No More Caffeine For Me.......... NOOOOOO!

[slownumbers39]

I have to do a urine collection for a 24 hour period for medical reasons and as a result, I have to stop drinking coffee and cannot consume anything with caffeine for 3 days prior to taking this test, so that is a total of 4 days without caffeine.
Canada has Thanksgiving next weekend and I have been a daily coffee drinker for close to 40 years and I know quitting caffeine will be very difficult for me to do. I am dreading the headaches and irritability as well as other symptoms that will soon ensue.
Wondering if anyone has some tips on how to deal with caffine withdrawl and should I stay caffeine free once I get that far? Any advice, etc. is appreciated.

 

[dervis]

I have no experience with this. I drink about 3-4 pots a day so I just cringe at the idea. Guessing lots of water. Maybe Decafe coffee might give some trickery to the brain? That and just eat straight for 4 days are my only suggestions. Now afterwards, I would start drinking it again, maybe just cut back.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

There is caffeine in caffeine free coffee (as ridiculous as that sounds), just a very small amount. It would probably be best to stay away from that as well.

 

[pruss]

Holy heck, that's a mountain of a transition slownumbers. I'm sorry that you have to cut out the caffeine, if even only temporarily. I'm not a medical professional, but I do make my living as a purveyor of fine coffees and teas. I have seen many people go through the transition you are describing, some with no adverse physiological affects, others with the headaches and irritability you describe.
There are a couple tips that I suggest to folks when they have to make an immediate break with caffeine:
1) Drink lots of water. Keep yourself hydrated, and full.

2) Find a damn good decaf. While Anthony is right, most decaf coffees contain a very small/trace amount of caffeine, the amount of caffeine you'll encounter in decaf is less than you'd get from a good quality chocolate bar.

3) Plan to drink that damn good decaf for your regular/ritual coffee. If you always get up, brew coffee, and drink coffee in the shower, then keep it up. Just switch to that damn good decaf. That way your brain won't miss the ritual, or the flavour, or the aroma... just the caffeine.

4) Tell your family and coworkers that you have to go off caffeine for a little bit. You'll be surprised how much of your attitude will be accepted by those around you, out of sympathy for the fact that you have to do something that they would HATE to do.
Here are a couple of good resources to learn about caffeine:

http://www.coffeeassoc.com/coffee-and-health/canadian-consumption-guidelines/

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/addit/caf/food-caf-aliments-eng.php
If you need/want help in finding a damn good decaf in your area, toss me a PM and I am sure I'll be able to put you onto something that will be local and tasty.
Good luck!
-- Pat
EDIT - Health Canada states that the average caffeine level in 8oz of brewed roasted and ground decaf coffee is about 3mg. For reference, a milk chocolate bar has about 8mg of caffeine. Buying a Swiss Water Decaffeinated coffee would reduce that 3mg even further (given the higher rate of decaffeination through this process).

 

[mso489]

slownumbers, since this is short-term, and since you don't want to mess around with your medical tests,

I wouldn't do decaf, since the process is variable and can have some caffeine. The other piece of advice

is don't drive. Dropping caffeine cold-turkey can drop you just like narcolepsy; that is, you can fall asleep

nose down on the table with no warning. This doesn't happen often, but it happened to me, at work. What

a surprise. Luckily, no one walked into my office.
Dervis, yipes, 3 or 4 pots a day. Some people aren't sensitive to caffeine and can do that, but it can jive up

your pulse rate and have serious effects. Maybe throw $25 at a blood pressure cuff and make sure you are

one of those who isn't that much affected. If you need that much to keep moving, maybe something else

going on? Everyone is different. I am no doctor, nor medical expert of any kind. Just talking from my own

experiences. Take it with the proverbial salt grain.

 

[tbradsim1]

Stay away from Decaf, they use Lye in the process, much worse IMHO than the real stuff.

 

[foggymountain]

Bradley: Lye? Thanks for telling us. I am mostly off coffee, but when I do drink it, it is (now, was) decaf.

 

[slownumbers39]

Thanks for the replies guys! I can have no caffiene at all, no decaf coffee or tea at all, no sodas. Also, no bananas as they have potassium in them? Guess they are trying to figure out what and how much of everything my body is producing or handling.
dervis, you have me beat by a long shot. I have 2 regular size coffees when I get up and a large coffee for all day at work. Sometimes I have 1 after work, but not regularly. I will be drinking lots of water in place of the coffee though.
I have heard it is kind of a nasty process to make decaf coffee, but I cannot have it either.
duckfat, I get a headache thinking about it as well. When I quit, the headaches will get much worse.
Pruss, thanks for the advice, some good information there. I think it is kind of more the ritual (for the most part) than the actual need for caffiene, although that does play into it some days. I will think about a strategy to lessen my intake after the 4 days. Thing is, I really do enjoy a kick ass cup of coffee in the morning, have for years. I might hit you up for some coffee intel soon. Thanks for the links, I will look at them this weekend. I was reading a website that said a cup of coffee had up to 100mg of caffiene, that is a lot.
mso489, great advice there. I will not consume any caffiene during those 4 days, but thinking about agoo decaf for after that point. I will be staying at home and planning to do nothing that requires acute attention to detail and patience, every day will be a bit worse, I am sure. Love your reference to narcolepsy.......I can see many naps, and perhaps postings to a certain pipe forum during that time, lol. Great advice.
tbradsim1, thanks for the heads up on that. It is amazing what the do sometimes to the food we consume. I do love a great cup off coffee though.
foggymountain, how did you accomplish that?

 

[pipestud]

First, I'd get a second opinion before going 3 days without coffee! 8O
If the second opinion was like the first; I'd hire someone to pee in the bottle for me!
And from personal experience from driking coffee for over 40 years myself; it does wonders for the body. It gets mine going every morning and according to many reports, has medicinal value.
Most importantly; I cannot imagine having my morning pipe without a steaming hot cup of that nectar of the gods close at hand.
Hope this info helped you, pardner. :D
Pipestud

 

[cigrmaster]

I would ask your doctor for script of Desoxyn http://www.rxlist.com/desoxyn-drug.htm. It was very popular back in the 70's at Boston University, great for pulling all nighters. lol
Much cleaner buzz than Black Beauties, Eskatrol, or Greenies.
You could also chase the dragon for a few days, it will definitely cure any discomfort from caffeine withdrawal.

 

[7ach]

I take about a month "off" every year or two. cold turkey and advil some times, but the best way to do it...

measure out the coffee you would normally drink and start to mix in decaf. this way you still get the act of drinking and it makes it easier.
I take 5 days worth of normal coffee and make it last 10 days. Day one 100% regular, day 2 90/10, 80/20 etc... day 10 is 100% decaf.
then i don't drink any coffee for about a month(except weekends)
but I love coffee so this doesn't too last long before im back to a regular drinker

 

[instymp]

If you drink any caffeine during that period, they will probably make you do it again.

 

[pstlpkr]

I'm a big believer in substitutions....

How about bourbon instead of coffee?

Just kidding of course.

I hope all goes well.

::

 

[gwtwdbss]

Good, luck. Sounds like its gonna be a long few days.

 

[bigdude007]

You could try tapering down rather than going straight into cold turkey so it isn't shocking your body as much, reduce by a cup a day until your test. Works with opiates, so should with caffeine.

Just my 2 cents worth.
Peace out

 

[fnord]

What a great bunch of guys!
Pipestud recommends a second opinion or hiring a ringer, Lawrence the Mod suggests bourbon and Harris tosses out the opium pipe.
Slow, run like hell to the next pipe forum. Any forum. Just go. Find new friends.
Seriously, I feel your pain and it sucks the high, hard one.
At the end of your four day fast, you be the judge. Are you willing to go caffiene free from here on? Let us know.
Fnord

 

[crazypipe]

Chewing sugar-free gum may help fight the craving for caffeinated drinks

 

[murf]

I agree with bigdude, that weaning yourself off is a much better way of doing it. Start by decreasing each coffee by a quarter, or third, and then work your way down