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Caffeine enjoyment, addiction, and cessation

DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
Y'all on that drip drip GAF? :messenger_weary::messenger_ok:

I'm talking about coffee, espresso, energy drinks, tea, caffeine-infused gum, 5 Hour Energy, etc.

A few years ago I drank two 24oz Red Bulls per day (one on my way to work, one in the middle of work) until I realized it was turning me into a 30 year old boomer. Also expensive.

So, I switched to tea. Lower caffeine and higher L-theanine + GABA. But I don't think I've been caffeine-free (for more than a week) in a long, long time.

Has anyone quit completely? Do you wish you could quit, or does caffeine not have negative effects on you?

Conversely, do you enjoy the energy gained from caffeinated products?

giphy.gif
 
I drink about 1-2 espressos every day. Sometimes I forget to drink it, so I'm definitely not addicted. Most of the days the first I take is after dinner... only feel the need to drink in the morning when I have a tough night.
 

Nymphae

Banned
Never had an energy drink, never will.

I drink coffee mainly, I use the pour over method and use light roast coffee, for taste and the extra jolt.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
I've had, I dunno, 9 shots of espresso and 1000ml of vodka in the last 24 hours. :lollipop_neutral:
 

recma12

Member
I cut down on caffeine quite a bit over the years, but will never ever quit.

Used to do the "get a coffee" thing around four or five times per day and drank Diet coke in the evening.
At some point it was too much. Didn't sleep well, got anxious and talked to fast on my coffee binges.
Shit also makes you sweat.

Nowadays, I drink one mug of coffee in the car on my way to work and switch to tea & water for the rest of the day.
No more coffee past noon is a golden rule in my life. At home I actually prefer the caffeine free Diet Coke these days.

For me, coffee was just as addicting as cigarettes or weed. Had to have it all the time.
Takes time to get used to tea but once you find a brand you like and learn how to make it properly, you'll never go back.
 

G-Bus

Banned
Quit drinking coffee/caffeine at the beginning of 2018 and made it until September or so. Missed getting up on a weekend, sitting on my porch with a coffee and a joint.

Still don't drink much at all. Maybe 2 or 3 cups a week and that's not every week. Don't drink soda or energy drinks either.
 

Paracelsus

Member
Dropped caffeine months ago. Can sleep whenever I want, I feel more refreshed, I don't get headache. I don't think I'll ever drink coffee again.
 

DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
I get that about every 18-21 days
Super convenient way to make coffee, from what I've heard. But is the taste as good? :pie_thinking:

I'm certainly not one to talk about the amount: I'll have to snap a pic of my 10+ pounds (yes, pounds) of tea on my shelf downstairs when I get a chance.
 

kbear

Member
The fatigue I feel after not drinking coffee for a day or two is devastating to my productivity. I’m hooked for life.
 
Super convenient way to make coffee, from what I've heard. But is the taste as good? :pie_thinking:

I'm certainly not one to talk about the amount: I'll have to snap a pic of my 10+ pounds (yes, pounds) of tea on my shelf downstairs when I get a chance.
Yes it is a great cup. 40 espresso pods and 70 coffee in that pic. Makes both very well.
 
i cant handle a big cup of coffee in the morning. i get so jittery that i cant focus at work.

i do love meself a nice warm cup though.

also, love tea. i go in phases, but skewed towards tea more throughout my life.

in a nice coffee one right though
 

J-Roderton

Member
I drink coffee all morning every week day. Maybe once a week I'll grab an energy drink on the way to work. I like caffeine.
 

waxer

Member
I'm a milky coffee drinker. Flat white normally. Use a Sunbeam dual thermoblock machine and breville grinder.

Having worked in a cafe on decent machines this rig makes just as good as any expensive system at fraction of cost and just 60seconds to warm up.

Slower to froth as less powerful than a boiler system. Harder to get a perfect foam for art but I'm all about flavour.

By the time our electric kettle is boiled I'm normally done with making my drink and doing clean up.

I use fusion coffee from Tauranga new Zealand. (Local) maestro is the blend. If you slightly underextract it still gives a strong cup while being very smooth.

Again I shoot for flavour not a proper extraction so to speak. Everyone seems to enjoy. Even the wife who didn't think the price was justifiable and to stick with instant. A week into ownership and she said she will never go without an espresso machine again haha. That was 3 years ago.

We drink a cup a day on average unless guests so will have another with them. I can't drink more long-term or I get withdrawal headaches when I miss a cup so I tend to stick with my Max of two.
4nz15rxr.dnp.jpeg

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haxan7

Volunteered as Tribute
I normally drink 2 to 3 cups of black coffee a day.

If I go more than 24 hours without caffeine, I get a full blown migraine with aura, numbness/tingling in hands/face, etc.

------------
Just thought I would share a caffeine related story:

A few months ago I had to go on a trip to San Antonio for work, and I... went a little overboard my first day there after meeting up with a random group of people through Bumble.

I ended up drinking maybe 4-5 pint glasses worth of energy drinks to stay awake (as I had to catch a very early flight and was exhausted).

Full blown migraine the next day from the withdrawal of exceeding my normal caffeine intake by that much.
 

BizzyBum

Member
I'm definitely more health conscious nowadays so in the morning I usually opt for a cold brew at Dunkin, just black which I think tastes awesome and not as bitter as regular iced coffee black.

Then at night I make a cup of matcha green tea.

Cut down on soda and energy drinks almost completely with the occasional soda for things like movies, parties, etc.
 

Kadayi

Banned
Back in my 20s when I gave a shit I did some crazy-assed detox diet that basically meant I just drank water for 2 years and gave up sugar, caffeine, chocolate, bread, cereals or anything fried. Food consisted of steamed veg, grilled meats and fruit and nuts all the way. The first couple of weeks were complete hell on the metabolism but I must admit in the long term I felt aces for it. Unfortunately, once I hit university it just wasn't feasible to maintain, firstly from the cost perspective and secondly from the lifestyle one with absurd project deadlines pretty much-demanding caffeine fuelled all allnighters and lots of sugar with it.

Occasionally on a morning I do ponder going through a fortnight of intense headaches and cravings again, but then I just reach for a nice homemade Aeropressed Latte using freshly ground high altitude Peruvian Coffee Beans, and fresh Danish and think 'Maybe tomorrow...' :pie_thinking:
 
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Grinchy

Banned
I was drinking those water flavor packets that included caffeine. I would drink like 4 of those things a day. I decided to see what would happen without them at one point and I had the worst migraine of my life for an entire week straight.

Caffeine withdrawal is horrible. It's strange to me that it's such a socially-accepted addiction. I guess it's not like nicotine where everyone else has to smell it and breathe it in so that makes it ok to people who aren't thinking of it like a drug.
 

LordKite

Neo Member
I work in a job that accepts caffeine addiction from its workers so much that not only does ot provide dual coffee makers and high quality coffee, but also a fully stocked vending machine of pretty much any energy drink you want for $1.

I had finally cut my addiction before I got this job, but working rotating 7 on, 7 off shifts has brought me right back to energy drinks.
 

Kadayi

Banned
Caffeine withdrawal is horrible. It's strange to me that it's such a socially-accepted addiction. I guess it's not like nicotine where everyone else has to smell it and breathe it in so that makes it ok to people who aren't thinking of it like a drug.

Indeed. A lot of people say it takes 2-3 days but that is horse shit. That's only if you drink Mellow Birds strength Coffee once a day level of caffeine withdrawal. Anything beyond that and you're looking at a world of pain for a while: -

https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-withdrawal-symptoms-top-ten

When I did it the first time I was the moodiest highly strung bastard under the sun for those 2 weeks (admittedly I was giving up other stuff as well) and was working as well (poor work colleagues). I think if I did do it again now I'd probably have to go on extended leave because no way would I trust myself not to end someone at my current job., especially with all my Hitman skills and knowledge. :messenger_sunglasses:
 
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TFGB

Member
I only ever drink coffee if I’m doing housework, which is once a week, and even then it’s only a couple of cups of Gold Blend.

I have a couple of cups of tea most days but I don’t crave it. I’ve never suffered with either caffeine addiction or withdrawal and the only coffee shop I’ve ever been in was Starbucks in Seattle as it was where the company started apparently.

I’d rather drink wine or water.🥂
 

5609481

Member
I had to quit drinking coffee years ago because even one cup makes me shaky and nervous. And I can't just drink one cup, I like the taste too much. So that had to go.

I'll have a red bull maybe once a week, just for the flavor.
 

Greedings

Member
I need coffee by 9am or it just doesn't work anymore, and I spend the whole day exhausted.

I've got a lot of shit to do at the moment, from crazy amounts of work to family commitments and then feeling like a loser because I don't even exercise any more.
I've been super tempted to try and get something stronger. I've read good (and bad) things about aderall. Has anyone used it for concentration/productivity?
 

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
The gif in the OP is offensive. Brewed so weak it looks like luzianne tea.

GxPDJYZ.gif
 

Kadayi

Banned
I need coffee by 9am or it just doesn't work anymore, and I spend the whole day exhausted.

I've got a lot of shit to do at the moment, from crazy amounts of work to family commitments and then feeling like a loser because I don't even exercise any more.
I've been super tempted to try and get something stronger. I've read good (and bad) things about aderall. Has anyone used it for concentration/productivity?

Not sure about Aderall Greedings, but maybe go see your Doctor and explain your symptoms. You could well be suffering from depression. I'll be honest, medication isn't the best cure for that .


I had to quit drinking coffee years ago because even one cup makes me shaky and nervous. And I can't just drink one cup, I like the taste too much. So that had to go..

Pfft, you need to drink more till the shaking reaches a point where it's no longer noticeable. Then you're golden :messenger_halo:
 
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mmmm i can drink it every once in a while. it makes me sleepy if anything but i dont know. alcohol is better makes me feel better. bud makes me feel better. booger sugar makes me feel better. i like the fucking whipped cream more probably
 

DOW

Member
I take a caffeine pill and l-theanine daily. I’d been drinking way too much caffeine before and I was finding myself to be really irritable/grumpy.

With the caffeine and theanine I’ve cut my consumption in half and feel better overall.
 

120v

Member
i have 2 cases of monster at my disposal at all times, one at home and one at work. so yeah i definitely have a problem

but i've come to realize how badly i'm trashing my cortisol levels so i've been keeping it to 2 cans a day unless i really just cannot wake up. starting to get back into green tea too so hopefully this time next year the monkey will be off my back
 
Wow, my eyes are opened. I thought I had a pretty strong caffeine addiction because I would drink 2, sometimes 3, cans of Diet Coke a day and if I missed a "dose," after a while I would get a mild headache. About two years ago, I had a business trip with limited access to Diet Coke and was focused enough on work that I unintentionally went cold turkey. I've been adding in some coffee over the past couple of months, but reading your reports of withdrawal symptoms, I think I'll be more measured now.
 

#Phonepunk#

Banned
i've switched to tea this year as well.

i used to drink coffee non stop. i'd drink 3-4 cups before noon at work. if i worked from home i'd make a half a pot and drink all of that. but i started getting the shakes and getting them more and more. i think it was for real messing w my heart or circulatory system to just ingest that much caffeine before i have any solid food.

on top of a blood pressure scare, i decided to go a little easier on my body, and made the switch to tea. specifically Tea: Earl Grey, Hot, after Picard's favorite drink. i love the change. i still get my caffine but it's way less intense. i also like having honey in my tea way more than sugar in a coffee.
 
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Jae Mara

Member
I go on and off coffee all the time and try to drink it when I need it. Generally to get me through a lull in the afternoon. Generally don't drink it in the morning.

I think I get headaches from withdrawal but I get headaches all the time so hard to pin point if it's due to not intaking caffeine.

Probably addicted to Monster though, stuff is dangerous around me and for whatever reason tastes so good better than anything else. I restrict myself to maximum of 1 a week and try not to drink it at all. I see a possible future when it will be the death of me.
 

highrider

Banned
I’m a big coffee guy. To be honest, sometimes that’s the only reason I get up in the morning 😂. I have no desire to quit, it intrinsic to my enjoyment of life. Not a fan of energy drinks, I’m not trying to be wired or sugar blasted.
 
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Nymphae

Banned
Question for the weed smokers here: do you find pot enhances or ruins the taste of coffee? Nearly everyone I've ever asked says it's better, but for me it's crazy, it becomes literally undrinkable after I've had some weed, and I fucking love coffee. I can't really describe it, it's just totally different when I'm high and I always finish a a coffee before lighting up.

Coffee and cigarettes are fantastic together though lol
 
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