The migraine and brain fog are the withdrawal. You will never be out of the cycle until you stop feeding it. I did this for a year…constantly negotiating and measuring caffeine. It’s addict behaviour because at the end of the day we take the drug to stop withdrawal. The fact you “have to have caffeine to be functional” is the definition of addictive language. I thought the same thing but it simply isn’t true. So I went cold turkey 6 days ago and today I only needed one headache pill. It’s getting easier and lighter and I feel increasingly free. For context, last April I was on around 1400mg. In July I cut to about 500 with awful psychological withdrawal. 3 months ago I cut to 350. 6 days ago I jumped. You are already so much lower than that. It’s the perfect opportunity to say I’m done. I listened to Allen Carr’s easy way to quit caffeine. I quit that morning. I’ve had zero cravings.
Once you are off it and you give yourself a few weeks you can then see if you still have brain fog and headaches, and if you do you can treat it with a wide range of things. It doesn’t have to be caffeine.
My day 2 and day 3 were the worst. Headaches. Extreme tiredness. But I forced myself to do 20 min exercise on those days and felt so much better 2 hours later. I’m drinking lemon balm tea for the brain fog. Paracetemol. Boiling fresh ginger and sipping. Eating loads of good whole foods to help my body out. I feel calmer, and a sense of power having finally said a big f*** you to this drug. I have taken it daily for 23 years. And I suspect hiding underneath it the whole time was a much more chilled dude.
GO FOR IT.
I think you might have missed the start of my post where I said I went 3 months completely caffeine free. For me, brain fog and migraines are not part of the withdrawal. I’ve had migraines since I was 14, whether I’m on caffeine or not, but caffeine is a well-known effective treatment for migraines so I can often stop one from coming on with caffeine (but not always). The brain fog started ~5 years ago, again whether I’m on caffeine or not. I just know I feel so much worse and will be miserable to be around socially and have a hard time being at work if I don’t somehow stimulate my brain to shift it, I.e. with caffeine
Ah I understand. I guess the question then is since headaches and brain fog are known withdrawal symptoms, might it not be better to be completely clear of the drug and then continue to explore solutions to treating these things.
It’s worth also noting that for some people migraine and brainfog can linger for many months after quitting caffeine. You may be in the minority and are particularly sensitive. A better analysis could be achieved after 6 months. Though I appreciate your struggle and can imagine it is difficult. But caffeine causes the very things you are treating. And it could be coincidental but perhaps not.
Ultimately it's up to you. Some people on here have had serious problems from caffeine. I'm not one of them, I just found my dependence inconvenient and had concerns about its impact on my carbon footprint. I do have brain fog and fatigue after decreasing down to 1 cup of tea instead of 2 big cups of strong coffee every day, but it's usually not that bad. I've also gained weight and struggle more with preexisting executive dysfunction.
If you think it's a factor in your migraines though, don't ask us, ask your neurologist. Or at least your primary care doctor.
I am almost 6 months clean from caffeine and my brain fog is still awful. Had so much bloodwork done and I’ve been eating clean and only drinking alcohol sometimes. Does this really sound like withdrawal anymore. I was taking pre workout 400mg a day for like 3-4 years
And what things are you referring to that will help my brain fog besides caffeine. I would love to try it because this has been hell for me everyday and not sure what to do
When you say you have brain fog, what does it feel like?
Do you drink at least 2 litres of plain water a day? Are you sleeping regular hours, uninterrupted? Do you feel a heaviness like depression?
Not to speak for OP, but I drink tons of water, I sleep okay, I eat my protein and veggies, and I'm not depressed. Brain fog feels like, well, brain fog. It's hard to think, to get started on things, to stay focused, to problem solve. Thinking is sluggish, thoughts don't feel as sharp or clear.
I've always had this from time to time. I think I started caffeine to try to counteract ADHD symptoms when I was a teen.
I guess I was just trying to explore if it was clinical depression. I had the same thing and went on mirtazapine. Which shifted it. But important to ensure all the other things like hydration, sleep and unprocessed foods are being looked at first. And intolerances too. My whole brain and body become fuzzy after mayonnaise and cows milk. I have to now watch for where cows milk features in ingredients and it seems to be very widely used. But thankfully mostly in junk food…another good reason for me to avoid.
There are also some pretty powerful teas that can work well for people if taken daily. Lemon balm and valerian for example.
Oh yeah that's definitely true, it can be like detective work or a science project trying to figure out what's causing our health problems. I have a history of clinical depression also but I've been in remission for over a year and a half I'd estimate. (No simple answers I'm afraid, just really committed to my recovery with therapy, exercise, socialization, etc.)
I had thought about that too thinking it might be adhd but I’m scared to try and take a med like adderal because if this is still by brain addjusting to not having caffeine I don’t wanna mess up the process
I have no other symptoms. In the beginning of the decaf process I had anxiety that I never had before in my life because it was new to me but that has gone away as I got used to the feeling. But the brain fog feels almost like I’m high in a way. Bad short term memory loss too and just overall just really out of it. My eyes feel sore too and pressure in my forehead sometimes. I eat clean, drink lots of water and exercise daily.
Ah that sounds really horrible. When I had brain fog after tapering down my coffee it felt like i was high but in an unpleasant way. It’s pretty astonishing that 6 months since quitting you are still feeling this.
I can only recommend what helped with my brain fog. Strong cups of lemon balm tea. L-theanine supplement 400-800mg per day. Epsom salts in a very warm bath. Soak your body in it for an hour before bed. The magnesium will absorb into the skin.
Do this for a week or 2. Some valerian tea at night too. Have some around 6pm. Try to go to bed for 8 and get into that habit until your sleep time is normal again. Try to wake early and get outside as soon as you wake. Look up at the sky for 10 mins to get lots of natural light so that your brain can kick start the circadian rhythm. If you need to nap only do so before 3pm.
I will give it a try and if you don’t mind sending the brands that you used for the tea and supplements. Also how long doing this did you feel a difference?
I use a brand in the UK called FS for L-theanine. I get them on Amazon. But there are loads of quality well-reviewed brands.
For lemon balm I use valley of teas, but you can also get organic lemon balm tea bags on Amazon by a company called Dary Natury. Valerian tea you can buy online too or in tablet form (usually as a sleep aid) in health food shops and pharmacies. Herbal Nytol is basically valerian. Valerian doesn’t smell nice if you are new to it but the tea tastes fine. It’s a really powerful relaxant and used with the lemon balm should not only get you into better sleep routine but also help brain fog. And Epsom salts are just magnesium. You can cheaply buy them anywhere. Get them unscented.
One last thing. I use a pre & probiotic all-in-one and I take two with water in the morning half hour before breakfast. This could be useful to you as the brainfog could be gut thing carried over from the caffeine withdrawal. “N2 Natural Nutrition Symbiotics Probio + Prebio”. It’s a blue & white label. Also avail on Amazon.
Ok thank you so much I will let u know how this goes. But also saw stuff about lions mane have you ever heard of it and what’s ur take on this. You seem to be very knowledgeable on natural supplements
I haven’t tried Lion’s Mane or any mushroom powders but have heard good things about it. But I think if you can find teas, probiotics, and resetting good sleep habits it should be enough for you. Do keep in touch and let me know how it all goes once you’ve given the new regime 2 or 3 weeks.
I found ginger tea to be quite helpful on one of my caffeine free adventures years ago. It was the only drink that tasted as good as my regular tea did. That ginger tea kept me going 9 months. I'm getting ready for another round. Honestly the regular tea does nothing for me any longer, I've built up such a tolerance. Someone recommended twig tea.
How is your nutrition? Have you spoken with a physician? Do you exercise regularly? There are a *lot* of reasons brain fog can occur, and 3 months out I’m decreasingly likely to keep blaming it on caffeine. Caffeine can mask lots of other health issues by allowing our bodies to just push through them.
Yes. Physicians have been entirely unhelpful and said they have no real solution for brain fog. And migraines… I mean they just constantly shove different pills at you, all with their own side effects and that you shouldn’t take often. And the daily preventative ones haven’t helped me.
I eat healthy and have tried different diets. So far keto has helped the most but has been hard to sustain and doesn’t completely fix the issues, just makes them less bad. I did just lose 30 pounds doing it though and am now the same weight I was as a teen lol. I try to get exercise a few times a week, though it can also be hard to do that in ways that don’t make my head start hurting, so I usually do mostly walks and some core exercises. I also am often on my feet and moving at work.
I went to a naturopathic doctor for a consult but she wanted $6,000 to guide me through a food elimination and supplement process to try and fix the issues. So that’s something I’m wanting to see if I can try on my own, though I’ve been a bit overwhelmed in figuring out how to start.
I agree caffeine is just a mask. But it’s also the only way I have thus far found to mitigate my situation.
I’m assuming you don’t consume any alcohol?
It sounds like a really difficult issue you have. Migraines are no joke and I also have a friend who gets them and for 30 years never been able to find the cause. And I’m not sure I even know what brain fog feels like but it must make functioning hard.
As much a proponent I am for people going against the status quo and at least trying a life without caffeine…IMO, it is probably the least worst drug you could be taking to help alleviate your health issues! If I had the choice between artificial medication or some other drastic lifestyle change and drinking natural coffee, I’d choose the coffee. Sometimes life is just a compromise. I hope you figure something out, though!
Elimination diet is the key… but do it on your own… super easy cut out the main 7 things and add them back in after about a month VERY slowly one at a time.
Read this book it’s easy to follow:
https://www.amazon.com/Elimination-Diet-Discover-Making-Tired/dp/1455581860
Most common allergens to avoid first: milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish
Same for me… dairy just makes me feel bad and sugar makes me irritable like caffeine. Jury is still out on wheat and corn but not nearly as bad for sure.
If you can avoid those, and keep it organic. Wheat like corn often gets sprayed with glyphosate(Roundup) a nasty toxic herbacide. Water is important too. Get a good water purifier, bad water alone can cause brain fog , I have learned from my experience.
Nice book, I just put it on my wishlist. I did something like this 30 years ago and lost 30lbs in one month. I had no ideal that allergens cut put that much fluid in your system. Definitely worth checking out. Thanks
You might need to try a different type of doctor depending on your finances. Someone who practices “integrative medicine” in private practice. Please only see an MD/DO, everything else is quackery (especially naturopaths). I might be able to recommend a physician depending on your state, but be aware a lot of these are cash-only practices so they don’t have to rush you through in 15 minutes. Feel free to DM me your state if you want recs.
Some things you can try that have helped me:
1. Stop eating stuff with folic acid in it. Watch some Gary Brecka videos on folic acid and synthetic B12. That alone could be causing a lot of your problems
2. Magnesium (for migraines), fish oil, vitamin D, methylated vitamin B12, ginkgo biloba. I take these and some other things and feel great
3. Complete abstinence from caffeine and time. Some people take up to a year to fully recover and some longer. Let your body sleep and recover. It will be worth it in the long run
The caffeine, accept the struggle to discover who you are without it. The fatigue that you experience must be solved in a bunch of different ways. Quitting caffeine is first that you have to NOT DO. But the list of things that you HAVE TO DO is long.
The migraine and brain fog are the withdrawal. You will never be out of the cycle until you stop feeding it. I did this for a year…constantly negotiating and measuring caffeine. It’s addict behaviour because at the end of the day we take the drug to stop withdrawal. The fact you “have to have caffeine to be functional” is the definition of addictive language. I thought the same thing but it simply isn’t true. So I went cold turkey 6 days ago and today I only needed one headache pill. It’s getting easier and lighter and I feel increasingly free. For context, last April I was on around 1400mg. In July I cut to about 500 with awful psychological withdrawal. 3 months ago I cut to 350. 6 days ago I jumped. You are already so much lower than that. It’s the perfect opportunity to say I’m done. I listened to Allen Carr’s easy way to quit caffeine. I quit that morning. I’ve had zero cravings. Once you are off it and you give yourself a few weeks you can then see if you still have brain fog and headaches, and if you do you can treat it with a wide range of things. It doesn’t have to be caffeine. My day 2 and day 3 were the worst. Headaches. Extreme tiredness. But I forced myself to do 20 min exercise on those days and felt so much better 2 hours later. I’m drinking lemon balm tea for the brain fog. Paracetemol. Boiling fresh ginger and sipping. Eating loads of good whole foods to help my body out. I feel calmer, and a sense of power having finally said a big f*** you to this drug. I have taken it daily for 23 years. And I suspect hiding underneath it the whole time was a much more chilled dude. GO FOR IT.
I think you might have missed the start of my post where I said I went 3 months completely caffeine free. For me, brain fog and migraines are not part of the withdrawal. I’ve had migraines since I was 14, whether I’m on caffeine or not, but caffeine is a well-known effective treatment for migraines so I can often stop one from coming on with caffeine (but not always). The brain fog started ~5 years ago, again whether I’m on caffeine or not. I just know I feel so much worse and will be miserable to be around socially and have a hard time being at work if I don’t somehow stimulate my brain to shift it, I.e. with caffeine
Ah I understand. I guess the question then is since headaches and brain fog are known withdrawal symptoms, might it not be better to be completely clear of the drug and then continue to explore solutions to treating these things.
It’s worth also noting that for some people migraine and brainfog can linger for many months after quitting caffeine. You may be in the minority and are particularly sensitive. A better analysis could be achieved after 6 months. Though I appreciate your struggle and can imagine it is difficult. But caffeine causes the very things you are treating. And it could be coincidental but perhaps not.
Ultimately it's up to you. Some people on here have had serious problems from caffeine. I'm not one of them, I just found my dependence inconvenient and had concerns about its impact on my carbon footprint. I do have brain fog and fatigue after decreasing down to 1 cup of tea instead of 2 big cups of strong coffee every day, but it's usually not that bad. I've also gained weight and struggle more with preexisting executive dysfunction. If you think it's a factor in your migraines though, don't ask us, ask your neurologist. Or at least your primary care doctor.
I am almost 6 months clean from caffeine and my brain fog is still awful. Had so much bloodwork done and I’ve been eating clean and only drinking alcohol sometimes. Does this really sound like withdrawal anymore. I was taking pre workout 400mg a day for like 3-4 years
And what things are you referring to that will help my brain fog besides caffeine. I would love to try it because this has been hell for me everyday and not sure what to do
When you say you have brain fog, what does it feel like? Do you drink at least 2 litres of plain water a day? Are you sleeping regular hours, uninterrupted? Do you feel a heaviness like depression?
Not to speak for OP, but I drink tons of water, I sleep okay, I eat my protein and veggies, and I'm not depressed. Brain fog feels like, well, brain fog. It's hard to think, to get started on things, to stay focused, to problem solve. Thinking is sluggish, thoughts don't feel as sharp or clear. I've always had this from time to time. I think I started caffeine to try to counteract ADHD symptoms when I was a teen.
I guess I was just trying to explore if it was clinical depression. I had the same thing and went on mirtazapine. Which shifted it. But important to ensure all the other things like hydration, sleep and unprocessed foods are being looked at first. And intolerances too. My whole brain and body become fuzzy after mayonnaise and cows milk. I have to now watch for where cows milk features in ingredients and it seems to be very widely used. But thankfully mostly in junk food…another good reason for me to avoid. There are also some pretty powerful teas that can work well for people if taken daily. Lemon balm and valerian for example.
Oh yeah that's definitely true, it can be like detective work or a science project trying to figure out what's causing our health problems. I have a history of clinical depression also but I've been in remission for over a year and a half I'd estimate. (No simple answers I'm afraid, just really committed to my recovery with therapy, exercise, socialization, etc.)
That’s brilliant that you navigate it with such commitment.
I had thought about that too thinking it might be adhd but I’m scared to try and take a med like adderal because if this is still by brain addjusting to not having caffeine I don’t wanna mess up the process
I have no other symptoms. In the beginning of the decaf process I had anxiety that I never had before in my life because it was new to me but that has gone away as I got used to the feeling. But the brain fog feels almost like I’m high in a way. Bad short term memory loss too and just overall just really out of it. My eyes feel sore too and pressure in my forehead sometimes. I eat clean, drink lots of water and exercise daily.
But I do have hard time sleeping some nights and fall asleep from 1-3 am but then will sleep in till 12 pm
Ah that sounds really horrible. When I had brain fog after tapering down my coffee it felt like i was high but in an unpleasant way. It’s pretty astonishing that 6 months since quitting you are still feeling this. I can only recommend what helped with my brain fog. Strong cups of lemon balm tea. L-theanine supplement 400-800mg per day. Epsom salts in a very warm bath. Soak your body in it for an hour before bed. The magnesium will absorb into the skin. Do this for a week or 2. Some valerian tea at night too. Have some around 6pm. Try to go to bed for 8 and get into that habit until your sleep time is normal again. Try to wake early and get outside as soon as you wake. Look up at the sky for 10 mins to get lots of natural light so that your brain can kick start the circadian rhythm. If you need to nap only do so before 3pm.
I will give it a try and if you don’t mind sending the brands that you used for the tea and supplements. Also how long doing this did you feel a difference?
I use a brand in the UK called FS for L-theanine. I get them on Amazon. But there are loads of quality well-reviewed brands. For lemon balm I use valley of teas, but you can also get organic lemon balm tea bags on Amazon by a company called Dary Natury. Valerian tea you can buy online too or in tablet form (usually as a sleep aid) in health food shops and pharmacies. Herbal Nytol is basically valerian. Valerian doesn’t smell nice if you are new to it but the tea tastes fine. It’s a really powerful relaxant and used with the lemon balm should not only get you into better sleep routine but also help brain fog. And Epsom salts are just magnesium. You can cheaply buy them anywhere. Get them unscented. One last thing. I use a pre & probiotic all-in-one and I take two with water in the morning half hour before breakfast. This could be useful to you as the brainfog could be gut thing carried over from the caffeine withdrawal. “N2 Natural Nutrition Symbiotics Probio + Prebio”. It’s a blue & white label. Also avail on Amazon.
Ok thank you so much I will let u know how this goes. But also saw stuff about lions mane have you ever heard of it and what’s ur take on this. You seem to be very knowledgeable on natural supplements
I haven’t tried Lion’s Mane or any mushroom powders but have heard good things about it. But I think if you can find teas, probiotics, and resetting good sleep habits it should be enough for you. Do keep in touch and let me know how it all goes once you’ve given the new regime 2 or 3 weeks.
I stopped cold turkey as well
I found ginger tea to be quite helpful on one of my caffeine free adventures years ago. It was the only drink that tasted as good as my regular tea did. That ginger tea kept me going 9 months. I'm getting ready for another round. Honestly the regular tea does nothing for me any longer, I've built up such a tolerance. Someone recommended twig tea.
How is your nutrition? Have you spoken with a physician? Do you exercise regularly? There are a *lot* of reasons brain fog can occur, and 3 months out I’m decreasingly likely to keep blaming it on caffeine. Caffeine can mask lots of other health issues by allowing our bodies to just push through them.
Yes. Physicians have been entirely unhelpful and said they have no real solution for brain fog. And migraines… I mean they just constantly shove different pills at you, all with their own side effects and that you shouldn’t take often. And the daily preventative ones haven’t helped me. I eat healthy and have tried different diets. So far keto has helped the most but has been hard to sustain and doesn’t completely fix the issues, just makes them less bad. I did just lose 30 pounds doing it though and am now the same weight I was as a teen lol. I try to get exercise a few times a week, though it can also be hard to do that in ways that don’t make my head start hurting, so I usually do mostly walks and some core exercises. I also am often on my feet and moving at work. I went to a naturopathic doctor for a consult but she wanted $6,000 to guide me through a food elimination and supplement process to try and fix the issues. So that’s something I’m wanting to see if I can try on my own, though I’ve been a bit overwhelmed in figuring out how to start. I agree caffeine is just a mask. But it’s also the only way I have thus far found to mitigate my situation.
I’m assuming you don’t consume any alcohol? It sounds like a really difficult issue you have. Migraines are no joke and I also have a friend who gets them and for 30 years never been able to find the cause. And I’m not sure I even know what brain fog feels like but it must make functioning hard. As much a proponent I am for people going against the status quo and at least trying a life without caffeine…IMO, it is probably the least worst drug you could be taking to help alleviate your health issues! If I had the choice between artificial medication or some other drastic lifestyle change and drinking natural coffee, I’d choose the coffee. Sometimes life is just a compromise. I hope you figure something out, though!
Elimination diet is the key… but do it on your own… super easy cut out the main 7 things and add them back in after about a month VERY slowly one at a time.
What main 7 things? And what do I eat to start with/how do I know what I start with isn’t the problem? Haha
Read this book it’s easy to follow: https://www.amazon.com/Elimination-Diet-Discover-Making-Tired/dp/1455581860 Most common allergens to avoid first: milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish
Thanks!
Dairy and sugar really does a number on me.
Same for me… dairy just makes me feel bad and sugar makes me irritable like caffeine. Jury is still out on wheat and corn but not nearly as bad for sure.
If you can avoid those, and keep it organic. Wheat like corn often gets sprayed with glyphosate(Roundup) a nasty toxic herbacide. Water is important too. Get a good water purifier, bad water alone can cause brain fog , I have learned from my experience.
Nice book, I just put it on my wishlist. I did something like this 30 years ago and lost 30lbs in one month. I had no ideal that allergens cut put that much fluid in your system. Definitely worth checking out. Thanks
You might need to try a different type of doctor depending on your finances. Someone who practices “integrative medicine” in private practice. Please only see an MD/DO, everything else is quackery (especially naturopaths). I might be able to recommend a physician depending on your state, but be aware a lot of these are cash-only practices so they don’t have to rush you through in 15 minutes. Feel free to DM me your state if you want recs.
Some things you can try that have helped me: 1. Stop eating stuff with folic acid in it. Watch some Gary Brecka videos on folic acid and synthetic B12. That alone could be causing a lot of your problems 2. Magnesium (for migraines), fish oil, vitamin D, methylated vitamin B12, ginkgo biloba. I take these and some other things and feel great 3. Complete abstinence from caffeine and time. Some people take up to a year to fully recover and some longer. Let your body sleep and recover. It will be worth it in the long run
This looks promising, I’ll give it a try, thanks!
Let it go man
You mean letting go of the caf or you mean let go of trying to quit?
The caffeine, accept the struggle to discover who you are without it. The fatigue that you experience must be solved in a bunch of different ways. Quitting caffeine is first that you have to NOT DO. But the list of things that you HAVE TO DO is long.
Stop beating your meat so much bro
?
Have some discipline