Has anyone successfully given up caffeine?

i am seriously considering giving up caffeine. i currently have one large shop bought coffee a day (sometimes, but not often two). i think it is really contributing to causing me unnecessary anxiety and worry. i only really started drinking coffee in the last few years, and for me, this is when all the worry has increased significantly.
i admit that my daily coffee was my saving grace when my kids were constantly waking overnight, but now that they generally sleep through i just can't see a reason for it- other than that i like it and i am addicted lol.
so....has anyone successfully given it up? how did you do it? why did you do it? did you see improvements in your life?
tia

I did give up coffee whilst working my last job, as i was learning how to take blood using needles and coffee was the reason i was so shakey. It really hypes me up. Once I quit i took it up again but i have to say it wasnt as hard as i thought it would be, and the shaking dissapeared instantly.

i've tried sooooo many times

This time I've had moderate success - I switched to perculated coffee, and then slowly increased the proportion of decaf I mixed in with the normal coffee, until now its only 1/4 strength.

Best of luck with it. I find it is also a social thing, so I don't think I could ever get rid of all coffee from my diet.

it's really social for me too maruschke, so i will definitely struggle.
I'm just sick of feeling anxious all the time.

Well how do you feel about drinking decaf? I am slowly getting used to it. Weirdly enough, I am still addicted to the pleasure and habit of having a morning coffee out every morning. It's like, even if I don't need the "hit", I still love the me time, the treat, the hot drink. make sense? Coffee is far more than the hit, a bit like smoking is far more than the nicotine, which is why it's hard to give up.

Yep! I swapped it with a morning green smoothie with raw cacao so the added iron, vit B from spirulina etc helped kick the cravings, also started the day with 1litre of water which helped. I did it cause caffeine is acidic.


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Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

i like the idea of de-caff.....

has anyone else tried this? or does it taste yuck?

I love the decaff and switch straight from caff to decaff. A few withdrawal symptoms, but give it 2 weeks and I'm fine. This was when I had a severe caffeine addiction when I was about 20-21. I even cut out chocolate. And fresh orange juice - that's very caffeinated.

Now chocolate is the only caffeine I have. Not giving that up!

What about tea? I drink a bit. Is there enough caffeine in it to worry?

Yep, I've successfully ditched it. And sugar (... and any sweet tastes). No obvious withdrawals, although just the smell of a decent coffee makes me weak at the knees.
Damn ... the things I'll do in an attempt to conceive again!!!

Must say though, I've grown very fond of peppermint tea!

ETA: I just went cold turkey ... to kick the caffeine, I had no other choice.

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And fresh orange juice - that's very caffeinated.

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Store brought yeah? Not as in freshly juiced oranges?!?!




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Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

Currently attempting this. Bubs is reeeeally hard to settle, wakes frequently and has a very windy tummy. Trying to cut out caffeine to address (the cause of) sleep deprivation seems like the world's cruelest joke. I'm running on 3ish hours' sleep and getting up to a very volatile 2 yr old... FFS I NEED coffee!!!

I really like the decaf we have -tastes just the same to me, and was enjoying that as some compensation... Until Pinky and my GP both suggested I need to try cutting out dairy too. Bugger.

GL Hun. It's hard to break the habit with just 'depriving' yourself. See if you can replace the coffee with something that makes you feel good so you still get a positive ... kWIM? Sorry. No sleep makes brain mushy and expression garbled!

Ooh yeah peppermint tea is good. I have thought about giving up my coffee - I have two a day. But I don't really have bad effects from it and it helps me get past morning and afternoon teat without bad snacks.

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And fresh orange juice - that's very caffeinated.

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Seriously?

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Store brought yeah? Not as in freshly juiced oranges?!?!

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And yeah that? ^^

Yes I love peppermint tea, cause you can still be sociable that way!!! I NEVER have decaf! It is worse for you unless it's oxygenated or water decaffeinated. But seriously the green smoothies work, I don't get an afternoon slump and I'm pregnant!


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Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

i gave up caffeine for 5 years and i have just recently started to drink it again
i started drinking decaf coffee to start with and caffeine free cola and then got rid of the coffee after a while as i wasnt interested in drinking it anymore

make sure you get a good tasting decaf that the caffeine is taken out through water filtration. Nut Shack used to have a good decaf
it can be done and as long as i had a hot drink alternative on hand with me- it was easy to do
its more habitual than addictive but dont go cold turkey or you will get head aches etc from withdrawls!

Thanks for the support everyone.
Santosha- what decaf do you have?

I have the water decaf'ed stuff and it's great. It's organic too.

I don't drink coffee, but switched to decaf tea when ttc/pg with DS. I know decaf isn't good, but I'm not a heavy drinker ;) Apparently you can decaf regular tea just by tossing the first infusion after about 30 seconds. Apparently the caffeine is released in the first 30 seconds, so if you make a second cup with the same tea, it will have virtually no caffeine in it. Don't know how true this is??

I always have a hot chocolate when out socially. The plus to this is you get marshmallows! ;)

Might add that I don't count caffeine that's in chocolate LOL :D and I do have the odd cup of 'real' tea to keep me going some days!

Google caffeine levels and you'll find charts comparing different teas and coffees and how much caffeine is in them.

ETA: oh, and to answer your question.. I found I have better quality sleep when not drinking caffeine. I never had a problem with actual sleep, just I feel the quality of my sleep improved.

I ditched caffeine when TTC and now through pregnancy. I LOVE my coffee but like Maruschke, really enjoy the social aspect of it as well as that "first thing in the morning" coffee. I buy decaf coffee beans for home and order a decaf if I'm out. I'm lucky in that I live near a coffee bean factory (not sure what they're called!) so I can get really good quality, freshly roasted beans and TBH I don't really taste too much difference in the decaf. The biggest adjustment was the withdrawal headache that I got for the first few days. I still get days where I would love a real coffee but generally I do think I feel better off the caffeine.

Not fresh home-made orange juice, but in some store-bought ones. Often hidden as an E-number. Which is why I also only have freshly squeezed orange when out and about, and when I can see the juice being made. There are some rocking bars that have juicers near me.

WOW! I never would of guessed!!! I stay clear of anything pre made anyway, I make everything from scratch except a select few of organic things... E numbers are scary!!!!


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Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

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WOW! I never would of guessed!!! I stay clear of anything pre made anyway, I make everything from scratch except a select few of organic things... E numbers are scary!!!!

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They aren't scary when you know what they are - some are useful, some are beneficial (all vitamins and minerals have their own identifying E-number, for example). But as a blanket rule, staying clear of them is better than embracing them IMO.

I drink decaf while pregnant and can't tell the difference! Decaf certainly has come along way but I'm also not really dependent on the caffeine IYKWIM, it's more about the flavour and habit (ie coffee after breaky) for me. Oh, and as a social thing ;)

Yes I don't have caffeine or sugar. I cut both cold turkey due to severe thrush (breast and nipple thrush) so for me drinking caffeine was directly associated with pain, so it was easy. I drink a truckload of peppermint tea and have had the odd decaf. What I reaalllly miss is tea....mmmmm....hot black tea....

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I really like the decaf we have -tastes just the same to me, and was enjoying that as some compensation... Until Pinky and my GP both suggested I need to try cutting out dairy too. Bugger.

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Soy Decaf latte anyone? Surprising after a few the taste grows on you, well it did for me after I was having the same issues with Wind for both DD's. I was told now caffeine and no dairy so tried the SDL and that is what I still drink.

You know i tried for a very short time; massive fail. (said sipping on my second latte this morning) But when i go out now i have the first as a regular coffee and then decaf after that. Most decent coffee places have water filtered decaf i have found i can taste the difference, but it's ok, and sorts out the 'social coffee' problem for me.
Decaf instant on the other hand, i haven't found a good one. So maybe get decaf ground coffee and a plunger and try that at home?
The other thing i do here now is have a rooibos tea in the arvo, caffeine free, i have a vanilla one and i quite like it. Are you fan of exotic teas? Maybe visit teatoo and get something yum that appeals?

I've gave it up when pregnant and never touched it again. As for changes, not sure as I feel the same!lol


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I staryed drinking it when i was 15 and would have 3-4 strong black cups a day, plus i would eat coffee beans for lunch. as i grew up and became an adult at my worse i was drinking 20 cups of coffee a day and 2-3 energy drinks.
Im proud to say in the last few years whilst ttc i cut it back to 1 energy drink a day and 2 cups of coffee.
In the last 6months ive replaced it with tea so i was having 3-4 cups of tea, 1 energy drink a day.
Now since being preg im down to 3 energy drinks a week, and 2cups of tea a day and maybe a store brought coffee a week.
For me this is quitting =p

It took me years and years to wean myself down. at first i noticed i slept worse that when i was drinking it. i get headaches sometimes but nothing drinking water wont fix.

sent via my vortex manipulator

Ginger:

Decaf Instant - Republica. It's fair trade but not water filtered. Tastes ok and pretty close to the real (instant) thing.

Decaf grounds - Global Cafe Direct. Fair trade and water filtered. You can get it from Coles or Safeway. I can't taste the difference between this and their caffeinated coffee and think it's YUM.

To continue with the only mildly-related 'woe is me' vent... I just read that the protein in soy milk is similar to that of the cow's milk protein that upsets bub's tummy and I should avoid soy too. I'm not keen on rice milk or goat's, and don't like black coffee. **Insert whiny voice here** I WANT a big, strong LATTEEEEEEEEEE.

geeeez. not going well.
i just had a large cappuccino :(

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To continue with the only mildly-related 'woe is me' vent... I just read that the protein in soy milk is similar to that of the cow's milk protein that upsets bub's tummy and I should avoid soy too. I'm not keen on rice milk or goat's, and don't like black coffee. **Insert whiny voice here** I WANT a big, strong LATTEEEEEEEEEE.

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have you tried making fresh almond milk? It is really yummy, light flavour


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Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

Heh, coffee au lait to me smells like baby sick. Have to have black coffee, and decaff at that. Solves all my woes. Or decaff Earl Grey tea. Yumsters!

I like Kenco decaff instant and often take granules with me in my handbag. Solves all social woes when you are out visiting!