Caffeine Withdrawal

attitudefree · August 5, 2009

My sugery is the end of Sept. From listening to everyone I decided I should stop caffeine before the pre-op diet, hoping the headaches would be less severe. So when I ran out of regular coffee on Sunday I switched to decaff. OMG!! The headches started by lunchtime. Advil didn't touch them. I only drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and I have weaned down to one dt mt dew a day but my body was missing that caffeine. I finally had a little caffeine to make the headaches go away!!! So now I am WEANING my body off the caffeine instead of just cold turkey. I made 1/2 and 1/2 coffee this morning. Any advice for caffeine withdrawal? Gosh my body is going to go in shock- first I quit smoking, next the caffeine goes and then the food!!! but in the big picture I am looking forward to a healthier me! :lol0:

Malaika · August 5, 2009

My sugery is the end of Sept. From listening to everyone I decided I should stop caffeine before the pre-op diet, hoping the headaches would be less severe. So when I ran out of regular coffee on Sunday I switched to decaff. OMG!! The headches started by lunchtime. Advil didn't touch them. I only drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and I have weaned down to one dt mt dew a day but my body was missing that caffeine. I finally had a little caffeine to make the headaches go away!!! So now I am WEANING my body off the caffeine instead of just cold turkey. I made 1/2 and 1/2 coffee this morning. Any advice for caffeine withdrawal? Gosh my body is going to go in shock- first I quit smoking, next the caffeine goes and then the food!!! but in the big picture I am looking forward to a healthier me! :001_smile:

I think you're doing it the right way - weaning yourself off instead of stopping cold turkey. Just continue to decrease the caffeine. Mt. Dew is horrible for caffeine - way worse than coffee. Good for you on quitting smoking too -- I'm sure that was difficult. Think how healty you're going to be though!

kaykay · August 5, 2009

Yeah, my husband had problems with caffeine withdrawal headaches too after his surgery. He wasn't off caffeine before. Kinda surprised us, though, because he doesn't drink coffee. He mostly drinks Water, but I guess his body was getting enough from just a little Diet Coke and iced tea that he consumed some. I, on the other hand, drink quite a bit of coffee and Diet Coke but when I've had to be off of it, doesn't seem to affect me. Guess it just depends on your body.

Sounds like you are on the right track...just weaning off slowly.:001_smile:

BeardedItalian48 · August 5, 2009

HI---

I also had to wean myself from smoking AND caffeine. I still had headaches due to the fact I did not completely get off the caffeine before surgery. I did quit the smokes, and have stayed off them!!

Your doing the right thing weaning yourself off. Decaff is good the 50/50 mix is a great way, JUST remember the soft drinks have caffeine in them also!! BIG time for MT DEW. So you might want to consider taking yourself off the soft drinks completely and only using the 50/50 mix of coffee.....The coffee for me was harder than the smokes.....GOOD LUCK

YOUUUUUUUUUU CAN DOOOO IT!~~~

DownInSocal · August 5, 2009

Congrats on quitting smoking. I quit almost a year ago. Should have done it sooner.

I weaned off caffeine and am mostly caffeine free now. I actually feel better! My blood pressure is down too.

learned2bskinny · August 5, 2009

I know exactly how you feel. I did it cold turkey, from 2-4 litres of diet coke a day to nothing. Extreme headaches for 3 days then it started to get better. havent had a diet coke in 6 weeks. Man i miss it! I dont drink coffee. Keep up the good work, it's worth it.

Malaika · August 6, 2009

I know exactly how you feel. I did it cold turkey, from 2-4 litres of diet coke a day to nothing. Extreme headaches for 3 days then it started to get better. havent had a diet coke in 6 weeks. Man i miss it! I dont drink coffee. Keep up the good work, it's worth it.

2-4 LITRES? Dang Skinny ..that's major!

Jachut · August 6, 2009

Slow weaning is the kindest method.

The bright side is there's no need to totally cut out caffeine forever, a moderate amount of coffee has some health benefits, but cups of strong brewed stuff day in day out, not so good.

I cut down slowly before coffee coz I'm a five or six cup a day gal - but I drink instant, so pretty low caffeine (my sil's observation from 2 years living in Canada is that we have excellent quality instant coffee here, who knows why?). I didnt have to do a pre op diet before my band but I knew that early after banding, my stomach space would be limited and I wouldnt be drinking that much coffee.

I'm gload I did it, I certainly didnt need caffeine headaches during recovery.

attitudefree · August 6, 2009

This may be a silly question but wouldn't the pain pills post op help with the headaches for the first few days after surgery?

kaykay · August 6, 2009

This may be a silly question but wouldn't the pain pills post op help with the headaches for the first few days after surgery?

Yes, they do. They helped my husband with his severe headaches, but I guess it kinda seems like a waste of good pain med to have to be taking it when you are not hurting from your surgery just cuz your head is hurting so badly. In other words, after he got home, there were some times he would not have needed the pain med except for the headaches. But yes, the pain med helps with that too.

nouveau-debut · August 8, 2009

I am glad you posted this. I am quite the Diet Dr Pepper addict. I drink about 20-40 oz a day (gulp)! Out of all the things that will change, this is one I worry about the most. From what I am reading, it looks like weaning would be better than cold turkey. Oh my poor family!