Caffeine withdraw headaches

They are real! I used to get a migraine when I flew. That was years ago when planes did not pressurize like they do today. I do t know how much caffeine you drink in a day. I finally found a decaf that I like and got off the caffeine.

Maybe eat a bit of chocolate frequently while flying that far?

Chocolate is the genius solution!!

I guess the benefit of being a steady coffee drinker for 50 years is that I've built up a tolerance to it. Meaning I can still fall asleep on my usual intake. Sudden cessation is a surefire recipe for a headache- you've put your body into withdrawal. Much better to gradually reduce your intake in the preceding days. Or just ask for a coffee or cola as soon as you wake up.

Caffeine doesn't keep everyone awake. (Not me.) I have tried quitting caffeine a few times and skipping the diet sodas on those long international red eye flights...still can't sleep no matter what. I am lucky to doze for 15 minutes - that's about it. I don't overdo it on the caffeine but don't avoid it.

I don't have a real high caffeine intake...but what I've been doing is getting a Coke or Pepsi before a board the plane in Seattle. I fly from Spokane so no issue there but pick up a bottle of caffeinated soda at one of the airport outlets. That way I can have a few slugs of caffeine a few hours before landing to help make me feel more alert and stave off any kind of consequences. Even a little caffeine does keep me awake so I try to avoid the morning I fly out but want some before any kind of coffee or drink service has started at the end of the flight. Plus for some reason the Coke doesn't act as much a diuretic for me as coffee does. (possibly TMI!)

I do strategically refrain from caffeine in the hours before an overnight flight, but there’s no way in H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks I’d even get to the airport without at least one cup first thing.

Were you able to sleep because you had no caffeine? If so, I think I'd forego the caffeine but have Excedrin (which contains caffeine) handy after awakening or get a coffee asap.

Drinking a cup of regular (no more than a cup each time), I do twice on the flight. The first time is at dinner usually served 2-2.5 hrs after take-off at 15:30 or so, ie, the overnight flight from SFO. and the second time just before landing when the morning "snack" is served. If not twice, then at least once with the other drink a cup of tea. The coffee has no effect at all, whether black or mixed with milk., certainly not an impediment for falling asleep after dinner.

I usually get coffee with breakfast on the plane. I'm not proud of it, but once I walk off the transatlantic flight, I immediately start scanning the airport for a place that sells Red Bull.

Caffeine headaches are a real thing, but there are plenty of ways to take care of them besides java. There's tea and Coke and almost any soda besides 7 Up. There are also caffeine tablets (have a stash in my earthquake kit) and even caffeine gum.

It's so easy to find Coke everywhere in the world that's my go-to for a hit. Also has sugar which gives a kick too.

I get migraines and a lack of caffeine is definitely a trigger. I drink a cup after I get through the airport security while waiting for my first flight - always there extra early! When I have the meal on the plane, I have one small cup and drink a lot of water throughout the flight. When breakfast is served, I have another small cup. (When we flew to Cambodia, the flight attendants didn’t have coffee, and my head was hurting!)

For switching over to the time zone after arrival: my head tells me when it’s regular coffee time, regardless if it’s still very dark outside! I always bring some instant coffee sticks and a silicone collapsible cup. I try to wait two hours after my head says “coffee” to make a cup with the hottest water available in my hotel room. Then a few hours later, I have an espresso with my European breakfast. By Day 3, I’m fine not having the supplemental cup. (I’ll use some of my coffee sticks if I ever am on a plane again where I can’t get a cup of coffee.)

For me, having a Coke gives me a headache and also chocolate doesn’t balance it out well - probably because they both have sugar which I don’t eat in the morning. Try whatever you’re planning as a substitute ahead of time to ensure you’re not causing a new issue.

You had possibly a double whammy : caffeine withdrawal and dehydration from flying.
I was a hard core black coffee drinker 2000-2021.
Now I just drink sparkling flavored zero calorie zero sugar caffeinated (35mg) waters to circumvent withdrawal and the occasional hot latté.
Now my dental appointments are shorter and my teeth look better lighter and healthier.

If you can get to it, this article is fun and might be useful for this topic:

Coffee vs. tea smackdown.
Which beverage will claim the world title for healthiest drink?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/interactive/2022/coffee-vs-tea-nutrition-health/

Spoiler alert, coffee wins for reasons I was very surprised to learn about.

I'm mostly a coffee drinker but I rarely drink more than the 2 cups a day I get from my 6 cup Bialetti Italian Moka stove top pot:

https://www.wholelattelove.com/products/bialetti-6-cup-moka-express-stovetop-espresso-maker-09620b20-0fcf-4219-b68c-d68a9f6cef0d

Brewed coffee is a higher caffeine level poor substitute that I have to use when traveling. And it does seem to make me more prone to caffeine withdrawal headaches than anything else.

I think that I did get the double whammy of dehydration and caffeine withdrawal! I was so thirsty after I got off the plane.

And no, I wasn't able to sleep on the plane. So, I sure could have had all the caffeine that I wanted.