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Ask HN: Quit caffeine? Before and after anecdotes

• minroot 5y ago
  Well, mine is different. When I was a early teenager, the nights I would drink coffee, I would have ejaculation during sleep. After a couple of times I stopped drinking coffee.
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• elldoubleyew 5y ago
  I went from 4-5 coffees + energy drinks to zero caffeine in 2018. When I was a teenager I abused caffeine but developed anxiety as an adult and caffeine turned into a major trigger for me. So I quit entirely for medical reasons. No caffeine + medication has entirely eliminated my physical symptoms of anxiety. I definitely miss it sometimes though, I feel like I am still more groggy in the mornings than I used to be.
• the_biot 5y ago
  What's the point of anecdotes? By definition they're irrelevant to the big picture. Surely there have been studies on the effects of caffeine on the things you list?
  • throwawaynay 5y ago
    statistics are saying that caffeine users are less productive but statistics are only part of the story
  • rubicon33 5y ago
    There have been countless studies on the subject to be sure. But everyone’s experience with caffeine is different. I’m interested in hearing directly from THIS group (HN) and can’t exactly fund a full blown study. So, asking for anecdotes!
  • javert 5y ago
    This is an incorrect view. When you rule out anecdotes, you're ruling out specific cases. But specific cases are how we learn. You can absolutely learn from specific cases. Moreover, specific cases are what studies are based on. And studies are often flawed, wrong, or misleading. You can often learn more from a few honest, specific cases than you can from studies. People who work in modern academia can attest to the fact that studies aren't reliable in general. Individual studies can can be reliable, but you have to really know the field and sometimes the specific researchers in order to know what's reliable and how to interpret it. There should be a name for the fallacy that wrongly absolutely rejects specific cases in favor of "statistical data," but I don't know if there is one.
  • gtvwill 5y ago
    You do realise most studies are just a collation of anecdotes.... They literally are what the big picture is compiled of....
  • ajkjk 5y ago
    I'd take a lot of anecdotes over studies any day. Studies gloss over the details (what kind of caffeine use, different physiologies, how they felt about the result) in ways that make them really difficult to use for personal decision-making.
  • Delk 5y ago
    Statistics can be just as obviously irrelevant to an individual as an anecdote to a big picture. A correlation between caffeine consumption and productivity or work well-being means nothing in case of an individual. Studies can't tell how individuals react, and I have a hard time seeing how a study would be relevant to OP in any way. OP wasn't asking for statistics, or "the big picture". Of course anecdotes from other people can't really tell how things work for OP either, but I think they were looking for experiences that might be relatable.
• throwawaynay 5y ago
  I mostly quit a year ago: Less anxious, less insomnia, less diarrhea, less headaches when I don't have caffeine. Didn't seem to affect me negatively in any area. The only times when I used caffeine in the past year was when I was sleep deprived(I rarely am now), and in that case modafinil is way more effective.
• dmarchand90 5y ago
  I quit for about a year and I recommend everyone try at least one in their life. The withdrawals took me about two weeks to fully get over. (Only a few days with the full symptoms and then a longer tail of mild symptoms and psychological withdrawal). I felt very relaxed for much of the time, though anxiety never fully left. Much more productive in the late afternoons when I'd normally crash. Probably a bit less productive but not worried about being less productive. In the end I went back. I guess for the taste and the ritual, but partly I think there is a net productivity gain when one consumes mild caffeine and isn't too anxious in general.
• jpm_sd 5y ago
  Wish I could. It makes me anxious and angry. But if I drink /exactly/ the right amount, it really helps with focus and motivation.
• ng12 5y ago
  I recently quit coffee after maybe 15 years. The biggest change I noticed was that on nights I didn't sleep well I would wake up with bad brain fog. That doesn't happen anymore since quitting. I still don't sleep great some nights but I don't feel nearly as awful as I did before. I also learned caffeine stays in my system much longer than I thought it did. I try very hard not to have any caffeine after 11am.
• vga805 5y ago
  I removed caffeine from my diet and replaced it with exercise and one or two quick logic puzzles in the morning. Once in awhile I meditate but I haven't found consistency with this yet. This combination has been a nice morning routine to prepare my mind and body for the day. For logic puzzles, I have loved the Cracking the Cryptic YouTube channel during the pandemic. In their discord server they post 1 genuinely approachable pencil puzzle and 1 approachable sudoku variant. I've even started constructing my own puzzles - it's turned out to be a meditative, creative stress releaser. With regard to mood, removing caffeine was one element of eating healthier generally. This has stabilized my mood greatly. I've been much less prone to the occasional days/weeks of depression.
• wartijn_ 5y ago
  Two years ago I quit drinking caffeine for 2 or 3 months. At first I was tiered more often, but after a while (maybe 2 weeks? Can't remember exactly) that went away. After that I felt pretty much the same as with caffeine, not noticeably better or worse. Since I didn't feel better and I like coffee, I started drinking that again.
  • jquery 5y ago
    Same experience I had a couple years ago, except I quit for several months. I think genetics might play a part here.
  • sshine 5y ago
    I also tried to quit for 2 months in 2021. Withdrawal for 5 days — only headaches for 2, and realising that sleep is better for 3 days more. Felt excellent to feel mentally awake without stimulants. Eventually went back to 2-3 coffees a day because I like drinking it.
  • guilhas 5y ago
    Feel like this comment, and similar, if were made about drinking alcohol we would not take them as lightly For example I like beer and wine a lot but I can go many weeks without drinking them. Coffee I drink everyday, because I want to of course
• andy_ppp 5y ago
  I gave up due to it causing me anxiety. I can’t say I’ve noticed any real difference in my alertness or focus either way, I used to feel I needed an afternoon coffee but I got a nice grinder and found some absolutely amazing decaf coffees that certainly taste better than any caffeinated you can buy in a supermarket.
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• sinsterizme 5y ago
  I have been off coffee for about 5 months. It’s hard to compare precisely but I definitely don’t have the same frequency of crashes anymore and I have more base energy. Although I’ve also cleaned up my diet too. I’ll probably go back to decaf eventually when my anxiety completely goes away (anxiety being the reason I’ve cleaned up my lifestyle completely, I believe it was onset by antibiotics)
• bb123 5y ago
  I’d like to offer the opposite perspective to many of the responses here. I regularly have 2 coffees a day, and I’ve taken month long breaks from it in the past. I’ve never experienced any of the severe withdrawal symptoms people often describe, with the exception of feeling a little sluggish on the first day. I did, however, miss the routine of preparing and drinking a warm aromatic beverage in the morning. I find it a pleasant way to start the day. Also, at times where I can feel myself flagging and I need continued focus, I find a good coffee does really help. So I personally see limited downside to caffeine consumption and some nice upsides.
  • freedomben 5y ago
    I completely agreed with you until I realized that caffeine was aggravating my anxiety. I went years not realizing this, so it's possible that for some people they're getting symptoms they haven't linked yet. Now that said, when I was younger I didn't have that problem and caffeine was a powerful tool in my toolbox for maximizing performance. Definitely glad to have it when needed.
    • doktorhladnjak 5y ago
      I gave up caffeine for several months starting around October 2020. It was seriously aggravating my politics and COVID anxiety at that time. I did eventually go back to it last summer. I just like coffee and the kick that comes with it. I usually only drink one cup, sometimes two which strikes a good balance for me.
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    • anyfoo 5y ago
      I had that problem. It only crossed into anxiety when I had much more, but even before that point I had what I would call uncomfortable “overattention” and sleep troubles. The solution for me was moderation. Two cups a day, and no cup after 3:30pm (or rather that’s the latest time I allow myself to start drinking my last cup). Makes them more special, too.
• orasis 5y ago
  I’ve been caffeine free for 10 years. It has greatly improved my ability to fall asleep and stay sleeping for ~8-9 hours. When I’m underslept my mood is significantly worse. I am one of the most consistently happy people I know. If I need a cognitive boost I take Alpha GPC.
• ketanmaheshwari 5y ago
  I completely quit caffeine in 2020. I had daily mild headache for a week or so after. After that however things got better. My sleep got deeper and consequently well-being improved.
• jdjslskshdj 5y ago
  I've taken two breaks in the last 5 months. The first, i had about a week of the worst anxiety/depression I've ever had in my life. Was really a wake up call on how much it really is a drug. The more recent one, I had splitting headaches for a couple of days. Both times, I thought I had weaned down to small enough amounts before cutting it off, but i guess not. Still working on my relationship with coffee.
• f_allwein 5y ago
  Just reading Sleep Smarter https://sleepsmarterbook.com https://sleepsmarterbook.com , where a key point is that caffeine after lunch time negatively (and measurably) affects the quality of sleep. So that could be another good reason to take a break...
• themodelplumber 5y ago
  I worked without it for 25+ years due to religion/religious upbringing. I started it on my way out of the religion and realized it could even benefit what we called spiritual revelation experiences. Which was funny. After first experiments I quit a few times but didn't notice that not using was an advantage in any way, unless I was using too much caffeine in certain specific circumstances. After that I measured my dosages more directly and tried different stacks alongside. 2:1 L-Theanine is by far my favorite to use with caffeine. At night I stick with a homemade cacao drink for the theobromine and maybe some cinnamon. The best benefits to my creativity, problem solving, and coding were along the lines of learning about my psychology though, not caffeine and stuff like that. For one, caffeine can stimulate the imagination but it's crucial to be able to recognize how and when to consciously use the imagination for personal benefit. Otherwise...what do you need to imagine, for work? You can get caught out by beginner questions like that, so you are stuck in your past even with the caffeine. Caffeine has no user manual for really leveraging the psychological effect at a subjective level, which sucks :-) Good luck in your search.
  • freedomben 5y ago
    I was Mormon for a while too :-) For the record (mainly for other people that may read this) it's not "caffeine" that the Church disallows, it's "hot drinks" which are commonly interpreted as tea and coffee. Since caffeine is a main ingredient, many believers (especially more Conservative and/or descendants of Mormon pioneers) believe that caffeine is the reason behind the ban on coffee/tea. Many others however believe caffeinated sodas are ok (I drank gallons of diet coke). Caffeine pills are a little more questionable but a personal decision. The Church mainly focuses on avoiding things that are addictive, which caffeine definitely is (even though many people are in denial :-D) If you're going to take caffeine, 2:1 L-Theanine to Caffeine is absolutely amazing. I used Jet-Alert and Jarrow Formulas L-Theanine. Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee is also phenomenal. I also for a little while took a product that I think was called "Focus Now" on Amazon that is just 2:1 in a capsule, but I can't find it anymore now and the order history points to which is a bit more expensive: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0173H5QVU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0173H5QVU/ref=ppx_yo_dt...
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• tbirdz 5y ago
  I was never a huge caffeine user, my peak was maybe 3 or 4 cans of coke zero a day. Since I quit I've seen my level of general anxiety go down, my moods are more stabler (like less feelings of irritability, stress, feeling overwhelmed), and I feel like my sleep has improved. I haven't noticed any real change in my performance after quitting. Maybe I don't feel as "sharp", but I'm still getting the same amount of things done at the same quality as before. One thing to note is that once you quit you will not be able to really use caffeine effectively at the same level you are currently using it. I recently had some caffeine, and after being off it for so long, it was actually very unpleasant. I felt like a cpu that got overclocked and was overheating. It didn't really make me any more productive, it just made feel like wow I'm really up right now, too far up and I want to be back to normal, but I can't until the caffeine passes through my system. And just that feeling of being trapped in the "high" and being unable to get out was very disturbing to me personally.
  • bradleyjg 5y ago
    You became dishabituated. Likely you could get more of the effects you remember with a smaller dose.
• freedom2099 5y ago
  I have been drinking coffe since I was 14 (I am 36)… I reached my peak during university with 8 espressos a day but for the past 10 years I only drank 4 espressos a day. I sometimes stopped drinking (like a couple of years ago I went for 3 weeks in the states on vacation and since there the coffee is basically liquid shit I decided it was better tu just avoid drinking it!) and never noticed any difference!
• throwawayboise 5y ago
  I tried quitting caffeine about 10 years ago and for some reason had to pee so often I felt borderline incontinent. After a week or two of that I started coffee again and it went away. But last year I went on a vacation and didn't drink coffee at all that week. No problems, so I don't know what happened the first time.
• freedomben 5y ago
  I was getting some really bad anxiety and a pounding heart rate, an hour or two after having caffeine. Because I mostly consume in the morning, this meant that afternoons were especially difficult. Because I slowly drank it through the morning, it meant several hours of misery. It took me a really long time to realize that it might be related to the caffeine. I tapered myself down by using Excedrin (65 mg per pill) and Jet-Alert (100 mg per pill) and cutting the pills smaller each day. If you're disciplined you can do that and not experience too much discomfort. I also used "de-caffeinate"[1] which seemed like it helped, especially before bed to sleep, but I'm not positive. [1]: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01997EVNG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01997EVNG/ref=ppx_yo_dt...
• caffeine 5y ago
  Never quit. Don’t ever quit.
• sgt 5y ago
  Can't imagine a working day without coffee, if even just for the pleasure and ceremony of drinking it. Often along with dark chocolate or something else sweet. Drink about 6 cups of coffee a day, starting around 9am. Last cup around 10pm. Love the creative process of development combined with coffee!
• Thristle 5y ago
  First week was tough. After a month you feel more awake on mornings. A couple of months after that you feel exactly the same as before. I started drinking more tea (with and without caffeine depends on the taste) because I wanted a hot drink but not specifically caffeine. I quit coffee for health reasons (stomach) so it was kinda forced on me. I still love coffee taste very much and can still consume it in cakes and such
  • mpalczewski 5y ago
    Most people I have known who had stomach issues around coffee had them resolve by switching to espresso, or espresso based drinks(if making at home pump based machine, or manual I suppose but not steam). I'm definitely in that boat. Tea on the other hand starts ripping my stomach apart after a day. YMMV.
• hcarvalhoalves 5y ago
  I don’t quit, but I’m trying to avoid drinking only coffee everyday – so I don’t build up a tolerance and can rely on it when I need a boost. I vary between coffee and tea. I avoid coffee past lunch time.
• charliebwrites 5y ago
  I actually recently wrote a blog post[1] about the opposite experience of Building a caffeine tolerance vs quitting. So to tackle this from the other way around, I can tell you that before I started drinking coffee, I had more creative energy, but it was much less focused and more spur of the moment. This was great for quickly following new things I want to learn, but also abandoning them the second I lost interest or got bored. I also had much less motivation in doing things around my apartment like dishes, laundry, and other uninteresting stuff, often resulting in a pretty gross pile up of chores. Problem solving wise, I was less able to focus this greater creative energy in solving the problem, but when I could, the outcome was better. Without caffeine I also had more anxiety, which sounds backwards considering how caffeine affects the body and brain, but for whatever reason rang true for me. Now, with a caffeine tolerance that I never thought was possible, I find I am much more level-headed, and can focus on a problem, whether its coding, chores, or doing other hobbies I didn’t have the patience for like reading etc that might not be 100% interesting at first but become so. I am also a lot more even keeled in my energy, less enthusiastic, but it doesn’t seem to be a hindrance. It’s actually improved my relationships with others since I’m less reactive to things. I am now able to sit down and work through harder problems coding without getting as distracted (although that certainly still happens), but I feel less “creativity” in my solutions to those coding problems that come up, so its a bit of a trade off. Part of me wants to quit caffeine to compare just one more time, but I’m now stuck in a space where if I dont have coffee at least every other day, I get severe headaches and lethargy. This is a drug, and while its great to be able to drink coffee and participate more in cafe culture, it causes very real physical symptoms if you stop consuming it. [1] https://medium.com/@TestingInProd/building-a-caffeine-tolerance-as-a-caffeine-sensitive-person-580579946c76 https://medium.com/@TestingInProd/building-a-caffeine-tolera...
  • cipheredStones 5y ago
    Have you ever been assessed for ADHD? I'm not trying to assert a diagnosis based on one post or anything, but "I had random bursts of creativity and energy, but couldn't maintain focus on anything or do boring tasks, and now that I'm taking a stimulant I'm much more able to regulate myself" sounds quite characteristic.
• helph67 5y ago
  Years ago I suffered dizzy spells (once a year or so) that completely incapacitated me. Doctor suggested might be due to caffeine and it was! Didn't have any withdrawal problems, feel better than previously.
• sdfjkl 5y ago
  Too much caffeine (5+ cups a day): Bad sleep, wake in the middle of night with pounding heart Zero caffeine (for two years): Okay, everything is fine, but sometimes miss coffee boost and taste. Two cups a day: Everything is fine and I get to enjoy coffee. Never in the evening though. Moderation! Same with everything.
• chmod600 5y ago
  Caffeine is OK if your sleep is fine with and without caffeiene. Caffeine can often mask sleep problems. Better to fix those first, and then if you have one bad sleep in ten, or you just need a boost in the morning, sure, why not.
• eqmvii 5y ago
  No way. Up to 400mg per day has great research suggesting it's long term safe with minimal side effects. In that range, it's basically a performance enhancing drug. If it weren't ubiquitous, it would probably be banned from athletic competitions.
• inglor_cz 5y ago
  Drinking only decaf coffee and decaf tea now, as long as I can obtain it. Which means all "normal" days, but there are exceptions for longer distance travel (rare). I was never hooked up on coffeine, so no "cold turkey" withdrawal symptoms. I am six weeks in. I sleep much better and it definitely helps my concentration. Used to be too jittery before.
• shtopointo 5y ago
  Worked for me – less anxiety, better sleep, easier wake up and I feel like I can focus better during the day. Trick for me was to not quit cold turkey, but to slowly decrease the amount of ground coffee I used. The rest was decaf. Did this slowly over 2 weeks and then the week following stuck to decaf only, and then quit.
• dkersten 5y ago
  I've given up coffee on and off, sometimes for many months at a time. I've never had any withdrawal effects, but I've never been completely coffee addicted either. I enjoy the taste and smell of coffee, but I try hard not to rely on caffeine for wakefulness or focus. About three years ago, I also stopped drinking coffee after about 1pm, as it was negatively affecting my sleep (occasionally I will, but in general I don't drink caffeine after that) and typically limit myself to one to two, sometimes three, cups of coffee even before then. Usually its just a single morning ritual cup since I enjoy the flavour and then I tend to drink just water for the rest of the day. My sleep is a lot better. I don't have any magical no coffee effects that some people have reported though, even when I was completely off coffee. I find the best way to avoid tiredness throughout the day and maintain focus is to exercise regularly and have a relatively strict very regular sleep schedule (ie always go to bed at the exact same time), then I don't feel I need coffee and can drink it purely for enjoyment.
• Barrin92 5y ago
  Doesn't really have an impact on me. I drink enough coffee, black and green tea on a daily basis to give a rhino anxiety attacks simply because I enjoy it but when I quit I get maybe some headaches but it doesn't really impact me in any way. Let's be real it's caffeine and not crack, it's not that serious. Quitting caffeine seems like dopamine fasting or one of these other professional class fads that comes up every few months nowadays.
• newbie789 5y ago
• gfody 5y ago
  I've been off and on with coffee for about 30 years, with a tendency to ramp until I'm drinking way too much of it and then have to take a t-break and suffer withdrawals. it's an effective focus enhancer but only if I ramp the dosage. longest time off was about 2 years that coincided with a break from intense problem solving - my natural resistance to intense focus feels fully restored after a couple of months and it's great for my temperament (more aloof, pleasant, not everythings a problem needing to be solved) but as soon as I feel like I need to focus it's coffee time and we're back on.
• shoto_io 5y ago
  I haven’t cut out caffeine but coffee instead. I used to be a “heavy” drinker, 5-6 cups a day. Unfortunately, I started having really bad stomach problems. Constant acid burbs and heartburn so bad I couldn’t sleep some nights. I tried everything. Changed coffee beans, the way I’d make it. Nothing helped. So from one to another I switched to green tea, about a year ago. My Stich ach is great now. No more issues. I do miss the taste of coffee now and then. But overall I’m very happy to have made the switch.
• lab14 5y ago
  I'm 38 and been cycling coffee consumption for the past 4 years. 3 weeks on, 1 week off. Never got to build much tolerance. I like it.
• lm28469 5y ago
  > that the best developers don’t drink coffee If that's the last thing you can think of to improve your skills/life then give it a try, but I doubt that it is a decisive factor. I've been on and off and don't really notice a difference. It's just a nice ritual, as long as you don't abuse it it has very little negative impact
• teen 5y ago
  I stopped drinking for a couple months. It was overall a net downgrade to my life. There is really no downside to caffeine imo once you have a bit of a tolerance, and strong upsides.
  • AmericanChopper 5y ago
    It will raise your blood pressure, so if you’re in the half of adults that have hypertension that could be worth considering.
• awb 5y ago
  Alternative anecdote: I’ve never consumed caffeine intentionally and never had a cup of coffee. I’m very focused and productive by default with pretty consistent energy throughout the day. It’s interesting observing folks who consume caffeine. I notice a frantic burst of energy and lack of presence in social situations (like reading the room or not talking over others) followed by a crash of low energy and sometimes depression, rinse and repeat. I’ve also observed folks who appear to need caffeine to function, to the point where they can’t go on a road trip, or go out for an excursion or have a slow morning at home without bending plans to accommodate some caffeine intake. From an outsiders perspective it’s clear to me that it’s a very intense addiction for some. And I’ve yet to see examples where it felt productive or helpful or fun to be around folks on caffeine while not consuming it myself. Although, I guess that’s probably similar to many substances where it’s not always fun to be sober around those who drink. And if someone had never tried alcohol I’m sure it’s bizarre watching people obsess over it.
  • paulcole 5y ago
    Do you think you’ve ever been around someone while they were on caffeine and not known about it?
    • awb 5y ago
      I’m sure. That’s a good point.
• vymague 5y ago
  I didn't quit caffeine. I still drink tea. But I mostly stopped drinking coffee a while back. A few weeks ago, I tried drinking a cup because I needed to be alert/less sleepy, and I felt like shit. Not sure why, headache, some anxiety, and nausea.
• pens 5y ago
  I'm finally on the path to quitting caffeine entirely. I've cut down to at most a single cup of green tea a day, with plans to stop entirely within a couple of days. Now I'm falling asleep much faster at night, and I am generally awake within 5 minutes of getting out of bed. There have been a ton of positive second order effects as well, like not needing an afternoon nap nor needing to scroll on my phone to fall asleep. As far as your questions go, I feel much better and am finding myself more productive as a whole (for comparison, I was drinking 4 double shot cortados a day back when I worked in the office). I highly recommend trying it for a couple of weeks to see.
• kaycebasques 5y ago
  I am 3 weeks into a month of zero caffeine. It's actually a completely sober month: no alcohol, no weed, no caffeine, etc. I went cold turkey. The first 2-3 days I felt some mental fog and tightness in my head. I helped myself get through that by reminding myself that caffeine constricts bloodflow so what I was feeling was probably the sensation of more blood flowing through my head (which is probably a good thing). The upsides are that I am WAY less anxious and much more calm. Also much less prone to irritable outbursts. My self-control in general is very strong right now, probably because my psyche knows that we are going through a very challenging experience so being controlled in other areas is easier right now. One thing to notice is if any other goals around self-control start slipping while you abstain from caffeine. I.e. you can't have coffee so you start backsliding on other goals as a way to satisfy addictions. For example I practice a vegan diet and one day I caved into my craving for pancake (with eggs). Aside from that I'm hitting more of my daily goals which is why I say that my self-control is higher right now. I'm still thinking about coffee a lot. I miss my morning ritual of going to a coffee shop and reading. Also I just love the taste of a latte. I've been drinking a lot of zero-caffeine tea to substitute my oral fixation habits. Bengal Spice from Celestial Tea is very tasty! I don't notice a huge increase or decrease in energy. I still get tired in the afternoon and I still take naps (I had that habit even while on caffeine). After this experience I will probably set a habitual goal to keep my caffeine intake down to a drink per day or something. I have tried that before and it didn't stick. Suggestions on how to make it stick welcome! Last note: it's satisfying to see the gradual savings of not spending $5 or more per day at a coffee shop!
  • captainredbeard 5y ago
    > caffeine constricts bloodflow It's the opposite: caffeine is a vasodilator so it INCREASES blood flow.
    • pillefitz 5y ago
      I believe that's not correct, cerebral blood flow is reduced 20-30%: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748160/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748160/
• baggsie 5y ago
  For balance I only drink decaf tea and I am a terrible developer.
• timzaman 5y ago
  I take anywhere between 0-10 'shots' per day and it doesnt seem to phase me either way.
• dusted 5y ago
  Last time I tried to quit coffee: First day: Okay Second day: Intense, soul-crushing beating headache, it hurt so much I didn't know what was up and down, my teeth hurt, I was out of commission entirely that day. I have previous experience with pain, if I didn't know the cause of this, I would have sought out medical assistance it was bad. Third day: Headache less intense, still photosensitive, halos, dizzy. Fourth day: Headache almost gone Fifth day: No headache, "oh, that easy?" Sixth day: Pain starts in right leg, mostly in the hip joints. Seventh day: Deep, deep excruciating pain all down the right leg, it was almost unbearable, I was twisting and turning, couldn't lie down, couldn't sit up, walking was kind of okay. Hip pains lasted the better part of a week, it was a hellish week. Then my son was born, leg pain continued, I was useless, lack of sleep made headache return, I had a cup of cofffee, 20 minutes later I remembered how good one could feel. Now I'm back to about 2 cans of 0.5 liter monster energy + 6-10 strong cups of coffee per day. I don't know why this was downvoted, but that's my "before and after" anecdote. I stopped smoking many years ago (daily smokning 20+ cigs/day for multiple years), it was soooooooooo easy compared to this, because while the cravings were harder, they were only cravings combined with brain trying to make excuses, but with caffeine, the amount of physical pain I had to endure was very bad. I might try again some time, if I ever get about a month of time where I can be alone and not have to do anything.
  • daneyh 5y ago
    whoa, that is a lot of caffiene. I'd probably try to taper down over a longer period, maybe 24/36 weeks rather than cold turkey cutting completely....Come up with a plan with glide path down. Cut the monster energy drinks first they are absolutely dreadful for you not just from the caffiene but due to the artifical sweeteners and colours.
• carom 5y ago
  I've cut out a lot of foods permanently. Most notable are caffeine and sugar (sucrose, fructose). It will take a few tries but you're better off without it. Regarding caffeine, I would drink a lot of soda each day, like 4+ Mexican cokes. The first month is terrible. You will have an initial withdrawal, then just be in a slump. I am the type of programmer to work on side projects after work and I couldn't. I decided to give it a month, but was legit considering starting again just because of that. First month mega slump. Second month it's getting better. After that you're no longer dependent. It's amazing how dependent everyone is on it. You hear, oh it doesn't really affect me, I just like the flavor of coffee, but I don't buy it. People are super addicted and coping. Caffeine doesn't give yourl energy, it just takes away the symptoms of your withdrawal. Note, it did not fix my sleep schedule. Bright screens are kinda the last factor I can blame for that so I'm experimenting with eink and reflective lcd screens. You don't need it. Water is the one true beverage. It's amazing how little water most people drink.
  • cwackerfuss 5y ago
    Four Mexican cokes sounds as much like kicking a caffeine habit as it does a pretty bad sugar habit. Good job sticking to it.
    • carom 5y ago
      I continued sugar for a while after that but eventually cut it out.
  • Saris 5y ago
    I wonder how much of that was the sugar too.
  • temp234 5y ago
    Ha cool, I have a similar story to you but for me it was plain coffee not soft drinks, and the sugar I was getting in lots of places in my diet. It sounds like I had fewer withdrawal symptoms but it definitely took a couple months to stop wanting caffeine or sugar. Sleep that I don't sabotage with screens is amazing, it feels like that deep sleep I got when I was a little kid. I think it's definitely the bright lights keeping us awake but also the fact of being mentally active with a task or entertainment. I don't like "winding down" but I'm realizing I need to and probably once I do I'll love winding down and wish I started doing it sooner. If anyone has a wonderful soothing no-looking-at-screens bedtime routine I'd love to hear it I still drink hot cocoa and nice water process decaf, which have some caffeine but don't seem to affect me. I still will eat a couple bites of a special dessert under social pressure
• LAC-Tech 5y ago
  I halved my caffeine intake by drinking instant coffee that was half the strength of my old one. Biggest thing is I fall asleep at night much more easily. However, I'd like to be off it completely. I still have noticable peaks and troughs in my day due to when I drink coffee, and I'd kind like to flatten it out a bit.
  • adamredwoods 5y ago
    I do something similar where I grind my own blend of decaf and full caff coffee beans. This blend is perfect for me, I can drink 2-3 cups slowly before lunch and have no jitters, but just a nice buzz.
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• viraptor 5y ago
  I had to stop drinking coffee for reasons, and my view is that you adapt within few months to the new situation in either way. Basically if you drink coffee regularly you start feeling crap without it, but don't reach significantly more alertness than when you don't drink it at all. If you try it very sporadically though - that gives you some serious kick for a few hours.
• hughrr 5y ago
  Anecdotes it is. Quit caffeine in 2015. I was drinking coffee and red bull constantly. Felt like crap for about two weeks. Measurably no difference other than bank balance. Did a crap action film montage in 2019 and went from lard ass to super fit. Massive positive change in cognitive ability and mental health. Started drinking coffee again in 2021. Absolutely no change other than bank balance. Only difference is I keep it to one in the morning now and occasionally swap it for a hot chocolate if I fancy one. And only for the bank balance. Ergo I suspect the best software developers are the fit and healthy ones.
  • sdze 5y ago
    Chocolate has plenty of caffeine too ;)
• esnowrackley 5y ago
  I started drinking coffee about 14 years ago. It was a great help at the time-- it helped me focus, wake up, and move. The routine in the morning was the perfect way to start my day. I also over relied on caffeine to get me going. I started drinking so much that my stomach would hurt and, after a while, it felt like caffeine was putting me on edge all the time. It stopped being able to help me cope with the stress or enable me to do better work. I quit 6 months ago or so. I tried switching to teas, to supplements, none of it really helped. I moved over to drinking coffee replacements like chicory and dandelion blends because I miss having that taste in the mornings. They really, at best, taste like the cheapest instant coffee you could get, but it's a nice routine to put something in its place. I'm calmer without it, I feel like I can sleep better, and I feel like I'm better at managing stress without it. But, that's really specific to me, I know some incredible developers who drink plenty of caffeine. It's definitely not a deciding factor and it's not something that I think speaks to anyone's character in any particular way.
• helgee 5y ago
  I have quit caffeine twice in the past few years with the longest abstinence being around one year. Before that I was chugging up to four double espressi per day which I replaced with decaf. The inital withdrawal was brutal with migraine-strength heachaches (including feeling very sensitive to light and nausea) on the first day and milder headaches for another week or two. I noticed small improvements to my sleep, e.g., falling asleep a bit faster, but I am a bad sleeper in general and having a newborn child did not help. The biggest benefit was not being dependent on caffeine and not consuming lots of bad coffee as a result (Starbucks et al.). I remember one instance were I was on vacation snowshoeing in the Alps. The cabin were we slept only offered coffee that was absolutely undrinkable and I had a lousy day as a result. Not great... That being said, I am back on caffeine again because I realized that it acts as a mild anti-depressant for me. It seems to have an effect on my dopaminergic system as well and helps me focus and get stuff done. Since I started drinking coffee again, I have not had a day where I do not feel like doing anything (not even goofing off) and get nothing done at all. This happened regularly when I was off caffeine. I manage the negative side effects by not drinking coffee after 2 PM and I limit myself to three cups/espresso shots per day. Seems to work as well.
• trts 5y ago
  I would suggest Michael Pollan's Audible short on caffeine. He summarizes some history about the spread of coffee and coffee bean commerce throughout Europe over several hundred years, as well as his experience giving it up cold turkey for a few months while he wrote the book. Also had some interesting hypotheses about the extent to which the molecule has reshaped societies. My experiments in quitting / reducing caffeine were similar to his, mainly that the benefits of caffeine are probably greater than the costs (depending on the individual). I've reduced my consumption by switching to half decaf and now when I feel like it, I can rekindle that euphoria by opting for a strong espresso drink. I notice more the anxiety that too much caffeine can cause, but I also am more mindful of the simple pleasure that comes with a coffee that I enjoy almost every day. As far as mind altering substances go, coffee may have some of the least guilt or lowest consequences from being enjoyed.
• deleted 5y ago
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• emerged 5y ago
  I seem to operate best with only occasional, moderate caffeine intake. Enough to get strong benefits when I really want them, but not frequent enough to build up dependence and accumulate side effects.
• zorr 5y ago
  I quit caffeine for a few weeks back in 2011 and the only thing I remember was the headaches during the first week. Since then I have been enjoying my daily 2 cups in the morning, and 2 more around lunch time. I just love the taste of coffee in the morning combined with a nice sweet e-cigarette/vape flavour. But lately I've been thinking about quitting caffeine and nicotine for at least a few months to see how it affects me. The last few years have been rough for me personally with anxiety/burnout/insomnia issues and a late ADD/autism diagnosis in my mid-30's, followed by a year of almost daily cannabis use because falling asleep without it seemed nearly impossible. I'm off the cannabis now and on methylphenidate for the ADD and even though the medication improves my ability to focus, I'm beginning to notice that the combination of methylphenidate+caffeine+nicotine is horrible for my body and mind. Seemingly random I have sudden flashes of sweating, elevated heart rate, elevated blood pressure and falling asleep at night is still an issue. Maybe reading this HN thread is the trigger I needed to try once more to get rid off the caffeine and nicotine. I'm not looking forward to the withdrawal headaches and likely even worse insomnia for a while.
• mbroshi 5y ago
  This is something I have thought about a lot. I have had coffee daily, gone months without any caffeine, and currently average about one cup of coffee every week or two. I think the best approach is experimental and data-driven. Everyone has different genes, life circumstances, sleep quality, etc., so it's hard to deduce too much from others' anecdotes. Once a week, I do a version of the Beck Depression Inventory[0] to measure my mood over the previous week. For me, daily coffee definitely causes me to be slightly depressed. I have found a cup when I really need it (which is about once every week or two) is ideal. But, whatever it is you want to optimize for (lines of code, happiness, sleep quality, etc.), make sure you are measuring, and then start experimenting! [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beck_Depression_Inventory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beck_Depression_Inventory
• stunt 5y ago
  I stopped consuming caffeine almost two years ago. My wife became pregnant and stopped drinking caffeinated beverages throughout her pregnancy, and this continued during breastfeeding. The first few months were kind of annoying to feel drowsy in the afternoon. I definitely feel I have more energy than before. But, I also became a father and I have a new source of energy in my life. So it's hard for me to confirm whether it's all due to caffeine or not. My creativity and problem solving have noticeably increased and I really feel like I'm back in my 20s. But again, to be honest, I do not know if this is because of the new love of my life or the decaffeinated life. I'm certainly busier at home, I probably sleep less than before, and I have a lot of new responsibilities as a dad, but surprisingly my output at work is significantly better than my peers and myself two years ago.
• Jemaclus 5y ago
  Background: I used to drink 5-6 cans of soda per day for years. I put on a bunch of weight without even noticing it. I wound up switching to diet soda, and the weight came off, but I kept the caffeine up. I have been a professional software engineer for 16 years, and I'm currently a Director-level at a mid-sized company. Around mid 2019, I noticed some bad qualities in myself: short temper, excessive frustration, losing sleep. I would blow up at a little thing, and then later wonder why I had been so upset about it. I carried this low-level anxiety all the time, and I was trigger-happy when it came to arguments or conflict. And I HATE arguing. Nobody said anything to me about my behavior, but over time I noticed myself exhibiting qualities and traits of people that I don't like very much. I want to like myself! And so I made a decision to take some steps to be a better person. One of my hypotheses about why I was so anxious and on the edge all the time was that I was drinking too much caffeine. I had other hypotheses, too, but I decided to try this one since it was a relatively easy thing to do. So I quit. Cold turkey. The first week was hell. Headaches, trouble sleeping, craving a drink. But after that, I was fine, and I don't miss it at all. I'll occasionally indulge in a caffeinated beverage if I'm at out to dinner or for special occasions, but 99% of what I drink these days is caffeine-free. I keep a daily journal. I track my habits and moods, such as whether I'm happy, sad, tired, angry, frustrated, as well as whether I exercised or had sex or hung out with friends or called my parents or how many hours of sleep I got. I've been doing this for a long, long time, and it's one of the reasons I was able to identify the patterns of undesirable traits that prompted me to drop caffeine in the first place. There's a very clear shift in my behavior, habits, and moods from March 17, 2019, the day I quit caffeine, up until now. I am calmer. I lose my temper a lot less than I used to. I'm more able to stop myself when I see the signs of anger coming on. I can distance myself from work and remind myself it's just a job. I sleep like a rock. My wife and I get into fewer arguments. I exercise more. In short, I find it easier to relax. If you were to describe my happiness range from a 0 (miserable) to 10 (perfect), I was hovering somewhere around the 3-4 mark before, and now I'm consistently in the 5-6 mark. Quitting caffeine was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It didn't fix everything. I still have problems, like anyone else. But a lot of the tiny things, the details that matter in my overall quality of life? Those things are better. And I'm less likely to lose my job due to getting frustrated and blowing my top at work, which is a nice perk. My bosses have observed the shift in my behavior, and it's gratifying to hear that.
• gopherhunter 5y ago
  I spent several years using caffeine as a way to squeeze more hours out of my day. Typical week I’d spend four nights staying up until 2am getting focused time to solve problems and code. The sleep deprivation was starting to impact my physical health so I cut the caffeine out a year ago, and now it’s difficult for me to pull more than one late night a week. The sleep benefits have been great, and in that time period I moved into a chief engineer role with a lot of travel and customer interactions and less straight technical work. Overall I have higher quality output despite fewer hours of focus time, might be a different story if I was still needing to produce the same quantity of code. I find coding tends to have a dopamine effect and keeps my brain engaged well into the night, but other activities rely on more rest to accomplish the attention to detail required.
• taigi100 5y ago
  I had to quit coffee last year. Bad headaches the first 3 days, got back to normal after about a week. One of the interesting effects I noticed, is that my energy levels are more constant. No more highs, no more lows. Also, and this might be significant, my anxiety levels decreased significantly (I'd often get a mini panic attack if I drank a bit too much coffee, which happened every few days). The thing about constant energy levels happens with sugar as well. This allows me to have around double to time I had before of productivity. In the past, I wasted a lot of time being tired because of the "lows" of coffee / sugar, and the energy during the highs was way more than required for my daily tasks. Having a moderate level of energy, but constant, helps me be constant in the long run and able to have a couple more hours of good work per day. Also, life with less anxiety and stress is awesome lol. Also, some slight money savings since I liked quality coffee. However, I didn't notice a relationship between development skills and coffee. Maybe that some smarter people around are usually more health conscious.
• greatatuin 5y ago
  For years I was pretty sluggish in the morning and not at my best until had at least two cups of coffee. Then I'd later crash in the evening. After eventually quitting caffeine I realised that all those years of energy levels going up and down during the day was caused by the caffeine itself rather than it being the saviour. Energy levels much more consistent throughout the day without it. I do miss the routine though and drinking decaf does feel a bit silly.
• tpoacher 5y ago
  I quit coffee once. ... worst 3 hours of my life.
• Bradlinc 5y ago
  Coffee increases my anxiety and anger but I love the taste and the ritual. I have quit multiple times only to come back after a couple of months. This usually occurs because I drink too much alcohol one night and need a pickup in the morning. In the last couple of years my alcohol consumption has gone down to next to nothing and three months ago I quit coffee again (hopefully for the last time). If I go cold turkey I get severe migraines for several days. To avoid the migraines I go from regular coffee, to de caffeinated coffee, to tea, to a root tea. Currently, I am trying to avoid a hot drink in the mornings. I have been successful for a week now but miss the ritual.
• sdze 5y ago
  I simply can't quit. The withdrawal is too strong for me (and I seem to be too weak). Currently I am on a very soft weaning protocol. Difficult is it to establish baseline what the intake is currently.
• senectus1 5y ago
  after a few weeks you wont notice a difference. what you WILL miss though, is you can no longer push yourself when you need it by using caffeine as a crutch, and you will miss the "buzz" feeling. I go cold turkey on caffeine regularly for months at a time. then after my body has reset I slowly let it back in by drinking tea. (best time to quit is when you're sick with the flu or a cold, then you don't really notice that you're having withdrawal symptoms and its useful to tell yourself you feel shit because of the flu/cold..)
• gnutrino 5y ago
  In the past I use to drink a lot of coffee, maybe 5 cups or so a day. It didn’t use to impact me negatively, as it was ok for me to stay up late and burn the midnight oil. Now that im in my mid thirties, it finally caught up with me. Now with kids I need to be asleep by 10:30 pm and I had terrible insomnia. Also my energy levels were all over the place and I would feel depressed at times. I cut out caffeine for the most part, and only drink one or two cups on the weekends, or vacation. My energy levels are way more consistent, I can sleep soundly at night, and my mood is way more mellow and I feel overall happier.
• pengo 5y ago
  I had a bad dose of the 'flu in 2005. I could keep hydrated, but not tolerate much else. By day three I had the headache from hell, and eventually figured out it was caffeine withdrawal. I decided I didn't want to be functionally dependent on daily doses of caffeine and gave coffee and black tea away completely (I've never been one for caffeinated soft drinks). Since then I drink green, white and herbal teas, and an occasional decaf because I do love the flavour and aroma. For me there's been no downside to stopping caffeine.
• bradlys 5y ago
  Drank diet soda for a decade or more. Always had insomnia. Troubles with getting to sleep. Troubles staying asleep. Trouble waking up and getting out of bed. Drink caffeine free now. It's easier to get out of bed now.
• garren 5y ago
  I’ve worked with good developers that drank coffee, and others that didn’t. I’ve not seen a trend one way or the other. Personally, I stopped drinking coffee for around 9mos while wrestling with insomnia. The insomnia I knew was stress related, but I assumed caffeine was a significant factor based on anecdotes like many of those found here. Diet, exercise, and teaching myself to better deal with stress seemed to take care of the insomnia (which lasted well after I stopped drinking coffee.) I didn’t notice any change in problem solving, creativity, etc., and ultimately I went back to drinking it. Like others here, I enjoy the taste and the ritual. If anything, I saw a productivity boost when I started drinking it again. I drink less caffeinated coffee these days though. It turns out that a lot of caffeine can be bad for retinal health, so if you’re very near-sighted or far-sighted, definitely consider dialing the caffeine back a bit if you drink a lot.
• t0bia_s 5y ago
  What about drinking coffee because of taste, not because of coffeine? Then you are pay more attention to quality, not quantity and addiction could be expensive. I personally drink one cup of filtred (V60) coffee roasted in our local roastery and grounded right before preparing.
• thunkshift1 5y ago
  Theres a suspicious amount of ‘no difference’ and ‘started drinking again’ in this thread, almost as if there was a suggestion that its inconsequential and not to be made a big deal about.
• austinjp 5y ago
  Several years ago, I decided to quit coffee as an experiment. This was provoked by hearing from various people that they'd quit and felt better, in particular that they no longer experienced sluggishness in the mornings. I was drinking the equivalent of maybe 3 or 4 double espressos per day, and nothing else containing caffeine, no tea, no soda. So, I quit. Maybe a mild headache for a day, and feeling a pang of regret first thing in the morning. But that passed, and I stuck with it for several months without any issues and without difficulty. Maybe 6 months, I can't recall now. Perhaps the peaks and troughs in my energy levels flattened out a little, but it was so insignificant that I didn't feel any benefit. Then one day, I thought I'd try a coffee again. Why not? So I ordered one at a café one morning on my way into work. After a few sips I felt what I can only describe as joy. I immediately wondered why the hell had I been denying myself this wonderful experience. I'll never quit again. As for anxiety, yes, drinking excess coffee can increase anxiety levels for me. I remedy that by mixing decaf (oh the horror) and caffeinated coffee if I want to keep drinking but I'm wary of the jitters. I brew fresh coffee in a mucha and I mix 1 scoop each of ground caf+decaf coffee. Taste is affected, but it's still pretty good.
• matttproud 5y ago
  I gave up caffeine in September, 2021. I was drinking typically two cups a day of filter coffee — sometimes more. Withdrawal lasted two weeks. Some of the worst headaches of my life that later transitioned into overall body pains, but that passed eventually. There was a psychological component to withdrawal, but it was nowhere as bad as when I gave up cigarettes a long time ago. In my steady state today, I notice these differences being off caffeine: 1. easier time staying asleep and general better rested 2. easier to fall asleep 3. outside of age and health, I feel in someways body-wise as I did in my teens with less variability between high days and low days in terms of feeling of wellbeing 4. less trash and mess in the kitchen to clean up 5. less staining of the teeth (FWIW, my dentist said to me a month ago, "I don't tell this to patients very often, but you don't need to do anything differently in how you're caring for your teeth. Your teeth are the best they can be for your age.") 6. less likely to just load up on caffeine to push through some drudgerous project as an all-day thing 7. in the TMI space, but there's never a sense of bowel urgency What's not different: 1. work performance (so far as I can tell)
• widea 5y ago
  On holiday I stopped drinking coffee. Then for about one week the muscles in my back hurt so much I could not sleep without pain killers. After that week, no problem anymore. This is repeatable, every holiday same symptom. B.t.w. drinking just one cup of coffee per day breaks this symptom almost immediately. And drinking tea does not help at all. Maybe I should add I drink coffee since very young.
• seba_dos1 5y ago
  There's an over representation of people with ADHD in IT, and caffeine may act in a completely different way for them, so be aware that some anecdotes may not be useful for you at all.
• csomar 5y ago
  Anecdotes are hardly useful in this one. Your reaction to Nicotine/Caffeine is probably unique. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_dependence#Psychological_dependence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_dependence#Psycholog... Dependence on substances is really complex. Environment, genetic and your current situation matters a lot (unless you are taking Heroin, I guess). Personally: I drink 4/6 coffees per day. Hardly any difference if I didn't drink. I usually drink coffee right before going to sleep too. For some people, it seems that coffee messes with their sleep cycle. For me, excess coffee gives me skin rashes.
• wnscooke 5y ago
  After one particularly stressful period of life I started having bloody stool (TMI, sorry). Bright red and scary looking. I went to the doctor, had lots of tests... no results. It wasn't cancer. Nothing odd physically. Diet was examined but nothing stood out. Then, it would stop. I didn't think much of it. But, over the next several years the bright red stool would start up again for a few days. I started paying attention. I narrowed it down to being overseas for a lengthy period of time, and then returning to North American and drinking a dark coffee from Starbucks. So, I would abstain for a few weeks, then have a dark, or a bold, black coffee. Within 12 hours, bright red stool. I would stop and it would go away. Since then (I'm talking a 12 year period) I've narrowed it down to almost any coffee, except Ethiopian, producing what I can only call an allergic reaction in my intestines. The regular tests have never shown an allergy though. Weird hey. But if I go drink a tall bold black brew right now, but tomorrow morning I can guarantee I'll have bloody red stool. I still drink 2-7 cups of Ethopian a days though. No problems.
• ceasesurthinko 5y ago
  Withdrawals are easily dealt with by taking tapering doses of Excedrin (65mg caffeine) for a few days after you quit. It's too easy.
• guilhas 5y ago
  I did stop drinking for a month several times and definitely sleep better I can always sleep anyway, but I feel like going to bed sooner, sleep well, and wake up earlier with less difficulty Although like many said can't do without the hot bitter drink to start the day. So I still drink coffee similar alternatives without caffeine: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=barley+chicory+ground https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=barley+chicory+ground
• jagger1345 5y ago
  300mg is my sweet spot. At 400mg even if I have it all early in the AM it somehow still affects my sleep. 300mg and I can sleep fine.
• euroderf 5y ago
  Two data points. Trying to quit caffeine in my 30s always led to splitting headaches; no headaches at all in my 50s and 60s. And, FWIW, drinking filter coffee in the morning on an empty stomach is always a disaster, but espresso (with steamed milk) on an empty stomach goes down just fine without tummy troubles.