...I have a personal trainer and he quit caffiene a couple of years ago. He told me when he did it he had the same symptoms you did and he just stuck it out, treated it like the flu, and eventually it passed by itself. He didn't have any appetite for most those days. After that, he was going to eat chicken, and couldn't. He eventually became a vegan. That last part was unecessary, but the caffiene part may help.

They also sell half and half (half de-caf and half caffeinated) if you want to come off slowly and the next time I bought the de-caf and then I was okay with it. We all are different. Congratulations on being off of alchohol.
Good luck on whichever way you decide to do it!

Wow I completely understand where you come from. I, myself, would indulge in caffeine to the point of wanting to puke if I inhaled another soda....People would often comment on my secret addiction and I would roll my eyes telling them "at least I don't do other things."

well my little problem became a nightmare for me-the caffiene gave me high blood pressure and I already had a fast heart rate (at the time I didn't know) so one night it threw off a clot and I had a tia (minor stroke) I was 32.Caffeine speeds the heart-rate up and god forbid you drink the amount I did..I was a bomb waiting to go off..... I'm not saying at all this will happen to you-but I remember the symptoms you have wrote about-
a year later I have been clean of my addiction and don't feel the urge to sip my craving anymore. I still have my heart problems but now I can control them without the caffeine.

My big advice is in the morning pour yourself a big tall glass of cool water-your body needs it since it hasn't had any for over eight hours. Many people run to get their coffee and from there it's the battle of the day with the caffeine buzz-i never have the down time that caffeine gave me usually around two in the afternoon....

Goodluck

I saw the Chris's story then I had to write this note. I'm currently quit drinking caffeine about a week ago. 3-5 days I had bad bad headache then now I can't get to sleep at night. I don't feel tired even though I know I'm tire. My body doesn’t give me any sign. Also when I sleep I don't get really good deep sleep. Is this normal? I have been drinking caffeine all most 20 something years it's hard to break habit. I almost attempted old way.

Hi haengsuni,

Do you by any chance have ADD or ADHD?

Sometimes caffiene has the opposite effect for individuals with ADD- it puts them to sleep versus keeping them up.

If not, I'd chalk this up to your body adjusting to it's new regime. 20 years is a long time so it might take awhile to even it out, so to speak.

I quit caffiene 4.5 years ago, and had similar symptoms (except for the no sleep thing). It took about a month to normalize.

What's an unhealthy range for caffeine intake, BTW? I drink 1-2 espresso daily. Should I really consider quitting?

First of all, your problem is at least as serious as all the other ones here. I never udnerstood personally why alcohol and other drugs are such a huge topic but nobody talks about caffeine addiction.

In the end they are all drugs.

I had the same symptoms when I quit. I took step by step and eventually got rid of it as my name says. But I learnt a lot of things along the way. (But too much to talk about here...)

The most important things are that you do not give up and that you DO NOT go "cold turkey". Try to reduce your dose consistently day by day. And find something else to drink instead. Maybe tea or fruit juices.

Also make sure you get more sleep, the more you sleep, the less you will feel like drinkign alcohol. If you still need the taste of caffeine, mix decaf with normal and gradually more and more decaf while less and less normal one.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing...

Caffeine addiction is for real and to make matters more disheartening for the avid coffee drinker or cola fan, caffeine employs the same effects as alcohol, LSD, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, nicotine, benzodiazepines, and other major drugs. This makes caffeine the widest used psychoactive drug in the world.

Another compounding problem with caffeine addiction is that it affects many people differently. Some caffeine addicts are satisfied with a low level of caffeine in take, like a few cups of coffee. Others can't seem to function without a liter of cola and a few Red Bulls everyday. Since an addiction to caffeine is highly personalized, it remains any standardized treatment remains a riddle.

Caffeine addiction also has a social aspect. Where as all other drugs have a social stigma attached to them, caffeine products from chocolate to coffee are widely accepted by the general public. Despite its acceptance and central nervous stimulant affecting a person's sense of well being, caffeine's use is also associated with a number of physical and psychological syndromes that are similar to other drugs, i.e. caffeine addiction.

Caffeine addiction is big problems in nowadays lots of peoples are addicted of this addiction. Many of college and school students think that caffeine betters their body and makes them fresh. That is wrong this caffeine addition affects of students to lack of concentration and lack of commitment. There are many side effects of cocaine addiction such as, lead to anxiety, dizziness, headaches and jitters. It also affects your normal sleep.

I am also addicted to caffeine. I started drinking coffee while in high school, then at work, and always consumed ALOT. In the normal course of one day, I drink almost 2 full pots of coffee. I have been doing this for about 16 years. I'm at the point where I have to drag myself out of bed after hitting the snooze for at least an hour (most of the time it's 2 or 3 hours), take an aspirin (that contains caffeine) for my headache, then head for the coffeemaker for that first cup of coffee that sends my heart racing for about a half hour. I then continue to consume coffee all day long in place of the more healthy alternative of water (which I do consume, but later in the evening) to the point where I go to bed late at night because I can't tell when I'm tired. As soon as I close my eyes my head is spinning because I'm so tired, I just can't tell because of all the caffeine running around in my body. I know it's very unhealthy to consume this much caffeine, and I'd like to stop, ore even cut down, but I'm afraid of the inevitable massive headaches and nausea. It's so bad that when I travel, I pack caffeine pills just in case I don't have access to coffee. I'm stuck in a rut and am curious as to whether I need medical help to quit or not. If anyone can give advice, I would really appreciate it.

If I were you, I would consult with my family physician AT LEAST in order to:

a. Understand the physical strain of so much caffeine
b. Get support for knowing what to expect when you stop
c. Check in during withdrawal

In my opinion, your case is quite extreme and you would benefit from stopping ASAP.

Quiting cold turkey is very dangerous with any addiction. Always ween yourself off by taking a smaller and smaller amount each day until the desire to have so much of it is gone. For example, if your drinking 5 cups of coffee a day start by drinking 4 cups for a day or two, then 3 cups, etc. This will save you from the horrible headaches and other side effects. You still might have some side effects but they won't be as horrible as the ones that come with quitting all at once. Good luck!