Giving up caffeine to manage peri symptoms?
Posted , 7 users are following.
I have been struggling with depression, anxiety and crashing fatigue in peri and I am looking for a way to feel more like my old self.
I started drinking diet cola when I went off my birth control pill 7-8 years ago because the drop in estrogen made me so tired. (I never drank coffee or tea or caffeinated soda before.)
Now I am completely addicted! I drink 8-10 cans a day-- the caffeine equivalent of 2-2 1/2 cups of coffee. Plus all the fake sugar and food coloring that goes into the cola!
I am thinking of giving up caffeine to see if drinking water and juice helps with my symptoms. But I don't know if I am seeing a cause when there is just a correlation.
Has anyone done given up caffeine? Did you feel better? Thanks, Ladies!
1 like, 11 replies
littleme1969 maddysmom2015
Posted
I gave up everything mainly due to the fact i had to.. caffeine.. even decaf stuff as the product they use to remove the caffeine does not mix well with peri symptoms.. Alcohol also... again speeds up the heart and makes anxiety ets worse.. and finally sugar.. its the main thing causing the shaking and tremors.. Your body looses the ability to process unnatural sugars while going through peri... thats why alot of women gain so much weight.. the body just stores it and does not expend it as energy. I feel so much better now... i keep trying to add a bit of sugar back.. but my body is having non of it.. the shaking tremors and feeling like death return quickly. I'm sure its not the same for everyone.. but anyone who is really struggling should give it a go for 3 months to see what happens.. i didnt think it would make such a difference but it has. Also ass in soya milk , gives you a natural estrogen boost
maddysmom2015 littleme1969
Posted
Thanks for this insight. I didn't know that we lose the ability to process unnatural sugars as we go through peri. That syncs up with the general trend in my 40's of reduced food tolerance and increased food allergies. I went Paleo this past summer but I kept the diet soda as the last link to my old life.
When you say "feeling like death" I can completely relate. Almost every day I feel like I am 30 years older than my actual age--trying to meet all the responsibilities of someone who is 49. I am really hoping that after a few weeks I'll star to get myself back.
Thanks so much!
sarah23407 maddysmom2015
Posted
I gave up caffeine last year to help with an over active bladder problem. It was really hard for the first two weeks, terrible headaches and a foul mood but it really helped me along with some other food changes and I drink ginger tea now and limit myself to two mugs of decaf a day. Give it a go I say you have nothing to lose.
Sarah x
maddysmom2015 sarah23407
Posted
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much! I know you are right about having nothing to lose. But it takes so much self discipline to break an addiction. I was trying not to work so hard!
I was able to cut my soda consumption down to 4 1/2 cans yesterday; and I do feel much less draggy and depressed this morning.
Thanks for the encouragement. I think I'm going to need it!
kelly55079 maddysmom2015
Posted
The sugar is what I would be concerned with.. It's a drug. Once I start drinking pop, I need more of it and everyday. I believe it's the cause of weight gain and it also ages you too. All more reason to give it up.
maria_03422 maddysmom2015
Posted
I gave up caffeine and believe me so many symptoms gone! I drink just lemon water and chamomile tea at bed time...i miss my coffee so much but I feel better without it!!!
Feel better
xxxx
maddysmom2015 maria_03422
Posted
Thanks! I'm on day 3 and doing OK. My stomach and guts have definitely been calmer. I bought glass pitchers for the fridge so I don't have to deal with the plastic containers and oranges for infusion. It's a big change, but your support helps a lot!
UKJo maddysmom2015
Posted
Hi maddysmom!
Giving up caffeine is the main thing that has made a difference for me re poor sleep and hot flushes/night sweats.
At my worst about 2 1/2 years ago I sat on my sofa and had 4 massive flushes in 45 mins...and I mean sweat dripped one minute and then I went into shivering and needing a blanket around me. Horrible.
?That day I had struggled out of bed after little sleep because of hot sweats waking me 6-7 times in the night. I was completely pooped so turned to coffee to get me through the day. I also had some chocolate (a little pick me up as I was so sorry for myself). My caffeine intake was going up and up - I was in that vicious cycle of no sleep so needing a lift. Urgh.
I think it was the end of that week when I realised I was making things worse.
Took the decision to quit caffeine completely and cut back on sugar.
?I'll warn you to take it easy whilst quitting as the detox headaches can be horrific. Try gradually decreasing the amount you have each day as going cold turkey is a b***h.
?For me , it has been so worth it. Within a week I saw a huge difference. After a month or so my nights were a lot less troubled (woke maybe 2-3 times on a bad night and sometimes only twice and not as "awake" as I had previously been so able to drop back off and actually get some rest). Biggest improvement was during the day with flushes - some days I had only 1!!!! This has continued for me and now we are over 2 years on and the flushes and sweats are so so much better.
?Obviously this being meno I still have other issues going on and I haven't cracked the sweet thing completely (reading on here I really think I need to try harder with this) but honestly quitting caffeine probably saved my sanity.
?The other thing I found makes a big difference is having no alcohol - I rarely drink but notice if I do have a glass of wine at a celebration it leads to more sweats than I'm now used to. It's almost instant. I just don't think it's worth the hassle so rarely bother!
?Good luck to you - I really think it's worth it even if you feel awful for a bit whilst getting it out of your system. Drink loads of water to flush and eat some fruit. Keep imagining how much better you will feel. x
maddysmom2015 UKJo
Posted
Hi UKJo!
Thanks so much for your insights. It makes total sense that caffeine would play a role in hot flushes. Caffeine dialates blood vessels!
I agree with ou about cutting back rather than cold turkey. But I had a big of a fail yesterday. 6 cans of diet soda! (Not as much as the 9 I am used to, but a bit of a backslide.) I'm going to restart today and try to go down to 1 1/2.
My brain fog is my worst peri symptom and I do find that cutting back on caffeine has made me more lucid. I remembered almost everything at the grocery store yesterday--without a list.
(Normally, I can't even remember where I put my car.)
Thanks for your encouragment. It means a lot to me! I am imagining how much better I will feel. And, to be honest, how smug I'll be when I can say, "I'm Paleo--nothing but water for me." Up to now I had to say "I'm Paleo + Diet Coke." As a dramatic statement, it loses something.
UKJo maddysmom2015
Posted
Don't knock yourself!! You've started sorting out the problem and that counts for a lot. Steady and sure - keep on it.
?I laughed about your car! been there, done that.
I used to just magically end up back at my car via a homing instinct but I now have to pay attention to things I didn't used to even register - like "the car is parked next to the trolley bay by the really big tree".......I swear I chanted that for the time it took me to enter the supermarket from the car park. It worked but...well, you couldn't make it up could you?!
?My other half went Paleo for a while - I sort of joined in for a bit but gained weight so was quite off-putting (Although I could gain weight just reading a recipe book at the moment....)
?Hope today goes well for you - I'm planning to start on cutting back the sugar in my life to see what effect that will have. Groan. You are talking to a woman who likes to bake!
?best,
Jo
UKJo maddysmom2015
Posted