Okay, so I want to kick my caffeine addiction for good this time.  I'm tired of spending money on it, I don't like crashing, and it's just not good for me.  HOWEVER, I'm on a lot of meds.  A LOT.  And many of them make me so tired that I can hardly function, even with massive amounts of caffeine.  Is there any natural energy boosters I can use instead?  I take a vegan Omega-3 supplement, as well as Ginko, because I have heard that those help with energy, but I just don't feel it.  I mean, even with 4 cups of coffee an hour (yes, I know that is WAY too much), I STILL can hardly keep my eyes open an entire work day.  Any suggestions for energy while I try to kick the habit (or at least cut way down)?

Thanks!

http://veganrockergirl.blogspot.com

Hi Dani, you sound like my husband when he was in med school!  He used to drink at least a pot of coffee a day . . . but he also refused to believe he was addicted!  Haha.  We have found that green smoothies help a lot with energy.  The first time we made one we drank it at night and couldn't fall asleep.  Not sure if it still has the same effect because we now drink one during the day, but I have read that the raw veggies help to oxygenate your cells and give you energy.  Worth a try if you aren't already drinking them! 

I have green juice in the morning for breakfast (juice kale, spinach, carrot, apple and blueberries), but I wonder if it would make a difference if it was a smoothie instead?

Tapering down slowly is a good idea to not completely crash your adrenal glands and adaptogenic herbs help restore adrenal gland function whilst providing a mild energy boost.

Im sure you were the poster with autoimmune issues so it would be hard to reccomend an adaptogen herb without knowing.

http://www.amlaberry.co.uk

Yeah, powerlifer, I have Lupus and Hashimotos...and the meds combo makes me sleepier than a crashed out puppy :-/

Hmm, I don't know.  Probably the only difference is that the smoothie has fiber.  Do you take B12 supplements?

I don't take a b12 supplement, no.  I eat a lot of mushrooms (which I've heard have b12) and I try to use nutritional yeast a couple times a week, but I don't take an actual supplement.  I'll try pumping up the juice while weaning off the caffeine.  Any suggestions on what should go in it, or does what I use look okay? 

That all looks good, most of the stuff that we use too.  I'm sure your meds are doing a number on you, I wish I had more suggestions!  It must be frustrating to be exhauted all of the time.  Are they currently trying to find the proper dose of meds for you or is this permanant?  I know that my family members with thyroid issues went through a lot trying to determine the proper dosages.  Not sure about your other meds too for Lupus though.  I was just wondering if maybe your dosages are not ideal for you. 

It's a constant process.  I've been on one particular med for 3 months now and the dosage has been changed 4 times already!  I mean, the exhaustion isn't AS BAD as when I wasn't on anything for it, but my thyroid med is always changing, too.  I was on a solid dosage for a while, but then my TSH skyrocketed out of nowhere so they upped it again last month, but it's just hard to kick the habit when you have made yourself believe that it's the only way to stay awake!  I know there are better ways, I'm just too lazy to find them...hahaha.  Today, I'm making myself drink 2 glasses of water in between each cup of caffeine.  It's KILLING me, but I know it's for the best ;-)

Yeah, if you are relying on coffee for most of the day you may be dehydrated on top of it which would only add to your exhaustion.  Adding the water in between is a great idea, I hope it helps.  Don't get too discouraged if you feel tired while cutting it out, as that might be part of the withdrawl too.