Caffeine Withdrawal

[mdhunter]

If soda is gonna kill you I am a dead man walking. Several years ago I switched to coffee and gave up the soda thing completely.

Maybe I am just an old wuss anymore. One 16oz cup will get me thru the day. Everything else is water or decaf ice tea (or beer

 

[ignorethefringes]

I am completely comfortable in my 2 cup a day habit. Out in the woods I use Cafe Bustelo instant and mix it strong and add creamer. I will have a headache by the end of day of I don't drink any and the next day it will be throbbing. I did the no-caffeine thing for about 6 months a couple years back but never really felt like it made much of a difference for me except maybe regulated my energy levels just a little bit. I like coffee too much for that to be worth it lol.

 

[marshman]

It's real.

I'm a coffee drinker, probably a little more than I should, but I go through about a pot of coffee a day - between about 6:30 AM and 2:00 PM. A couple days ago I came down with a one of those 24 hour stomach bugs. It really kicked in shortly after my first cup in the morning. I got it choked down, and then the puking started so I doubt I got much out of it. The spewing bodily fluids persisted all day and into the night. The next morning I had a headache and still felt queezy so I skipped the coffee. The headache got worse and worse until it was an all out throbbing explosion behind my eyeballs. It was genuinely debilitating. I suffered most of the day thinking I was just having a hard time shaking off the bug. At about 3:00 the thought occurred that it could a a caffeine headache... Yep. I made myself sit up and force down a cup of coffee; felt better almost immediately.

It was a little surprising. There's been times in the past where I didn't have my coffee fast enough and got a headache, but it never got anywhere near that. So, yeah, the experience has inspired me to renew my dedication to maintain my few remaining vices. I quit chewing about 15 years ago; that was horrible, but I don't think I remember it being this bad.

I am in the quitting stage right now with chewing tobacco, not a pinch since December 4th. I have been getting headaches from that! Fortunately they are subsiding quite a bit now. Never liked the taste of coffee, glad I do not have that one to deal with too!

 

[JohnCushman]

When I was in Iraq I would pack the instant coffee from my MRE in my lip like a chew when we were out on patrol.

 

[JaegerRex]

Man I can usually go a day ( miss one full day) before I get a headache, but I only drink maybe 2 cups in the morning. I don't drink caffeinated drinks except for the occasional rum or bourbon/coke.

But I couldn't imagine not having a hot cup of coffee in the morning while backpacking/hunting. There is just something about sitting up in my quilt and warming up with a quick cup. Takes less than 5 minutes and I use the Starbucks Via singles. A little pinch of sugar, which also goes excellently with freshly harvested backstrap cooked over a fire, and I am good to go.

Also helps keep the lower intestines clean....

I agree. Enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning, is about more than just caffeine.

 

[MO Betta]

Try a cup of black tea.

Unfortunately for me, tea gives me kidney stones.

 

[JohnCushman]

A nice thing in the evenings around the fire if you're not drinking adult beverages is a cup of coffee with a packet of hot cocoa in it with some powder creamer. I call it camping starbucks lol

 

[----]

A little over three months ago I made the tough decision and completely cut coffee out of my diet, cold turkey.

It was the worst 45 minutes of my life.

 

[Arctic_Snow_Seeker]

I agree. Enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning, is about more than just caffeine.

thats the caffeine talking...

 

[Western Traveler1]

I hate coffee. I only drink it to keep the headaches away

Actually I love it and I’m not giving it up unless ordered by my doctor. Two strong cups a day.
I carry Via single serving packets from Starbucks on my hunts. They are so finely ground that they will easily dissolve even in ice water and they pack a punch. A small water bottle in my pack just for that midday boost works great. Ice coffee on Fall hunts.

 

[Brian in Montana]

It was a gradual thing for me, I started drinking coffee in college. Little by little I've gotten to where I drink it almost all day long. It doesn't seem to cause me any problems unless I stop.

 

[noharleyyet]

Coffee is a gateway to caffeine infusions I can't pronounce.

 

[JDH]

I am in the quitting stage right now with chewing tobacco, not a pinch since December 4th. I have been getting headaches from that! Fortunately they are subsiding quite a bit now. Never liked the taste of coffee, glad I do not have that one to deal with too!

Have you chewed a hole in your cheek yet? I've quit a few times and would always find myself chewing on the inside of my cheek.

 

[LuketheDog]

It was a gradual thing for me, I started drinking coffee in college. Little by little I've gotten to where I drink it almost all day long. It doesn't seem to cause me any problems unless I stop.

Same here, started in college, and our second daughter basically made me into an insomniac for the first 18 months of her life, there's no way I could get through a day without caffeine when she was a baby. I've since cut back to about 2 cups in the morning, and another one in the afternoon about 4pm.

I used to work with an overworked guy who liked his beer, dipped, and drank Mt. Dew all day long. The dr. told him to knock all that off, so he quit those three things cold turkey on the same day and started drinking coffee like a maniac. He pretty much laid claim to one of the two coffee machines at our office, we put a sign on it "Terry's pot, HANDS OFF!" His health did improve in a big way though, it was a fascinating experiment.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

I gave up soda of any kind almost a year ago...crazy headaches for a day or so!

 

[thusby]

My cousin once gave me the line, "Dude, you just switched from coffee to coffee beer at about 11 a.m!". But yeah 1-1/2 days without coffee and I just get a pounding headache.

 

[marshman]

When I was in Iraq I would pack the instant coffee from my MRE in my lip like a chew when we were out on patrol.

Haven't heard that one before, hard core

 

[Ben Lamb]

I'd have a cup.

Who's pouring?

 

[Ben Lamb]

I used to own a coffee house in Casper, WY with some friends. So I've gone from pusher to addict.

I got a 50 OZ french press for Christmas so I don't have to make more than 1 of them for camping/hunting in the morning. General routine is 2/3 a pot of coffee in the morning ,with nothing past 11 am. The headaches are worth the caffiene, IMO.

There are other health benefits to coffee as well, especially around brain function, and gastric function. I have the best BM's after that 3rd cup. The best BM's. Perfect, Beautiful BM's. The best!

 

[Western Traveler1]

I got a 50 OZ french press for Christmas so I don't have to make more than 1 of them for camping/hunting in the morning. General routine is 2/3 a pot of coffee in the morning ,with nothing past 11 am. The headaches are worth the caffiene, IMO.

I always did the French Press in camp before but cleaning the grounds was a pain.

I found a manual pump Keurig on-line and we had that in elk camp this year. It worked out great. Boil water, pour and push down on the pump. Done...