Brewed decaf is even an issue in staying off meds

Boy it’s hard to give up coffee. It has been part of my morning routine for such a long time. It makes me
more alert and just improves my well being. I am smarter on coffee. This is why it is the world’s most popular drug.
And it sure is potent. According to “The American Headache Society”, 100 mg per day can sustain a dependency. Caffeine as low as 10 mg (some decafs) is noticed by very sensitive people (that’s me). 30 % of drinkers feel the effects of 18 mg or less.
At Starbucks, decaf has been measured to contain up to 6.9 mg ( 8 ozs. of brewed decaf) and up
to 15.8 mgs (for decaf espresso). So a 12 oz tall or 16 oz grande may
have a sizable effect on some sensitive people. (9/1/16: I learned in an
email from Starbucks that one measure, 2 Tb., of decaf is 15 grams of
caffeine!!! So two cups is 30 grams. That’s a lot.)
Caffeine needs to be totally eliminated for at least 3 months (and probably forever, according to my oto-neurologist) when you begin medication, the Migraine Diet and the reduction of stress and other physiological triggers. He found that caffeine just interferes with the goals of trying to reduce vertigo/migraine: and get off medication.
We also need to get Sleep 7-8 hours a night (caffeine affects relaxation and sleep habits)., to get adequate hydration (caffeine dehydrates the system), to calm nerves (caffeine excites the nervous system), and to reduce eye and head movements (caffeine makes this difficult and makes you move more quickly - gives you too much energy). Caffeine causes me to overdo on the amount of activities for the day - I then overdo and ARE MORE SENSITIVE TO TRIGGERS. It negatively affects blood vessels and eventually causes rebound and symptoms. Caffeine affects insulin levels which affect migraine.
(Click Here for “Migraine and Caffeine” by Shapiro and Cowan)
(Click Here for Caffeine Content of Favorite Foods) AFTER YOU ELIMINATE CAFFEINE FOR THREE MONTHS, THEN YOU CAN TRY SMALL AMOUNTS TO SEE THE AFFECTS. BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE REGULAR COFFEE LEVELS OF CAFFEINE FOREVER. (vertigotalesandtastes.blogspot.com

I keep myself to one coffee a day max. Have not found it an issue whilst on meds but agree absolutely if you are trying to go med free it’s a huge no no.

But in the end of the day it’s all a personal tailoring.

I believe here in the UK decaf has to have less than 0.1% caffeine. Correct me if I’m wrong! But even so I stopped pretty much entirely for a year or so, treating myself to an occasional decaf from a coffee shop. My doc said no more than one or two decaf a day. Lately though I have started having more though. I found a decent instant decaf and have one almost every day now. Living on the wild side :wink:!

In the U.S we have thousands of brands of coffee, each with their own roasting and bean combining techniques. They all make decaf coffee and each one has a different caffeine level. Sometimes you can call a company and find out the caffeine level in their decaf. The other factor I am cautious about is how it is decaffeinated. I stay away from chemically treated decaf - for daily use. I will have one once in a while and that seems to be okay. Otherwise, for more frequent use, I look for CO2 or water processed. For example, the only water processed decaf at Starbucks is Sumatra (I called them). Here is some research I did over the past year, if you are interested:
Starbuck’s Decaffeinated Sumatra (water processed) 9/1/16: Starbucks reports 15 mgs of caffeine in one cup of brewed decaf made with one measure (2Tbs) of Sumatra.
Peet’s Mocha Java Decaffeinated (water processed) Mario Batali Amalfi Blend Decaffeinated (Target) S & W Swiss Water Processed Decaf (Walmart)
Allegro Decaffeinated Coffee is Swiss Water Processed, 99.9% caffeine free (Whole Foods)
**Mount Hagen Fair Traded Instant CO2 Decaf Coffee (AM,WF) Less caffeine in instant than brewed. Good for travel. (THIS IS THE ONLY DECAF I CAN TOLERATE ON A DAILY BASIS)
Rooibus Tea - Not Chai, just plain. Make it strong and put a little Aqave Sweetener in it. Yum. Drink it all day. (TJ, Amazon,R - Numi, Peet’s, and best at Le Pain Quotidien)
Herb Teas not flavored with citrus or artificial flavors or “Natural Flavors”
I drink the Mount Hagen twice a day and have no reaction to it. I like the flavor and they even make single packets to take on trips. I buy it on Amazon in a 2-pack.
I am curious, What is the name of the decaf that you enjoy? (vertigotalesandtastes.blogspot.com)