What are people's thoughts/experiences of caffeine?

Just to update on this, I've found that I can only leave the tea for 3 minutes. I've forgotten the statistic, but I think it means I'm losing roughly half of the caffeine.

Anyway, on Saturday I went out shopping and started to feel awful virtually immediately. Immediately the fear kicked in of being away from home with a horrible migraine. Before the migraine really got going, I went and bought myself a cup of tea, and sat quietly with it. I have to say, it really took the edge off it, and the migraine never properly got going as a result. This was obviously fantastic.

I've found this once before, but only if I am cutting the caffeine down or out altogether. I so wish I could find a decent alternative to tea. I quite like the redbush tea, which is caffeine-free, but it's a phytoestrogen, which messes with my migraines too.

I am thinking of dropping caffeine all together. I am about to lose my mind from fatigue. My insomnia has gotten so bad. So I thinking I'll wean myself off of caffeine entirely. Right now I drink one or two cups of coffee in the morning and afternoon. I'm thinking I'll switch to decaf with just a bit of regular coffee added. Then I'll drop the regular all together. Then because decaf still has some caffeine - I'll switch to an herbal tea after that. Or should I go cold turkey? I understand it that either way - weaning or cold turkey - it will make my migraines worse at first - but the insomnia is making my migraines and headaches so bad. I need to try something. Any advice for going caffeine free?

Ooh no, never go cold turkey with caffeine. Your head will be awful. My advice is get a baseline first of what you drink, then systematically cut down incredibly gradually.

I agree with Sarah - weaning much nicer route to take X

Have you ever tried Amitriptyline? - its often used as a migraine preventative but also as a muscle re laxer and sleep aid - it is with this that I learnt to sleep again - I increased the does until I could sleep through and then over time weaned off it - took about 8mths in total x

Thanks for the advice ya'll. Maybe I could step it down over a 2 or 3 weeks.

I took amitriptyline years ago for another purpose. I'll ask about it.

When I was looking for possible food triggers, I went cold turkey on caffeine, alcohol. tyramine, preservatives, citrus and dairy all at the same time. The migraines did increase slightly for about a week and then gradually tapered back to "normal". I kept on that diet for not quite 3 months before gradually adding items back in. Coffee was first

The strange thing was that the migraines decreased for a short while before returning to "normal". There was no change as the other foods were returned to my diet.

I really enjoy a regularly variable diet and I found the restricted diet didn't do much for my enjoyment of life. If I had found that one or more of the foods had made a significant difference, then I would have given them up, although probably with some reluctance. As it was I was really glad to return to a diet of "everything in moderation", although I certainly do consume far less processed food than I used to.

I was quite surprised that I didn't really suffer much from coffee withdrawal as I had been told by many that it would be a difficult task. But I was really pleased to be able to resume drinking it.

These days I drink organic coffee wherever possible.

I know it differs from person to person, but you may be able to cold turkey. Try it for a day and see what happens. Then try it for another day. Don't commit yourself for a fixed term. Take it one day at a time. If you find it becomes too difficult, switch to plan B (wean off gradually).

I've heard this tip from several people: Coffee is a stimulant, but in small doses it has the opposite effect. The suggestion is to give up coffee during the day and have a weak cup shortly before going to bed. It's supposed to help you go to sleep. I haven't tried it myself, so I can't vouch for it.

Good luck xx I do hope it helps you

I stopped drinking coffee and tea when I had my last chronic episode. What prompted it was reading that a particular Primary Care Trust would not prescribe anti-migraine drugs to people who drank coffee as they were de-sensitised to the effects caffiene would otherwise have - enhancing the effects of painkilling drugs.

I really did used to drink loads of strong coffee and coming off it did make my headache worse for 2 or 3 weeks. I don't know if it helped bring that episode to an end or not, but after the withdrawal period I began to sleep better and was generally much calmer.

I now drink decaffeinated coffee but very occasionally (say once every few months) will have a cafe latte, which is great, but makes me very whizzy and a bit manic so not so good for others around me

I don't drink coffee at all. I have only had a very occasional one - about one or two a year since about 20 years ago. I don't like coffee. I drink tea but haven't tried switching to decaf.

I'm currently trying to get into white tea, as it has supposedly got lower caffeine levels naturally, along with less fluoride. It's OK I guess, but not a patch on the regular kind.

I tried decaf tea but it tastes really bland to me so stick to the decaf coffee or herbals. A friend of mine used to drink jasmine tea, which is green tea with jasmine flowers. Not really sure if it has less caffeine in it though.

Green tea with mint is a nice alternative, even though I only have one cup a day. I'm trying really hard to stick to bottled water but.., yukk"......