Re: caffeine, was Re: lifestyle changes ??

[Guest guest]

Sol,

How did you wean off the caffeine? Every time I try I get the horrendeous

withdrawal headaches and just can't seem to function. That is all I seem to be

doing any more is just function. Thanks for your story - I am hoping it will

help me some.

Christi Randall

www.singingwomenoftexas.com

snip >I may have posted this before, but I had a very hard time weaning off

caffeine. Took me about 2 months or more. (I had tried to quit caffeine

umpteen times before and always failed.) <snip

[Guest guest]

Christi,

Have you tried going to 1/8 decaf and 7/8 regular to start?

I weaned VERY slowly, and if I got a withdrawal headache I would drink

just enough full caff coffee to stop the headache.

I can't remember exactly how much I decreased at first, but I remember

adding back enough to stop the headache, then going with that amount for

a few days, then trying another small decrease. My withdrawal headaches

were also extreme, so I couldn't reduce very fast. That is why I could

never get off the caffeine before, I tried to go too fast, and tried to

tough out the headaches, and I just couldn't. It was very much a one

step forward, two steps back process for me.

I was really a very heavy consumer of caffeine. At least two large mugs

of strong coffee (14 to 16 oz each) every morning followed by a couple

pots of tea throughout the day. I actually got up nearly every morning

with a raging caffeine withdrawal headache, which is one reason I brewed

a couple pots of coffee at a time and stored it in glass jars in the

fridge. Then I could get my morning fix without waiting for it to brew

(I hate instant).

If you are talking soda pop caffeine, you can mix decaf pop with

regular. Or use caffeine pills to substitute for the amount of caffeine

you normally drink at one time, then very slowly wean down.

HTH,

sol

Christi Randall wrote:

> How did you wean off the caffeine? Every time I try I get the horrendeous

withdrawal headaches and just can't seem to function. That is all I seem to be

doing any more is just function. Thanks for your story - I am hoping it will

help me some.

>

[Guest guest]

mwm1glm wrote:

> plain soda water. Might be helpful to try to switch or wean with those.

>

> Linn

>

>

I woke up thinking to write the the same thing--switch to a calorie free

carbonated water, and use caffeine pills for the weaning off the caff.

My husband who drinks diet pepsi, has eliminated his morning pepsi by

switching to an equal amount of a caffeine in a pill. He doesn't want to

try eliminating caffeine until he retires. But I'd sure like him to

reduce his intake of aspartame, etc.

sol