Life Without Caffeine
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118546)
Gainesville, Florida
December 17, 2022 10:38am CST
For starters, I will admit that I have been a caffeine addict most of my life. Whether it was coffee, energy drinks, tea or soda, throughout the day I would always have some sort of caffeinated product. Of course, for years my doctor would tell me that I needed to quit or cut back on my caffeine consumption, and although I would always agree with him, I never made any concentrated effort to give up the stimulant.
I did have two periods in my life over the past few years where I gave up caffeine for extended periods of time, and both of those times were when I was on my deathbed with Covid. And well, now it's happened again (not Covid, but giving up caffeine). At the beginning of November, I got sick with the AH1 variant of the flu, which then morphed into pneumonia, followed by a bout of RSV. Yes, it's been rough, I know. But during that time I gave up all forms of caffeine. I'm better now, but have consciously chosen not to pick back up my caffeine habit. I have no plans to NOT ever drink caffeine again, I'm just doing my best to drink more water and juice. So far it's been going great.
Our first big cold weather of the season arrived last night, and so this morning when I got up, I felt like a hot mug of coffee would be just the thing on a crisp, cold morning. So I brewed myself a pot of coffee (which smelled absolutely wonderful), and then poured myself a cup. However, when I went to take that first sip, I suddenly did not want any coffee anymore. Don't get me wrong, it tasted wonderful, but I suddenly had an urge NOT to drink the coffee. I tried a few more sips, and sure enough that feeling was still there. So I poured out the coffee and got me a big glass of orange juice instead.
So after 6+ weeks of having no caffeine, I found that I do not crave it at all. Like I said earlier, I have no conscious plan to eliminate caffeine for good, but I'm going to see how long I make it without having any caffeine drinks in my diet.
And of course I'm not judging any of you that are caffeine addicts (like you, I've been there and know what it's like), but I'm curious to know what most of you out there in myLot land feel about caffeinated drinks. Love 'em or hate 'em?
26 people like this
24 responses
@snowy22315 (170419)
• United States
17 Dec 22
What is it about the caffeine you are reacting to? The problem with giving it up is that coffee is a major anti oxidant. It helps prevent dementia and may even help with certain cancers. My coffee drinking grandparents lived into their mid 90's.
5 people like this
@snowy22315 (170419)
• United States
17 Dec 22
@moffittjc I think you are better off drinking it...especially coffee.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
@snowy22315 I think in the near future I will probably compromise and return to drinking coffee in the morning, but not go back to drinking soda throughout the day. But for now I just have no desire to drink coffee. I'm sure now that cold weather is finally settling in here in north Florida that my craving for a hot cup of java in the morning will return soon.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
Truthfully, I don't feel any different, or any healthier, without caffeine than I did when I was consuming it 24/7. So I figure that eventually I'll go back to at least drinking coffee, especially with it being winter right now. I eat a lot of dark chocolate, so I know I get plenty of anti-oxidants from that as well (and blueberries, I eat blueberries like there was no tomorrow). haha
There was nothing particular about the coffee that I was reacting to, it tasted delicious, I just for some reason didn't want it anymore.
4 people like this
@Juliaacv (48537)
• Canada
18 Dec 22
I think that you should try to continue on without the caffiene.
I had to give it up, which was not difficult when I had pneumonia and then that was followed by a lung infection.
I still do not have a true taste for it yet, I may figure out a way to give it up for good.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (48537)
• Canada
18 Dec 22
@moffittjc I cannot seem to find an alternate hot beverage to enjoy since giving up the bean.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
@Juliaacv Hot chocolate doesn't satisfy the craving for you?
I tried switching to tea--and don't get me wrong I like tea--but I found that it is no substitute for coffee.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
You and I sound like we went through the same thing with our illnesses and caffeine withdrawal. Like you, it seems I still don’t have a true taste for it.
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (86833)
• United States
17 Dec 22
Is it doing you harm is it caffeine is that why you are quitting it?
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (86833)
• United States
17 Dec 22
@moffittjc Oh I see..well then have it or not
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
No, not really, I don't feel any different or any healthier now without caffeine than I did when I was consuming it frequently, so at least from that perspective there's no reason for me to not drink it. My doctor said it affects my blood pressure, but I take medicine to keep the BP in check, so even when I was drinking caffeine 24/7 my BP was always fine.
I'm not purposefully quitting caffeine, I just have no desire for it at the present time. I'm sure that will change in the future.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
@RebeccasFarm Haha, I'm sure it won't be long before I'm drinking it again. I'll probably take up the habit again when I go to Disney World for Christmas and New Years.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
17 Dec 22
I'm happy to see you on myLot. I was getting worried about you. 
I'm not supposed to have caffeine because of what it does to my blood pressure but I still drink a Mountain Dew Code Red once in a while. (It takes me two days to sip my way through a 20 oz bottle now. 
) But other than the doctor not wanting me to have it, it doesn't make me feel bad or anything. *shrug* She also gripes about the sugar but I'm losing weight so I'll have some if I feel like having it. 
I'm not supposed to have caffeine because of what it does to my blood pressure but I still drink a Mountain Dew Code Red once in a while. (It takes me two days to sip my way through a 20 oz bottle now. ) But other than the doctor not wanting me to have it, it doesn't make me feel bad or anything. *shrug* She also gripes about the sugar but I'm losing weight so I'll have some if I feel like having it. 2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
18 Dec 22
@moffittjc I do the glucose test before I eat "lunch" around 5 or 6 pm and then eat whatever I want. I have a stash of Little Debbies in my closet, as long as Pretty hasn't taken them.
I rarely post new discussions. I get tired of talking about the same thing for days at a time. I'd much rather be on somebody else's discussion and hijack it when I get tired of the topic.
I rarely post new discussions. I get tired of talking about the same thing for days at a time. I'd much rather be on somebody else's discussion and hijack it when I get tired of the topic. 2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
Sugar still continues to be one of my bad vices. I have a major sweet tooth. I don’t mind giving up caffeine, but I draw the line at sweets.
I’m still on here a little bit, but realized I haven’t posted in quite a while. I think one of my New Year’s resolutions is that I’m going to try to post more frequently.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
@DaddyEvil I think you and I are very similar in that respect. I don't post often either. I much prefer searching around for other interesting discussions to comment on. And you're right, when you post your own discussion, you're kinda stuck on the topic for multiple days afterward as you respond to all the comments/notifications.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (95648)
• Marion, Ohio
18 Dec 22
Its good that you dont need it anymore. I have a cola at times but that is about it.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (95648)
• Marion, Ohio
18 Dec 22
@moffittjc I was bad about cola at one time. But after about a week I was fine. I knew I would feel better without a lot of it also.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
@wolfgirl569 One of the biggest things I've noticed since giving up soda is the amount of weight I've lost. As well as bloating. A nice side benefit that I was not expecting.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
I’m actually surprised I haven’t been craving coffee or soda, just purely out of habit. I’ve pretty much drank both my whole life.
2 people like this
@kobesbuddy (74745)
• East Tawas, Michigan
17 Dec 22
I used caffeine for many years, to keep me motivated and inspired. Then my BP went through the ceiling, about five years ago. I almost had a stoke, it was so high. Now, one cup of coffee with caffeine in the morning. The rest of the day, decaffeinated drinks. Yes, I was addicted, but didn't realize this. Not to scare anyone, but COVID damages the immune system, something that many don't realize. It's serious business, even though many make fun of those who get the immunity shots!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
@kobesbuddy I'm so glad you caught it in time. So, are you still at high risk for possible strokes, or has changing your diet/lifestyle eliminated or lessened the chances?
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
I take blood pressure medicine, so even when I was drinking caffeine all day long, my BP was in normal ranges. If I was to give up caffeine for good, I wonder if I could stop taking my BP medicine? Probably not, because any stress in my life would probably still cause my BP to rise.
2 people like this
@kobesbuddy (74745)
• East Tawas, Michigan
17 Dec 22
@moffittjc I was told, caffeine can bring on high blood pressure. I don't take any chances now, my right side and my lower lip was going numb. I was one jump over the line, from having a full-fledged stoke.
2 people like this
@Tina30219 (81536)
• Onaway, Michigan
14 Jan 23
Some people drink caffeine so much that they may need to cut back or quit all together. Me and my boyfriend have a friend that drinks Mountain Dew 24/7 she says she cut back but every time you see her she has one in her hand. I have a yeti cup of coffee in the morning every day I need that coffee to wake me up so I can start my day
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (81536)
• Onaway, Michigan
14 Jan 23
@moffittjc Yeah you sure can tell the difference even if I go a couple of days without coffee I will get a headache and sometimes they can be bad
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan 23
There's no question that you can build up a tolerance to things like caffeine over time, where either it doesn't effect you anymore, or you have to continually have more and more of it just to get the effect. I was starting to get that way with caffeine between the amount of coffee and soda I was drinking. Ever since I quit soda completely, and cut back on my coffee consumption, I can tell the difference. I get wired now whenever I drink just one cup of coffee.
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan 23
@Tina30219 I would probably get those caffeine headaches every day if it wasn't for the fact that I eat so much chocolate!
@FourWalls (62429)
• United States
18 Dec 22
Man, you are a virus magnet! 
I have had to go without caffeine for stress tests, and I get a nasty headache when I do. I drink caffeinated tea in the daytime and herbal or decaffeinated tea at night.
I have had to go without caffeine for stress tests, and I get a nasty headache when I do. I drink caffeinated tea in the daytime and herbal or decaffeinated tea at night.2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
I think part of the reason I felt so horrible when I first caught the flu was because of the caffeine withdrawals. That probably was worse than the actual flu symptoms.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (79963)
• United States
17 Dec 22
As much as I talk about coffee I probably don't drink as much as most of the people here think I do. I embrace that first cup in the morning like a long lost friend. I sip it and just ease into the day. I usually have a second cup with my breakfast and then that's it. I used to drink diet soda all day long but gave that up probably sometime last year. Once my coffee is done I switch to water for the rest of the day. I also take meds for my BP but my doctor never said anything about caffeine being harmful for my BP..
I feel bad hearing about your bouts with Covid and then all you've been through recently. I hope your immune system recuperates from your being sick and that if you want to enjoy a cup of coffee now and then, that you do.
Personally, I think soda is more of a culprit in many ways aside from the caffeine.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
That sugar in all that soda is probably ten times worse than the caffeine.
I was like you, I really savored that first cup in the morning.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
You sound like how I used to be. I could drink an entire pot of coffee and then go to bed and fall right to sleep.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
@TheHorse It’s 12:30am here in Florida, and I’m wide awake as if I was wired on caffeine.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206374)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Dec 22
@moffittjc Yep. But I'm not going to brew up more coffee. I'm almost ready for bed.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Dec 22
Growing up, our family was tea drinkers, so I drank a lot of it until about the time I graduated from college. But it was all caffeinated varieties. Then I discovered coffee haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Dec 22
@just4him It took me a really long time to get acclimated to the taste of coffee. But I guess once you get addicted you start to enjoy and/or love the taste.
1 person likes this
@just4him (307029)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
21 Dec 22
@moffittjc I discovered coffee at the same time I discovered tea. I hated the taste and still do. I'll stick to tea.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (116118)
• United States
17 Dec 22
I am not against caffeine but I don't drink soda or coffee throughout the day. In the morning I might have a cup of coffee or tea but that is it. I don't keep soda here at the apartment. If I'm having lunch out at the diner I'll have a diet soda or an unsweetened iced tea.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
I've always loved OJ, but never really realized how much until I gave up caffeinated drinks. Now I love drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice as often as I can (one of the benefits of living in Florida, always having an abundance of fresh-squeezed citrus). I've also been drinking a lot of smoothie drinks as well, in addition to water.
If I'm out with friends at a restaurant or something, and everyone was ordering a soda or tea, I wouldn't be opposed to getting the same thing. Like I said, I have no conscious will to give it up completely. I'm just going to see how it goes and how long I can go without caffeine.
How's the weather up there? We got a good cold blast last night here in north Florida, our first real cold snap of the season.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (116118)
• United States
17 Dec 22
@moffittjc It is cold here but at least no snow
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@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 22
@NJChicaa That’s got to be a good thing, right? Haha
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203451)
• Nashville, Tennessee
9 Jan 23
I enjoy my cup of coffee each morning. But if I was in your shoes and had no desire for it, I would stop. I hope I don't stop enjoying coffee. But as Julia commented, apple cider is delicious. I add honey to mine. Glad you are feeling better.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jan 23
@CarolDM I’ve been sticking to water and orange juice throughout the day.
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@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jan 23
I’m back to enjoying my morning coffee, but still avoiding other forms of caffeine throughout the rest of the day. It’s a happy compromise for me.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203451)
• Nashville, Tennessee
10 Jan 23
@moffittjc Oh cool. The sodas are not good, as you already know. I drink water and a little juice here and there. Glad to hear this.
1 person likes this
@Treborika (17312)
• Mombasa, Kenya
18 Dec 22
So far so good if you managed to stop taking caffeine.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
Yes, I am doing well so far without them. I have been drinking a lot more water than I normally do. But it's better for my body, so I don't mind.
2 people like this
@Treborika (17312)
• Mombasa, Kenya
18 Dec 22
@moffittjc That's very impressed to you
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@popciclecold (35403)
• United States
18 Dec 22
Personally I love them. Sorry you were so sick.
1 person likes this
@popciclecold (35403)
• United States
18 Dec 22
@moffittjc I don't drink coffee anymore.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
@popciclecold I wouldn’t mind drinking coffee again, but I’m going to do my best to not pick up the soda habit again
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
I agree. I love them too. But I think I loved them too much, as coffee and soda were pretty much the only drinks I was consuming. And that can't be healthy on the body over the long term.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
20 Dec 22
I'm so sorry you were so sick. I love my coffee but I have one or at most 2 cups a day and don't crave it, I just enjoy the taste. I drink tea occasionally but never drink any other caffeinated products. For the most part, I'm just naturally revved up. lol
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
22 Dec 22
@moffittjc It was good to see you were still on here too, I think of you too. Merry Christmas
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
24 Dec 22
@BelleStarr Merry Christmas Belle. I hope to see you on here as much as possible, and I hope to see you again in person someday soon. As always, if you ever need my help with anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Dec 22
Hi Belle, it’s great to hear from you. I was just thinking about you the other day.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36500)
• Toccoa, Georgia
18 Dec 22
Sometimes, if I don't have caffeine, I get a headache.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 22
That’s how I felt for about a week when I got the flu and started going through caffeine withdrawals.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (18953)
• United States
10 Jan 23
I had decided to quit drinking soda. I don't have a craving for it, but I was tempted to get some on my trip to NJ. I went to NJ for Christmas to see Chris. I came home on Jan. 2. I do drink tea which does have caffeine. But I am not giving that up. I don't normally drink coffee, but I had gotten a coffee advent calendar just to see if I could drink black coffee. Black coffee is supposedly good for your liver. But I couldn't handle just straight black coffee.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan 23
I can’t handle straight black coffee either.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan 23
I loved tea as a child. I guess that over the years my taste preferences have changed.
@sathviksouvik (17983)
•
20 Jan 23
@moffittjc thanks Jeff coffee is fine once is a while. For regular basis i love tea
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Jan 23
Don’t be so quick to congratulate me…I had a couple of cups of coffee last week when I was on vacation at Disney World! Haha
But on the bright side, I still have not had any soda in over 2 months!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jan 23
@nela13 Since it’s been cold here lately, I’ve been drinking a lot of coffee, but thankfully I still have no desire to drink soda.
1 person likes this
@nela13 (55734)
• Portugal
3 Jan 23
@moffittjc I understand the coffee
I don't have sodas in over 10 years, I just hate how it tastes!
I don't have sodas in over 10 years, I just hate how it tastes!1 person likes this
