I'm sharing what worked for me. I tried your method too but ran into same issues and for me I just wanted caffeine out of my life asap. The headache is bad indeed.
Re:Is It Time to Quit Coffee for Good?
by crazygringo on Sunday May 14, 2023 @04:17PM
(#35941043)
Sure, but just because it worked for you doesn't mean you should be presenting it as general good advice. For the average person it is not a good recommendation. I just don't want anyone to read what you wrote and try it for themselves.
If you don't mind, may I ask what issues you ran into with gradual tapering?
> Be ready for headaches early on and couple of lethargic weeks until your brain somewhat resets.
Oh my god no don't do this. Why would you do this?
Just taper your caffeine down by about 5% of your starting caffeine intake over the course of 20 days and you'll get off of it with zero headaches. You'll feel a tiny bit less energy over those 20 days but it's not a big deal. And if even the tiny-bit-less-energy annoys you, you can plateau at any time and then resume the tapering down a few days later.
I've done this several times. I personally gradually change the proportion of caf/decaf beans I grind for each coffee (I like the coffee ritual) but you can also just drink less of a cup of coffee.
The headache you get from cold turkey caffeine withdrawal is so incredibly shockingly painful, I've tried it once and never again. There's no reason to subject your body to a shock like that. The pain is your body telling you don't do this.
(If you're wondering why I've done this so many times, it's because sometimes there are weeks/months where you need coffee to get you through it. But then when I have months where I know I won't need coffee, I then taper back off.)