Question on energy level after going off caffeine
 

Hi everyone.I hope everyone is having a great day.Tomorrow I will be weaning myself off caffeine. What worries me is I already have chronic fatigue syndrome,so I have problems with energy anyways. Can you please share with me after you are off caffeine,how do you get your energy. Does it come back without caffeine,or do you do something else to help it.

I have to admit I love my coffee in the morning,and the kick I get from it.Also I usually have another caffeine drink in the early afternoon. I am just worried about having no energy without the caffeine.

I appreciate anyone's help.

thanks alot
Kim e

I've been (mostly) off of caffeine for - ?? two years maybe. I know I feel more energetic after I've been exercising (but not right after).
I try to stay away from sugar also. I know that if I should have a little sugar or caffeine - I have to stop right away, because, for me, it's like a monster. A little bit one day and then next day I need more. I have to continually feed the addiction. While I'm coming down from it, I'm tired and moody. But after my body cleanses itself, it's like I don't need it at all.

Good luck!

Hi thanks for replying.So does your energy level off after going off of caffeine.I just don't want to feel dead tired all the time

I also am off sugar too. well at least under 10 grams of sugar per serving.

take care
Kim

kim - things are NEVER easy. but from my experience, yes, the energy level does decrease FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS!!! after that, assuming you keep yourself well-hydrated, you'll get your energy back. there's something about clearing out the caffeine and re-setting the body's expectations that takes a little time.

but you should be fine within a week [at the MOST - you should be almost back to normal within about 3 days].

coffee substitute
 

hi, ive been off coffee for some time because of rapid heart beat due to the caffiene.. i happen to come across a product i like that is similar and i like it for my coffee fix.... its called PERO , an instant natural beverage , and its a barley grain instead of a coffee bean... only thing in the product is gluten, everything else is a big 000000 and only 1 carb...... you make it just like coffee and i add a creamer sub and splendid or sugar free irish creamm syprup..... just like latte.....
so give it a try and see if you like it.. might not but its help me get by my coffee cravings and sugar cravings also ,...... carvinmom

Fighting an addiction is never easy, and caffeine is a drug. You may feel more tired in the first few days but it will gradually go away. In the long run you'll feel better

psssst - carvinmom - while you're doing your 'wls prep' take a look at the creamer you're using. check out the carbs - you might actually be better off with a wee bit of real cream or milk.

and oh, i'm a HUGE fan of those SF syrups!!! oh YUM!!! in iced decaf. SF vanilla and a sprinkling of nutmeg, and a bit of milk. DOUBLE YUM!!!!

I have fibromyalgia which is a cousin or possibly closer relation to chronic fatigue, and fatigue is also one of my primary symptoms. It was actually the fatigue that was the most disrupting to my life. You can work with pain, but how do you work when you can't stay awake. Most jobs require it.

Anyway, when I was still working, coworker was pressuring me to give up my diet colas because she had read that aspartame and caffeine caused fibromyalgia (btw, not true at all). I did start reading and found that both were sometimes blamed for worsening fibromyalgia flares, so I gave both up for a year.

I had headaches for about a week, but I never did get an energy rebound. The fatigue was as bad as ever, and I ended up having to go on disability.

In desperation, I asked my doctor for something for the fatigue, such as Provigil, as I had a friend with fibro that was doing very well on it (It's a non-stimulant alertness drug, originally formated for narcoleptics. Doctors use it themselves because of the low side effect profile. It doesn't appear to be addictive, but for many people it does lose effectiveness over time with regular use).

My doctor asked me how often I drank caffeinated beverages, and I said I'd given them up. He advised I should use caffeine judiciously before I considered prescription drugs. He also told me that if I didn't notice any side effects (headaches...), sugar substitutes were safe, and I could go back to diet colas if I wanted, but should actually consider coffee or tea (newest research he said suggests both have some health benefits - not so with diet colas).

I was still prescribed the Provigil, but told to use it sparingly as to not develop a tolerance to it. I use it about one day in 60, basically, only if I have something planned that will prevent me from taking an afternoon nap.
I also never take it more than two days in a row, or I get a backlash of fatigue the following day and am in bed for two or three days (sleeping 85% of it).

Basically, in this very long story, I want to say that I agree that caffeine is a drug, and should be looked at as such. If you don't need it, and feel great without it, that's wonderful and more power to you. However, talk to your doctor about whether you should quit caffeine, and if so, how you should go about it (slow tapering, vs cold-turkey). If you and your doctor determine that caffeine is a useful drug for you, don't feel guilty about it.

:coffee: :cp: :hyper: some of us NEED our drugs!!!!! :coffee2: :spin:

Im 31 and i've been drinking coffee for 22 years (i was actually falling asleep at school before this) Actually Not having sugar I have more energy and vigor that when I prop myself up with crap. Try the flavored splenda!!!! soo good!
Also you can get soy milk I like the fat taste of plain! but they have flavors and some brands are made with splenda
also Cream/half and half in small doses not bad and not choc full of chemicals

thanks everyone
 

Hi everyone thanks so much for all the great reply's.
Hugs
Kim e:carrot:

I quit caffeine (through Diet Coke--I was drinking a 2 liter a DAY of Diet Coke) over the summer. I've since gotten back on it, unfortunately...I really need to get a hold on my diet soda addiction!

But anyway, the first three days after I quit I had terrible headaches and felt tired for three days straight. Super low energy. After that, though, I felt fantastic. No energy dip--I was good to work, exercise, whatever. :)

Hi Azure thanks for your post. I got scarred and didn't start weaning myself off of it,but my surgery could be coming sooner than I think so I need to start doing that.
take care
Kim e
pre-op ssf Kaiser