I did it! One week without coffee – caffeine withdrawal with unexpected results

The start to my new «I did it!» week is me feeling tired. I’m sitting here first thing clutching a cup of decaf coffee. And caffeine-free’s the name of the game this week. With the exception of when I was pregnant, I’ve been guzzling coffee for over twenty years. Time to find out how my body handles not getting that extra boost. I can tell you, it wasn’t happy.

Day 1: bracing for those dreaded headaches

From a medical and pharmacological point of view, caffeine’s a drug that can cause withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine constricts blood vessels in the intestines, but dilates those in the brain (article in German). If you stop your daily intake, which the body’s become used to, blood flow speeds up in the short term and blood pressure rises, resulting in headaches (article in German).

So I’m expecting headaches and tiredness this week. The question is, when will the symptoms start, how bad will they be and how long will I have to put up with them? The first day starts as expected. I’m tired but (still) headache free. However, my head feels a bit foggy, as if it were wrapped in cotton wool. Around midday, a headache sets in, and by early afternoon it really picks up. It gets so bad, I need a painkiller to be able to focus. Right, that’s worse than expected. The tiredness doesn’t let up either. Having said that, it’s not like I didn’t have tired days when I was drinking coffee regularly. To perk up, I try all the tricks from the previous I did it! weeks – from drinking lemon water to power napping.

My verdict after one day without caffeine: I underestimated the effects. The caffeine withdrawal’s so strong, I’m struggling to get on with my day.

Day 2: fearing the worst

My head’s feeling a little less foggy, but my eyelids are still pretty heavy this morning. At least the headache’s gone. This gives me hope it’ll stay this way and that the worst is over. Let’s see what the day has in store for me.

Unfortunately, the headache returns during the course of the day. It’s bearable, but annoying. But with my daily glass of lemon water, I still manage to get going and stay awake for the rest of the day.

I realise just how nuts my endeavour is when friends come over in the afternoon. «Sorry guys, all I have at the moment is decaf coffee,» I tell their incredulous faces. «Wait, what? How does that make any sense?!». Their bewilderment is huge, as is their lack of understanding. I remember what I’d read in a German scientific publication on caffeine consumption: «Caffeine abuse is probably the most common of all substance abuses. The chronic use of a tolerance-promoting drug with a moderate to rapid excretion rate makes this substance a prime candidate for developing physical dependence, which manifests itself by biochemical, physiological or behavioural changes when the drug is no longer consumed.» At the time, I thought the words «drug», «addiction» and «abuse» were over the top. But it’s slowly dawning on me that those researchers are probably closer to the truth than I’d like given my current situation.

Day 3: time for a cup of placebo

The next day starts without a headache and with moderate tiredness. However, this is probably down to the rough night I had than the lack of caffeine. I have high hopes that the worst is over today and that the headaches won’t return.

It’s my office day, so I’ll have to make do without a cup of placebo. The [coffee machine](search?q=coffee machine) at work can make a huge range of coffees, from cappuccinos to espresso to lattes. There’s also a broad selection of different types of milk. But it seems nobody has ever had the absurd idea of drinking coffee without caffeine, especially in a work context. Except for me, that is. In other words, I’d have to find a café that offers this rarity if I want to keep on pretending I’m not actually missing out. But I don’t have the time. Turns out that’s actually a good thing, as I realise I can survive without.

When I get home in the late afternoon after cycling twelve kilometres, I’m dead tired. Slightly desperate, I let this perfect opportunity for an afternoon coffee pass me by. I’m reeeeaally tired and have that foggy feeling again. This is a full-blown withdrawal, no doubt.

Day 4: is the worst finally over?

Thanks to my incredible tiredness the day before, I fell asleep early and have had a long, restful sleep. After a glass of lemon water and some yoga, I’m feeling much more alert and have no headache as I start working on my computer. I really seem to be out of the woods now. The headaches and cotton wool feeling have subsided. And thanks to a good night’s sleep, I’ve managed to overcome my tiredness. This gives me a guideline for myself: with my usual coffee intake of four to six cups a day on average, it takes me three days to get over the caffeine withdrawal.

Day 5: I just want my coffee!

My aim with this self-experiment was not to give up coffee forever. I’m far too much of a coffee lover for that. But after many years of drinking coffee casually, I wanted to see what effects this has on my body. I also wanted to break the cycle of mindlessly chugging (too much) coffee half of the time and, instead, become a more aware coffee consumer. Instead of drinking coffee by the cup, which makes me jittery and nervous, I’d rather have two, maybe three cups a day to enjoy mindfully.

That’s exactly what I’m craving today: a delicious cup of coffee – freshly ground and brewed. My substitute, the decaf filter coffee, on the other hand, is more like ditch water I’ll gladly do without.

Day 6: goodbye inner restlessness

Today, for the first time, I realised what the best part is about life without caffeine. That jittery, nervous, restless feeling that sometimes comes over me when I’ve been sat at the computer all day, working and drinking coffee. It’s gone. Focussing on work has become easier, and I’m not looking for distractions in between. This was basically a self-feeding loop. I’d feel restless, take a short break and get a cup of coffee. This would make me even more restless, so I’d go and grab another one, and so on. At least for now, I’ve managed to break the cycle.

Day 7: transition successful, withdrawal completed – what now?

On the last day of my «I did it!» week, I’m somewhat perplexed by the result. I’ve managed to go a week without caffeine. Giving up coffee as such wasn’t the biggest problem. Instead, I went through a hefty withdrawal I wasn’t prepared for.

Now I’m hopeful that any future abstaining from coffee won’t be as painful – provided I don’t go back to drinking huge amounts of it every day. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d put myself through three days of cotton wool brain and headaches again. At the same time, I don’t want to give up coffee completely. Especially as it doesn’t pose an actual health risk. After all, coffee isn’t bad for you per se, and caffeine even has positive effects on your health. As always, it’s all about moderation.

Nevertheless, I have qualms about having a real cup of coffee now that I’ve managed to get off it. It feels strange. And so I refrain from drinking coffee for three days more. Somehow, it’s just never the right moment. But when the time came, after ten whole days, I really enjoyed my first cup. And for the first time in many years, I consciously feel the effect of this wonderful brew. It makes me feel euphoric, which is probably more because of the pleasure than the actual physical effect of the coffee. And I notice how I become more lively, energetic and alert.

Verdict: one week without caffeine

In a nutshell: my week without caffeine made me suffer intense withdrawal symptoms, but turned a mindless user back into a mindful connoisseur.

It was worth it for me, even if it was an «I did it!» week I wouldn’t want to continue or repeat. The main problem wasn’t tiredness as I had feared, but not being able to think straight as well as those hellish headaches. A very positive effect has been the disappearance of that constant nervousness that sometimes becomes your everyday companion if you have a high coffee intake. This has made me realise one thing the most: mindfully enjoying coffee is wonderful and will once again become an integral part of my life. Unlike thoughtlessly downing countless cups of coffee. That’s a thing of the past and will hopefully no longer creep in unnoticed. I appreciate the magical beans much more after this week and will enjoy every sip of hot coffee to the full again in future.

What’s your story with coffee and caffeine? Have you ever gone cold turkey or aren’t you a big coffee drinker anyway? Let me know in the comments.

And if you’re curious about my other «I did it!» weeks, check them out here: