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Decaf Coffee or Cocoa OK During Withdrawal?


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I understand caffeine affects Gaba receptors, so I quit drinking regular coffee.  But I DO have a decaf I make myself (3 mgs) and a homemade cocoa (ditto, as I read cocoa from Starbucks, etc, was much higher.)  I seem to be recovering quite well mentally, but still have oodles of physical pain caused by the benzo's.  Should I quit even decaf?  (I love it - makes my day start beautifully!)
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Hi Benzo P! :smitten:

There are two problems drinking coffee and cocoa. Coffee has caffeine and even the decaf has at least 14% in it. Cocoa also has caffeine and sugar. Both are excitatory substances  :D . If you are tapering you probably want to stay away from it or at least take the decaf only in the morning. I replaced coffee with Roma Kaffree. It's a plant base and really taste like coffee. If you put milk you won't notice a big difference. Yes, it's hard to quit things that you enjoy...

 

https://www.clnf.org/roma-coffee-substitute-7oz

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I switched to just one cup decaf in morning.  Unfortunately, the plant based coffee substitutes are grain based and I'm gluten intolerant.  Can't win for losing.  Even that one cup decaf feels like a no-no.  I meant to look up, and never did...I think it's Folger's that has a truly caffeine free decaf.  Me and the five cups of coffee a day definitely had to part ways. 

 

But the plant based ones really do taste like coffee and are pretty good.  DandyBlend was a good one.

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I'm not a coffee drinker but I've heard that chicory root tastes quite a lot like coffee with no caffeine?

I made the mistake of having 'decaf' tea the other day 😩

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Byrjun - did it send you into hyperspace???  It seems my only alternative to the decaf would be a glass of lemon water in the morning.  I suppose I should try it, but right now sounds like torture : )
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Byrjun - did it send you into hyperspace???  It seems my only alternative to the decaf would be a glass of lemon water in the morning.  I suppose I should try it, but right now sounds like torture : )

Just made me feel off....no way to really describe it to be honest. Heart wasnt happy either, could also be the gabapentin I've been on too. Kinda all over the place. Infused water is really good though! Cut up some lemon, cucumber and a spring of mint and let it sit in water in your fridge over night. It's fantastic ! 😋

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Here's my take, and maybe it's controversial, or the dissenting opinion.  If it makes you feel like a normal person, and it doesn't exacerbate your side effects in an extreme way, then I say it's fine to go with decaf coffee or cocoa. I had decaf throughout my

taper and withdrawal, and now do a half caff in the morning, and it's fine.  The whole point of this ordeal is to feel like a normal

person again, so if this makes you feel like a normal person, go for it.  I have the same opinion of alcohol (after you're off, not

whole you're on benzos).  If it makes you feel like a normal person to have a glass of wine, have a glass of wine.

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Here's my take, and maybe it's controversial, or the dissenting opinion.  If it makes you feel like a normal person, and it doesn't exacerbate your side effects in an extreme way, then I say it's fine to go with decaf coffee or cocoa. I had decaf throughout my

taper and withdrawal, and now do a half caff in the morning, and it's fine.  The whole point of this ordeal is to feel like a normal

person again, so if this makes you feel like a normal person, go for it.  I have the same opinion of alcohol (after you're off, not

whole you're on benzos).  If it makes you feel like a normal person to have a glass of wine, have a glass of wine.

 

I really love your posts gogo!  💜

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Good plan gogo!  But normal!!  Did somebody say NORMAL???  That feels like a stretch.  Probably won't be able to pull that one off for a while  :)

 

Byrjun - Your recipe sounds yummy!!

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Benzo Pirate, I am kind of the opinion expressed by gogo. If you don't feel bad drinking decaf or cocoa, go for it.

 

I was super careful during my taper and maybe didn't need to be. I discovered a drink called Teecino -- a coffee substitute that tastes great. And there are also decaf coffees that truly do have no caffeine -- the Swiss water process removes all caffeine. So you can look for those. I got hooked on Teecino, though. It is SUPER delicious. Tastes a lot like coffee. You can order from Amazon.

 

I can't comment on decaf cocoas. Or decaf tea, as I am not a tea drinker. I would suspect that black tea, even decaf, does contain some caffeine, but what about herbal teas? Green tea or mint or camomille tea? They are caf-free and would at least give you some variety.

 

Oh, I just remembered -- Teecino makes a caf-free mocha drink. I don't know if it is "real" chocolate. Maybe check that out.

 

Hope this helps someone!

 

Katz

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Benzo Pirate, I am kind of the opinion expressed by gogo. If you don't feel bad drinking decaf or cocoa, go for it.

 

I was super careful during my taper and maybe didn't need to be. I discovered a drink called Teecino -- a coffee substitute that tastes great. And there are also decaf coffees that truly do have no caffeine -- the Swiss water process removes all caffeine. So you can look for those. I got hooked on Teecino, though. It is SUPER delicious. Tastes a lot like coffee. You can order from Amazon.

 

I can't comment on decaf cocoas. Or decaf tea, as I am not a tea drinker. I would suspect that black tea, even decaf, does contain some caffeine, but what about herbal teas? Green tea or mint or camomille tea? They are caf-free and would at least give you some variety.

 

Oh, I just remembered -- Teecino makes a caf-free mocha drink. I don't know if it is "real" chocolate. Maybe check that out.

 

Hope this helps someone!

 

Katz

 

Green tea still has caffeine, just less than black

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Green tea still has caffeine, just less than black

 

Bummer, Byrjun.  :'( What's a concerned taperer to drink, anyhow? I tried some of those herbal teas (rosehips, mango, lemon and whatsits) and decided I'd rather drink water.

 

Katz

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Green tea still has caffeine, just less than black

 

Bummer, Byrjun.  :'( What's a concerned taperer to drink, anyhow? I tried some of those herbal teas (rosehips, mango, lemon and whatsits) and decided I'd rather drink water.

 

Katz

 

Yeah ive been drinking water with mio flavoring. Or infused water :(

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gogo - true.  Normal is way overrated.  :)  I tried it once...back in 1972, I think.  (Yes, I must confess.  I was born at an early age).
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Thanks, all! All suggestions/comments appreciated.  When I quit regular coffee and my one glass of wine occasionally I had far fewer mental symptoms of withdrawal - the "Terrible Trio" of akathisia, depersonalization/derealization, and depression mostly disappeared.  But I have extreme pain issues that also mostly disappeared when I quit benzo's/elavil the first time.  (Before dickhead doc extraordinaire retoxxed, readdicted, then cold-turkeyed me, that is).  If zilch coffee would help, I'll quit it - but be miserable.  (Like one of you, am gluten intolerant and all the substitutes have barley or one of my sensitivities.)   
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Benzo - funny description of your trip with doc!!  (Not funny really)  I noticed a big improvement when I gave up my beloved coffee.  Oh well.  Small price to pay for feeling better.  I'm pretty sure Folger's makes a truly decaf coffee, if you don't mind it's not organic.
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Benzo - funny description of your trip with doc!!  (Not funny really)  I noticed a big improvement when I gave up my beloved coffee.  Oh well.  Small price to pay for feeling better.  I'm pretty sure Folger's makes a truly decaf coffee, if you don't mind it's not organic.

Actually started having a cup of BELOVED coffee 2 weeks ago, even while tapering  via Valium to " test the waters" as you would say.

First cup in a year and my God it was delicious and relaxing, while you'd expect ingesting caffeine against all rules while tapering due to increasing anxiety, it's actually had the opposite effect on me! It relaxes me and helps with digestion [laxative properties apparently.]

I don't have a cup everyday but, a cup or 2 a week has no detrimental SXS on my anxiety levels! Weird for sure...

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Glad it's working out for you, Riley. I hated giving up my coffee and when I resumed drinking it, OMG it was so wonderful!!! Delicious, uplifting, and it smelled so good. I hang around in the morning while it's brewing and just inhale the lovely odor. And then, actually drinking it . . . ahhhhhh!

 

Nice to find another coffee lover here, although I understand it may not be right for everyone.

 

:smitten:

 

Katz

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Riley - am seriously envious of you...but good for you.  Would love it if caffeine calmed me down. Still slogging along with decaf and have accepted my fate.
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Riley - am seriously envious of you...but good for you.  Would love it if caffeine calmed me down. Still slogging along with decaf and have accepted my fate.

 

Yea it's strange? Of course everything we've read says avoid caffeine as being a excitable, anxiety causing drink, including soda with caffeine, etc. I'm clueless but, damn that coffee tasted great with no heightened anxiety SXS?

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Coffee doesn't make me anxious, thank heavens, but it sure does wake me up and make me alert. I can definitely work better. It probably won't do this for everyone. Just sayin'  :-\

 

Katz

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Oregon - did the Unisom have any bad effects? I really need to sleep and was thinking of melatonin but scared of having nightmares....Builder used Unisom to sleep. I need something so I get more than 3-4 hours max of sleep while I taper.
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The Unisom made me feel a bit groggy. I took half a 25 mg tab for quite a few months on my taper. It helped a great deal. But . . . a bit of morning grogginess.

 

Nowadays a double-strength cup of camomille tea at bedtime is just as effective . . . and no morning grogginess.

 

Katz

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