Help! Serious Caffiene Withdrawl Headaches!

[KSGrace]

I have been Raw for 3 days and each day I've succumbed to the horrible withdrawl headache and had at least one Diet Dr. Pepper. I had no idea how addicted I was...yikes.

I really want to get off the D.D.Pepper but man, it is excruitiating. Any tips on how to lessen these symptoms or do I just have to suck it up?

Thanks.

[Veganforlife]

So sorry for these headaches. Increase your water intake.
Lavendar oil rubbed on the temples is very soothing. A bath with lavendar oil in the tubwater is also soothing. Rest. Wait it out. It will pass. Don't feed yourself anymore caffeine. It will prolong the detox.

[JAusten]

How many Diet Dr, Peppers were you drinking daily?

I'm probably going to get slammed for this but honestly what I did when coming off the coffee was to take aspirin (or other pain relievers) to help with the headaches. I figured that I was addicted to caffeine but when the headaches eased up I could easily lay off the meds and I was right. I only had to take them a few times and it kept me from giving up.

[Veganforlife]

No one's gonna slam you - we're not into slammin' folks here. Just the opposite. This is a peaceful forum. If taking something does help, then by all means do it. But I would try the other methods first - THEN if NOTHING else helps...

[mangotango]

Lots of water, naps, and ice packs on my head helped me. It gets much better around day 4, so you're almost through! :)

[beppa66]

My dh is struggling to reduce his addiction too. Here's what's working for him. First he cut the amount of morning coffee in half. Then he switched to a 1/2 1/2 mixture of teeccino (caffeine free herbal coffee) and yerba maté (unsmoked tea with 1/2 the caffeine) (he does a cold brew in french press) So far so good, no headaches.
Best of luck to you!

[rawgreenyogini]

I was a big coffee drinker before I went raw. Quit cold turkey, and I had raging headaches for a whole week. I drank lots and lots of water, I did take aspirin or something for the relief only when it got to the point I thought I might kill someone!!!! HAHA! No seriously, it was very hard but I'm glad to have gone cold turkey than decrease my dosage. I probably would still be drinking coffee now if I did the later.

You will find what works for you and your body.

:D Keep your head up!

[exurb]

I've also known people getting very serious headaches and withdrawal symptoms from aspartame (even requiring medical attention!), so if it was diet dr pepper you've been sucking back, you may suffer from stopping the aspartame as well.

Good luck. When I quit coffee the headaches stopped in less than a week, much like mango says that it gets better around day 4. It did however take me a good month to find my energy, but when I did, it was much better and more than when on coffee and needing coffee to "start the engine".

Much as I don't like to take meds, you might want to take an aspirin when it's really bad here or there to get past it.

[Stina]

How about reading the book Caffeine Blues to motivate yourself! Hang in there; I'm happy for you that you're quitting.

And remember it takes a whole month for your hormones to readjust from the impact of caffeine. You will feel naturally energetic and that's a wonderful thing:)

[GHOST27M]

No one's gonna slam you - we're not into slammin' folks here. Just the opposite. This is a peaceful forum. If taking something does help, then by all means do it. But I would try the other methods first - THEN if NOTHING else helps...

AW MAN! I was wanting to slam some one today:mad:

[Stina]

AW MAN! I was wanting to slam some one today:mad:

I challenge you to mud wrestling!

[Rose Red]

Hi,

I remember reading on an old forum that drinking green juices while trying to quit caffeine can help with the withdrawal process.

The poster had tried several times to quit caffeine - to no avail because her withdrawal headaches were so bad. Then she started drinking green juices while quitting caffeine and the headaches did not materialise.

It might be worth a try.

It's also really important to keep hydrated and to use some sea salt, if necessary, to hold the water you drink within your body (see watercure.com and watercure2.com for Dr F. Batmanghelidj's 'watercure' recipe using water and sea salt).

I find veggie juices hydrating in addition to (not instead of) water, especially juices like a combination of cucumber and celery.

I love green smoothies (spinach, leafy seed sprouts, herbs, apple, pear, banana and water blended in a Vitamix is one simple recipe). I've only just started making them (they are delicious!) but for some people, apparently, they knock cravings for addictive substances stone dead.

I must say I agree with the poster above who suggested that you take a painkiller if you really need one. After all, it's only a tablet or two and it's so worth it to come off caffeine. I believe that drinking caffeine long-term because it's too sore to quit is much worse for you than taking the odd tablet.

Good luck!

Rose Red

[KSGrace]

Thanks everyone. I had about 4 oz of D.D.P yesterday (when the headache got to the point that I felt my head would split open)...so that is much better but I'm going to try and go all day without.

I used to drink about 3 or 4 a day. I just had no idea how addicted I was...my goodness.

Thanks again.:D

[tisha]

Getting colonics might help. I have done colon cleanses in the past. A week of fasting and herbs and colonics to cleanse the system. I would wake up a couple of days with a bad headache but as soon as I did a colonic, the crud came out, my colon was cleaner and the headaches were gone.

I did not have a Dr. Pepper addiction, though, so I can't say as to how bad your withdrawl might be.

[Rose Red]

Check out this link:

http://rawinspiration.blogspot.com/2007/07/beating-caffiene-blues.html

Very sensible way of detoxing from caffeine and very inspiring.

Rose Red

[Nurse in the Raw]

Thanks everyone. I had about 4 oz of D.D.P yesterday (when the headache got to the point that I felt my head would split open)...so that is much better but I'm going to try and go all day without.

I used to drink about 3 or 4 a day. I just had no idea how addicted I was...my goodness.

Taking an aspirin is better than drinking another soda because now you are back to square one with your addiction. I was a serious coffee drinker, mostly Starbucks. You can't get more addicted to caffeine than an espresso. I had headaches for three days and now I don't even crave caffeine anymore. Hot showers helped me (dilates the blood vessels and lets the blood flow through more easily) just like caffeine. Aspirin thins the blood so it will help with the headaches until you are past withdrawal.

Don't cave in to the addiction.....once you get over this, you will feel great!

[garden granny]

I don't even like the smell of coffee now, but I use to drink a big cup every morning for the past 30 years. One morning (about a year ago) I went to make a cup of coffee and was out - so that's when I decided it's time to give it up cause I was eating raw and hated having coffee then drinking a green smoothie, (something was wrong with that picture, lol), I had a slight headache after 3 or 4 days of no coffee, it only lasted a couple of days. You might try taking 1 Advil & 1 Tylenol, and a hot shower.

[Shoney]

is nasty stuff. I was a serious coffee drinker, and have found it much easier giving up coffee than diet pop. Aspartame has something like 92 known side effects, including death, and it is a neurotoxin as well. Originally it was developed for use by the military as a chemical weapon. The political process by which it got approved by the FDA is a messy, scary story that points to how politicized food is in this country. Some research might be helpful; I remember coming across a site about how to detox from aspartame.

I'm still coming off it too, and I feel your pain!

Blessings,

Shoney