Caffeine Sensitivity, here
 

Well, I've made it to day 12. Yesterday, I met a friend, had coffee, then went hiking. After two cups of pretty strong (brewed) coffee at this local place, I was really, really really wired later that night. I've found that after stopping drinking, I seem much more sensitive to this. Anyone else have this happen?

I also feel a lot better, and have not been drinking as much coffee in general, though need to limit it to a cup. When I quit last time, I think this was also something of a 'trigger'.

Well a new day; I plan to walk down and get a few groceries with my partner, as the car is out for repairs, until I have the money, which may be a few months, here.

I find my sensitivity grows the longer I've gone without it. I had stopped drinking coffee for several months and when I started up again I was pretty jittery. If you're in post-acute withdrawal it's probably no help either. Also didn't help matters that some coffee a friend gave me as a gift turned out to be espresso! (Thought it tasted a bit unusual.)

Kudos on 12 days! Sounds like you're keeping focused on things in your life in place of drinking, that's how it's done. :)

HuskyPup, 12 days sober? You are FANTASTIC. Congratulations. I have finally given up too much coffee with too much sugar, about two months, and am 25 pounds overweight. Addiction goes all the way down to sugar, nicotene, practically anything. :egypt:

day 14 here and i had to switch to decaf!

congratulations on your sobriety.

Congrats on 12 says!!!! And yes, I have always been senstive to caffiene but was able to notice it once I was sober. I have been cutting back and my goal is to cut it out completely ...it's all or nothing for me with all things lol

Hey HuskyPup, yeah I had to let go of coffee. It was stringing me out too much. I've switched to tea, which is a lot less harsh. I've had some success in the past blending decaf and caff coffee.

Thanks for all the nice words, everyone. I'm going to get some Green Tea, as that seems more gentle, and also, I have mixed half regular and half decaf beans in the grinder, I'll have to do this again, as I like some caffeine, and the taste, but don't wanna be all jittery. With caffeine, it's not too hard to moderate, I just have to be careful, as it kicks in a lot later than alcohol, and that delayed reaction can be harder to gauge.

Now, me and my partner are making a 'sea stock', to make Miso soup, which has always seemed gentle and calming.

Congrats on 12 days!

1.) I noticed that I would react a lot more strongly to nicotine while I was drunk. But, I hadn't noticed such an effect with caffeine, either when drunk or sober.

2.) Caffeine is sort of hit-or-miss with me. Sometimes it helps fix sleepiness, sometimes not. Sometimes my anxiety is relatively fine while drinking coffee, sometimes I end up with heightened anxiety or even a full-blown (for me, anyway) attack.

Congrats on day 12! I can't do regular coffee. It makes me jittery and anxious. I can have one cup of half caff in the morning and feel good. Interesting to think about. Maybe we are just sensitive to all substances. That could be a clue about our reaction to alcohol.

I have thought of that too iwanttobebetter...perhaps we really are just wired differently.

I also react in strange ways to medication sometimes and side effects that are rare. Really don't like taking medication unless absolutely necessary.

If you like the initial boost of coffee, but dislike the jitters, anxiety, and crash that come later, try yerba mate. It has some caffeine but it is balanced with theobromine and has a much cleaner, more uplifting feel. It also has the added benefit of being loaded with antioxidants. Like coffee, it is an acquired taste. It's somewhat comparable to green tea in flavor. I prepare mine in a French press.

Caffeine has been the root to my anxiety and panic attacks. I didn't drink caffeine for about 8 months starting last summer. I started to drink mainly half-caff coffee after not drinking for that time and my anxiety skyrocketed quickly. I realize now how much I am sensitive to the caffeine after the short time drinking it again, and even feel the negative effects just drinking a small diet coke.

Yerba mate is good stuff. Kind of exists like a middle ground between coffee and black tea for me in terms of caffeine/energy boost. I think it gets an unfortunate rep as being associated with "dreadlocked hippies" but in southern South America it's basically the common man's drink.

I think it kinda tastes like straw, but agree with you that when you compare it to the taste of coffee (burnt and bitterness anyone?) it's just as palatable.

Another type of tea I like to make is Ginseng Tea, though in the manner of Chinese herbalists, so that it's not just Ginseng. I still have some roots left from a holiday gift, as well as white licorice root, poria cocos, and jujube dates to balance the hot elements with the cool. I cook the roots until soft, careful not to let them reach a boil, then mince them up and add the other barks/roots/dates, and then simmer it down for several hours.

It seems to bring about a feeling of being both calm and energetic, and with no caffeine. I wish there were some bigger herb shops nearby; I'll have to head down to Chinatown in DC, and nose around.

It also seems to aid in digestion, and circulation, and gives the libido a lift.

Oh, and day 13, here!

I love to mix fresh strongly brewed organic fair trade coffee with a large glass of goat milk and some maple syrup. YUM!

I love goat milk! I finally found a place here that has good local goat milk, that's not ultra-pasteurized to the point of killing the flavor. It seems much easier to digest, and tastes better too. And it makes the best chocolate milk ever.

I'd love to have a few dairy goats, if I manage to get back to the country.

I bought a male goat this spring with the intention of having a little herd so I could have raw goat milk. Well, I discovered that I'm no farmer and I gave poor Monty away. He was a damn cool goat though.

My goat milk comes from a farm about an hour away. Cow milk screws up my guts but goat milk soothes my body.

Aw! Goats can have quite the personality, and are pretty crafty critters. We had a few goats when I was little, and lived in northern Michigan...my aunt has about 6 goats up there, now. But it is a good deal of work, even to keep a few; you have to have a regular schedule of milking, feeding, and other aspects of care.

But for fresh goat's milk and cheese...Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Wow I wonder if that's why I'm getting such bad headaches. I drink about 3 or 4 cups a day of coffee which is the same as "before" but maybe I'm having more sensitivity to caffeine now (day 12). Hmmm.