Quitting Caffeine

In July, I woke up after a night of caffeine and video games and started getting the kids ready for a birthday party we were going to 2 hours away. I stayed up till like 1am playing games on my computer, normal for me especially on the weekend. I had my normal cup of morning coffee which was 12 ounces loaded with creamer. As we left our town, my wife suggested we get some Starbucks to which I happily agreed of course, so I got a green tea Frappuccino. Soon thereafter, as my wife was driving and I was in the passenger's seat, I started feeling a pain in my chest on the left side and I started to freak out. I know what you are thinking; heart attack. But no, this had happened to me before, a year ago actually, and after tons of tests and doctor visits they said my heart was fine and that I had just pulled a muscle between my ribs by sitting at a computer with bad posture. So when it happened again, I knew it wasn't a heart attack...but I was so anxious and scared I couldn't stop thinking I was dying. It even got so bad I was googling the distance to the nearest hospital. My wife talked me down since we had been through this a year before and I admitted I hadn't learned my lesson then about bad habits and not paying attention to my posture and had done it again that whole week. so I sucked it up and just tried to stay distracted from it at the party.

Through a restless night of pain, I resolved to do better. I would take pains to exercise more, moderate my sitting/walking/standing time and watch my posture, and I would quit caffeine and would get plenty of sleep.

Many things happened to my body as a result of this injury. I sat differently to avoid using those chest muscles, and ended up getting pain in my groin from sitting on the edge of my seat. I also hurt my back, because I was forcing myself to sit super straight in a way my body wasn't use to. Additionally, as I cut back on caffeine, I was getting tingling in my brain, a stuffed up nose, my throat hurt from drainage and flu-like symptoms from the withdrawal, and in addition to ALL of that, I was sure I was dying of cancer because guess what else is a side effect of caffeine withdrawal? Anxiety. I am wholly unequipped to deal with anxiety like this. I have never really been anxious at all about stuff, so this certainty that "something was wrong" just had me rushing to urgent care and doctor's offices, racking up bills and driving my wife insane.

As each test came back that I was medically fine and showed no signs of any cancer, (I have a small cist on my left testicle, but nothing to worry about I'm told) my anxiety eased a bit. I could now tell myself that I am fine, that the doctors have checked and I am fine, its just the caffeine withdrawal I tell myself.

I am still having these symptoms, though they seem to be fading. My groin has recovered and no longer feels like I have spent hours on a bike. My chest is still not 100%, and occasionally I will get pain when I move a certain way. My throat was hurting in weird ways up until yesterday, it feels mostly normal now I guess...

I have been making sure I get 10000 steps a day. I've started losing weight. But the anxiety still comes. Sometimes so powerful that I have to get up and walk around and tell myself over and over that everything is fine. Things that never bothered me before, now fill me with a weird dread...but not always. I thought a lot about me dying and leaving my kids fatherless, and that has still stuck with me. Violent games can sometimes bring these feelings back lately. Dragon Quest 11 is nice because it is so cartoony and non-offensive I don't get upset by it.

Sometimes I wonder if it is even worth it to quit caffeine outright. I haven't had any since August 20th. I worry that if I have anymore ever, I will get the same withdrawals all over again as bad as when they were at their worst, and that is terrifying.

I have a new appreciation of what people with anxiety (which I might be one now I guess) have to go through, and why it is so hard for people to quit addictions. I hope one day I can feel normal again...

Be careful with caffeine, it is kind of a nightmare.

I'm not at all medically qualified and I've never been to see a dietitian, but it might be positive and it's not on your list. We all have different metabolisms (e.g. the ability to deal with sugar) plus age is a factor, you might just find caffeine is an easy thing to hook it on. I cut my caffeine down to one medium cup at 09:00 in the morning and then decaff for the rest of the day FWIW, just for the psychological knowledge that it wouldn't be a factor when going to bed.

I happen to live in the country that's #1 in the world in coffee consumption. However I don't use coffee or energy drinks regularly.

The way I see it it's just like any other drug. Wonderful at first, but once you get addicted you're only satisfying withdrawals. The way I feel when I wake up in the morning is the same as someone with a coffee addiction feels once they've gotten their daily dose. I'm not comparing caffeine to heroin, but the same principle applies. Long term junkies don't get high anymore, they're using to "feel normal".

Coincidentally my friend is trying to kick the habit as we speak, and he's feeling the effects every day. As an on and off nicotine user myself I can relate to his experience. Good news is once you go cold turkey and stick to it long enough you'll be freed of the roller coaster of withdrawals and satisfying said withdrawals and your life will go on with one less dependency to fill. After you reach that point you should be able to enjoy a tasty coffee beverage again without it sparking up an addiction.

I definitely get what you mean by anxiety, if it is due to the withdrawals it will ease with time.

As to the overwhelming emotions you're experiencing, I'm in excellent physical condition myself and I still feel a sense of dread daily. That's just life. Not sure if that's a motivating thing to say, but I don't think it's the caffeine withdrawals talking. You're simply getting older.

I opened a new tab and it said "not a post" and then I refreshed the page and it let me type this. This is after I also spent a solid ten minutes typing out a long post.

Summary of what I wrote - I stopped drinking caffeine last year, it took me a month or so to stop thinking about it, my withdrawal symptoms consisted of a headache and that's it, and afterwards I stopped caring about caffeine altogether. However, my brain never stopped thinking about sugar and I would have to actively force myself to go for something without sugar (fruits and vegetables) and even then my brain would scream "No! Sugar! There! Get!". Have you tried cutting down/cutting out sugar? And have you seen another doctor about these issues? Side note: I started drinking coffee again, one cup (black) in the morning, and haven't experienced any problems. Caffeine seems good for me in moderation, sugar seems terrible for me except in tiny doses.

@justin258: I told my doctor about the anxiety and me thinking it was from caffeine withdrawal and he said it was likely a combination of that plus having that injury. He prescribed me some hydroxyzine for the anxiety that I take at night for bed but I hate the idea of supplementing caffeine with another drug. I'm hoping it is just temporary.

You don't have to take every drug you get a prescription for. Often times it's simply the easiest way to avoid responsibility as the doctor can easily point toward a resource which recommended said drug. In the end he is an MD and I'm just an anime avatar on a video game forum, but my advice would be not to take it. Just "man up" and suffer though it. It'll build character ;)

I think sugar is the big issue here, well at least for me. I don't know about you, but for me, it's the sugar in drinks when it comes to mocha. I don't think it's so much the caffeine that makes me want more and more. I've had (although not too often) the minor pains in the chest, but I didn't really think it was my heart (I mean, I did, but ended up not assuming it was [it worried me enough that I felt I had to get up and work out a bit]). To be honest... Sometimes I just have to poop, ha ha. No joke. I've never drunk coffee drinks because of the caffeine; it's always been about the taste. If I wanted to stay up, I would totally ween off of caffeine. I've also drunk enough to where caffeine doesn't really have that much effect on my energy levels, or from what I can tell. I've recently been thinking about cutting down on my consumption of it, but it's hard. I don't mean cutting down on it in the sense of how much I consume in one day, just as an overall thing.

I generally have some kind of coffee drink once a day, be it from a place like Starbucks, or one of those energy drink Java Monsters (not a big fan of brewing it/making it in the Keurig). In fact, I am currently drinking a mocha that I got from Target yesterday. It's one I've never had: archer farms cold brew mocha. I'm not liking it much. I think the most when I'm about to go to sleep or waking up and laying down, and one thing I often think about is cutting down on the unhealthy foods I eat, and coffee drinks are one of those things. Not only is it unhealthy, but I also feel like I'm ultimately just wasting my money.

Maybe make an appointment with a psychologist that your MD recommends for some advice on dealing with the anxiety? Just some exercises or something to do when you're having issues. Also, quitting cold turkey and having so much trouble might mean you need to wean yourself off it gradually? I am also not a doctor, but if your withdrawal is having that much of a disruptive effect, maybe lessening it with a diet soda (something like Diet Coke/Pepsi) which has some caffeine in it, but not nearly as much can lessen the effects somewhat and let you have a gentler curve downward? Obviously, talk to your doctor before you do anything. Good luck duder!

@charongreed: this is good advice I think. I didn't quit all at once. I went down to just one cup in the morning for two weeks before going to zero, but I had been drinking coffee for YEARS, and at my worst I was having like 12 ounces of coffee 3 times a day and then also sometimes soda at night if I wanted to game late. So I think I still came down too quick, but now I feel like I have come this far and cut it all out.

Ironically, since quitting coffee the two side effects I expected; headaches and rampant drowsiness have not really happened at all. Guess it just effects us all differently. There is apparently a product of course that gradually steps you down off of caffeine, but like I said I have been zero caffeine for a month so I feel like any caffeine in my body would just revert my progress.

Fun side note, I drank a hot cocoa once and that night felt like my brain was on fire cuz chocolate also has caffeine...so no chocolate for me either.

Good for you. As do not drink coffee. But drink Cappaccino and hot cocoa. And chocolate as really it does not affect me as only had three headaches in my life in forty four years nearly of living.

@lokihellfire2008: That makes sense, if you're already at 0 then losing progress is only really going to make recovery take longer. Have you tried replacing the regularly times coffee (like the morning coffee) with a caffeine free alternative, to give your body a psychosomatic relief? Like smokers using suckers while driving, because they got used to having something while they drive. Doesn't lessen the craving, but makes bearing it a little easier. If its something you enjoy, you'll feel a little better and have the comfort of the habit.

Also, after a little research, there are some alternatives to chocolate you might be able to try. Turns out white chocolate has no caffeine because it wasn't made with cocoa, and there are some alternative products (this one has a skull on the box so that's pretty cool) that claim it tastes the same, but I buy that about as much as diet soda tasting the same as the regular. But maybe its not bad?

Not a doctor or anything even close, but I would recommend talking to someone about the anxiety aspect. My first panic attack sounds a hell of a lot like what you experienced the first time. And sometimes presents in a similar way.

Best of luck duder!

Damn, man... I'm in the process of coming off cannabis to cope with chronic anxiety, as it's been a crutch for far too long and I can't afford to spend what I spend on it any longer. Withdrawal has included lack of appetite, anxiety, sweating, and some irritability. I've never heard anyone experience such severe withdrawal symptoms from caffeine, though. Anxiety is a really, really tough thing and I can't imagine getting hit with such a severe wave of it all of the sudden. People really don't know what it is like until they experience it themselves.

Keep on keepin' on, dude, and wait it out another few weeks to see if things balance out a bit. I am unqualified to give advice about physical withdrawal symptoms of caffeine, but I do know a thing or two about addiction. The thing is, caffeine is everywhere and so easy to get. I love my coffee, but I'll go days without it and not even think about it.

Message me if you need to talk or anything.

As an aside, I suffer from a little-known condition known as Tietze syndrome which causes INTENSE chest pain almost identical to a heart attack when it flares up but is very difficult to diagnose, controlled by taking an anti-inflammatory medication such as Naproxen.

I'm not a doctor, just taking from personal experience so suggesting talking to your GP about it if the symptoms are similar and you have another flare up

https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/tietze-syndrome/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tietze_syndrome

I would have thought the Caffeine Withdrawl would've ended after a month though, there is an unfortunate chance that you've developed generalized anxiety disorder (which I also have) which just happened one day about 10 years ago.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement.

@yesiamaduck I have never heard of that but it does sound similar to what I have experienced. The pain has mostly gone away now, but I still feel twinges of it if I move my arm a certain way. Having my heart checked and everything being good was a relief. I have a wellness appointment in November with my GP so I hope by then it will be gone.

@crazybagman when I had it I checked my heart rate and it was normal. I did get a lot of anxiety from the pain and my mind racing about what was wrong with me...so maybe it could have been a panic attack? Before the injury and starting to quit caffeine I didn't have the anxiety, so I am hoping it is from the caffeine.

I have looked it up and some people have withdrawals for months from caffeine depending on how heavy they used. I used it pretty heavy for years, so I think that is why mine is more severe. The funny part is, I don't feel tired all the time or anything, so the whole reason for wanting caffeine seems like a sham to begin with.

Used to drink soda all the time. Like, I could down a 12 pack in day without a thought. For awhile, I cut down and mostly stuck to tea, but whenever I was stressed at work, I would just jump back to soda. Few months ago, I gave up caffeine almost entirely. I'll still eat chocolate here and there, but I mostly just drink water and stay away from caffeinated beverages because I just got to a point where I would get migraines if I wasn't consuming caffeine and sugar so much. I never really drank coffee because it was too bitter, so that was never really an option either.

I miss drinking soda and I find that I tire out easier than I used to (though I've been working out so that has helped some). Would I go back to it knowing that if I don't keep the habit up, I'd get a migraine? Probably not.

Basically, this is just a long winded way of me saying that I support you and keep on doing what you have to do, my dude.

Glad to hear you are progressing. I think a situation like yours is why people drink cecaf. You kind of give yourself a placebo but if you enjoy coffee or the habit I would recommend that. As far as anxiety all I can say is get rest, drunk water, exercise, and just breathe.

I’ve also started reading that 10% happier book and trying to see where my anxiety is in a few weeks.

I quit caffeine about a month ago as well, withdrawals didn't hit me as bad as you but they were pretty bad and lasted about 2 weeks for me and i read they can last up to a month for some people. I have some anxiety but it's honestly not that bad now that i quit caffeine, i messed around and had one cup a week ago and then started prancing around anxious as hell then realized it really was the coffee causing it and then i settled down a bit. No withdrawals but i've started drinking decaf since so who knows if that's stopping it.

Wow, that sucks dude. Best of luck to you. I recently stopped drinking energy drinks. I'd get them 3-4 times a week(I work nights) and I've honestly never felt better. I sleep so well now. I've also tried to cut down on how many sugary drinks I have in general. I stopped drinking coke regularly about a year ago.

Sounds like you experienced a panic attack to me, I would recommend if your anxiety persists to try and find a mental health professional, if you have the financial means. I try to keep my caffeine intake moderate but a big issue for me at least is if you drink to late in the evening it can disrupt your sleep, which always wrecks havoc with my anxiety. Instead of quitting altogether, as some of the others have mentioned, try to step down gradually and limit your intake especially late in the afternoon. Switch to decaf and try to limit your creamer and sugar too, those can add a lot of calories which isn't necessarily bad but you may just not need them where you are at currently.

A lot of the pain you experience is probably real, but again in my experience people with anxiety are really good at finding pain in their bodies and then zoning in on that so you aren't able to feel anything else. Of course, it's always a good idea to move more but unless the pain is truly chronic (several months in a row with the exact pain in the exact same areas) I would try to let it go (easier said than done) and then just add some more movements to help your problem areas. Walking is always great, I am a big supporter of going to the gym too but I know that can be hard for a variety of reasons.

Also, not a doctor, just offering advice!!!

Had the pull'd muscle thought it was my heart thing as well. Scared the piss out of me. I quit caffeine too, and I'll tell you now, you'd better be ready to be a complete mess for the next few weeks. (Edit, re-read your post, guess you've already been through this part.)

Exercise will definitely help, and as someone who also has anxiety issues I can honestly tell you hitting the gym (or just doing body weight stuff at home!) makes a world of difference. (It'll also help your posture!)

One last thing, make sure you get lots of sleep. 7-8 hours a day. I find my bouts with anxiety usually hit after I've had a couple nights of not enough \ garbage sleep.

@nowsaypillow: I have found the same things to be true. I have been walking 10,000 steps a day to start with, then I plan to graduate to running. I am debating doing yoga, as I feel like it will help me keep from having weak and/or delicate muscles. I had a bad anxiety day last Thursday and Friday (partly due to some insane storms where I was sure tornadoes were going to rip the roof off) but the weekend was good, and today I feel pretty close to normal. I still am getting weird muscle soreness and/or pains, but I have read that caffeine aids in muscle regeneration so I am hoping this is still linked to the caffeine withdrawal and that it will go away soon. My problem now is that I only have from 7:30pm to 10:30 pm each night where I can either exercise, play games or a combination of both. I have 4 kids, two of which are 11 month old twins that sleep in pack-and-plays in my room, so even getting a full night's sleep can be questionable sometimes. Playing video games is a nice relaxing activity that usually leaves me feeling good, so I'd hate to lose that time, but if I am going to be working out I'm not sure when else I'd be able to do it.

Being an adult sucks.

I have Fibromyalgia and caffeine definitely effects it. The problem is once you've drunk a lot of soda, water tastes primitive by comparison. Totally feel ya and hope y'all can get better.

This sounds like anxiety and panic attacks which can exasperated by caffeine consumption, and the only reason I’m making that assumption, is because it sounds like exactly the same things I have suffered. Panic attacks suuuck, but they can be controlled, that feeling of ‘dying’ is the worst, but you’ve just got the right attitude, talk yourself down, breath and rationalise. Your not alone, and good news is with time they become much easier to manage. Cutting down of caffeine is good start. Good luck duder, sound like your making the right moves.

Quick update:

So I have had some muscle stiffness and pain in my neck lately, which I thought was because of my sleep posture and/or gaming looking at a screen or phone etc. Turns out that this is also another side effect of quitting caffeine! I'm continually amazed and horrified by how much this one chemical can do to your body and just another symptom further strengthens my resolve to never go back.

I quit Officially on July 28th, which puts me at 52 days. Anxiety still pops up bad in spots, usually when I see some ad or click-baity thing about signs of cancer, or some other life threatening disease and my anxiety makes me think I might have it. Then I get depressed. Sometimes when my wife wants to talk about future plans I find myself thinking "what's the point" or "I won't be around by then" which is irrational and dumb. I have been to a doctor and had several tests done to rule out testicular cancer, heart disease, infections, diabetes etc, so I have a professional's assurance that I am in fact NOT dying.

My sleep is getting better, and the cold shakes and brain zaps are less frequent, so I am seeing signs of getting better. Biggest thing that has helped though is hearing other people's tales about caffeine withdrawal. I found a website that I think is set up just to sell a caffeine withdrawal treatment, but the comments there from other people are the real draw form me:

https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-withdrawal-symptoms-top-ten

Some people say that 7 months out they still have symptoms, which I think to many would be awful to hear, but for me and my anxiety filled head, knowing that these other people have had the same symptoms as me does a ton of good as far as using it as a weapon to battle back the anxiety and depression.

I've also taken steps to rid myself of other sources of anxiety, taking care to train google by saying "not interested in [anything governmental, military, terror attacks, diseases, etc.]". I uninstalled Facebook from my phone, as well as twitter. Basically all I look at anymore on the internet is video game related.

This community is and continues to be awesome, and when you see me posting on several forum threads a day or wonder why I care about this stuff so much, it is literally like therapy for me.

*I am not advocating for NOT seeking out therapeutic help when it is needed and just trying to tough it out. I have a prescription for anxiety if I have a bad attack given to me by my GP, but I haven't needed to use it so far as my anxiety has mostly not been so all encompassing that I can't function. If you or someone you care about has anxiety attacks, seek help. Pay attention to their moods, and don't meet hostility with hostility. I can imagine that if something so seemingly benign as quitting caffeine can cause this in my brain, then more serious issues can do more to others so it should not be ignored.

I'm glad you're getting better, duder, but I also think I should suggest that a lot of what you're describing sounds very much like health anxiety, which is a real thing. Of course, I'm a random internet person, so, take my word with the appropriate quantity of salt or any other condiment of your choice (albeit one with a history of anxiety disorders and depression, which is why I'm saying this). Especially the worries about cancer and other diseases, and the tests, and the "irrational and dumb" thoughts despite all the reassurance from GPs. This all sounds very familiar and reminiscent of me 10-11 years ago. Of course, all this might have been exacerbated by caffeine withdrawal (or, in the case of anxiety or panic attacks, by caffeine consumption, too), but that doesn't make them less real and legit, or likely to hang around when you're caffeine-clear. If I were you, I would seek some counselling, if that is something you can afford (or ask your GP, although you may be in for a long-ass waiting list through that option). In some ways, anxiety and depression are like any other illness, the earlier you get them the less "established" they get.

In any case, hang in there. You're doing the right things by not engaging with these worries and staying away from Google searches and social media. I would suggest maybe taking that a step further and reducing or stopping looking into caffeine-related information on the internet, too. As much as it may help to know that others have had hard times quitting caffeine, it still maintains your focus on it and on your symptoms. How are you with physical activity? You mentioned thinking of starting some running and/or yoga.