arieslee

when you were trying to quit booze did you have to lay off caffeine because it would trigger you to drink ?

Coldfusion

When I quit, I went to an in-patient detox, and they were very strict about no caffeine. So if the professionals advise against it...

Berrybean

I didn't avoid caffeine, but I didn't get any detox advice.

I didn't notice that caffeine was a trigger, but then quite frankly I didn't know if I was on my head or my a*se for most of the first couple of month. I still got sober but it was a confusing and emotionally challenging and draining time. Maybe I'd have recovered from my washing-machine head more quickly if I had avoided caffeine. Now, that WOULD have been good. Probably worth a go if that's what you've been advised.

Croissant

To be clear, I'm not "blaming" caffeine, because it's my choice to drink. But I will absolutely say, having stopped and started on coffee many times, my relapses always co-incided with a period of caffeine use.

I suspect it makes the same parts of my brain fire up - the buzz, the reward and recognition....but yep, coming down, by the afternoon, I'd be dreaming of alcohol. It took me a while to figure it out.

MelindaFlowers

I drink about 20 ounces a day of coffee and never found it to trigger me.

In fact I never really drank coffee when I was hungover everyday because it made me want to puke. I associate coffee with sobriety.

Change4good

This is just the way my body works, but I couldn't drink coffee until I was four days clear of alcohol. It simply didn't work, as my central nervous system was trying to course correct.

After that, I would have one cup. And I was kind of weird/snobby about it. I went to an East African cafe that would press coffee. And then I surfed SR.

Ken33xx

Second the above.

JaneLane

It absolutely triggers me. My pattern was coffee to recover from the night before, come home then drink alcohol to calm down.

Now I have one coffee before midday and that's it. Otherwise my anxiety is through the roof and I crave alcohol to counteract it.

Tang

This. If I drink too much coffee I would use alcohol to "bring me down" from the caffeine agitation state
. As long as I don't drink espresso at 4pm, I'm good.

JaneLane

Yep. Caffeine after midday is a bad idea for me!

LSC1

I had to stop drinking coffee (at home) as after the third coffee in the morning it was wine-o-clock.

After 12 months sobriety I spoiled myself with a cappuccino from a cafe.

Now they are a treat!

anattaboy

I'm gonna say it's an addiction for me and yes it is tied to my nicotine addiction. Not so much a drinking trigger for me but if it were it would have to go. I suppose I should be just as tough on the nic but I admit I still like their complimentary buzzes.

Della1968

I can't have any after noon. Like literally 12pm it makes me too anxious. I also switched to half decaf half regular.

midgetcop

I'm a heavy coffee drinker, and I usually used it to manage working shift work all my life. The cycling of caffeine vs alcohol was a common coping mechanism for me.

I'm still in the first tender weeks of sobriety, but I'm still drinking caffeine. My treatment program has highly advised eventually cutting back on it, in order to begin to repair our central nervous systems.

I'm cutting down and will hopefully get to one cup a day. But it's a slow process.

Berrybean

Hmm - sounds from some of the comments about that it's not the caffeine as such, but more the routine of it all that's the issue. I experiences those kinds of triggers more when stopping smoking I think.

Bmac

Ditto. When I drank, I would awaken to cotton mouth and dehydration thus finding myself drinking 2-3 bottles of water in the morning and maybe a half cup of coffee only because I enjoy the taste.

Today, I drink WAY too much coffee and, starting tomorrow, am switching to half decaf/half regular.

strategery

I haven't had any issues with caffeine and relapses, but it's best to keep in mind what is true for one person may not be true for another.

Bluebird1927

I suppose it's a similar, although nowhere near as strong, buzz as alcohol. I find it makes me more manic, more wired and therefore I think more susceptible to a relapse

Bluebird1927

I suppose it's a similar, although nowhere near as strong, buzz as alcohol. I find it makes me more manic, more wired and therefore I think more susceptible to a relapse

Bluebird1927

I suppose it's a similar, although nowhere near as strong, buzz as alcohol. I find it makes me more manic, more wired and therefore I think more susceptible to a relapse