Giving up energy drinks

[edible_hat]

After hearing about how energy drinks increase risk of stroke, I decided to give them up. (because one of my grandmothers died of a stroke, the other had had blood that was thicker than most people's but still inside the normal range).

Anyway, before I was drinking 1-3 energy drinks a day, mostly due to the generic ones we have on special at work.

For the first four days I went through a bunch of withdralw symptoms:
-difficulty in sleeping
-feeling tired all the time
-my brain age (according to the DS game) went from 31 to 40..
-a couple of slightly gross things

And now, a week later:
-sleeping better than before
-need less sleep than before
-have more energy
-more sensitivity to things that cause pain... so if I'm doing something wrong from an ergonomic point of view, I'll stop sooner and not be in worse pain later.
-brain age in early-mid 20s. (chronologically I'm 30)

So I'm quite enjoying the change, now I'm planning to reduce my coffee intake from 3-4 a day to 1-2.


OTOH my boss complained that energy drink sales have dropped lately... can't win 'em all!

[ThePhoneGoddess]

-sleeping better than before
-need less sleep than before
-have more energy

I'd hazard a guess that part of this is due to less sugar intake from the drinks. Refined sugar is really harsh on the body. When I gave up most sugared foods, I had nearly 3 weeks of intense withdrawal similar to yours. After 3 weeks, I felt like I had been given a new, better body.

[Jester]

18 years ago I gave up caffeine.

Not because I necessarily wanted to, but because I had to, as caffeine does the merenga on my stomach.

Now for me, giving caffeine was soda only, as I have never drank coffee or tea, but I was drinking several, and I mean several, Cokes, Dr. Peppers, or Pepsis every day, usually including one when I woke up.

I gave up the caffeine a week before midterms in college. That was probably not the best time to give up something I was addicted to, but I just could not stand being doubled over in pain any more. So I gave it all up cold turkey.

I struggled a bit, similar to what you described, but after a week or two, and with the stress of midterms behind me, I slowly adjusted, and started feeling a lot better.

And these days, I have no need of the stuff. I am a fairly high energy person to begin with, and I really don't need the caffeine, and many of my friends have said that, frankly, they would not want to see me on caffeine anyway, as it might be scary. (Every one I know in Key West has only known me in my decaffeinated days. Hell, I can only think of about a handful of friends who have been around longer than 18 years anyway!) About the only time I could really "use" caffeine is in the mornings, being a non-morning guy, but even when I drank the stuff, it never helped me wake up in the mornings, personality-wise.

So a lot of people give me an odd look when they find out I do not drink caffeine at all (so obviously no energy drinks), but you know what? I have one less health risk/problem/factor to deal with than just about everyone else. And I enjoy it, though I do miss Dr. Pepper something awful. Stuff tastes great!

So if any of you want to ditch your coffee, tea, energy drinks, and caffeinated sodas and join me in the Decaf Club, you would be welcome with open (and naturally energized) arms. :wave:

[blas]

The only caffeine I drink these days are one soda pop with dinner, and one Starbucks frappuccino (one of the little ones from the grocery store). I can't handle energy drinks.

When I cut down on the soda pop, at first I had terrible, terrible, unbearable headaches.

[RetailWorkhorse]

I'm a Caffeine Junkie (and a raman addict) and the only energy drink I even TOUCH would be that case of Bawls I buy every so often. Other than that it's plain coffee from the Diner or any one of the massive amounts of tea I have (which are mostly herbals, so no caffeine). I have cut way back, though, since I lost the use of my laptop (with jack squat on TV at night and no video games to play there's nothing to do at night but sleep until I get a new computer- and the IM Client that kept me up talking to far-away-people -anyways).

[Eireann]

I don't drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks (except, occasionally, tea, though I far prefer green to black). Try and imagine the weird looks THAT gets me; I swear, some people think you have to be addicted to something to LIVE.

[Evil Queen]

I, too, am a caffeine junkie.

If there's coffee around, I'll drink anywhere from 5-8 coffee cups (approximately 8 ounces each because I had milk and two sugar packets). I have cut back on the soda's though. I used to drink 3-4 cans a day and now I'm down to half a 16 ounce bottle a day.

Occastionally I'll buy a caffeine free soda like 7-up, Sprite or, my personal favourite, Serria Mist. When it's on sale, I'll buy juice and drink a glass of that a day with a squirt of lemon juice in it.

I rarely drink water as I can't stand the flavour and it kinda sucks having city water. (I grew up on well water.)

[Cats]

I cut down on sodas and such (caffeine being one reason), and unless I'm out to eat, I drink maybe one soda a week at max. When I order food at a subshop on saturdays for my break at work , it comes with a free soda. I let whatever employee who offers to pick it up for me (since I cannot leave the building) the soda, and they all look at me funny when I tell them I don't drink it anymore. Flavored water is my poison now, expecially the Propel water. I can't have most of those mix-yourself packet drinks because they contain aspartame.

My old assistant manager was a Red Bull addict (she may well still be), drinking 2-3 a day, and the 12 oz ones too. Considering those things cost like $3 a whack, that's quite the expensive addiction....worse than a pack a day smoking habit!

[Evil Queen]

Ya know Cats, I'm the same way with Aspartame. Go pick up the Old Time lemonade single drink packets and use it. It's great! But you have to use about half the little packet rather then the whole thing; otherwise your lemonade is so sweet it's difficult to drink it.

[Jester]

I swear, some people think you have to be addicted to something to LIVE.

I don't smoke--never have, other than the occasional (1 or 2 a year) cigar.
I don't do drugs. And when I did dabble, it was just that--dabbling. Never anything regular.
I don't drink caffeine.
I don't gamble. (Good luck finding people willing to play cards with a magician!)

My only two real vices are booze and women.

I'm much better at the booze. :lol:

I drink maybe one soda a week at max.

I drink almost no soda outside of work anymore. I never stock it in my fridge, and except for the occasional need for a sugar rush when I'll throw down a bottle of orange soda, I never buy it when I'm out and about. At work I drink Sprite throughout the day, but my only other non-caffeinated choices, really, are water or pink lemonade, the latter of which I'll have occasionally.

My new favorite drink when I'm behind the bar, though, is cranberry juice/Sprite. Very refreshing, very tasty.

Outside of work? Hell, probably less than one soda a week. (I just had an orange soda fix, but I needed it, as I was dragging a bit.)

[Saydrah]

Go you for giving those up! They are terrible for you. My roomie had kidney stones at age 21, which the doctor blames very largely on energy drinks.

I drink coffee, but max of 2 cups per day and none on the weekends ever.

[Sarlon]

I need to give up my soda intake...I'm down to at least 2 cans a day, but i drink litte else.

I hate to go cold turkey...but does anyone have any suggestions? I can't drink diet or energy drinks because I'm deathly allergic to aspertame, and most fake sugars.

FYI....for those who drink mcdonald's sweet tea....did you know its made with corn syrup not sugar?

[freeatlast]

I am trying to give up soda altogether. I always drank diet, but I think my problem is that the artificial sweetner can cause cravings for sweets. Fortunately, I like unsweetened iced tea and I love water. I use a Pur filtration pitcher which really takes the chlorine taste out of our city water. I also am keeping bottled water to take with me whenever I go anywhere - I used to always take a can of Diet Pepsi with me whenever I left the house. This is my first week to not buy any sodas, so we will see how this goes.

[edible_hat]

Good to hear other people's stories!

I'm now cutting down on coffee, from 305 a day. Yesterday I had 2.

edit: 3-5 a day, not 305.

[Ljt09863]

i gave up all caffenated drinks when i got pregnant, and when i had difficulty breast feeding, i went back. it used to be to where all i drank was soda, or energy drinks.

now, i will have some soda, MAYBE one a day. but i usually drink the Sobe Life Waters or the Vitamin waters. i don't like plain water. i really love Propel.


my store manager is also addicted to Red Bull. if he is grumpy inthe morning, ill ask if he had his reb bull yet. if he says no, i understand why he is grumpy. but normally, about five minutes after asking if he had a red bull, he is at my counter buying one.

there was this comic that came out about a month ago. in the first frame, there is a teenager standing near drums. there is nobody at the drum set, but the drumsticks are pounding away at the drums. the next frame, its the same thing. in the third frame, there are two teenagers, the one from the first frame, and another, who has swirls for eyes. the first teenager is asking the second teenager,"dude, how many red bulls did you have?"

we have that taped to the store managers computer.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

there was this comic that came out about a month ago. in the first frame, there is a teenager standing near drums. there is nobody at the drum set, but the drumsticks are pounding away at the drums. the next frame, its the same thing. in the third frame, there are two teenagers, the one from the first frame, and another, who has swirls for eyes. the first teenager is asking the second teenager,"dude, how many red bulls did you have?"

we have that taped to the store managers computer.

By any chance, do you remember if it was Zits? I like that comic.

I never got into the energy drink thing because they made me crash. For a short time I'd have one with lunch and have a little extra energy afterwards, but by the end of my shift I'd be too damn tired to do much.

[RetailWorkhorse]

I can't have most of those mix-yourself packet drinks because they contain aspartame.

AriZona tea has a package of their pomegranet green tea in the little packets. No Aspertame (as it makes me hyper-violent) and sweetened with Splenda if you take it.

(Good luck finding people willing to play cards with a magician!)

Wanna play War?

[Ljt09863]

By any chance, do you remember if it was Zits? I like that comic.
.

i believe it was. its one of the few that i will read.

[monolayth]

Decaf for me as well. have never liked coffee. drink decaf tea with the one exception of arizona pomegranite tea (to dye for).

I do the herbal non caffeene teas because I know it is better for me (that and i act like a crazed squirrel on them)

I don't drink the caffeene soda's because I just plain don't like them .

More and more each month I drink less and less. (have been getting killer headaches from liquor)

so, yeah, im boring.

[Ringtail Z28]

I should really join you guys and stop drinking energy drinks too. The last time I had one (last week) my heart was pounding like a hammer in my chest all day at work. That just made that whole work day even more unbearable.

[IEatCustomers4Breakfast]

Hi, my name is C and I am a caffeine addict. :wave:


I usually only drink the equivalent of two 20oz bottles of Coke a day, and if I'm at work and need an extra boost, I'll pick up a Amp energy drink (but that's MAYBE once a week, sometimes less).

If I don't drink caffeine for a day I get a wicked headache, but after I get over that, I'm usually good.

I wish I could quit, just to reduce my sugar intake.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I've never touched an 'energy drink', as I've heard all the horrid things they can do.

However, my vice is soda, or was. I grew up drinking gallons of the stuff (probably one or two a day, every day or close to it), gave it up for a while, fell off the wagon, gave it up again, lather, rinse, repeat. When I moved to Florida I managed to go about 7 - 8 straight months without ever touching one drop of soda; then my shit-job at the time was stressing me out so bad I went right back to guzzling Mountain Dew (not too often, but more so than I would have liked). I'm off-again-on-again-off-again, it seems. Nowadays I try to steer clear of the stuff and am mostly successful, but if I have a real craving, I say 'eff it' and buy that bottle of root beer or MD or whathaveyou.

Don't drink any coffee or tea, just can't stand the taste of either. (I love to smell the coffee, I just won't drink it. Yes, I'm weird, what else is new.)

I drink the occasional glass of red wine or wine cooler, but that's it as far as alcohol goes.

Mostly I subsist on plain 'ol water (bottled, well or city, doesn't matter to me so long as it's clean).

[edible_hat]

My next thing to give up is biting my fingernails. Which will be easy because I got this nail polish called Stop That, which dries clear and tastes horrible. It's like the cheap-yet-effective-and-very-nasty-tasting cough syrup they use in prisons (and I grew up with, my dad's a big fan of cheap-and-effective) only worse.

[Jadedcarguy]

-a couple of slightly gross things


Details!! We need details!! :D

[AdminAssistant]

Back when I was in undergrad, Red Bull hired students to walk around libraries, computer labs, and study areas handing out free Red Bull. I tried one sip, and threw it away. Naaasty. I'll stick with my Mountain Dew, thanks.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Hi, my name is C and I am a caffeine addict. :wave:

Hello, C. :wave:
:roll:
Back when I was in undergrad, Red Bull hired students to walk around libraries, computer labs, and study areas handing out free Red Bull. I tried one sip, and threw it away. Naaasty. I'll stick with my Mountain Dew, thanks.

I thought it kinda tasted like tangerine soda (I drank weird stuff from far-away places as a child and that's the closest thing I can compare it to). A little on the bitter side from the caffiene, but mostly like a soda.

[draftermatt]

I thought it kinda tasted like tangerine soda (I drank weird stuff from far-away places as a child and that's the closest thing I can compare it to). A little on the bitter side from the caffiene, but mostly like a soda.

When I first tasted RedBull I said it tasted "like a carbonated Sweet Tart" and I still stand by that.

I drink maybe 2 energy drinks a month if that. Soda I had cut back on a while ago, but I'm back to maybe 1 day.

Though it's better than the 4 a day I would drink when I worked in a warehouse.