give it up?!

Give up the caffeine first. You need to do it gradually or you will have nasty withdrawal symptoms. Over a week or so, gradually put more decaf and less real coffee in the pot. Guve it a month.

 

When I was diagnosed being the control freak that I am I immediately started everything I could. I eliminated all caffeine (and I was a 6+ bottle a day Diet Coke girl) and lowered my sodium. I stayed off caffeine completely for about 2 years. then slowly had a soda here or there...didn't make any difference to me.

So at least for me, I think it was worth the try and I am glad that I did it. I also think that this disease works so differently for everyone that for you it may impact more.

Good luck!!

 

I drink one big cup of strong coffee in the morning to wake up, as I thought it could be a trigger I stopped it, it was not better or worse.

For me it does not make any difference if I drink coffee or not... So I go on drinking that one cup in the morning.

Oxygen

 

Caffeine is the only lifestyle change that did make a difference to me. Sodium made no difference, diuretics didnt help, but caffeine definitely affects my hearing to this day. I changed my morning coffee to decaf and eliminated diet coke etc in the afternoon. Even now, 7 years later when i have had vast and steady improvement, a large diet coke, especially from a fountain, will mess up my hearing for a few hours. These things like salt and sodium seem to be very individual to read what people say on this board. It's worth a try because things that do cause symptoms also add to long term damage.

 

I don't have any caffeine, alcohol, msg, aged foods such as strong cheese or cured meat and soy sauce and I have been very well for the last 5 years . At some point you might want to consider dodging foods and drinks that are high in tyramine.

 

I can drink coffee but only two 16oz cups anymore then that and I regret it.... I gave up salty first and red wine. I seem to be okay with sweet vermouth or hard cider in moderation. I haven't tried beer yet

 

I'm probably hurting myself, as I use Excedrin for headaches, and it has 65 mg of caffeine per pill. A neurologist told me years ago that I was getting rebound headaches as the Excedrin wore off, so then I would take more of them, sometimes 8-12 in 24 hours. I dealt with migraines for 50 years and Excedrin was the only pain reliever that worked, until the rebound headaches kicked in and even they didn't help. Now I usually take 2-4 Excedrin a day.

 

Marion
Many years ago i was on the headache roller coaster like you. After several visits to chiropractor to align back and neck, I have not had headaches for years.

 

And I do have a large coffee in the morning and sometimes a small coffee in the evening.

 

I went to a chiropractor years ago for 3 months for help with the headaches. I got worse but he would tell me that it was going to get better. It didn't and I finally had to stop going for adjustments.

 

Aspartame is a trigger for fullness for me. It's garbage anyway. Easy to quit.

 

Give up my caffeine free diet coke ? Never! I did give it up for several weeks and it made no difference. It is my only vice.