Addicted to Caffeine....Help!

[Jaktau]

I thought I'd try a 30 day trial of getting rid of caffeine. I usually drink a diet coke or diet Dr. Pepper in the morning and occasionally one later in the day. Here I am not 2 hours into the 30 day experiment and I am jonesen for a fizzy drink. I was hoping someone might lend me a story of themselves quitting caffeine and the changes to help me stay motivated.

[Steve Pavlina]

I think it helps to switch to a caffeine-free substitute with similar properties. That worked well for me when I dropped coffee for herbal tea and Teeccino (caffeine-free grain coffee).

The first few days are the hardest.

[Matthew Shea]

Keep your favorite headache medicine handy, Jaktau. Don't be afraid to take it at the first sign of pain. It'll only last a few days, though, especially since your caffeine intake isn't that excessive.

Steve's suggestion is good, too. Diet 7-Up or Sprite would be a good substitute for the short term. Longer term, you'll probably want to drop those, too, but taking smaller steps and letting yourself get used to the changes will give you a better chance of long-term success.

[Peter S C]

I replaced my afternoon coffee (I'm not giving up the one first thing in the morning!) with green tea. I guess thats still caffeine... it might be a good first step for you though.

Also, chewing gum is something that might work to distract you from your cravings.

[Minsc]

You could replace normal teas with herb teas to reduce caffeine consumption more. (and fluoride too if you don't like it) My favorite is red tea, which tastes sort of spicy; hard for me to describe. At first I thought red wouldn't be as good as the real teas since it's not made from the tea plant but it's as good as any other tea...

(My favorite overall tea is a white blend but it has caffeine/fluoride and is pretty picky about how you brew it. It's less processed than black or green teas and has more antioxidants than both(if you want those). Red is on par with white in terms of antioxidants.)

If you want to reduce the ammount of sugar in your tea, you could try adding a little bit of sugar and some stevia to it. Stevia alone doesn't seem to do a good job but works well along with sugar.

I've never really had a problem with dietary changes so I can't comment about making it easier, but herbal teas like red have no caffeine.

[scottyp]

carbonated water mixed with a bit of cranberry juice is a good soda substitute, if you want something sweet and fizzy

[Kristoffer]

Originally Posted by Jaktau

I thought I'd try a 30 day trial of getting rid of caffeine. I usually drink a diet coke or diet Dr. Pepper in the morning and occasionally one later in the day.

Do you drink coffee at all or just soda?

Are you sure it is caffeine that is your problem? (Diet) sodas contain aspartame and other chemicals that (allegedly) is not good for you.

Crazy idea:

Try switching to coffee first just to get rid of the chemical package in the soda, then if you still are not happy quit the coffee too.

[Ilya]

Jaktau,
I'm not sure that you have a huge problem with caffeine. Soda is bad, but it is not espressos. Did you try dropping it before? If so why did you fail? What was the problem?
If you've never tried to drop, you can go cold turkey. Just start drinking water.
I have a suspicion that you'll suffer from the lack of the usual dose of sugar, rather then from caffeine abstinence. If so, eat fruits. Have apples, bananas or any other fruits at hand. And do eat them when you want. The five or six times a day meals can also help to have a constant level of glucose throughout the day.
Hope this helps.

[dktang]

Caffeine control is definitely not a problem for me. I avoid it because I notice a severe energy drop after it wears out and I suffer from anxiety.

But when it is in my system and I am not in a position where I become anxious, the positive effects are great. I feel that I am much more conscious and focused (no brainer). I am wonder if there is any other way to get these effects without the use. I have plan on incorporating meditation and writing out my thoughts, but of course, getting started is a problem to begin with.

[dennis08]

Well. I love coffee but I never became addicted. You could try and drink something sweet like juice in the morning. It will get you going just as well as coffee.

[Jaktau]

OK it has been seven days and I have successfully stayed off the caffeine. I have substituted water. Sometimes later in the afternoon I start to get a little lethargic and want some caffeine though, but I've stayed away. I really think the caffeine craving is a symptom of a need in a boost in energy, but the root cause may be lack of sleep or my allergies. The days where I want the caffeine the most is on days after staying up too late (duh). So I am now going to try to start getting to bed earlier to see if that helps. I also have mild allergies (I don't take any medication) and do get clogged up somewhat during the night and am wondering if that may be part of the problem with being lethargic.

Thanks for all the advice!

[opinestle]

Hi

I agree that herbal tea is the way to go.I like the Kombucha(spelling?) tea..it 's not strictly herbal,but it has lots of herbal goodies in it,with the base being green tea.You can also get the decaffinated version,but IMO it doesn't taste as good.

[stephencp]

I'm with Steve P o this one. Teeccino is great!

Stephen

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