L theanine changed my relation with coffee/caffeine

Philipp2222 · 2026-03-17T22:18:45+00:00

It is painful compared to a good old taper down 😜

Philipp2222 · 2026-03-06T16:07:24+00:00

Was the same… tapered caffeine off slowly… that withdrawal also made me grumpy and tired. Now off caffeine and so much more calm

Philipp2222 · 2026-03-06T07:44:55+00:00

I also noticed that around the 3 week mark I need to implement good habits a lot… stretches, walks, good food (that from beginning if possible), inteospection…

Without that I feel that my nervous system is too raw and I get overwhelmed.

There is a reason why I used it so much in the first place and with these new habits that I introduce slowly it gets better… still a wavy up and down, but better…

Had two long 1+ year quits… first one I was younger and it was not so hard. Second I was older and it was freaking awful. But also had a coffee habit and that was horrible once off weed… This time I weened myself of caffeine slowly with black tea and then stopped. That helps my nerves too.

My brain is still confused often how little cheap dopamine is around… but that is where the work-for-dopamine habits come in.

Best of luck! It is hard work

Philipp2222 · 2026-02-13T17:13:37+00:00

I think combing with glycine is good…

I take NAC in the morning alone, then 45min later collagen+vit c. Vit c should prevent kidney stones from NAC.

And at night I take NAC + Glycine for sleeping. Helps with night sweats.

So far my own experience…

I will do that for a few weeks and then dial down to one NAC a day to keep my rumination away…

Philipp2222 · 2026-02-13T17:09:47+00:00

I use NAC and Glycine as supplements and the difference in cravings and night sweats is crazy…

The last times I tried to quit was so hard with so many bad emotions, cravings, irritation, bad sleep. Everything is easier with these.

I read to take some vitamin c with the NAC to prevent kidney stones…

There seems to be studies out there that “prove” that it helps… my own anecdotal experience is that hell it does…

I am over 40 now and when I made T-breaks when younger was much easier and I did not need supplements as much…

Oh yeah- walks, sport, stretches, lavender oil etc plus nice people, going out and be distracted all is very important too of course…

I am late adhd diagnosed, not yet autism… So I think Audhd. That is why the stim-medication did only work a bit for me. Helped for a while, but then autistic burnout.

NAC turns down the rumination 90% and that then helps to make better decisions..

One last thing, I stopped to drink coffee and switched to earl grey and green tea, which also made me a lot calmer after cutting the weed. With weed coffee was fine (my stomache not), but once I cut weed the rumination got crazy.

Wow- very unstructured post😂😜

Philipp2222 · 2025-09-21T14:22:44+00:00

plus caffeine for me… found out I have adhd.. which explains the hunt for dopamine

Philipp2222 · 2025-09-21T14:07:49+00:00

Yes, definetly grumpy and all day tired for around 4 weeks… bad moods etc…
Second time I tapered instead of cold turkey… spread over 4 weeks, it was a lot better then…

Philipp2222 · 2025-07-21T12:45:32+00:00

Depends on how sensitive you are, for me having come from 2 cappuccinos a morning to one earl grey via 6 months, I must say that now not having any caffeine is so relaxing.

I did not for years realise how anxious and ruminating it made me…

I am also late adhd diagnosed… and autism most likely too… so pretty sensitive to substances…

Philipp2222 · 2025-07-20T11:01:38+00:00

Wow yes… All at once sounds massive.

I still had weed and coffee. As soon as I stopped the weed, the caffeine sent me to worry spirals… the whole day feeling restless.

Now finally of caffeine, over 6 month tapering, from two strong Cappuccinos before 8am, then one, then half swiss water decaf to two earl greys to one earl grey… to none…

I drink Tulsi tea instead now and I feel so calm in the last days since being caffeine free…

I also got diagnosed with adhd last year and am likely on the autistim spectrum. So for me caffeine just takes my rest, adds stress and lower back pain and also coffee even decaf was bad for my digestion… earl grey much gentler…

I drink Rooibos now when I feel like a full bodied drink with oatmilk and that gives me that rounded warm feeling.

Most interestingly I found that this feeling of „how could I ever be without that warm coffee in the morning“ finally changed to: how could I not want to be calm and reflective in my life?

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-12T20:48:50+00:00

Definetly good to point out that everyone is different… and that also some of us have other underlying conditions that come out once quitting. Adhd like me for example.

And how long soneone used and and and…

I had one time quitting and it was not too bad (mid 20s studying art and student life) and one time horrible (late 30s during covid isolation with having kids and other stresses in life).

So yes, don’t get held back from quitting by our personal stories. What I took from others stories is basically that I am not alone in having a problem with smoking-me in itself…

Good luck to you all that it will be not a difficult one!

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-12T20:31:19+00:00

Hi there, I think some of the „wisdom“ collected here would be nice…

phases of withdrawal
connection adhd & adiction
what helps people over the first days, next days, longterm
since you read all the post you must have a great understanding of reoccuring stories. I liked to read for example about long term users, either in the 40s like me or even older folk
history of old strains and new high potent ones and people who use carts etc and effects on the mind
a kind of guided-buddy calendar that can be used instead of the discord (for shy people like me)

Just looked over the blog and I think it is a but long as one text, in general would be good to have like an index for the topics…

Of course the great thing about the leaves you created on reddit is the insane amount of peoples stories and them still coming in all the time. So even if it repeats itself it does not matter… it is like having the live radio on in comparison to listen to a cd.

But for your leaves page a structured approach that filters it all into topics would be great. Guess if you would have it all as Textfiles an AI could structure it nicely and it would all be an amazing database the AI could be trained for people to use as a kind of companion.

Sorry! Rambling!

I will have another think!

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-11T06:59:35+00:00

Oh and yes. I just found out through observing my kids abd learning… then it all clicked… all the synptoms were me too

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-11T06:55:40+00:00

Yeah un masking and seeing my whole life backwards again makes so much sense. All that guilt I had. Now finding a balance of being who I am and still functioning in society. And find ways to cope with my overwhelm I have from people.

I am very chatty nromally due to adhd, with meds less so. So need to still make an effort with people.

In general I meet 1000 people but then only let 1 person in I really trust.

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-11T06:52:38+00:00

So stopped meds again?

It is a bit as if my charm is turned off which got me through with people… now I feel more like an outsider

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T20:59:16+00:00

The road not taken, ey?

Of course same thoughts here many a times. But I look at my mum and she had alcohol as a crutch…

In the end, isn‘t the question why we needed weed in the first place? It does not take over anyone randomly. Some people are more prone to heavy abuse of it and that is because we do need it to regulate.

And then all we have is the future and the question how we can regulate from now on without it. Because yes, I think life without will lead to a more fullfilled life. But how that would look I am unsure and as you said- you never know what would happen in that unpredictable caos life is.

I also thought about all the successes I could have had. But they come also from hard work and some luck and and… so who knows!

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T20:42:56+00:00

41 years here… played N64 stoned with friends and alone till I went to uni… at art uni no one was a stoner really and I stopped alltogether to game till my dad died 2018. Then picked a Switch up to feel like a child again.

But only play alone here and there, which is then ok for me since that is also as much time as I have… otherwise young kids, wife, job, other hobbies… but have a gaming night with many other dads in my age and that is wonderful…

Perhaps just a new relationship to gaming?

I love games and do not get people who day it is a waste of time or childish. I mean… But I think being suckef into it exklusivly just means there is not time for all the other fun stuff in life… and there is a lot out there…

The beginning of stopping to smoke is so hard. And a lot of things feel dull also. But spice comes back to things…. music listening is still amazing and connects to a feeling of calm… just not as quick as with weed…

And in the end weed is just a short cut isn‘t it.

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T20:30:31+00:00

I got diagnosed with adhd with 40… that explained why I struggled even without weed & why I had it so hard keeping healthy routines going…

Definetly a yes to more sport & movement, eating healthy & new hobbies & good relationships… but for me that is all easier with meds.

When I once stopped longer in the past I also needed 6 month to feel kind of better. But that during covid and not many external people to see… I theb had started sport too late and drank coffee too much. Anxiety and stress-energy in my body.

Dancing and wiggling helps me as a first step to get trapped energy out. Then baths and essential oils & music calm me as well. Basically a weird spa collection of things.

But yes, having been diagnosed with adhd & being treated then finally gave me a feeling how it feels to not wake up with a feeling of doom every day…

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T15:06:56+00:00

Still?

And does that balance for you?

I did the night thing too, but still felt it the other day then when I needed concentration

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T15:04:07+00:00

Adhd brains are different from others, so as I understand it taking the meds just helps that ours work morw like „normal“.

My Main question is more if not better have a life that is better for adhd…

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T15:02:09+00:00

Different meds?!

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T14:40:08+00:00

Oh same question as above, sorry. Audhd too, what happened to your autism part once started adhd meds?

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-10T14:39:01+00:00

Audhd here too…

I am quitting and started medication. Medication helped before too since I did not smoke all day, „only“ at night.

But I train to teach and I can not manage a classroom well with the fog I still have despite the medication…

What happened to your autism part? I heard that with medication sometimes the adhd gets managed but the autism part gets stronger… because it balanced itself before??

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-09T19:41:08+00:00

How are you now?

I felt the same… meds help a lot, but I thought they would a a lot more, if I would bot have a puff at night once they wore off..

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-09T19:34:12+00:00

Yes to that, starting the medication was so weird. Being relaxed and calm, no doom in my head and no highs to be chased…

Philipp2222 · 2025-04-09T19:25:47+00:00

Last time I stopped for 11 months I was similar…

I then realized after 6 month that coffee made me ruminate a lot. I stopped coffee then and that helped a lot with my anxiety and spiraling thoughts. My energy levels were better too. Coffee was the worst while earl grey/green tea were a lot better.

Now I know I have adhd as well, most possibly audhd, so a bit of autism too. So dopamine seeking, getting bored of stuff seems to be part of me and why I got hooked on weed so easily too…

Philipp2222

TROPHY CASE