Jump to content
QuittingAdderall.com Forums

Has anyone gone off caffeine too and felt even better?


msb1128

Recommended Posts

Hey! I quit adderall about eight months ago and haven't looked back. So glad to have that wretched crap out of my life!

I have adrenal fatigue, which was made worse by the adderall and any kind of stimulant. I know when we first quit adderall many of us couldn't imagine not having caffeine to help us cope, but I need to let go of caffeine now too. I know it's keeping me wired and tired, and in that sense I'm using it sort of like "adderall light."

Has anyone eliminated caffeine at some point and felt better? I'm down to one or two cups of coffee a day - down from about four cups, but just like the adderall, I'm kicking and screaming trying to give up that last little bit. I need motivation! Tell me how much better I'll feel!!! 

Wishing you all well tonight. :)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there! So I quit adderall a little under 5 months ago. For the first two months or so I really just took things day by day, because it's all I was capable of. When life began getting back to normal around month 3, though, I started to reflect on everything and was really alarmed/in disbelief about how truly addicted I was. it was almost like I couldn't appreciate the severity of my addiction until I had some time to think about my actions a few months after quitting. Because of that shock I felt, that "oh my god I didn't know I was capable of such dependence" feeling, I felt an immediate need to nix all "uppers." I know that coffee doesn't have the same life-destroying potential as amphetamines, but I guess there was a part of me that was scared I would end up addicted to caffeine, too, if I didn't quit. So I totally and completely removed it from my diet and have been caffeine free for almost three months now!

Tl;dr - the results have been fantastic and I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested!

A few more details, though:

I was a BIG time coffee drinker previously, I loved mixing it with the adderall to intensify its effects, the ritual/smell of it in the morning, and would drink 4-6 cups a day. But after quitting adderall, I found I didn't love coffee as much as I thought I did. I would almost find myself "angry" with it for not giving me the same buzz my pills used to, if that makes any sense. And I completely know what you mean about the adrenal fatigue... my coffee comedowns were pretty brutal and unlike my adderall comedowns, they would happen in the middle of the day when I was supposed to be most productive.

I'm pretty strict with the caffeine ban - I'll let myself have chocolate (which has trace amounts of caffeine), but no coffee/coffee beans/caffeinated soda/green tea/black tea/white tea. I also stay away from most cold medicines when I'm sick. The soda part is actually what's most difficult for me because I'm a total sugar addict, but that's a discussion for another post entirely. 

It was pretty tough the first month, but less from a withdrawal perspective and more from a habitual perspective. But now it feels so incredible to wake up and be entirely reliant on my natural energy to get things done throughout the day! And as an added bonus: I've saved so much money! I sold my Keurig and without having to buy k-cups every week, I'm really starting to feel the bonus of the extra disposable income! Sometimes I miss just relaxing and having coffee with friends, but most coffee shops have herbal tea options which are very tasty and feel equally medicinal!

One thing I would caution you about, though: if you have an all-or-nothing personality (like many of us do), make sure you prioritize your healthy habits when you're juggling more than one! If you quit caffeine, for example, and "relapse" with a soda in a month or so, make sure you don't let yourself use that as an excuse to relapse on the adderall, too. Not being able to keep my addictions/vices in comparative perspective has led me to relapse in the past! 

Hope that helps! Sorry it's so long! Good luck and congratulations on 8 months!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very good input. Thank you!

No way will I go back to adderall even if I fall off the wagon with caffeine. I don't have any and have told my doctor I can't take it. I never want that in my life again. I do have an all or nothing outlook on many things, though, so it makes it tough. Maybe I should be happy I've even made it down to one or two cups a day.

I just have a lot of healing to do still after the adderall. It ran me into the ground. I have nutritional deficiencies, IBS, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, and other hormone imbalances. All were made much worse by adderall. I also just reintroduced gluten after six months off and now have these crazy hives, so I know I'm gluten intolerant. No more guessing. I had eliminated almost all sugar and dairy too but slid back into that more recently, partly on purpose to test it out. So I guess I'm a bit of a health nut too, Frank, and now I've got a lot of cleaning up to do after the mess adderall made of my body. Going back off gluten, added sugar, most dairy, and hopefully caffeine. :)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't done it yet. It's the only thing making me functional at all right now but I am intending to give up coffee too at some point in the future but I want to be more stable. It's kind of my clutch right now. I quit Adderall almost 8 weeks ago and it still feels like I just quit as far as how my body is acting and my brain being pretty useless.

I hope quitting caffeine works wonders for you and I'd love to hear how it goes!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/8/2017 at 6:28 PM, msb1128 said:

Very good input. Thank you!

No way will I go back to adderall even if I fall off the wagon with caffeine. I don't have any and have told my doctor I can't take it. I never want that in my life again. I do have an all or nothing outlook on many things, though, so it makes it tough. Maybe I should be happy I've even made it down to one or two cups a day.

I just have a lot of healing to do still after the adderall. It ran me into the ground. I have nutritional deficiencies, IBS, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, and other hormone imbalances. All were made much worse by adderall. I also just reintroduced gluten after six months off and now have these crazy hives, so I know I'm gluten intolerant. No more guessing. I had eliminated almost all sugar and dairy too but slid back into that more recently, partly on purpose to test it out. So I guess I'm a bit of a health nut too, Frank, and now I've got a lot of cleaning up to do after the mess adderall made of my body. Going back off gluten, added sugar, most dairy, and hopefully caffeine. :)

You know the diet has helped a lot I was against it for awhile but now sticking to it pretty hard core. One thing I find funny is how eating like total shit is just considered the "American Way" u go against it your some damn hippie. When you don't eat junk food or fast food you realize how much media brainwashes you that it's how you can enjoy yourself. It's funny in between a Taco Bell or Doritos commercial a anti tobacco ad comes on. Says how uncool it is to give money to Big Tobbaco and it's not cool to smoke. But every other ad is people eating just total crap. What about giving money to all those huge food corporations they give two fucks about your health!  You eat enough crap it's really no less harmful then tobacco. Here is a story of why kids these days are pressured into eating crap . I happen to be at my sons school for a birthday party. The parents brought pizza for lunch ice cream and cake for desert. Of course kids all wanted pizza and hey when your that young it's not that bad for you. But here was what's messed up a few kids did not want cake, the parents had a look of belief told the other kids "Can u not believe he no want cake? "(They were Mexican ) anyways after the parents and pressure from peers they all decided to eat cake. Why the hell is that? If a kid doesn't want cake just say ok or you sure?  then move the hell on. We got this kids on very high sugar diets and wonder why they all have ADHD. I'm not a perfect parent I wish my kids are better but you know right now I'm at least setting a example so maybe when they get older think," Dad ate this and that worked out maybe that's what I should do now." at least I hope that's the case got my oldest to stop drinking pop with me so already seeing it work. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

When I first quit I quit caffeine as well.  I was able to do that by following the raw till 4 diet, exercise, and suppliment of B12.  I did also end up gaining a massive amount of weight.  I did have about as much energy as I had when I was on Adderall.  Mentally I felt amazing.  The weight gain got to me though and I am now back on caffeine and struggling with the mental ups and downs as well as with some fatigue.  I need you caffeine again.  

 

Being on the raw till 4 diet though made me feel wonderful.  If it wasn't for the massive weight gain I experienced sitting that time I would recommend it highly.  Not everyone gains weight supposedly.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I quite coffee at the same time... Mainly because I was finding I was drinking it nearly all day along with the adderall and neither was doing anything much for me anymore. 

I am still fighting day to day however I have tried coffee a couple times since and the weird thing is it doesn't do much for me anymore even being off both all this time. The first time I had a cup it increased my anxiety for sure however neither time did I get that good old "coffee buzz" I used to get. I think the adderall has just nummed my brain or there just still isn't enough dopamine on standby to give me that caffeine rush... Not sure if anyone else has had a similar experience (or lack there of) to caffeine?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, EricP said:

I am still fighting day to day however I have tried coffee a couple times since and the weird thing is it doesn't do much for me anymore even being off both all this time. The first time I had a cup it increased my anxiety for sure however neither time did I get that good old "coffee buzz" I used to get. I think the adderall has just nummed my brain or there just still isn't enough dopamine on standby to give me that caffeine rush... Not sure if anyone else has had a similar experience (or lack there of) to caffeine?

Same here, it seems so weird that I use to pair Caffeine with adderall all day long to intensify the effects and get some euphoric feeling...but now when I have just coffee, or red bull I get super anxious.  I used to chew up an adderall on the golf course and chase it with a 5hour energy and thought I felt awesome.  A few months ago I had just a 5hour energy, obviously not paired with adderall and I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  Lately I only drink tea, 1/2 black tea and 1/2 green tea but I'm considering just completely eliminating caffeine from diet.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tom sounds so familiar! 

I think it is a few things from my research and much reading. For one adderall use impairs the adreanal glands and thus depletes the adrenalin rush we used to get then we have the whole lack of dopamine issue. Neurotransmitters are out of balance so the little stimulation we do get aggravates our central nervous system triggering the remaining responsive "fight or flight" response and thus the negative effect. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I still drink coffee and tea, but for me personally it's not a problem like Adderall was. I don't necessarily need it in the morning but I don't drink it after 3pm either. It's just kind of a lifestyle thing, I like the taste and the ambiance. I don't associate it with work and I can work without it just fine. Don't need it to wake up either. 

Everyone's body and mind works differently though. If giving up caffeine helps some of you live better, good for you! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...