I am QUITTING COFFEE for 100 days

[Hans]

Thanks @Hans @Dolomite @Dutchie , I appreciate the support. Maybe this sounds a little dramatic but it's honestly scary to let go off coffee as its the only vice or chemical dependency I have in life, and I really have no idea what it feels to be uncaffeinated as it was so long ago. What do I do when I feel bored or tired or 'meh' if I cant drink coffee? Just reading this makes me realize I have an issue with coffee lol and need a break.

Interestingly about the taste of coffee (which I love) is that when I tried drinking decaf, it just tasted "meaningless" or like nasty bean water. Which makes me think I don't love the taste of coffee... I am just addicted to caffeine.

I know many people can drink 1-2 cups per day and have no issues but for me I am at a point where it is a net negative. For many years I drank coffee with only benefits and still had good sleep etc, but now obviously something needs to change.

A haven't mentioned this yet, but a few things that helped me tolerate coffee better or at least go without it with easy is daily walks with lots of sunlight first thing in the day, having an egg shake for breakfast (I feel much better on a egg milk shake vs only milk with honey), magnesium supplementation and 11-keto DHT. Other have also told me that androgens such as 11-keto DHT took their caffeine sides away.
Off caffeine you'll very likely start paying a lot more attention to diet and how specific foods and meals make you feel.

 

[ursidae]

have all of the symptoms listed and never touched coffee
recent course of antibiotic gave me anhedonia

 

[i_nomad]

Have you tried clean coffee? Apparently most coffee is riddled with mold and other contaminants, especially in the US (unregulated), and this could potentially be what causes the negative effects of coffee.

Several brands are widely available and make the effort to supply clean coffee. I just switched to the Bulletproof brand and while it’s early still, the stress response is certainly reduced.

 

[Birdie]

I have cut back on the caffeinated and using a little decaf. My heart was beating fast when I got in bed at night. Keeping me awake. So, I've stopped the 1/2 tablet of Benadryl and am having only one latte after breakfast. Then, I'm having milk with as little decaf as possible for the rest of the day. Been doing it for about 2 weeks.

I want to get the benefit of coffee, so hope this is my answer. I don't like the taste of most decaf but found an okay one.

 

[FrostedShores]

Coffee gives me all kinds of issues - digestive upset, muscle fatigue, racing thoughts/OCD-like symptoms. I gave up coffee about six months ago and feel much better for it. Funny thing is, it's not the caffeine. I actually take a caffeine supplement every day and feel great on it. There's something else in coffee that causes issues for me...

Have you tried clean coffee? Apparently most coffee is riddled with mold and other contaminants, especially in the US (unregulated), and this could potentially be what causes the negative effects of coffee.

Several brands are widely available and make the effort to supply clean coffee. I just switched to the Bulletproof brand and while it’s early still, the stress response is certainly reduced.

I had wondered if mold exposure might be what causes my issues with coffee. But I tried all kinds of organic brands and still had problems. I get sick from black tea, as well, so maybe the two have something in common?

 

[i_nomad]

Coffee gives me all kinds of issues - digestive upset, muscle fatigue, racing thoughts/OCD-like symptoms. I gave up coffee about six months ago and feel much better for it. Funny thing is, it's not the caffeine. I actually take a caffeine supplement every day and feel great on it. There's something else in coffee that causes issues for me...



I had wondered if mold exposure might be what causes my issues with coffee. But I tried all kinds of organic brands and still had problems. I get sick from black tea, as well, so maybe the two have something in common?

As far I’ve seen, the designation of organic is meaningless in this case. Doesn’t involve mold at all. You have to specifically look for brands that intentionally source clean and test their supply.

 

[tca300]

I've been drinking coffee pretty consistently since around 2014. I've been suspicious of it for many years now, thinking seed consumption of any kind is likely not a good idea. I've tried an incredible amount of different brands and roasts, all of which cause negative symptoms. I'm long overdue for a complete consistent removal of it. I'll join you in quitting. I'm not sure I'll only do 100 days though, likely a permanent divorce for myself.

Edit : I'm stopping caffeine period, not just coffee.

 

[crazypatriot]

There needs to be more clarity here, are people's issues here with coffee or caffeine?

I personally take caffeine pills which are half L-theanine

 

[Vanset]

One cup of weak coffee in the morning and I'm not sleeping at night. If you have trouble with sleep onset or waking up feeling unrefreshed then caffeine should be the first thing to investigate.

Like someone else said in a different thread it's a perfect drink for a battered workhorse wageslave to get him back up and running until he wears thin. Forever running on borrowed energy. Not necessary for good health and very often actually detrimental.

 

[Lilac]

There needs to be more clarity here, are people's issues here with coffee or caffeine?

I personally take caffeine pills which are half L-theanine

For me, I think the issue is caffeine. I don't crave a cup of decaf ever. Also, my taste and smell were damaged two years ago. Even when both senses were very low level, I sought out that morning coffee.

 

[Makrosky]

@Korven I feel you. As I keep saying lately, coffee is a drug. A legal one, but a drug. Basically a cheap, dirty stimulant packed up with other protective compounds (antioxidants, choleretics, etc.).

Black tea helps as a substitute.

And patience. You will need it. Life looks worse without drugs, so you'll have to find other ways to fill the coffee void.

 

[Luann]

There needs to be more clarity here, are people's issues here with coffee or caffeine?

I personally drink decaf.

Like someone else said in a different thread it's a perfect drink for a battered workhorse wageslave to get him back up and running until he wears thin. Forever running on borrowed energy.

Did anyone else see that documentary where they hypothesize that alcohol was the drug of the dark ages, coffee was the drug of the renaissance? So like a darker twist on that, would be that caffeine is the drug of post-industrialism

 

[Birdie]

I'm sure for some it helps to give up coffee but Ray Peat recommends milky coffee. He says decaf is fine. He said he uses Folgers instant.

One benefit Ray said is that coffee blocks iron absorption, so recommends it after meat.

 

[Vileplume]

I'm sure for some it helps to give up coffee but Ray Peat recommends milky coffee. He says decaf is fine. He said he uses Folgers instant.

One benefit Ray said is that coffee blocks iron absorption, so recommends it after meat.

Here I am buying all these coffee-extracting contraptions and fancy coffees, and Ray’s just like “eh I just use Folgers.”

He’s the man.

 

[LadyRae]

Here I am buying all these coffee-extracting contraptions and fancy coffees, and Ray’s just like “eh I just use Folgers.”

He’s the man.

And "instant", at that!

 

[rijo]

And "instant", at that!

Not so sure about that:

actually it seems he does user Folgers, just not the instant variety:

 

[LadyRae]

Not so sure about that:

View attachment 44277

Right, well as know after learning that Peat recently dropped his protein consumption substantially, he likes to try different things, just like the rest of us. I pretty much love all coffee, but probably mostly it's my coconut creamer, hehe!

 

[EvanHinkle]

I know Jay Feldman, Mike Fave, and Georgi have all mentioned this before, but taking pro-metabolic “boosters” like thyroid or caffeine can be trouble in the presence of low-grade endotoxemia. I don’t know the exact mechanism by which they cause “trouble” but I know endotoxin can essentially inactivate T3 or vitamin D, (another pro-metabolic substance).

In addition, I would think increased blood flow from caffeine would increase the flow of endotoxin throughout the bloodstream, (just a hunch, and something I perceived when my own endotoxin was high while drinking coffee).

 

[Sitaruîm]

I know Jay Feldman, Mike Fave, and Georgi have all mentioned this before, but taking pro-metabolic “boosters” like thyroid or caffeine can be trouble in the presence of low-grade endotoxemia. I don’t know the exact mechanism by which they cause “trouble” but I know endotoxin can essentially inactivate T3 or vitamin D, (another pro-metabolic substance).

In addition, I would think increased blood flow from caffeine would increase the flow of endotoxin throughout the bloodstream, (just a hunch, and something I perceived when my own endotoxin was high while drinking coffee).

How does caffeine increase blood flow? Isn't it a vasoconstrictor?

 

[EvanHinkle]

How does caffeine increase blood flow? Isn't it a vasoconstrictor?

I think caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, but it always raises pulse and temperature for me so I guess I’m colloquially associating that as “increased blood flow.” I’m probably not being accurate when I say blood flow, but it’s a sensation that I guess I’ve associated with that term, (wrong as it may be).