Posted by noa on January 31, 2004, at 14:43:21
In reply to My Coffee Addiction Is a Problem!!!!!!, posted by Stryker88 on January 28, 2004, at 7:19:39
I've had the on-again, off-again caffeine addiction problem, too, although at the moment, it seems like I am stable on a pattern of having coffee most mornings but not all, and once in a while a second cup mid day. This is unusual for me to be in this pattern, because for years, when I have been in addicted mode, I had to have the coffee every day, or would experience withdrawal.
It started, I believe, when I had fatigue from all of the following: hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, and 'atypical' depression. Treating all three helped so that I didn't need as much caffeine. It had gotten so bad that I would need more and more strong coffee throughout the day, just to stay awake.
Then, once I was treated for the thyroid, apnea and depression, I would stay off the caffeine thing unless I was doing some major driving on long trips. But this would get me addicted again, and I'd go a few months and then have to detox again.
The past year or so, I've been taking one coffee each morning--but by one coffee, I mean any thing from about 9 oz to 20 oz, because, as you know, the way coffee is sold these days, a "cup" is more like a quart! Also, once in a while, if I feel sluggish at work, I'll have a small cup at lunch as well. What is surprising is that lately, I can skip some days without much difficulty, or substitute tea, which has some caffeine, but not has much, and for me, for some reason, the caffeine in tea doesn't absorb as well.
But I think I probably should not be drinking regular coffee because some of my medications cause sleep and muscle tension problems and I think the caffeine makes it worse. Coffee is also very acidic for the stomach.
When I have kicked the habit, I either go cold turkey out of necessity--I miss a few days due to being holed up at home over the weekend and am out of coffee at home---and then just grit my teeth through the fatigue and headaches for about 8 to ten days, or I use a systematic reduction in caffeine as follows---
1. choose a consistent size cup--I'll use the example of a 16 oz cup
2. fill it with 12 oz regular and 4 oz. decaf
3. drink this combo each day for a week
4. week 2--8 oz regular, 8 oz. decaf
5. week 3--4 oz regular, 12 oz decaf
6. week 4--if you're ready to drink all decaf, go for it, but if not, make it about 2 oz regular and 14 oz decaf.For me, the temptation to go back to caffeine is strong. I am not drawn to being addicted to anything that sedates, only to things that make me alert!
poster:noa
thread:306327
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20040102/msgs/307773.html