GABA and Caffeine Link

[xtexan]

HI everyone:

So I gave up the booze and cigarettes over two years ago, and gave up the sugar and refined carbs about 6 months ago.

Now I'm on day 2 of no caffeine, and this is going to be a bear of another battle, but I feel ready. I am totally addicted to caffeine, and have made half-hearted efforts to reduce my intake over the last several months.

My body seems to have increased sensitivity to caffeine since I gave up the other stuff, and it has caused increasing problems with anxiety and the like. I believe a lot of alcohol problems are part of a complex of addictions, such as tobacco, sugar, and caffeine. All of them reinforcing each other.

So I got to reading about the half-life of caffeine in the body, and came across this web page about a book called "Caffeine Blues", and it indicates that GABA is disrupted by caffeine, and also DHEA hormone is attacked by caffeine. Per MWO program, and other sources, proper GABA levels are essential for kicking the booze. It just seems highly probable that caffeine is not a good thing for total long-term recovery from drinking.

I now believe that going further in my healing and recovery will now necessitate getting off the coffee, tea, and other caffeine drinks.

Here is the link to the web page.

http://www.relfe.com/caffeine.html

Any comments on caffeine, and your experiences with getting off it, would be greatly appreciated.

Be well.

Neil

[southernbelle47]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Hi Neil
The only caffeine I drink is a couple of cups of coffee in the morning.
My SIL is addicted to diet cokes and has headaches without it.
I can only say cut back slowly. I now drink decaffinated herbal teas and water. Plain deep well water not bottled. We are blessed with plenty even though there has been a drought here.
I agree with you on the need to rid our bodies of these substances.
I do believe I'm becoming organicly addicted! A good thing, I guess.
) Nancy
Just read from the site.....some scary stuff......all of it!

[Cinders]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Neil,

Unlike alcohol or cigarettes, one can titrate off caffeine.

That is what my doctor recommended. He said, "why suffer the horrible headaches, etc, when all you have to do is half the amount for a couple days, half it again and then you can be off it."

I agree with your assessment about all the drugs: nicotine, caffeine and alcohol all seem to be completely tied together in my addictive brain.

I drink decaf tea now as my choice of liquid. (I have simply never learned to love water. ) I do drink coffee in the a.m. but hubby drinks most of it.

At this point, if I skip coffee, I don't get the "headache" of withdrawal.

But with my anxiety issues, there is no way I should drink caffeine, it just feeds it.

Cindi

[xtexan]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Almost to the end of day three. Holy crud, this is rough. Brain is in stupidity mode. I guess my brains were half caffeine.

Had a terrible headache after lunch, and craved a coffee so bad. I took a BC powder that had 38 mg of caffeine, and guess that will hold me for the day.

I am estimating between coffee, tea, and diet sodas, I must have been putting in 500 to 750 mg of caffeine a day in my system. Maybe more.

When I was in my early 30's, I bet I was putting in over 2000 mg a day, and was completely wired and spastic by Friday. Of course then I would counteract that with massive alcohol binge over the weekend.

What a way to live. I can already feel my muscles beginning to relax more though. I read cortisol levels in bloodstream will take weeks to normalize. Then I should feel 100% better, if I can just make it through this withdrawal period.

I think adrenal exhaustion was limiting my cardio exercise performance, so this should be another good step to reaching my goals for 2008..

Gads. My brain is fogged in with cotton.

Neil

[xtexan]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Also, wanted to add that I bet some of my tendon and muscle problems with my fitness programs were most likely aggravated by the caffeine overuse.

I also read many accounts where arthritis pains made far worse with caffeine.

Wish me luck.

Neil

[Guest]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Hmmmm, interesting, Neil. Am awaiting the result of blood tests........despite almost no booze these past 6 and half months, I am exhausted and still have tremendous difficulty with sleep.........am almost convinced I have adrenal fatigue..........never considered that caffeine could be a contributory factor........am tea drinker, but now going to go onto decaff and overhaul my diet drinks.

Am also on the verge of quitting the fags for real and was shocked to read recently that smoking actually raises cortisol level and many people experience fatigue when they quit smoking..........not good in my case, although neither is smoking in general.

Starlight Impress x

[Accountable for Me]

GABA and Caffeine Link

If you would like a quitting the 'fags' partner I will do it with you, Star. I am so sick and tired of smoking. We can set a start date. That is if you are ready, or will be in the near future. I was telling my husband I want to quit for good now. We even have an elliptical trainer on the way to get in exercise seeing time is limited during the week. I also need to cut back on the coffee too. So much to overhaul. LOL.

[Guest]

GABA and Caffeine Link

AFM, it`s a deal, `cos I`m totally serious about quitting the fags. Starting decorating for real now and refuse to allow smoke to damage all my hard work. How about starting on Mon? I will be using the inhalator which I recently got from my doc........haven`t tried it yet. Tried the patch and Alan Carr`s book in past to no avail. I feel quite confident that the inhalator will help me quit.

Also going shopping to look for an alternative diet juice that I`ll like, as have just read that there`s caffeine in diet Irn Bru, which is the one I drink and I drink 6 litres a day!!!!

Starlight Impress x

[satori]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Starlight Impress;270950 wrote: AFM, it`s a deal, `cos I`m totally serious about quitting the fags. Starting decorating for real now and refuse to allow smoke to damage all my hard work. How about starting on Mon? I will be using the inhalator which I recently got from my doc........haven`t tried it yet. Tried the patch and Alan Carr`s book in past to no avail. I feel quite confident that the inhalator will help me quit.

Also going shopping to look for an alternative diet juice that I`ll like, as have just read that there`s caffeine in diet Irn Bru, which is the one I drink and I drink 6 litres a day!!!!

Starlight Impress x

EEEK! S,

6 litres of Irn Bru a DAY?????

That is taking being Scottish just TOO far :H


Yep - loads of caffeine, loads of nasty orange colourants and loads of acid to thin the enamel on your teeth at those sorts of volumes.

Don't really do fizzy drinks much - but Coffee does feature large in my mornings.
I drink around three cups of STRONG coffe at work in the morning - but usually switch to tea in the afternoons.

......until LATELY that is - in the last few weeks I have been making a strong pot of coffee after my evening meal too.

Perhaps I had better read Neil's linky thing!

I DO get headaches if I go too long without Caffeine :upset: .


See ya

Love

satori

xxx

[Accountable for Me]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Star, OK - let's do this on Monday!!! I am totally up for it! I am so sick and tired of this unhealthy lifestyle. I will get my ammo this weekend!

[Guest]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Hey AFM, I must have jinxed myself by suggesting we wait `til Mon. to quit smoking, instead of being brave enough to start tomorrow. Just got home........it`s just after 7 pm and I`ve just discovered that the 20 fags I bought this afternoon must have fallen out of my bag. It`s too dark and quiet here for anyone but the drunk and fearless (aka my former self lol) to venture out for fags, so I now have to get through the night on a measly 4 fags..........doubly hellish considering I am an insomniac. Ughhhh.........what is a girl to do!!!!!!


And, before anyone asks................NO, I AM NOT GOING ON THE F***ING ELIPTICAL TONIGHT!!!!! :H

Starlight Impress x

[Accountable for Me]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Hahaha... that sucks! I remember a few times buying the cigs and not taking them with me when I left the store.... the HORROR!

If you want to quit tomorrow - then I say let's do it! I bought a BIG box of Nicorette Gum this morning on my way home.

Let me know! Strength in numbers!

We just bought an eliptical too.... it will be here this Saturday. Of course after reading your woes with this assembly, ours is coming assembled. I have no patience to try to put stuff together.

[xtexan]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Aggh!

Bought some ginseng tea at lunch, to try and quell the cotton fog head, headaches. Drank "Sleepy Time" tea in AM, and water at lunch.

YO! Starlight and AFM. Getting off those ciggies is major agony. I still try to rip off my shirt pocket to get one that is not there when major stress hits sometimes. Nicotine gum works in a pinch.

I see another BC powder in my future (for those not knowing what that is, BC powder is sold in southern states of US. It is big dose of powdered aspirin with a little caffeine). I never see them north of Mason-Dixon line for some reason. A "Southern" thing I believe, but they work pretty good.

Neil

[southernbelle47]

GABA and Caffeine Link

Neil...thanks for reminding me of BC powder. I have a headache today! I NEVER drink Coke but just drank a very small glass to see if that helps. I've cut my coffee down to one small cup in the morning.
Of course the weather is changing here AGAIN today...could be the cause. ( I just hope it doesn't turn nasty like last week.

Nancy

[beatle]

GABA and Caffeine Link

well, I've only just started this Phosphatidyl Serine thing. Just one capsule in the morning and it feels like I can do without the coffee (mind you, I was a 1-2 cup drinker before, but addicted nonetheless).