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Has anyone else developed caffeine addiction from a daily coffee habit? I used to drink one cup in the morning every day. However, after a couple years of this

Has anyone else developed caffeine addiction from a daily coffee habit? I used to drink one cup in the morning every day. However, after a couple years of this, I started experiencing lethargy and mood depression which would both be temporarily alleviated with the morning coffee. Then my girlfriend at the time surreptitiously replaced my coffee grinds with decaffeinated ones. After a week of headaches and cold-like symptoms, I returned to "baseline normal". These days I cannot have even small amounts of caffeine without the next day turning into a blur of mental fog and apathy. Am I just extraordinarily sensitive, or is this a thing?

CoastalCoder 5y ago
This is a very common issue for working-age adults.
maxlamb 5y ago
Yep that’s classic caffeine withdrawal symptoms for you. At least going from one coffee to zero is not too bad, some people who try to go from 5-6 cups/daily to zero will have a much harder time
jostmey 5y ago
I would not tolerate someone switching my drink on me without my permission
na85 5y ago
I'm fairly certain that caffeine addiction is quite common in North America at least. I myself develop debilitating headaches if I don't have my first coffee by 8:30 or so. I usually require a second around noon. I have young kids so sometimes you just gotta have that third cup, ya know? I have a little bialetti stovetop coffee maker. It's not quite espresso but it's thick and strong, just how I like my legal addictive stimulants.
rthomas6 5y ago
I am in the midst of caffeine dependence, and have been for years. I don't feel bad the next day though, I just need my morning coffee to feel functional. And an afternoon coffee. I am slowly reducing the caffeine by switching out the afternoon coffee with two cups, and now one cup of tea. Even that is not easy. When I tried to quit cold turkey, I lasted about a week, and the depression part of the withdrawal symptoms were just too much for me. I felt terrible every day, and it didn't seem to be easing up when I gave up after a week.
- robocat 5y ago
  I quit without side effects by substituting caffeine pills, and reducing dosage slowly over a few weeks until taking a sliver of a pill. Previous comments for more detail: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=ROBOCAT%20caffeine%20&sort=byPopularity&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
2143 5y ago
Over here in Asia there's no distinction between caffeinated coffee and decaf. Even though coffee is something that naturally grows over here. Despite that, people just but coffee powder off the shelf and use that. There's no specific marking on the packet about the caffeinated/decaf bit. Now, I attended college in America where decaf and caffeinated coffee is clearly marked everywhere. I didn't notice anything particularly different at first. Eventually, I had this boring mandatory lecture in the afternoon, and to prevent myself from falling asleep, I always took a flask full of caffeinated coffee (about 3 cups) and drank it during the lecture. A few months later, the class got more interesting, and I decided to stop drinking coffee. I started having severe headaches every evening, and I didn't even realise the cause. One fine day I randomly drank coffee in the evening, and the headache was gone within 30 minutes! I was addicted to coffee! I tried slowly reducing the quantity of coffee I drank every evening, but it just wouldn't work. Every evening I would have the headache unless I drank a flask full of coffee. How did I get rid of the addiction? A few months later I travelled back to Asia. The 28-hour connecting flights combination (one of which was a 16-hour nonstop run), combined with the fact that my Asia timezone was 13 hours ahead US timezone ensured that my body clock got reset and I no longer had the headaches in the evenings. I might have had headaches at night, which I probably slept through.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  As I get older, 9 hour time differences that I experience on trans pacific flights (eg between Beijing and Seattle) always result in a jet lag headache the following day, I take some ibuprofen and it all works out. I can’t imagine doing that between South Asia which is basically opposite of the USA in terms of time.
  - 2143 5y ago
    The first couple of days can be weird, but then you'll get adjusted to it.
    - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
      It was easier when I was younger. Now it is harder to adjust, but that shouldn't be a surprise I think.
crossroadsguy 5y ago
If I have coffee after 3-4pm I can’t bloody sleep until 2-3am. So it’s definitely a thing. What I’m trying to say is coffee does shit to your body. In my case it has happened so time that I know for sure now and sometimes actually use it - usually during long motorcycle rides (I tend to fall asleep pillion Or otherwise) :) Fortunately I do not have daily tea or coffee habit. I consume them once in a while purely for taste in restaurants and cafes if they’re known for serving a good brew. I know people who bring coffee in their lives explicitly. Buying those costly equipments, those branded beans. Feels like cigarette and liquor to me - developing a taste, forcefully.
vidyesh 5y ago
Coffee is a drug and that addiction is real. It's still debatable, but the symptoms of coffee withdrawal are a good indication of that. That being said, it also really depends on your daily coffee consumption. If your coffee dependency is very high and spread throughout the day it will affect your sleep, cause morning fog and lethargic feeling as your body is sleeping, but your brain is not getting a good night's rest and the withdrawal will be a difficult too. There was a small research done which determined how to maximize the benefit of coffee drinking by drinking it in small amount but changing the time when you drink coffee. Morning coffee is a bad habit as your cortisol levels are high, and you should drink coffee when that level drops. So between 10am - 1pm is a good time to drink your first and only cup of coffee as it stays in your system for 8-10hours, so you should adjust that timing based on the time you go to sleep. And to make the most of it, you should drink as much as you want, 2-3cups in that window. I was a morning and evening coffee guy, but I now drink between 11am-1pm, the first few days I had severe headaches by 10-11am because of the delayed coffee kick, but later it tapered out. Now I do have a coffee dependency so if I don't drink coffee I do get headaches but since that window has shifted my headaches don't start before late evening which can be managed with a short walk and trying to sleep early. Which I think is healthier than having the day ruined.
- dwd 5y ago
  A recent Huberman podcast with Matt Walker covered a few good strategies for coffee consumption. I think it was that podcast where it was suggested you should start your day with a dose of morning sunlight (dropping your cortisol levels); have your first coffee around mid-morning and your last sometime around midday. The 8-10 hours you mention is actually the half-life of caffeine for the average person - the point where the level in your system has dropped 50%. I would also debate whether caffeine/coffee consumption should be classified as an addiction, simply from the fact that it is not necessarily self-destructive and doesn't cause long-term harm or permanent changes to the brain.
  - mcculley 5y ago
    For most people, me included, the minimum dose of caffeine to achieve the same effect continues to increase. That is what I consider addictive and why I quit.
Rury 5y ago
>Am I just extraordinarily sensitive, or is this a thing? Not just you. I get micro seizures accompanied with vision distortions, a killer headache, and often vomit 24-36 hours after last having caffeine. I take this to be a migraine. Even as little as 3 fluid ounces of coca-cola has enough caffeine to do it. Never was a heavy consumer of caffeinated beverages.
brailsafe 5y ago
I'm practically certain that's a common experience, but I never have. It doesn't really help me wake up in a functional way, most of the time, and it doesn't terribly impair my sleep aside from making me sweat like crazy. I usually wake up super early, and then wait a bit before making coffee, so it's more of a morning ritual and less of a morning dependance. If I'm actually tired, there's basically nothing I can do to stay awake.
stjohnswarts 5y ago
I think most people that regularly drink coffee, tea, soda have a caffiene addiction. Parting ways with it often induces pretty hefty headaches for a while and people are best served by weaning them selves off of it. 3 cups a day -> 2cups a day for week or two -> 1 cup a day for a week or two -> cup of tea -> 1 gallon water a day.
jasfi 5y ago
Besides caffeine addiction, caffeine raises stress levels, which in turn is bad for your mental health. I mainly drink green tea, but I do like a moderate amount of dark chocolate at times.
rnjesus 5y ago
according to wikipedia, coffee contains MAOIs, which i imagine are not the kind of drug you can just stop talking suddenly. it’d be interesting if a pharmacist could chime in with their thoughts on this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee#Pharmacology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee#Pharmacology
Tagbert 5y ago
Perhaps I’m just insensitive to it, but I’m never felt any “addiction” effects. I generally don’t drink coffer or tea on the weekends, never noticed any headaches. Never get jitters from drinking coffee or fog on non-coffee days. I don’t think that everyone has this kind of reaction.

CoastalCoder 5y ago

This is a very common issue for working-age adults.

maxlamb 5y ago

Yep that’s classic caffeine withdrawal symptoms for you. At least going from one coffee to zero is not too bad, some people who try to go from 5-6 cups/daily to zero will have a much harder time

jostmey 5y ago

I would not tolerate someone switching my drink on me without my permission

na85 5y ago

I'm fairly certain that caffeine addiction is quite common in North America at least. I myself develop debilitating headaches if I don't have my first coffee by 8:30 or so. I usually require a second around noon. I have young kids so sometimes you just gotta have that third cup, ya know? I have a little bialetti stovetop coffee maker. It's not quite espresso but it's thick and strong, just how I like my legal addictive stimulants.

rthomas6 5y ago

I am in the midst of caffeine dependence, and have been for years. I don't feel bad the next day though, I just need my morning coffee to feel functional. And an afternoon coffee. I am slowly reducing the caffeine by switching out the afternoon coffee with two cups, and now one cup of tea. Even that is not easy. When I tried to quit cold turkey, I lasted about a week, and the depression part of the withdrawal symptoms were just too much for me. I felt terrible every day, and it didn't seem to be easing up when I gave up after a week.

robocat 5y ago
I quit without side effects by substituting caffeine pills, and reducing dosage slowly over a few weeks until taking a sliver of a pill. Previous comments for more detail: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=ROBOCAT%20caffeine%20&sort=byPopularity&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

2143 5y ago

Over here in Asia there's no distinction between caffeinated coffee and decaf. Even though coffee is something that naturally grows over here. Despite that, people just but coffee powder off the shelf and use that. There's no specific marking on the packet about the caffeinated/decaf bit. Now, I attended college in America where decaf and caffeinated coffee is clearly marked everywhere. I didn't notice anything particularly different at first. Eventually, I had this boring mandatory lecture in the afternoon, and to prevent myself from falling asleep, I always took a flask full of caffeinated coffee (about 3 cups) and drank it during the lecture. A few months later, the class got more interesting, and I decided to stop drinking coffee. I started having severe headaches every evening, and I didn't even realise the cause. One fine day I randomly drank coffee in the evening, and the headache was gone within 30 minutes! I was addicted to coffee! I tried slowly reducing the quantity of coffee I drank every evening, but it just wouldn't work. Every evening I would have the headache unless I drank a flask full of coffee. How did I get rid of the addiction? A few months later I travelled back to Asia. The 28-hour connecting flights combination (one of which was a 16-hour nonstop run), combined with the fact that my Asia timezone was 13 hours ahead US timezone ensured that my body clock got reset and I no longer had the headaches in the evenings. I might have had headaches at night, which I probably slept through.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago
As I get older, 9 hour time differences that I experience on trans pacific flights (eg between Beijing and Seattle) always result in a jet lag headache the following day, I take some ibuprofen and it all works out. I can’t imagine doing that between South Asia which is basically opposite of the USA in terms of time.
- 2143 5y ago
  The first couple of days can be weird, but then you'll get adjusted to it.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    It was easier when I was younger. Now it is harder to adjust, but that shouldn't be a surprise I think.

crossroadsguy 5y ago

If I have coffee after 3-4pm I can’t bloody sleep until 2-3am. So it’s definitely a thing. What I’m trying to say is coffee does shit to your body. In my case it has happened so time that I know for sure now and sometimes actually use it - usually during long motorcycle rides (I tend to fall asleep pillion Or otherwise) :) Fortunately I do not have daily tea or coffee habit. I consume them once in a while purely for taste in restaurants and cafes if they’re known for serving a good brew. I know people who bring coffee in their lives explicitly. Buying those costly equipments, those branded beans. Feels like cigarette and liquor to me - developing a taste, forcefully.

vidyesh 5y ago

Coffee is a drug and that addiction is real. It's still debatable, but the symptoms of coffee withdrawal are a good indication of that. That being said, it also really depends on your daily coffee consumption. If your coffee dependency is very high and spread throughout the day it will affect your sleep, cause morning fog and lethargic feeling as your body is sleeping, but your brain is not getting a good night's rest and the withdrawal will be a difficult too. There was a small research done which determined how to maximize the benefit of coffee drinking by drinking it in small amount but changing the time when you drink coffee. Morning coffee is a bad habit as your cortisol levels are high, and you should drink coffee when that level drops. So between 10am - 1pm is a good time to drink your first and only cup of coffee as it stays in your system for 8-10hours, so you should adjust that timing based on the time you go to sleep. And to make the most of it, you should drink as much as you want, 2-3cups in that window. I was a morning and evening coffee guy, but I now drink between 11am-1pm, the first few days I had severe headaches by 10-11am because of the delayed coffee kick, but later it tapered out. Now I do have a coffee dependency so if I don't drink coffee I do get headaches but since that window has shifted my headaches don't start before late evening which can be managed with a short walk and trying to sleep early. Which I think is healthier than having the day ruined.

dwd 5y ago
A recent Huberman podcast with Matt Walker covered a few good strategies for coffee consumption. I think it was that podcast where it was suggested you should start your day with a dose of morning sunlight (dropping your cortisol levels); have your first coffee around mid-morning and your last sometime around midday. The 8-10 hours you mention is actually the half-life of caffeine for the average person - the point where the level in your system has dropped 50%. I would also debate whether caffeine/coffee consumption should be classified as an addiction, simply from the fact that it is not necessarily self-destructive and doesn't cause long-term harm or permanent changes to the brain.
- mcculley 5y ago
  For most people, me included, the minimum dose of caffeine to achieve the same effect continues to increase. That is what I consider addictive and why I quit.

Rury 5y ago

>Am I just extraordinarily sensitive, or is this a thing? Not just you. I get micro seizures accompanied with vision distortions, a killer headache, and often vomit 24-36 hours after last having caffeine. I take this to be a migraine. Even as little as 3 fluid ounces of coca-cola has enough caffeine to do it. Never was a heavy consumer of caffeinated beverages.

brailsafe 5y ago

I'm practically certain that's a common experience, but I never have. It doesn't really help me wake up in a functional way, most of the time, and it doesn't terribly impair my sleep aside from making me sweat like crazy. I usually wake up super early, and then wait a bit before making coffee, so it's more of a morning ritual and less of a morning dependance. If I'm actually tired, there's basically nothing I can do to stay awake.

stjohnswarts 5y ago

I think most people that regularly drink coffee, tea, soda have a caffiene addiction. Parting ways with it often induces pretty hefty headaches for a while and people are best served by weaning them selves off of it. 3 cups a day -> 2cups a day for week or two -> 1 cup a day for a week or two -> cup of tea -> 1 gallon water a day.

jasfi 5y ago

Besides caffeine addiction, caffeine raises stress levels, which in turn is bad for your mental health. I mainly drink green tea, but I do like a moderate amount of dark chocolate at times.

rnjesus 5y ago

according to wikipedia, coffee contains MAOIs, which i imagine are not the kind of drug you can just stop talking suddenly. it’d be interesting if a pharmacist could chime in with their thoughts on this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee#Pharmacology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee#Pharmacology

Tagbert 5y ago

Perhaps I’m just insensitive to it, but I’m never felt any “addiction” effects. I generally don’t drink coffer or tea on the weekends, never noticed any headaches. Never get jitters from drinking coffee or fog on non-coffee days. I don’t think that everyone has this kind of reaction.