Caffeine withdrawal headaches.....

[pixiedustedme]

Yep, I don't understand the whole headache thing either. I cold turkey quit caffeine 20 years ago. Never had an issue, and don't miss it.

I think it's very personal, with some individuals more prone to withdrawal headaches than others.

 

[DisneyOma]

why would I stop caffeine, why not stop breathing

Well, the caffeine could help you do the second part...

Caffeine is a drug, and while it has mostly mild effects on the body and brain, it does alter levels of neurotransmitters.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I feel like this can depend on how much one is drinking in terms of caffeine a day. Ease yourself off it over time if you believe you consume a significant amount of caffeine a day. Hydration is likely going to help you out more than just taking pain medication.

Caffeine itself can affect each person differently and so can withdrawl too.

 

[Kitty 34]

Yep, I don't understand the whole headache thing either. I cold turkey quit caffeine 20 years ago. Never had an issue, and don't miss it.

Lucky you!!

 

[Jennasis]

I quit Diet Coke cold turkey 14 years ago and it triggered chronic daily headaches that would not stop no matter what I did...FOR CLOSE TO A YEAR.

I finally had to see a neurologist. We tried many different meds. It was the drug keppra that finally saved me.

 

[mom2rtk]

Why would you quit cold turkey? You needed to wean off gradually.

 

[ronandannette]

I quit Diet Coke cold turkey 14 years ago and it triggered chronic daily headaches that would not stop no matter what I did...FOR CLOSE TO A YEAR.

I finally had to see a neurologist. We tried many different meds. It was the drug keppra that finally saved me.

That's a lot to put up with. What was the motivation to go through such suffering just to be caffeine free? I know wouldn't have been able to tough it out without a very significant reason.

 

[fla4fun]

I try to limit my caffeine intake to one or two drinks in the morning on work days only. When you’re only getting four hours sleep, something has to give. On my days off I get more sleep and drink water. I don’t have issues with caffeine headaches.

My sister gets migraines occasionally and she uses caffeine to help with the pain. She does not drink caffeine any other time, and the caffeine does help her. She drinks one of those little mini cans of regular Coke, which I think are 7 or 8 ounces.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Haven’t read all the responses, but have you considered weaning off of it rather than quitting cold turkey?

Look at it like medications. There are some you can just stop, and others you need to wean yourself off of by tapering down doses. Caffeine might be like that for you.

 

[Magical2017]

Why would you quit cold turkey? You needed to wean off gradually.

That does not work for everyone.
Eta that my response sounds snarky. I should add that I personally lacked the willpower to wean myself off, but that probably works for a lot of people. My DC habit was really bad. I am embarrassed to say how much I consumed in a day.

 

[Jennasis]

That's a lot to put up with. What was the motivation to go through such suffering just to be caffeine free? I know wouldn't have been able to tough it out without a very significant reason.

DH and I had just gotten engaged and I wanted to try to lose weight for the wedding 4 months away. I didn't know it was due to withdrawal until a few days before the wedding. I had an MRI to look for brain tumors. The doc was stumped and as I sat on the exam table in tears he again said kind of jokingly "you SURE you didn't quit smoking or drinking coffee??" I threw up my hands and said "no!! I've never smoked or had a cup of coffee in my life!!"...then I paused and said "wait...does diet coke count?" His jaw hit the ground.

 

[ronandannette]

DH and I had just gotten engaged and I wanted to try to lose weight for the wedding 4 months away. I didn't know it was due to withdrawal until a few days before the wedding. I had an MRI to look for brain tumors. The doc was stumped and as I sat on the exam table in tears he again said kind of jokingly "you SURE you didn't quit smoking or drinking coffee??" I threw up my hands and said "no!! I've never smoked or had a cup of coffee in my life!!"...then I paused and said "wait...does diet coke count?" His jaw hit the ground.

Did you consider "medicating" with an alternate form of caffeine after it dawned on you? I know a few people who take various migraine meds (including botox) and caffeine seems pretty innocuous by comparison. (I'm not giving you advice or criticizing you here - just curious about the situation.)

 

[DisneyOma]

That's a lot to put up with. What was the motivation to go through such suffering just to be caffeine free? I know wouldn't have been able to tough it out without a very significant reason.

"just to be caffeine free" - for medical reasons, perhaps? Or to be healthier? It can alter neurotransmitters, and affect heart rate and rhythm. If it causes headaches if you don't have it, that's a sign that it's a problem.

 

[ronandannette]

"just to be caffeine free" - for medical reasons, perhaps? Or to be healthier? It can alter neurotransmitters, and affect heart rate and rhythm. If it causes headaches if you don't have it, that's a sign that it's a problem.

I get caffeine headaches although the only problem I perceive is making sure to avoid them. If my medical professionals ever suggested it was causing a cardiac issue I suppose I'd consider quitting. I'm interested in what other individuals have to say about their own experiences.

 

[Jennasis]

Did you consider "medicating" with an alternate form of caffeine after it dawned on you? I know a few people who take various migraine meds (including botox) and caffeine seems pretty innocuous by comparison. (I'm not giving you advice or criticizing you here - just curious about the situation.)

Oh sweet baby Jesus in the manger I tried everything! I tried drinking soda again not long after I quit just because I knew caffeine often helped migraines (though I hadn't considered withdrawal as the cause at that time). And when taking caffeine again had no effect on the headache I promptly forgot about having quit diet coke in the first place. Then my primary doc tried migraine rescue meds. They didnt work and made me feel awful. Then he sent me to the neurologist and we tried beta blockers and then anti seizure meds. Nothing worked. It was finally the drug Keppra that killed the headache cycle. When we stumbled upon the eureeka moment of quitting diet coke I asked him why the headaches didn't stop once I tried drinking coke again and he explained that I was stuck in a cyclical headache situation by that point and that the caffeine wouldn't help.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I decaffeinated accidentally one time (I hadn't realized that the 12 pack of Diet Coke I bought was caffeine free) and I thought something was seriously wrong with me. My head hurt so badly that I went to the doctor. I finally took a good close look at the cans and realized they were caffeine free.

My DH battles terrible acid reflux and one thing his doctor suggested was going caffeine free. He did quit cold turkey and never got sick at all - lucky duck He does still drink a little bit of caffeine because he really loves iced tea and restaurants don't offer it decaffeinated.

 

[ronandannette]

Oh sweet baby Jesus in the manger I tried everything! I tried drinking soda again not long after I quit just because I knew caffeine often helped migraines (though I hadn't considered withdrawal as the cause at that time). And when taking caffeine again had no effect on the headache I promptly forgot about having quit diet coke in the first place. Then my primary doc tried migraine rescue meds. They didnt work and made me feel awful. Then he sent me to the neurologist and we tried beta blockers and then anti seizure meds. Nothing worked. It was finally the drug Keppra that killed the headache cycle. When we stumbled upon the eureeka moment of quitting diet coke I asked him why the headaches didn't stop once I tried drinking coke again and he explained that I was stuck in a cyclical headache situation by that point and that the caffeine wouldn't help.

Thanks - that's interesting but I'm sorry you went through it. I've known of people with similar diagnoses - being stuck with cyclical symptoms even after the original "trigger" has been removed/resolved. I'm blessedly grateful I've never had migraines. It's one of the health-related things I have irrational dread of. I'm glad you're better now. Again just for my own curiosity - are you 100% caffeine free or do you take-it-or-leave-it?

 

[ronandannette]

I decaffeinated accidentally one time (I hadn't realized that the 12 pack of Diet Coke I bought was caffeine free) and I thought something was seriously wrong with me. My head hurt so badly that I went to the doctor. I finally took a good close look at the cans and realized they were caffeine free.

My DH battles terrible acid reflux and one thing his doctor suggested was going caffeine free. He did quit cold turkey and never got sick at all - lucky duck He does still drink a little bit of caffeine because he really loves iced tea and restaurants don't offer it decaffeinated.

Bummer. I'm not prone to headaches and most often when I get one it is caffeine related. Those headaches are very easily identifiable compared to other types and having a quick cup of coffee is the first thing I try even before popping an Advil.

 

[Feralpeg]

When I gave up Diet Coke, I simply cut down the amount I drank gradually over a couple of weeks. No headaches. Cold turkey is tough.

 

[Jennasis]

Thanks - that's interesting but I'm sorry you went through it. I've known of people with similar diagnoses - being stuck with cyclical symptoms even after the original "trigger" has been removed/resolved. I'm blessedly grateful I've never had migraines. It's one of the health-related things I have irrational dread of. I'm glad you're better now. Again just for my own curiosity - are you 100% caffeine free or do you take-it-or-leave-it?

I still drink Diet Coke...way way too much.