You are going to think I’m crazy…if you don’t already. But I can’t even write about anything other than Red Bull today, because it is the only thing on my mind. Sadly, not kidding. Many years ago I tried Red Bull and thought it was disgusting. Then about a year later I was in Dallas in the dead of summer. It was about 120 degrees and HUMID. I found myself in a van with NO air conditioning and literally felt like I was going to die. We kept the windows open but the blowing air felt like a hair dryer. The only thing in the cooler was Red Bull on ice and I drank 8 over the course of a few hours. Ever since then I have been hooked. When I say hooked… I mean addicted. Like a crack addict. I have single handedly funded that company I am sure of it!
I stopped both times being pregnant and counted down the days until my babies would wean from breast feeding so I could start back up again. Gross, I know! So I decided the other day I needed to quit. I have been drinking about 5 a day (about $10 a day! I’d be better off smoking!) . I wake up and crack a cold one the moment I wake up!
Yesterday was my first day of NO Red Bull. I went out with my mom to keep myself busy. People have joked that Red Bull can’t be an addiction and that I am just being funny. I wish I was because yesterday felt like hell. I was like a drug addict the first day of rehab. I was so sick I couldn’t drive. I couldn’t see straight and my head felt like it was going to pop off. I was nauseous and couldn’t stop shaking!! I was mad at the world and could not function. I went to bed at 9pm. Which is crazy for me. I just couldn’t handle it anymore.
I woke up this morning shaking and couldn’t deal. I drank one at 1pm and gave myself the excuse of “I will taper off”… So basically I’m a failure…. I’m really going to try to keep it at just 1 today…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. This is ridiculous.
Any pointers?
I wish I had some pointers for you as I'm in the same boat as you! I'm addicted to blended mochas (like Starbuck Frapps). I MUST have one every day or you don't want to be around me! I AM pregnant and I still can't kick the habit. Good luck and I hope you find something to help you! 😀
just remember that the best time to start over is NOW. You are human. You had a little setback. This is a new moment. Start over. Your body's reaction should be enough of an alarm to continue. I had this reaction when I stopped drinking Diet Coke 6 years ago. YOU CAN DO IT!!! Buy yourself something lavish at the end of a full month. $300 worth!! That's $3650 a year. Sounds like a vacation to me!!! 🙂
Going cold turkey only makes the withdrawals unmanageable, homeslice. If you’re seriously drinking 5 a day, I’d go from 4 a day, to 3, to 2, etc. Tapering down gradually makes it a whole lot easier on the headache and moody scale.
I am a freak of adulthood nature who hates the taste of coffee, so it’s tea for me! Yerba Mate is pretty decent on the caffeine side and tastes fine. I just steep a two-bag cup for about 5 minutes, pour on ice and drink throughout the day at work.
The owner of a local tea shop down here even invented a blend to kick her husband of his Red Bull addiction, you might wanna check it out ;).
http://www.pangeateacompany.com/catalog/Mat_Tea-9-1.html
They say caffeine is a harder addiction to kick than cocaine. No joke. That's why, when Coca-Cola could no longer put coca in their beverage to make it addictive, they started adding caffeine.
Maybe try an Excedrin? Like nicotine gum but for caffeine…
I wish you the best of luck! You can do it!!!
You're taking yourself off major amounts of caffeine. Your body is used to it, so you literally had a physical reaction. I think the tapering off idea sounds much better than cold turkey. You're a brave woman!!
I know if I miss my diet coke or tea in the morning, that I get a horrible headache!
Good luck to you!!
I had only 1 yesterday but 2 today. Oh well, better than 5 (or more) daily!!! Even crawling is moving forward I keep telling myself….Right?
Mental Chew, and KT your blogs are right up my alley! I will definitely be catching up on your complete blogs over the next few days. I am starting my farmgirl, live off the land life. Your blogs will educate this moron:)
Robin: Go Decaf mama. Congrats! How far along are you?
JessieG- the link to the tea company looks amazing…
JuJu- Diet Coke, coffee, red Bull seem so safe. I'm convinced there is just a tiny bit of crack in each. WHo can blame us right?!
I just quit smoking cigarettes… again. I had quit for 5 years, but started again about a year and a half ago. I've now gone 3 weeks without a cigarette and I can't go back. It's horrible.
I don't have any advice really, except that you can do it. Forgive yourself when you slip and just try again. You'll get there.
Good for you Erin! I know from watching friends, that cigarettes are very hard to quit. I read that you should switch one bad habit with a good habit. Like every time you wanna smoke, do jumping jacks. Something about… It shows you how bad the addiction is and also changes the response in your brain to the want. Guess I should have found the article before writing this haha. Maybe by laughing at yourself you get rid of the frustration a little easier:)
How is it going? I did that with Coca Cola. Mmmm…how I loved that drink so. I couldn't get away from it though, until I got really sick and drinking it made me feel worse. I've slipped up, but tried not to go back.
I hope by now you are feeling better!
P.S. I found you on Bloggy Moms. 🙂
Hi Amber!
Nice to meet you! I am down to 1 a day. At some point I'll go to half. hahaha that sounds ridiculous!
I completely understand this! I am a tea addict! I drink iced tea like other people breath oxygen. And it has to be Wawa or Swiss Farms brand (northern east coast stores.) This past year I developed Kidney stones and found out it was from the tea. My body can't process something in the tea leaves and it causes the stones. This would seem like a simple fix, just stop drinking tea…right. (and this wasn't just your average, horrific worse than any other pain stones. It was much worse, hospitalized for 6 days, unconscious for 2 with a 8 week recovery after surgery to remove them. And I still have more!) But I'm addicted! I'm worse then a junkie. I would think quitting anything would be easier than this! I've struggled on and off for years with smoking. I've quite several times only to go back to it when things get stressful, but that is so much easier for me than quitting tea. It's not just the caffine but the taste. I crave it, I need it and I'm not able to relax until I get it. I feel your pain. There's got to be a 12 step program out there for us! I just keep hoping God miraculously heals me of this addiction. I think that may be my only hope!
(by the way I am absolutely loving your blog. I found it from your husbands twitter page and I've passed it on to several people. Keep it up. Very entertaining as well as super informative!)