# Has anyone ever given up coffee/caffeine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2015, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591 "2015-08-23T09:19:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591/21 "2015-08-24T16:54:14Z")
I used to drink about 400 mg a day spread out over the day via soda, it wasn’t just in the morning. I gave it up cold turkey when I switched to caffeine free soda. The only side effect I got was I was fairly tired for two days. No headaches or anything like that. However I started up again a few years after because I read coffee has health benefits. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591/22 "2015-08-24T17:01:01Z")
I’ve given up my sacred two double espressos every morning. I’ve been doing it through tapering down, as I’m one of the ones who gets excruciating headaches if I stop drinking it too abruptly. In fact, this morning was the last day of the two week taperdown; I’ve been drinking only one sip of espresso per day for the past three days, and today was the final sip. It has worked well, as I’ve only had the ghost of a withdrawal headache once or twice during these two weeks. I’m doing it in anticipation of what my new gastroenterologist is going to tell me to curb what I believe is reflux. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591/23 "2015-08-24T18:05:37Z")
I used to drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and a caffeinated soda around 2pm. I quit cold turkey for about 6 months to see how it would affect me. It was a nonevent. No headaches, no improved sleep, no change in mood, etc. The only difference was that I was a little groggier in the morning at work. I tried the same experiment eating a vegetarian diet for a year. Again, no change. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591/24 "2015-08-24T18:11:18Z")
Fifteen year ago I gave up coffee and it most certainly was an uncomfortable experience. On about the fifth day of cold turkey a friend asked how I felt. My answer: “You know that feeling right after your alarm goes off and you sit up in bed but you have to take a few seconds before you can stand up?..That’s my whole day.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591/25 "2015-08-24T19:00:46Z")
I did both cold turkey and slow. Headaches, a feeling of irritablness and slowness in the mornings. But if you switch from Coffee to tea, then cut back on tea, it’s not so bad. However, caffeine really isnt all that bad for you. Just cut back. Say one cup of coffee in the morning and tea until lunch, then no caffeine. The ciggies now- those are _really fucking bad f_or you. I’d cut them long before even a heavy caffeine problem. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591/26 "2015-08-24T19:16:24Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > Caffeine is a major contributor to migraine headaches. > caffeine withdrawal can also cause Migraines… > … Caffeine is both good and bad. It is actually added to certain headache/migraine medications. It helps by dilating the blood vessels. I gave up caffeine once in my 20’s and then decided to go back. I like to say I drink 2 cups but technically I guess it’s 4 cups because that’s the size of my coffee pot. But coffee cups as measured on the pots are only about 6 ounces. I also drink iced tea but I try to make it green tea about half the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-given-up-coffee-caffeine/728591.md?page=1)