Quitting Coffee

[Seamus]

Hi there,

Sorry if this doesn't merit a specific thread - as I see the topic is referrred to in several posts but just to centralise opinion - before I give up my 6 cups of daily coffee,

What is the consensus? - has giving up coffee actually lead to any noticeable improvements or has change been minimal?

Many thanks,

- Seamus

[Rojzen]

my favorite topic (coffee and health)

Wow, Seamus, what a great question, especially since probably ALL of us have been told to quit coffee, somewhere in the course of getting our diagnoses. . .But is quitting worth it? Hmmm. . .

I was DESPERATE to give up coffee when my eye problem started, because not only did all the relevant literature say that anything potentially dehydrating will exacerbate dry eye, and that coffee might even have inflammatory effects, systemically. . .but also because I was seeking pure homeopathic therapy, at first, and I was facing orthodox homeopathy's absolute abhorrence of coffee as an alleged universal antidote to homeopathically applied remedies. . .

For the record, there are now MANY homeopaths who openly challenge the coffee taboo. . .

But whether quitting coffee helped my eyes and my health generally? It did not, at least for the approximately 3 months during which my cold turkey lasted. . .Possibly, lifelong abstinence would help more, but for me, quitting coffee and all caffeine was exactly as useful as were boatloads of Primrose Oil, topical Eyebright, raw food dieting, etc. . .i.e., not at all. . .And as I gave up caffeine, I lost, in the bargain, nature's finest short-acting antidepressant, at a time when I believed deeply that my DES made life not worth living.

All that said, I suspect there are many people for whom major detoxing (as with colonics, fasting, herbal supplementation for purging, and avoidance of stimulants and depressants) is a real help. . .There are, for heaven's sakes, cancer centers that swear by detoxing as essential to regaining health. . .

So the question remains very open for me. . .Very glad you asked, in any case. . .

[momaxwell]

I quit. I was hard, but it was worth it. My dry eye improved and I no longer get eye spasms.

[kitty]

I did not notice a difference in my dry eye, but my blood pressure and heart rate dropped significantly.

[Rebecca Petris]

I quit. I don't know about my eyes (too many other variables in the meantime) but my concentration is better.

[nick]

I'm gonna come out as the oddball here, but I actually find some caffeine helps me, though I believe it is due to behavioral rather than physiological issues -- a bit of a buzz helps me to focus more and I find that when my mind is active I blink more often. Ceteris parabis, it may worsen my symptoms, but combined with my slightly changed behavior, the effect is positive. This may be something that no one else agrees with, but it has been my experience.

[Hangus]

I did read that the amount of liquids you consume more than outweighs the dehydrating effect of the caffeine anyway but it is like so many other things in this syndrome, one size never fits all.
By the way Nick, ceteris paribus??!! I am impressed! All things being equal of course!

Barry

[Seamus]

Coffee

Glad I asked - thanks all. I think I will go for the "moderation in everything" mantra - even though it is so BORING! I know reducing my intake would be advisable on all fronts but I am not going to try cold turkey.

[liz56]

I did read that the amount of liquids you consume more than outweighs the dehydrating effect of the caffeine anyway but it is like so many other things in this syndrome, one size never fits all.

Barry

That sounds reasonable. I reduced to eight ounces in the morning, and I drink lots of water and herbal teas / green tea each day. I have not noticed an improvement, but I don't think it is a big contributer for me, anyway.

[nick]

Sorry Barry -- too many econ courses...

[dianat]

Seamus,

Whatever amount of weaning you end up doing, be sure and do it slowly. Caffeine withdrawal results in nasty headaches. I've limited myself to the occasional caffeinated beverage and I can't say whether it helps or not. It makes my whole self feel better, but not really my eyes.

Still, I enjoy decaf. I do still see it as a treat in the mornings now that I'm used to the lack of caffeine in my system.

D

[cathyrhodes]

coffee/tea

Hey -

I've had dry eye syndrome since I was about 36. I'm 53 now and I've found that 3 things make a noticeable difference in the level of my dry eye irritation. 1 - reading by incandescent light (esp at night); 2 - my caffeine intake, and 3 - computer use. I'm not a coffee drinker...but a tea drinker. In fact, I think I can safely say that I have probably been dehydrated most of my adult life because of caffeine. I even wonder if that is what the catalyst was for my DE problem - chronic dehydration. Now, I have found that green tea seems to be the worst. I had to give up black teas for GI problems so now I stick mainly to green and white teas...the lowest caffeine level but....just can't completely give it up. I also try to follow every cup of tea w/ a full glass of water. I know that how much caffeine I've had during the day has a direct correlation w/ how bad my dry eyes are at night.