The Day I Accidentally Quit Caffeine

Last summer I quit drinking coffee.  I was drinking way too much of it and it was physically making me sick even while I was utterly addicted to it.  It was giving me crippling anxiety and then it began to make me physically sick.  So I went through two weeks of pretty awful withdrawal, pounded Advil like they were lifesavers, and somehow survived it.  After the withdrawal period was over, I felt terrific.  I even changed my Twitter handle at that time from "Double Latte Mama" – which seemed quite irrelevant – to my actual name.

I went cold turkey with no caffeine at all for awhile and then allowed myself to try tea.  I adore tea almost as much as coffee and I found that I could tolerate it, so I settled into my routine of having one cup of tea in the morning and maybe another in the afternoon.  I've been in this routine for nearly a year now.  That small amount of caffeine didn't seem to bother me and it helped perk me up a bit in the morning, so I just went with it.

This past weekend I got sick.  Not badly sick, but I frequently go through bouts of sinus infection or bronchitis and this seemed like another one.  I got my tell-tale "gosh, i'm getting really sick" headache and took advantage of my husband being home for the weekend to head to the urgent care (our new doctor of choice – no appointment necessary).  He inspected my ears, nose and throat and listened to my lungs and confirmed my suspicions – I was in the early stages of some sort of sickness.  So, I started an antibiotic and took some Advil and felt better almost immediately.

This past Tuesday morning I was in the midst of eating my breakfast when I glanced down at my teabag next to my mug and I nearly fainted when I saw that it said "decaffeinated."  Suddenly it all made sense.  I probably was getting sick, but the headache was no ordinary "gosh, i'm getting really sick" headache.  It was a caffeine withdrawal headache from inadvertently having decaf tea in the mornings.  A couple of afternoons I had an iced tea and between that and the Advil, I didn't have the awful headache all the time.

So, I calmly squared my shoulders, finished my breakfast, and took some Advil.  That was how I decided that if I had already survived several days of withdrawal, why not just go all the way with it?  So now it's Friday and the headaches have truly subsided and I'm definitely seeing a difference.  Not as dramatic as I did last summer, mind you, but still a difference.  I wake up a bit clearer-headed.  I am less drowsy throughout the day.  I don't feel that automatic tendency to reach for a beverage to make me feel better.

I've invested in more decaf tea and I'm also enjoying having herbal teas in the morning as well.  I don't know if everybody would enjoy the same kind of benefits I have with being caffeine-free, but I will say that I highly recommend it, especially if you suffer from any anxiety or you feel like you use coffee as a crutch to make it through the day.  Just say "pass the decaf (and the Advil), please."