special grind and recipe.
Yeah, caffeines not ideal first thing because of cortisol. So - decaf for me - then either full caf or 50/50 for me mid morning. No full caf after 3 ish.
Total maybe 4 a day. Lots of that is decaf.
It’s a very healthy drink. Good for the microbiome. Great antioxidant.

So I (mostly) gave up caffeine about 5 years ago. Basically I had some sort of virus that wiped me out for 5 days, all I could do was drink water.

After 5 days started feeling better then felt worse again. Worked out it was caffeine withdrawal. Since then I generally drink redbush tea and decaff coffee. Now and again I'll have a full fat coffee when out but normally mid morning. If I have it after 2pm I cannot sleep.

Since not having caffeine regularly I find when I wake up in the morning, I properly wake up. No need for a tea or coffee to get going just bam up and away. Take the piss out of my wife who needs two teas in the morning to even get started 😂

any recommendations for good decaf coffee and tea?

Our local poncy tea place (Waterloo Tea in Penylan, Cardiff) does a very nice decaf leaf tea. But it is v. expensive. Waitrose own brand decaf teabags are OK.

The main pain for me after giving up is going out - still like a nice coffee but I do notice now the effect it has on me so have to just be a bit aware if having an evening meal with a coffee. Its pretty hit and miss what brown liquid you get as decaff coffee in most establishments.

I have reduced my coffee intake from 1 litre a day to about 600 ml.  Not that I want to reduce but the coffee is either bad or expensive.   My favourite is still dark roast Java or dark roast French (substitute for Java coz it is cheaper).  As far as waking up or withdrawal etc is concerned I don't know the effect, coz I have not stopped drinking coffee or I tend to sleep very late.  However, if I overslept I get headache not because of the coffee affecting my sleep but lack of sleep due to work.

If I don't drink coffee for a day, which happened to me a few times, I seriously don't feel a thing.  But then coffee is the only caffeine I consume in my daily routine (tea not that often now).  I don't drink energy drink or drinks that contain artificial sweeteners.  Also I don't eat much of processed food.

This is a weird one for me. I used to drink at least six big mugs of pretty strong coffee, per day, in work. I never really experienced the side effects of caffeine/too much caffeine and don't have any specific health concerns which means I need to reduce caffeine intake. (If anything, my blood pressure is too low)

Anyway, after being frightened away from over consumption I detoxed and went to de-caff tea and coffee...the caffeine withdrawal was pretty unpleasant for two weeks but after that I can't say I noticed any benefit....

So, I'm back to caffeinated coffee (2 mugs per day max) cos I like the taste and it does help me focus

I don't drink any other caffeinated drinks though (assuming all my beer is caffeine free 😉)

I think caffeine affects different people in different ways, and probably quite significantly.

I was brought up on coffee from a very young age, at least by British standards. My earliest recollection in life are from the age of about 3 years old and I can certainly remember being given coffee to drink every day at that age, it was the only hot drink I was given as a child, although not very strong.

I guess partly for that reason I can't imagine not drinking coffee but I certainly don't drink it in excess, 2 maybe 3 per day would be typical, anymore and I started feeling that I am overdosing.

I do feel that caffeine has a quite noticeable effect on my physical performance, possibly more than most people. I particularly notice it on bike rides - I often seem to get a second wind after the coffee stop.

I am often straggling at the back on the way to the coffee stop but then on the homeward leg I am often way in front. I have always assumed that this is connected to caffeine and as others also drink caffeine I have assumed that it affects me more. Although obviously other things might come into play such as other people might simply slow down after 30-45 minute break and it is not necessarily down to me being faster!

Cut out coffee or tea? Nooo way, if I go a day without either oh that headache is just awful!

I know what this means but I don’t go over the top, I think today I had one coffee and one tea. At most I’d have 3-4 during the day…. Interesting how it made a positive impact to your day which is great to hear. I tend to not get addicted to anything and always have anything in moderation so think that keeps me on an even keel. I do love a good coffee though!

I've cut down from 4-5 very strong coffees a day to 1 or 2 cups of tea, I feel much better for it but I've also started adhd meds which impact on caffeine impact. I think in hindsight caffeine is rubbish for self medicating adhd but tastes amazing when it's good.

I had to give up caffeine yesterday due to having an MRI test evening, no caffeine for 24hrs prior. I probably have at least 5 most days (aeropress or v60.)

By 9am yest morning I felt pretty rotten, strong cravings. By lunchtime, banging headache that later the rest of the day. By late afternoon, the cravings were gone, I wouldn't normally drink coffee later than 4-5pm anyway.

Didn't sleep better last night, but that's probably down to hayfever and the litre of small bowel dye I had to drink. It 'might' have a mild laxative effect they said. That was a lie 🤣

I think I would like to reduce my caffeine reliance tbh, but I do love it. Maybe one day 🤔

I don't drink coffee after lunch. Maybe has a cup of tea in early afternoon. Probably have about four over he course of the morning, but nothing after, nor any fizzy pop. I have been cutting the booze, easy way to shift a few kg without trying.

Cut out coffee or tea? Nooo way, if I go a day without either oh that headache is just awful!

Your  body is telling you something

I tend to not get addicted to anything

Are you sure?

Cut out coffee or tea? Nooo way, if I go a day without either oh that headache is just awful!

I tend to not get addicted to anything and always have anything in moderation so think that keeps me on an even keel. I do love a good coffee though!

As above that is clearly a sign that you are addicted to caffeine !

I never used to drink coffee as I didnt like the taste. Instead I would get my caffeine hit from Coke. Drinking a bottle of coke at maybe 8am every day and maybe another later in the day !

Switched to coffee when we got a proper coffee machine and now enjoy nice coffee (not the shite you get in instant) ditched the coke completely. When I started on coffee I would visibly shake but now my body is used to that level of drug.

Usually I have a coffee about 8am now. If I dont have one though I feel just a bit weird all day long so it must already be getting my body addicted to that level of caffiene

Didn’t sleep better last night

AS the OP on this thread I should stress that I always thought I was a champion sleeper. Asleep within a minute of head hitting the pillow and rarely wake up during the night. The difference has been how fresh I feel getting up in the morning.

It is interesting to see other people reputing similar experiences.

I think alcohol as more of an impact on sleep than caffeine

I just chucked caffeine due to long covid. Felt pretty awful for 9 days - headaches, anxiety, increased HR etc.

When working, would normally have 3 coffees a day so not exactly hardcore but I guess 3 a day for 15 years fair adds up…

I have one big drip filter coffee in the morning to kick start the day - then that's it.  I used to drink loads of strong coffee during the day but sleep quality reduces as you get older and it wasn't helping.

One coffee early enough is fine.  Now  If I have more then I have a tendency to sounding like Spud at a job interview

I usually use bitter Chinese gunpowder green tea when I'm off caffeine. It helps sooth the withdrawal. Luckily I have loads at home because I ran out of Diet Pepsi and I have a choice to make.

When I was ordering bulk crates of Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Black this morning (can't buy Diet Pepsi locally), the online sellers rang me canceling the order. I'm not sure if they decided, or were ordered to by the state. I couldn't interpret the use of the word "state" in their translated message. Either their stock is spoiled, or the 'state' ordered sales on hold temporarily after the story over aspartame.

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I have one big drip filter coffee in the morning to kick start the day – then that’s it.  I used to drink loads of strong coffee during the day but sleep quality reduces as you get older and it wasn’t helping.

Thats me nowadays. I used to drink gallons of strong coffee during the course of the day but now I just have one nice one in the morning, first thing, then I don't bother with any more

I sleep the sleep of the dead, every night, whether I've had caffeine or not. The main thing I've found since massively reducing my caffeine intake is my anxiety (which I'm quite bad for) has reduced in direct proportion

The difference has been how fresh I feel getting up in the morning.

Yep, agree

I think alcohol as more of an impact on sleep than caffeine

100% alcohol is terrible for sleep, on a anecdotal pov it has improved my sleep reducing removing caffeine.

Sleep is one of these odd things that until you get back better sleep you don't realise how bad your sleep has been.

Relationship between alcohol and sleep changes with age.

In my 20ys a few too many beers would mean sleeping like a corpse, get up in the morning and crack on with life.

Now, in my 40s, a few too many beers means light, interrupted sleep, toilet trips and a ruined next day.

Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively - what did you replace the coffee with?

Stopping smoking was easier than giving up caffeine for me.

I stopped smoking as I couldn't be arsed to walk to the shop when I ran out of cigarettes one day. Didn't bother me at all and never smoked since or had any lapses back to smoking. that was about 15-20 years ago.

I cut out caffeine a few years back, I was drinking probably 10-12 cups of tea a day. After the first day the headaches were monumental, had a feeling of total lethargy as well. It was horrendous and carried on for about four or five days before I stared drinking tea again. I've tried cutting it out a couple more times since then and had similar symptoms. Now I've just cut down to 2-3 cups a day and drink decaf after lunch.

Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?

@IdleJon - we’ve got a Tassimo and these decaffeinated pods are actually pretty decent. I’ve gone from reducing my caffeine to cutting it out completely with these

IdleJon
Full Member
Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?

Decaff, but then coffee wasn't the main source of my caffeine intake. All the Pepsi Max just got replaced with good old water. If I still want some fizziness these days it's usually 'slimline' tonic water.

I have completely given up on caffeine, it started when I realized I was arguing with Madame for no reason at all on a saturday morning, one hour after our breakfast. So I went to decaff, and then following a course of antibiotics and the usual upset tum, gave up altogether, including tea as well!

It has been an interesting journey - I have never once felt like I had any withdrawal effects, but now when I accidentally drink something with caffeine it completely blows my head off, and will probably give me the Arthur Hits.  Even a cup of weak tea feels pretty potent. So this makes me realise I was very much addicted to it when I was drinking it. And to be honest, when I read about people drinking multiple cups of coffee a day I just can't see how they aren't axe murderer's. It's incredible how the body will adapt to it

 Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?

So for me it is redbush tea with milk, and Barleycup drink which is a kind of morning drink for me as it has a slightly coffee flavour that goes nicely with a bit of cake or a pastry.

I don't miss coffee although I can understand how people like the process and ritual of it all

Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?

You can make good tasting coffee from Lavazza ground decaf. But everyone has different prefs.

I usually use bitter Chinese gunpowder green tea when I’m off caffeine

Surely you are still having caffeine but, depending on the quantity, less than some other caffeinated drinks?

+1 for lavazza decaf and redbush (rooibos) tea.

I have not been feeling the benefits of coffee for some time. Giving up caffeine this morning...loaded decaf beans into the machine...let's see what happens...

IMO it's much easier if you wean yourself off! Don't go cold turkey unless you're a masochist. Switch from coffee to tea to green tea over a couple of weeks. Much easier.

(I used to do this every January, as part of a general attempt to reset my diet)...

+1 for Lavazza decaf (which I routinely mix 50-50 with various caffeinated stuff), though I've got a big bag of decaf beans picked up on holiday to start next.

I gave up Coke & Red Bull about 3 months ago (couple of litres or so a day). Felt awful / headaches for a couple for weeks and still really wanted it after that but now don't crave it and am sleeping better. Do still have the occasional cup of tea.

Out of curiosity, those who have reduced their caffeine intake massively – what did you replace the coffee with?

Decaf beans from our local roaster, Peak Bean, ginger tea occasionally and water out of the tap.

Thanks guys, a few answers for decaf then. The reason I asked is that I don't drink much coffee, but have 5-6 mugs of tea a day, and can't now drink it after about 7 in the evening because I won't sleep. If I don't drink tea I drink water.  None of you have inspired me to find anything else. 😀

Water and squash here

I gave up about 2 years ago. Went completely cold turkey - from around 6 cups of very strong coffee per day - to nothing, no caffeine whatsoever. The withdrawal symptoms were horrific. Mind-bending splitting headaches for the first week, total inability to focus or do anything and searing pain from my legs when cycling or running uphill for the first three weeks. I was almost about to cave in at that point and give up, giving up. After three weeks, however, these withdrawal symptoms went away.

Unfortunately, having given up all caffeine and got back to being 'normal', there were very few real long-term benefits I could see to be honest. I stuck at this zero caffeine thing for at least 6 months and found that during that time I couldn't focus when I needed too and felt sleepy occasionally throughout the day. I found no noticeable improvements in my sleeping either.

Since then, I have gradually allowed myself a caffeinated Coke Zero in the afternoons at work. This was followed by 'allowing' a coffee out on Saturdays. Recently, Mrs no_eyed_deer bought a coffee grinder for home and so I 'allowed' myself a coffee at home on Sundays. Then, last week I went down with 'flu and was bedridden at home, so I was having two massively strong cups of coffee to try and feel a bit better each morning. Oddly, drinking this massively strong coffee with the 'flu had absolutely no effect on me - I still felt exhausted and like shite.

I've cut straight back to coffee at the weekend only now. I think for me, it's okay as long as I'm not drinking it most days of the week. I can definitely see a dependence thing that develops with caffeine, which I want to stay away from. I also seem to enjoy it a lot more as an occasional treat - if I have periods of abstinence each week.