About Weaning Off Caffeine

Weaning Off Caffeine Information

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How can I wean myself off caffeine with less side effects? I drink black coffee to wake me up in the morning, but it aggravates my acid reflux and I'm also sensitive to caffeine. I only started this to be like my friends in 9'th grade (UGH!). I'm in high school and still have to go to sports practices, so I need the least amount of side effects possible.

Sammy Ann replied: "although different soda brands make caffine free sodas never buy them...they make you want more and more soda and end up being worse than one regular. try a monster or something else of that type. drink it as slow as possible and at long time inturvals this give u the caffine ur body is edicted to at an easy pace. once you get used to this slowly stop all soda drinking"

Noah replied: "Caffeine withdrawal isn't the worst thing in the world - I recommend just stopping all caffeine all at once. It will be over in 2 or 3 days and the worst thing that will happen is a headache. Plan to do it on a weekend when you don't have sports - you'll be fine by Monday. Been there/done that."

Angela R replied: "Mix your coffee with caffeine free, use less caffeine each week until you can stand total decaf."

Andrew O. replied: "I am in 9th grade too, I find that the slower I drink it, the less I want more, and I choose the small cups when they are clean. I too have acid reflux."

How does one self wean themselves off caffeine? I want to stop drinking caffeinated coffee but, i get major headaches that don't go away unless i have caffeine. any help would be appreciated.

Lady Jexie replied: "I dropped two cups a day each week. Then I changed my coffee to 1/4 decaf; then to 1/2 decaf; I decided to keep it a 3/4 decaf. I have two mugs of 3/4 decaf a day. ."

Marlene D replied: "Avoid taking coffee. But instead u can take Tea or some HORLICS daily and if u r a chain smoker please give up gradually."

patito replied: "don't quit cold turkey. Try replacing coffee with something caffeinated but with less caffeine content, such as diet coke. If you want to try the healthier route, which I recommend, try drinking green tea. It has much less caffeine, but somehow the antioxidants and herbal contents help keep you alert, soothe you, keep your digestive system at tip top shape and your metabolism, and don't give you the after coffee jitters or crash effects. Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng has an added dose due to the ginseng and tastes great. They have diet which is only 5 calories too!"

How do you "wean" yourself off caffeine? I am an absolute caffeine junkie - I drink coffee & diet sodas all day long. I have tried to break the habit but have headaches, lack of energy, etc. (of course!) Any suggestions?

Mopar Muscle Gal replied: "thats a normal side effect which should last only a few days up to 2 weeks depending on the addiction and the person make sure you stay hydrated and take a few aspirins as needed for the headache take a Multi Vitamin daily start drinking decaf coffee, tea , sodas same taste, less caffeine then slowly wean yourself off these and start drinking more plain water and juice Good Luck, you can do it I did"

Tinderno replied: "I just did this about 14 months ago. I used to drink all kinds of coffee, all day long. Just stop drinking it. Stop, stop, stop. You will be tired and lack energy for a while. You body has become dependent upon that artificial boost. Get used to it. It took about 50 days before i had energy again. Use it as an opportunity to begin eating right also. It will suck but just get through it, it is so worth it."

not 30 yet replied: ""Wean" implies slowly take yourself off of the caffeine. Start with a day you have off...let's say Saturday...take the total number of cups of coffee and diet sodas you consume on a typical day and reduce it down by 1...ONLY 1. When you go through the day you may feel a little sluggish but you will still be able to go through it. Now for the next week stick to the amount you consumed on that Saturday...not a drop more. You body will get used to it and still be able to function. About one or two weeks later, reduce your daily consumption again by one cup (on a day off from work so your productivity is not affected). Go through the day with a little less and keep THAT the amount you consume the next week or two. Repeat as many times as you need to to reduce your intake down to zero or whatever you want it to be."

luisa_mapacha replied: "Start taking a B complex vitamin every morning, as it's good for you and acts as a natural, mild stimulant. Then, start cutting back caffeine by 25%. Make your coffee at home and mix 3 parts regular coffee beans to 1 part decaf beans. For sodas (which you shouldn't be drinking anyway) alternate with caffeine-free versions. Many studies have shown that it's the carbonation and flavor that keeps you hooked, as soda has relatively low caffeine levels. After a while, cut back to 50% decaf coffee and only caffeine-free drinks. Also, get yourself on a normal sleep schedule. Go to bed every night at the same time and wake up at the same time. Resist the urge to sleep in on the weekends, as this will mess you up even more."

judith11center replied: "The best way I found was to make coffee with half decaf coffee and half "real" coffee for about 10 days and then starting adding more decaf and less real coffee until you end up drinking all decaf. Diet sodas aren't good for you at all really. They substitute chemicals for the the sugar. Better to stick with waters or gingerale, Sprite, etc. Don't try to kick caffeine all at once because you will end up with headaches and bad nerves."

What's the best way to wean yourself off of caffeine? I have a huge Diet Coke habit I'm trying to break. Please help!

kel bel replied: "i couple of years ago i use to drink ten or more pepsi's a day... everyday i would try to quit but i couldn't... So slowly i knocked out out one soda day... until i was don't to one. then i would have a cup every other day.... then i would drink it once a week.... Tell yourself... soda is a special treat... and you can only drink soda on special occactions... Also try drinking other drinks with caffine in it.. Like ice tea...."

Matt M replied: "I would try to slowly decrease the amount of caffeine you are taking. If you normally have a large cup of diet coke try a medium for a week or so, then a small. Hopefully your body will adjust to not needing as much caffeine making it easier to break."

william c replied: "Do it gradually. You'll get a killer headache if you don't and the only thing that will take it away is caffeine. Try switching every other one to caffiene free then increase it after a few days. I made the switch and enjoy the caffiene free variety much better now. The other stuff tastes funny to me. Now, if you're trying to break the habit from soda completely. Substitute juice, kool-aid or water for the caffiene free soda."

byteofk replied: "Drink ice tea, regular tea for the caffeine (much less of a buzz, more of a hum) and non-caffeinated pop if you still need something "better" than water."

dakinijones replied: "The way I've done this in the past is to swop over to caffeine tablets (in the UK they have them in the brand name Pro-Plus) so that I wasn't getting the withdrawals but I was getting used to not drinking my caffeine - and that cut down on some of the triggers for drinking so much. Then because I had a measured dose in my caffeine tablets it was easy to be sure that I was cutting down only gradually. I'd recommend making sure it's a weekend when you stop taking any caffeine at all - even if you've cut down previously your body may be sensitive enough to it to still have withdrawals like headaches, fuzzy thinking etc. I think you're right to wean yourself off (rather than go cold turkey) but if you swop to caffeine tablets now while your desire to give up is strong it'll probably help break your connection to Diet Coke... otherwise I've found I cut down for a week or two and then "forget" that I was planning to stop ;-) Good luck!"

h_carlin replied: "start decreasing the intake of the soda at first..and day by day it will get easier...I used to drink coke and hot tea all the time...I started in the morning with decaf tea and found I had headaches but they were bearable...and then at lunch I would have a coke...and around 3 I would have decaf tea and then dinner a coke...and I did this for 3 days and I was fine!!! I hear some people really have a hard time cutting the caffeine out of their system...try caffeine free diet coke..that will help you as well. Good luck.."

epic_laydown replied: "either eliminate it cold turkey or start drinking the caffeine free diet stuff. if you go cold turkey, you must drink nothing but water. Think of diet coke as a poison. Do you really want to be addicted to the stuff?"

Do you have to wean off caffeine at the end of pregnancy? Just wondering

amanda replied: "nope, but you should be watching your intake from day one."

twinmommie2008 replied: "You should be limiting your caffeine from the get-go"

Emma due 11/30/08 replied: "At the end? You should have weaned yourself pretty much off by now. I mean an occasional is fine says most Dr.s. Did you word this right?"

Hannahsmom2 replied: "You are not suppose to have caffeine when you are pregnant. If you have had it this long why stop now when you are about to have the baby. Ok so you should stop."

19 weeks- due march 14th #1 replied: "At the begining it should be drank in moderation. After your done and stuff it okay! My goal is when I'm done breast feeding a 2 litter of Mt. Dew! yummy"

mom21 replied: "caffeine should be limited during pregnancy, and during breastfeeding as well because it causes problems for the baby. Small amounts won't hurt the baby but the less you have the better."

Snowwolf replied: "I don't know about the weaning yourself off of caffeine at the end of a pregnancy, since you're not allowed a lot of caffeine when you're pregnant to begin with (you're allowed roughly 3 cups of coffee a day). Some women may go through caffeine withdrawal at the beginning of their pregnancy if they drank a lot of coffee before they were pregnant and would then have to wean themselves off."

`kiaralovesherbabies replied: "You should Wean from day one. Caffeine in moderation is O.K"

Expecting No. 1 Due April 29 09 replied: "you shouldnt take it in th first place"

baristaofdoom replied: "you can have caffeine while your pregnant in limited amounts. While caffeine has been linked to miscarriage when used in excess the first trimester, most doctors advise their patients can safely drink one 8 ounce cup of coffee a day. Though if you can avoid it all together that would be best. I worked as a barista for so long, I had a really hard time not drinking coffee. The first pregnancy I had, I didn't know any better and kept drinking my mocha's and my lattes all through my pregnancy. My daughter came out fine. With this pregnancy, I've been careful to only drink decaf or just have one cup of coffee a day."

jackmatt replied: "I would limit it to one serving a day while pregnant & breastfeeding, so that it doesn't affect baby's sleeping patterns. It is more important to limit caffeine during the first trimester to prevent miscarriage OB/GYN RN"

Baby #1 due Valentines Day!!! replied: "You should not be drinking anything with caff in it at all from the day you find you are preg. I stopped as soon as I found out. Cold turkey. it gave me horrible headaches, but it was well worth it, now i only drink water, and juice very seldom. The baby deserves at least 9 months free of caff."

How can I wean myself off caffeine (coffee/tea) that irritates my GERD? If I don't drink it, I get headaches! I was diagnosed with GERD in February and my doctor wrote me a prescription for a daily pill that blocks acid. I find that even still, if I have a lot of caffeine I have to take an additional Zantac to get rid of the heartburn and indigestion. (My doctor said that would be fine to do.) So I've noticed that when I drink coffee and iced tea, I get terrible heartburn still and it's bad enough that I'll occasionally freak myself out and think I'm having a heart attack. Of course, after two false trips to the hospital, I've come to learn that it's all related to the heartburn. How can I wean myself off of caffeine so I can avoid these symptoms. I tried to cut it out completely last week and wound up with headaches every day. Help please!

65% water replied: "You might have headaches every day for a while, but you might have to weigh the cost to your health of the headaches (which will go away) vs. the other symptoms."

atlmouse replied: "Gradually reduce the number of coffees and iced teas you are consuming each day. Don't expect to do it all at once. The headaches will eventually go away. Be sure and drink lots of water as you try to go off the caffeine. That will help tremendously with the headaches."

don't no replied: "ur having withdrawal symptoms especially if u drank it like crazy for yrs non stop ...as in everyday, 2 times a day at least. U should ween urself off of it like go to a cup (from the house not a mug!) then gradualy go to half a cup and keep going smaller until u eventually don't get as much caffine and until u just don't need it. ASk ur doctor if caffine candies cause the same symptoms , if u find the coffee to be to much right now. U could quit cold turkey but u have to get rid of all coffee things and just deal with the headaches...evetually they will go away and u won't even care for coffee!!!"

TaDa replied: "Cut down on the number of cups you have a day gradually till you're down to one. Then, keep cutting down gradually. Make your coffee by mixing caffeinated and decaffeniated: first 75%/25%, then 50/50, then 25/75, then all defcaffeniated. Otherwise, yes, there's withdrawal symptoms: headaches and also fatigue. Good luck."

How to quit caffeine and smoking when you get pregnant, SAFELY??? I would like to know what are safe ways to quit smoking and caffeine drinking once you know you are pregnant. Are any of the gums or lozenges safe? Can you slowly wean yourself off caffeine? I don't want to hurt the baby, but I don't want to put my body through the stress of going from 1.5 packs of cigs a day and 6-9 mountain dews down to none, I think that will stress the baby out too.

Vada83 replied: "cut down as much as possible, you can limit your caffiene intake and not completly get rid of it. Talk to your doctor about it and see what they suggest"

30 weeks with baby #1(Noah) replied: "You can actually have caffeine during pregnancy, in MODERATION. Having one can of Mountain Dew a day isn't going to hurt you. As far as smoking goes I would talk about this with your doctor. They know your body and will have some good ideas how you can slowly cut back without causing you so much stress. It's good to see you're thinking about your baby, you can tell you will already be a good mommy. Best of luck to you."

adever23 replied: "um...I won't take any pills or anything or less you atlk to your doctor first but as far as quiting I wouldn't do it cold turkey cause it will cause stress I would wean off of then....but talk to your doctor"

Michelle M replied: "300mg of caffine per day is thought to be safe. Thats about 2-3 cups. As for smoking, wean yourself off as best you can. I think you have the right idea about not shocking your body, but quit asap."

baby on board Feb 19 08 replied: "i used to be a heavy smoker, but as soon as i found out i was pregnant i stopped! Just the thought of hurting my baby was enough for me to stop. Yea it was hard at first, but i got through it. I would suck on lollipops every time i got the urge."

mom2be#3 replied: "Sorry I don't know,but I would like to know also.. I have a real bad caffiene addiction.My husband tried to get me use to drinking tea.worked for a little while then I started craving pepsi again.Wish I could get off it too.."

Live Laugh Love replied: "well um if you want the baby to live i think that would be enough initiative to STOP!!! just think, my baby needs to LIVE!! ha ha im serious if you want a healthy happy baby...take it upon yourself to save a LIFE and just quit./"

18 more days til due date! replied: "For the caffeine I completely quit alltogether as for the smoking I cut back A LOT but didn't quit all together the OB said it was probably best for baby since I was so far along. They would rather me not stress since it would get the baby stressed. I'm not telling you not to quit but just cut back slowly until you don't need any at all. Good luck it's a hard habit to break."

jef2086 replied: "Nicorette gum for the nicotine, and try slowly reducing your caffeine intake day by day. Maybe every 2 days reduce the mountain dews you drink by 2-3/as many as possible, it's gonna take self-discipline and willpower"

Betty replied: "If you're a devoted coffee or cola fan, caffeine withdrawal isn't easy. To minimise symptoms, which include headaches, fatigue, and lethargy, ease off gradually. Cut back by half a cup of the beverage each day. You can also try switching from freshly brewed to instant coffee. If coffee fills an emotional need, such as your private coffee break, or it's an early morning ritual or the perfect end to a meal, you could switch to a cup of decaffeinated coffee or tea. If you're hankering for an ice-cold cola, reach for the caffeine-free version at least some of the time or, better yet, try a glass of mineral water with a dash of lime cordial. You are allowed up to 300mg caffeine in a day (recommended limit)... Mountain Dew has 55mg. Check out these other drinks: As far as smoking goes, that one is tough! I luckily only had the urge to smoke while drinking - and well, I definitely gave up drinking the moment I found out I was pregnant! The thought of smoking made me sick...it's cool now because I am 33 weeks and haven't smoked in 30 weeks! Each time I would be tempted to light one up, or actually light one up, I'd take at most a drag and think about what it was doing to my baby... it would make me sick and I'd throw it out, now I have no urges!"

mommy2b24 replied: "Talk to you doctor, there are safe and effective ways to quit smoking while pregnant, but it'll probably be a prescription. Just commit to it and stick with it. As far as the caffeine goes, as others have said you just have to cut back, I, too, drank a lot of caffeine before, but now that I know I don't drink much. I have found that Diet Rite sodas help me out a lot...they come in different flavors and they are all caffeine free and made with Splenda. Best of luck to you!"

Jamie K replied: "they did a documentary on the news that caffine is in fact the leading cause of misscarage. I quit smoking the day I found out with both of my pregnancies.. I substituted with tootsie rolls and hard candy. the caffiene is REALLY hard for me to give up. I try and try to aquire with the taste of water. but thats the choice your going to have to make for the saftey of your baby"

niki k replied: "i drank sodas it ok to have caffeine but you need to drink lots of water and juice though and as far as smoking you should quit before you decide to get pregnant because if you stop while your pregnant you could cause stress on the baby which will cause problems if your smoking while your pregnant cut back as much as you can you need to goal yourself for less than a pack a day and drink about 3 cans of soda a day hope i could help good luck"

Link between caffeine and depression? Alternatives to caffeine for staying alert? My job requires that I be very focused and analytical at key times, often not of my choosing. I often use caffeine to get myself in the frame of mind to do my job. At various times, I've weaned myself off caffeine, but I it always seems like I "must" rely on it during hectic and crisis times. The problem is that I often crash physically, psychologically and emotionally really hard afterwards, both after I get home from work and especially after the crunch time is over. Like I said, my job is such I often can't choose when I need to be alert and sharp, so general routines of exercise, plenty of sleep, etc, don't seem like they are enough come crunch time, because they are often the aspects that get compromised. Any recommendations for breaking the cycle? Any recommended readings, practices, etc.?

cherylacbus1 replied: "Bingo. smart question. invest in Multi-source green powder supplement, take 1 tablespoon in AM, one in early afternoon, and 1 in late afternoon if you have to stay late. but do see some sunshine."

sandy h replied: "sir 4 what this is worth my dad was a trucker 4 yrssssssss and he swore that chewing gum helped him to stay awake and alert !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

flowerspirit2000 replied: "NOT READINGS NOR PRACTICES...OTHER THAN OUT LOUD STATEMENTS THAT ARE POSITIVE ABOUT YOURSELF...EVENTUALLY YOU WILL BE CONVINCED OF THEM..... GET QUEEN BEE ROYAL JELLY ITS NATURAL 1000MGS ARE BEST THE JELLY AND THE PRODUCTS ARE A GREAT BOOST....THIS STUFF WORKS....GOOD LUCK"

jane l replied: "I don't think a bit of caffeine is bad for you. Coffee is actually very good for you. WHat you need to do is not drink so much of it. YOu need to do it a lot less, that way after a while it takes less to get you buzzing again, it's just like any other drug in that way. Coffee is very useful for when you need it, you just have to do it correctly."

yahanswersmom replied: "Well there is a vitamen supplement called Focus Factor, I recommend it also I'm like the B complex preacher of Yahoo today, but seriously it really is so effective I've been turning people on to it for years, The Stress complex is great., it is B and C... You know Ginsing is also an awesome thing if you get the high quality kind. My brother is so totally into tea he is like a connoseur of tea now and I must say it has a lot of antioxidant healthy pluses , He likes the green teas and the white teas with jasmine. And I have enjoyed these with him. Happy experimenting! Oh the Caffeine and depression question...well, I would be far more concerned about junk food and the lack of many essential vitamins and minerals in our genetically altered foods...A B vitamin deficiency can make a person very run down , Hope you have visited your doctor for a check up and don't just self diagnose or worse yet depend on Yahoo for your health's sake... you are worth it have a check -up and get plenty of sleep,fresh air and exercise and a balanced diet if you take a supplement take it in the AM because they can keep you awake.:)"

etxyellowrose replied: "I really do not believe that it is the coffee/caffeine that is making you crash. From the sounds of it, it probably doesn't have a thing to do with it. The reason YOU are crashing and feeling alittle depressed is from STRESS mainly, and then add in the lack of sleep, the lack of exercise. I think that if I were you that I would be taking vitamins and drinking those power drinks. But I really seriously think caffeine is NOT your culprit."

if you want to wean yourself off tea and coffee [stained teeth;caffeine;acidty etc etc] what are the best opt? options? dont say any of the following...ive dismissed them already packets of chemical sawdust sold as "herb tea" horlicks ovaltine barleycup

sammy replied: "I tried green tea was yuk till my friend put a sweetner in taste lots better"

dzedbrntte replied: "Come now, go for the Monster energy drinks, Red Bull, any of the following the give you that caffine high :)"

fizzy stuff replied: "Honestly, water. It might be hard at first, but you will soon develop a taste for water. And, its healthy. Other drinks with sugar or dark colors arent any better for your teeth than coffee and tea. Add sliced lemons in your water. Add fresh herbs to your water. Put some whole peppercorns, cinnamon, etc. into your hot water for a nice aromatic."

steelhwyman replied: "I wouldn't recommend quitting cold turkey. I used "light Coffee" for a while then I stopped drinking more than 1 cup in the morning, but I would have 1 at lunch to get rid of my headache. Then I stopped the one at lunch, and went to decaf in the morning, I would also eat an apple.( Apples are a GREAT substitute) After a while I just ate the apple. Try IT!!. Oh and brush your teeth with baking soda and rinse thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide. It does wonders for stained teeth. GOOD LUCK!!"

lingaloo replied: "I often have decaff cappucino that you make yourself from a box. Alternatively, you can try Twinnings Lemon and Ginger which is very good for digestion. It will clean out your insides. I also have Lemongrass and Eucalyptus which is a new blend.. for a bit of a punch. Wonderful with fruit. You can always have decaff tea."

george.anthony58 replied: "try water"

zakiit replied: "I wish I knew. I tried going cold turkey and was a quivering wreck! My grandmother had to send me her supply from within Germany and then my mother sent me 200 more tea bags from UK. I do not know, try cutting down one cup per day for a week, then two for a week ........ until you have only one or two during the whole day. Expect a few headaches on the way, but it will be worth it! Good luck."

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