Giving up/reducing coffee intake
 

Hi.

I am supposed to give up coffee due to GI problems. Probably I should give it up for good, but at least until symptoms subside.

I am SOO not up for it. :(:rolleyes: I am a TOTAL coffee addict! And I make no apology for that... I just don't want to give it up! I'm addicted to the taste, but I'm especially, and in a big way, addicted to the caffeine.
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I am not willing to go cold-turkey on the caffeine. (Actually, I tried... it isn't happening. :()
I know, I'm a total wuss. :( I do want to get well, but wow. Losing my coffee feels like I'm losing the air I breathe. :eek:
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So, anyway, as of today, I will be doing half-caf coffee. (I will make it with half decaf and half regular -- I use instant so I can vary proportions on the fly.) The intent is to make it weaker and weaker, and finally stop drinking it -- if necessary. I don't like decaf, but half-caf is drinkable... this can be a bridge.

I wanted a place where I could keep track of what I am doing with it, and any thoughts on the process... maybe even symptoms or the lack of them.

Thought welcome.

waves

I forget, is caffiene a trigger for your migraines?

No. Nothing to do with that.

I hear you Waves. I don't do everything a doctor tells me to do. I'll listen,and make the choice,or compromise,or flat out not do it.

The way I look at it is a doctor is just another person. He,or she is making a educated guess,but they could be wrong,or partially wrong.

A doctor telling you to stop drinking coffee is pretty drastic. BF:hug::hug::hug:

Yes, that is what I do, too. :) We have to think for ourselves... and in the end it is our bodies. IN this case, I'm kind of aware that I need to intervene on the coffee, but it is going to very hard for me. I've had to do it before... it is always very hard.
Yep, it feels reeeeeeally drastic! :D:eek:

It is documented that caffeinated coffee is supposed to be bad for people with reflux, but I think I tolerate it better than most. A few years back I had a problem where I couldn't tolerate lots of foods (caused pain). Coffee regular strength bothered me a little but 'weak' coffee felt ok. My stomach healed -- I was able to resume eating all foods -- so my watered down coffee must have been ok.

So yes, he could be "partially wrong" here -- I hope. He said that the no-no foods vary from one person to another, but that coffee is a no-no for all. Hmmm... methinks perhaps it less bad for some than for others? Mehopes! :D I might be overly optimistic because I dont' want to let go of it. We will see how I fare with reduced/weaker coffee, like the last time.

It if I get used to less caffeine, it will be easier to stop if I need to. Lately I've been drinking tons of it, up to 4-5 cups a day. That's too much anyway. I am a true addict when it comes to caffeine. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the support, Steve. :) :hug::hug:

I figure I need some goals.

Working current goals are to:

1. consume no more than 2 cups per day of caffeinated coffee of the strength I've been using. (Later will reduce to 1 cup)

2. consume said amounts 'diluted' into multiple cups of half-calf or 1/3-caf coffee, rather than all at once.

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Today is Day #2 of 28, of the PPI medication.

So far I've had one cup of half-caf. Am about to make another, which will bring my caffeinated total to 1 cup out of 2 allowed.

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While I'm cutting down, in order to minimize the impact on my stomach, I am mostly taking my coffee without sugar (I still use milk if drunk hot). I don't want to make this a rule, so I can have a sweet cup every now and then, but will be careful with those.

waves

Waves,


He was pretty emphatic about how coffee does this to all. I wonder if he is right. I mean we are supposed to believe statements like that.
Well.


Your coffee plan is good.


You love coffee.
Will you miss it?

Mari

Kind of. He was too black-and-white about it, considering he said foods are "personal" -- some are easily as aggravating as coffee (eg citrus). He wasn't that emphatic in the sense that he was not even going to go there at all. He was done with me, after prescribing a gastroscopy and PPI. I asked about diet and specifically brought up coffee! So all his comments on coffee and food were in response. He didn't actually say to give up coffee, either.... which I may have miscommunicated here. That's more my own reasoning. The doc just indicated that it was bad for this kind of issue, in every case, across the board.

The stats do say coffee increases reflux. The dietary recommendations mostly say to limit coffee and alcohol, along with certain types of foods. Citrus, tomatoes are probably about as personal as coffee (high impact). For me they are probably even worse, honestly. 1 plan even said max one drink (alcohol) per day. Well, geez, for alcohol, we are only supposed to have that much anyway! I haven't seen suggestions for limiting the coffee, but less than 1 cup would be omitting, not limiting.

Common sense applies. The "limits" need to be personalized... down to zero if one notices symptoms at low consumption.

I have symptoms. I hadn't realized it, but I do. They need to be controlled. If I could cut coffee right out, yes, I would do that, because it really would be the best (safest) thing, and fastest way to get better. Not based on what doctor says... it's a known aggravant. I know from personal experience, too.

Limiting consumption, I do feel a bit restrained at 1 cup a day. I will feel limited in not being able to use caffeine as a drug/stimulant, to stay awake, basically.

If I have to give it up completely for any length of time -- oh yes, I will miss it, big time. Air I breathe, like I said.

waves

I apologize...
 

I apologize if this (or something else I said) was misleading. I believe I have given the impression that I'm following doctors orders re: the coffee. Not the case.

The doctor did not order me to give up coffee, nor even reduce it, nothing. Sorry if I caused confusion by relating his stance on coffee/caffeine.

I am aware that coffee, among other things, aggravates the health problem I have. I am making several dietary changes to get better fastter. I started the limitations/changes when the doctor gave me the PPI. Getting the medicine was an additional motivator for me. I want to facilitate the therapeutic effects of the medicine. This is only sensible.

None of these changes are particularly agreable to me, but all are manageable. Limiting coffee, on the other hand, is excruciatingly hard. Hence the thread.

waves

Coffee log -- 6/19
 

I drank two other cups of half-caf today (one when I woke up :rolleyes: in the afternoon, one after dinner). So, I've hit my quota for today. Assuming I don't drink any more (not a given, by any means :rolleyes:) I will not have exceeded the current limit. I will try to be good. ;)

I didn't eat ice-cream tonight. That was good. :)

waves