Here’s What Happened When I Quit Drinking Coffee

I’ll preface this piece by stating that I am not a doctor, nor am I dispensing medical advice. I’ll also add that I have an auto-immune disease, rheumatoid arthritis, that causes some pain, inflammation, and fatigue on a daily basis. Add to the mix four young children (ages five and under), it’s safe to say that I need coffee like Texas needs rain.

As a country, we come by our coffee-drinking habits honestly, starting with the Boston Tea Party in 1773. I am a bit of coffee connoisseur; and several years ago, I researched and invested in an excellent, European coffee maker, the Bonavita. I wanted a coffee maker that got the water very hot, and used a thermal carafe to keep it warm (bypassing the warmer plate that can give it a burnt taste). I buy this lovely organic roasted-in-Austin coffee in bulk from Costco, and it’s darn good coffee.

I am giving all this background to make it very clear: I love coffee. Mornings at our house frequently begin before 6:00 a.m., and the first thought when I open my eyes is — coffee, please! Even during my pregnancies, I didn’t give it up.

In the past, I tried a variety of a diets to try to ease my rhematoid arthritis pain. For two years, I ate strictly gluten-free, and it didn’t do much (if anything) for my disease. At one point, I went on a lengthy juice fast, and it did nothing for pain. I gave up soy and corn and sugar, and nada. I reached a point where I would roll my eyes when someone suggested a diet change for health reasons. But then . . . .

In the last six months, something clicked, and I was ready to make a break with coffee to see if it would help. After a miscarriage, my menstrual cycles were erratic and very painful. Years ago, I had seen a naturopathic doctor in Dallas, who recommended I give up coffee to minimize menstrual cramps.

I would sorta kinda do this in a wishy-washy manner by not drinking coffee for the first few days of my cycle, and it helped a little. But when I gave up coffee completely, the menstrual cramps went away. (Or would at least respond to one or two over-the-counter pain relievers — something that never worked in the past.)

In addition to gentler menstrual cycles, a lot of my lower back pain dissipated too. I have no idea how or why; but y’all, on the days when I splurge and have a cup of jo, I can guarantee that by afternoon, my lower lumbar region will be flaring, and I’ll regret my choice of beverage.

On top of all that, my heart palpitations disappeared. These palpitations were mild, irregular, and no cause for serious medical concern. They would come and go and were just a little uncomfortable. But, now they are gone!

And last but not least, I started falling asleep more easily at night and sleeping better during the night. During the first two weeks, it was really hard to wake up sans coffee. But now several months into this, I wake up better rested and don’t need a big caffeine fix to feel awake, although my poor husband is suffering a bit in the mornings in our coffee-free home these days.

Lest you feel sorry for me, I do drink a piping hot cup of black tea each morning as an eye-opener; and while I may never love it the way I do coffee, I am adjusting well. I’ve invested in a hot pink electric tea kettle and loose-leaf tea from Teavana and Tao, and I am (almost) in love with it.