In an attempt to alleviate my health issues, I’ve given up caffeine. I’ve been a caffeine addict since childhood, drinking coke and then in college, adding tea and in grad school, coffee. I used to drink two cups of coffee in the morning, a coke at lunch, often a cup of tea in the afternoon, and sometimes a coke with dinner. This isn’t a huge amount in the grand scheme of things. I know people who drink coffee all day long. But I thought I’d give it a try. Given that I’m also pretty stressed out, it seemed a good idea to eliminate a stimulant.

Yesterday was the worst day and despite mass amounts of motrin, I felt pretty ill until mid-afternoon. You know you’re addicted when you go through that kind of withdrawal. I did actually feel better in a way. My head felt clearer and I’m definitely sleeping better. So far.

My other symptoms haven’t cleared up but it may take another couple of days for my system to clear out entirely. We’re now attributing my back pain to our crappy mattress. Man, I’m getting old.