May 14, 2009

Having Withdrawals...


OMG. I try to do something to something semi-healthy for once and guess what? IT BACKFIRES!!!! Let’s start from the beginning…

On Monday I decided to stop drinking as much caffeine, in fact I didn’t drink ANY caffeine…no coffee, no Coke, no chocolate…nothing! I was fine at first but then I started feeling pretty bad – headache, my shoulders and arms ached, stomach hurt a little. I didn’t think too much of it at first and then I convinced myself that I was possibly getting the flu.

Sooo…for the last four days I have been pill popping non-stop (only Advil, no need for an intervention) but nothing has worked. Advil never fails me so this time I knew something was up. I have been moping around at work and home because my head/shoulders/arms will not stop hurting and finally I mentioned it to my boss today…a revelation occurred!

She said those oh so obvious words that sent me running straight to Wikipedia. “Maybe you are having caffeine withdrawals,” she said. Hmmmmmm…SERIOUSLY!!! Why did not this occur to me??

So I pull it up on Wikipedia and this is what I find:

Withdrawal symptoms—possibly including headache, irritability, an inability to concentrate, drowsiness, insomnia and pain in the stomach, upper body, and joints may appear within 12 to 24 hours after discontinuation of caffeine intake, peak at roughly 48 hours, and usually last from one to five days, representing the time required for the number of adenosine receptors in the brain to revert to "normal" levels, uninfluenced by caffeine consumption.”

Needless to say, I went directly to the coffee maker and got a huge cup of coffee. I am feeling better already and I am crossing my fingers that this FINALLY gets rid of this everlasting headache.
XOXO

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

At the Penn State game in the fall, I decided not to have my usual cuppa in the morning and opted for mimosas and mixed drinks. Tailgating, don't judge!

Post-game (we won!!) I had a huge headache and every movement felt like my body was being attacked by pins and needles, my head hurt, my back ached, oh my heaven, it hurt soo much. We walked from campus to downtown State College and I was crying it hurt so bad. I am a woman of few tears, needless to say everyone knew I was in excruciating pain.

I feel you. Moral: Don't quit coffee! :) In moderation, coffee isn't bad for you!

I BLEED PINK said...

I've done that same exact thing and had the same reaction you did. Someone told me to try and ween myself and start from coffee to tea and that should work. I think I will just stick with my coke and call it a day!

Simply Me said...

I've been there too... I treid doing it for lent. I lasted less then 24 hours before the suffering wasn't worth it in the slightest.

Lets just stay with the caffeine girls!

Sara said...

I've tried to give it up just like this but I was a raging lunatic the entire time. Even my husband (not a coffee drinker) was begging me to just drink a cup already!

That lasted like three days.

My name is Sara and I am a caffeine addict.

Christy {SparklesandSpinach} said...

I've tried quitting coffee several times and have simply decided that 1 large cup in the morning with a little less sugar (raw of course, 1 tb to be exact) and skim milk is fine and just not worth the hassle of the withdraw headaches etc. A little caffeine, especially coffee, is actually supposed to be good for you - antioxidants and all =)

Jennifer said...

It gets better the longer you go without! But even a tiny bit of caffeine can start the process all over again...

I hope it gets better!

Unknown said...

I did that for Lent one year, big mistake! But, it did help me lessen my caffeine intake.

LWLH said...

It's crazy how much that stuff can mess with your body...but there's no way I'm giving up my chocolate! :)

Anonymous said...

oh girl if its that bad you should really stop drinking so much caffeine, its really REALLY bad for you! and dangerous to be that addicted to it!

Nessa said...

oH! You are so funny, im glad limit my coffee intake now ! geeez.

Team Clancy said...

I give coffee up every year for Lent. For about 2 days straight I feel AWFUL!!! Then I am fine and I don't even miss it. Come Easter though, I am back to drinking my daily couple cups!

Carissa Thilgen said...

I have developed a bit of a coffee addiction myself, but not too bad, I don't need it everyday, but I do go to Starbucks a couple times a week and since I got my Keurig single cup coffee maker I usually do have 1 small cup in the morning. so maybe I do drink it almost everyday! but I limit it to one cup/starbucks. funny thing with me though is that coffee actually will give me a headache or stomachache if I drink it and don't eat soon after!

anyway, long story short, I think coffee is fine in moderation but it might be a bad sign if you actually have to drink coffee to make your headache go away! :)

Mrs. S. said...

Haha...too funny! I try to kick caffeine usually at least 20 times a month, but I agree, those headaches are killer. I definitely can't try to kick it while I am working in a school because headaches from that combined with the students = not so happy teacher! Maybe this summer...I don't want to kick it all the way, I just want to drink less of it. It's so good though!!!

Iva Messy said...

No chocolate? That has to be some sort of self torture! :-/ don't do it! LOL