Just wondered if anyone out there has experience of giving up caffeine.

I'm a serious diet coke addict and know it's really bad for me so thinking I really should try to give it up.

I'm fully expecting to suffer withdrawal symptoms - headaches, tiredness - just wondering if anyone knows how long it will for my body to adjust.

I had to give up caffeine each time I was pregnant and a few times when I've been on medication that didn't mix with it. I'm currently cutting way back on my tea habit as I'm sleeping really badly - partly due to pain in my hip but mostly from too much caffeine. I usually find I have about a week of severe headaches tiredness etc before things start to settle down. But I suspect this is one of those 'how long is a piece of string' questions in that it depends on your constitution how long and how badly you'll react.

I did the detox diet about 6 years ago and had no problems giving up caffeine - I also lost a stone in weight. I tried again about 4 years ago and was horrified at the withdrawal symptoms when I gave up caffeine. The headache was so severe I could not do anything - real migraine level and only solved by those paracetamol and caffeine tablets - destroyed the point a bit. I resolved to reduce the level of caffeine in my diet ( about 6 cups of weak tea or coffee) I probably drink about 4 a day now, but I've never since dared cut it out altogether.

Carol why don't you try cutting down gradually? You could plan it over the next 6 weeks or so and then your body probably wouldn't notice.

I think that's what I'll try to do. I like the idea of it being over a few weeks. Too often I tell myself that I'll stop x from today, fail and then don't make another attempt for several months.

My goal at the moment isn't so much to give up caffeine completely but to stop drinking so much diet coke. I have a few fruit and herbal teas in the cupboard which I'll try substituting along with glasses of water.

It's scary to think what it must being doing to your body when you hear the withdrawal symptoms...




... but then again dehydration can have similar affects. Hopefully if I make sure I drink enough water I won't suffer too much. Fingers crossed.

I've never drank huge amounts of tea or any coffee at all, but I did like my diet coke. I had days when I just couldn't sleep despite being tired and pinpointed it to days when I had drank coke, so I went caffeine fee.

I switched to caffeine free diet coke and decaf tea - I did the tea first, then the coke, but because I wasn't hooked as such, I didn't really get any side effects, just slept much better!!

Since having the bloating from my op I stopped drinking coke too - at first it was really hard and I really (really) missed it. Now, when I try it it takes sickly and horrible and I can't believe that I used to drink litres of the stuff! I haven't drank it since the beginning of May, except once when I forgot - and it was horrible!

I also read that drinking diet drinks encourages a sweet tooth, and I have found that I don't have such a sweet tooth since stopping. I used to occasionally have a moccachino from the coffee machine at work (hot choc and decaf coffee) but since giving up on the coke I find it sickly sweet.

I use Yorkshire Tea decaf as I find they are as near to real tea as I've found in a decaf bag.

Try replacing one thing at at time so you cut back gradually, if you have a lot. It might reduce the side effects somewhat.

Good luck!

I gave up caffeine a few years ago. I'm a bit sensitive to it so if I have too much coffee especially at full-caffeine I get all jittery and feel really rough. I found it really easy - just switched to de-caff tea and coffee at home and most coffee shops do de-caff.

I used to be a diet coke addict and when I gave up caffeine I just switched to caffeine free (the supermarkets do their own also) but now I don't drink it at all. I started to feel like I almost had a hangover if I drank too much of it - so now I just don't bother as I wanted to feel better.

Like giving up anything you will feel a bit rough for 3 or 4 days but it's really easy once you get into it!

I agree with the above. Cutting out caffeine is like a detox and you do get head aches but it should only last a few days. I have been mostly decaf since Jan and really notice if I have the odd coffee when in a cafe with caffeine. Anyway good luck. It is supposed to be better for you from a diet
point of view not sure why.

I buy M&S Count on Us orange squash - you only need a splash in a glass of water to give it flavour. Maybe you could drink that in sparkling mineral water as a Coke replacement?

I'd go for the cutting down route. One less diet Coke a day, or go one day a week completely coke-free. And gradually increase. I suspect like most things, it's best not to have too much of any one food item/drink. Good luck.

my husband gave it up a couple of years ago to get rid of headaches and migraines that he had been having and it worked! he's obsessed with telling people about it now, but if you want to aviod getting caffiene withdrawal headaches while you get it out of your system you can take caffeine tablets as then you know how much you're taking each day and can cut it down that way instead of trying to have less coke, coffee etc

It is possible - not drunk it for 10 years and i used to have gallons. I was in hosp at time which helped so i think you will have headaches but how about m,ixing with the caffeine free version and cutting down slowly and then swoppiong to other sugar free fizzzies then down to water - i stll drink a lot which i think is habit - s f squash and fizzy water.

Thanks for all the tips. I'm going to try cutting down this week and replacing with squashes, teas and water.

I don't want to switch to the caffeine free ones because I'm actually more worried about the fact I'm consuming something which is so artificial in it's make up.


I've heard this too along with scary things about artificial sweetners although I have subsequently read from the Food Standards Agency that they aren't quite so scary. Losing my sweet tooth would be an added bonus.

Will let you know how I get on in a couple of weeks time.

Good luck Carol

How about swapping your Diet Coke for Caffeine Free Diet Coke? Or, if the withdrawal symptoms are too unpleasant, at least swap some of your Diet Coke for the Caffeine Free variety? I have cut down my Diet Coke intake to an average of one can of Caffeine Free Diet Coke a day, with no ill-effects. I still drink more coffee than I should, though!

How's it going Carol - have you survived the withdrawal symptoms??

Let us know how you're doing?