How long can caffeine withdrawal take? Any way to speed this hellish process up?!

[eclipsezero]

So I recently discovered, well, two weeks ago actually, I am caffeine sensitive. Discovered this after spending two months in hell drinking coffee constantly(2 cups of strong coffee at least) and eating tons of caffeine stuff(chocolates and stuff, more than 3 per day at least).
Was anxious all the time and thought I was going batshit insane during that period, and couldn't get anything done at all(Or at least not in a good fashion) ;_;
Anyways, I quit cold turkey, and thankfully my cravings haven't been very strong at all, allowing me to last. The withdrawal symptoms suck though!
The first four days or so were TERRIBLE, was tired has hell(lets not mention the headache, oh god), got anxious pretty often etc. etc., however this week has been much better, I don't have many of the physical symptoms anymore.
However, I am still demotivated so far, and still get anxious(ITS LIKE A GODDAMN BUTTERFLY INFESTATION) now and then, and mild depression now and then, sleep isn't perfect either.
So now to my question, how long will this possibly take?
I have a math examination coming up in April(Reason why cold turkey was the only option for me), and I really need to study, but can't get myself to, AT ALL! Can't even get myself to play my favorite video games man, it god darned sucks ;___; Hell, I can't enjoy ANYTHING! Its like uh, I dunno, a negativity parade in my body/mind! And before you ask, I am actually really positive and nearly over confident most of the time, to the point where I tick people off sometimes.

If that question can't be answered, here's another: is there any way to speed this process up?! I am already drinking tons of water everyday, but is there anything else I can do?!

I seriously hope you guys can help!
And whoever came up with this forum, freaking brilliant idea, I have been looking for a place to ask this for a couple of days now D:

 

[PinkRose]

Hello "eclipsezero"

Welcome to the Coffee Forums website. It's great that you found us.

I wish you had found the Coffee Forums sooner, because most of us would have told you to cut back on your caffeine gradually. Quitting anything "cold turkey" is very difficult and sometimes not a good idea. However, since you've already put yourself through the pain, please be assured that it continues to get better as the days go by.

I found that taking something like Excedrin, or the store brand equivalent, that has a small amount of caffeine in it, really helps with the withdrawal headaches and the shakiness. I'm guessing that you've about a week or so into the whole "cold turkey" process. There is really no way to speed it up. You're already drinking lots of water, and if you continue to do so, your body will start to respond, your mind will clear, and you'll notice a big difference.

It's good that you want to get started early on studing for your math exam that's in April. Just do a little at a time, and in a week or so, your concentration level will be where you want it to be and then you can hit the books hard.

Good luck, and please let us know how things progress with you.

Rose

 

[eclipsezero]

"I'm guessing that you've about a week or so into the whole "cold turkey" process."
English isn't my first language, so I just want to make sure I understood this right. Basically you mean I might have approximately one more week to go before I get back to normal right?
That would be pretty great if it really does happen, gonna hope for that <3

Also, thankfully I haven't experienced a headache for a couple of days now, however I will remember your recommendation if I do get one again! I am just curious though, wouldn't taking a caffeine containing item kind of, um, 'reset' this whole process? Or delay recovery from withdrawal?

Going to follow your suggestion and try to force myself to do some math, considering I am pretty bad at it, its probably not a good idea to wait until complete recovery, though I doubt I will even follow anything at all heh.
Thanks for helping out! Definitely going to update you guys when I get better and stuff!

 

[PinkRose]

From what you wrote in your first post, it sounded like you have been suffering for more than a week. You are well on your way to getting over it. In another week, you should feel much better.

Taking something like Excedrin, that has a little bit of caffeine in it, actually helps when you're going through those beginning withdrawal symptoms. A little bit of caffeine helps calm down the headache. It doesn't delay getting through the withdrawal. It just helps make things a little better.

Is your math exam for an advanced math like Algebra or Calculus? That would give me a headache all by itself.

Rose

 

[CoffeeJunky]

Rose: Algebra is high school math... lol... Now calculus 2 or 3 would give me headache for sure.... lol....
Eclipsezero: Like you said, drink tons of water and let your system work itself out. Your body will function normal in no time... If you still feel weird, you should go see your doctor but I don't think there isn't much he can help you with it but tell you to drink more water ... I hope you are getting some sleep at least....

 

[eclipsezero]

From what you wrote in your first post, it sounded like you have been suffering for more than a week. You are well on your way to getting over it. In another week, you should feel much better.

Taking something like Excedrin, that has a little bit of caffeine in it, actually helps when you're going through those beginning withdrawal symptoms. A little bit of caffeine helps calm down the headache. It doesn't delay getting through the withdrawal. It just helps make things a little better.

Is your math exam for an advanced math like Algebra or Calculus? That would give me a headache all by itself.

Rose

Ayup, today is the start of the third week!
Thanks for the info! Gonna take some if I do get a headache then : )

Also, math is...math, for me. Regardless of whether its advanced stuff or simple multiplication and division, it makes my brain melt ;o;

@CoffeeJunky Didn't have much sleep last couple of days, but last night specifically was a pretty great sleep, feeling pretty damn good today <3

 

[eclipsezero]

Just a small update and a question, I am feeling much better now, any anxiety that I get is much more mild and almost no depression at all~
However, I am not feeling much of my motivation/energy yet, concentrating is still pretty hard, and I am not really enjoying anything as I did before :V(Though on the plus side, I am automatically attempting to enjoy everything with a positive attitude, exactly as before, in fact, my entire attitude and thinking process is MUCH more positive! yay~) and also have constipation as a physical symptom.
So...my question is pretty simple(Maybe dumb? >3>; haha), this should also return to normal within a few days approximately, hopefully, right?
Its a silly question to bump the topic with, I know, but...just worried, y'know? >>;

 

[PinkRose]

Keep on doing what you've been doing and things will gradually get better. Just remember to drink lots of water, eat some fruit and whole grains for fiber. As the days go by, you'll feel even better.

Rose

 

[eclipsezero]

Small-ish update thing.
I am much more better physically now, constipation is much more less, and I am much more energetic, and I...think I am able to concentrate fairly well, not sure haha >3>;
I have to say though, I am actually more down emotionally than before. I mean, am actually recovering a lot emotionally, but at the same time, its depressing me and frustrating me, because its not the same level as before, just me being impatient I guess. Plus, I am really attached to my emotions because I actually fell into depression once a couple of years back, and thus value my emotions a LOT more now.
So...this feels really lame to say, but I need to ask this question for some support, this should get better as well, right? For me, not being emotionally at the same level as usual really interferes with my daily activities and is demotivating by itself...
...
Uh, should probably note, this thinking COULD probably be due to caffeine withdrawal induced depression, just cried a bit, so yeah, probably best to take my words with a grain of salt D:

Also, I can't seem to find this info anywhere so, how long can it take for a caffeine sensitive person to come out of withdrawal, specifically, emotionally? I know there's no exact time or whatever, but can it really take more than 3 weeks? All info I see says it takes around a week or so, or do they just mean that you are no longer addicted after a week?
EDIT:
Would not eating sugar and exercising help?
EDIT-2:
Should also mention, my sleeping cycle isn't the best yet, in fact, I just had like 3 hours of sleep last night, and had to sleep in the morning, which wasn't good sleep either.

 

[PinkRose]

Hi again "eclipsezero"

You are well on your way to kicking the caffeine. Congratulations for hanging in there!

In response to your two edits, cutting back on sugar and exercising should help you feel better and boost your mood.

Also, if your sleep cycle isn't right, that will cause you to have mood swings. Do you live in an area where the clocks sprung ahead on Saturday night? Lots of people are sluggish and depressed this week. It's amazing how losing that one hour messes people up. I see it happen every year. It takes a few days to bounce back.

Doing something that you enjoy, or helping someone who needs help also tend to lift a person's spirits.

It sounds like the physical withdrawal from kicking the caffeine is just about over. You probably just need to find somethng else that you enjoy doing. And of course, if you don't feel better soon, you may want to visit your family physician and have a chat.

Rose

 

[eclipsezero]

Update~!
So physically I am practically back to normal I would say. No constipation, unless I mess up and eat something bad/spicy Sleep is a lot better as well!
Emotionally and motivation-wise...not so much. Not as bad as the first week of course, or when I was actually consuming coffee, I just tend to end up depressing myself due to simple over thinking and worrying, motivation hasn't returned(Been trying, not very successful), and my enjoyment is pretty low when it comes to games or outside activities(Compared to none from before though), and nil when it comes to studies(I used to enjoy studying!).
I guess its just a matter of consuming water and waiting(I am starting to have a certain days where I feel basically the same as before, almost.), but I don't have much time, exam is on April 22nd. I AM doing my studying of course, but being emotionally healthy, playful, and motivated would be MUCH better...
Should I see my doctor...?

By the way, I would just like to say, THANK. YOU. Sincerely. I don't have many friends to help me out with this currently, and my family, while kickass, I don't want to constantly talk to them about this, I feel it would burden them somewhat, and I truly don't wish that, they are fairly old(Parents, my father is retirement age) and I have troubled them enough...
So yeah, again, thank you. You truly do not know how much this helps, and I hope I can continue posting here while walking the road of recovery : D
Gonna end this post by linking to one of the songs that's been helping me when down and stuff~ hope some of you peeps like it >3>:
Spontaneous Me -Lindsey Stirling (original song) - YouTube

PS:
Now that I've mentioned overthinking, don't suppose that's the sole reason remaining why I am demotivated and what not? I remember overthinking a bit now and then before starting to consume coffee regularly for two months.
I would basically go from a small subject like the day not going good and end up at the thought that life was over, before realizing I had been thinking, waaaaay too much :V
Caffeine kicked this into lightspeed of course(No longer the case now after stopping), and I thought I wasn't a natural overthinker and that it was all due to caffeine, I am having second thoughts regarding that now...

 

[PinkRose]

Hi ""eclipsezero"

Thanks for the update. Congratulations! It sounds like you're gotten past the caffeine withdrawal.

It also sounds like it's time for you to visit your doctor. Tell him/her what's going on with you, and how you're feeling. There may be something else that you need to do. For example, if you're not getting enough Vitamin D - obtained in certain foods and by simply being outdoors in the sunshine, you'll experience some of the symptoms that you described. You doctor can run some tests, and ask you some questions, and help you figure out what's going on.

Thanks again for the update.

Rose