I gave up coffee 2 months ago to see if it made a difference. Well, I don't wake up in the night and I don't have as much urgency BUT I also don't get a kick mid day to get me through and I miss the flavor, the warmth, the moment that feels like I am taking a break. Hmmm... Maybe I will have a cup this morning.

I have to limit my coffee intake since it is definitely a problem for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) since I have to cath most of the time. I drink about 10 oz. a day and love my coffee but definitely cannot drink more than that or I won't sleep well at night, it aggravates my tract, and it does make me p a lot too. Water is sooooo much better.

Personally, I think coffee makes me feel worse. While it may protect the blood brain barrier it seems like its bad for circulation, and MS has a circulation component as well as a blood sugar component. It increases stress hormones which are definitively linked to worse MS outcomes. It also depletes B-Vitamins which are needed for the nervous system regeneration, depletes trace minerals and is very acidic while the body prefers to be more alkaline.

You cant just look at one positive side effect to justify a bad habit. You have to look at the big picture, and overall I think overuse of coffee is not ideal.

Green tea is higher in antioxidants, has less caffeine, has other xanthines that help relax and improve blood flow, and overall I think is better for your health than coffee.

Yerba Mate is another good choice. It has minerals and amino acids and vitamins which help negate the harmful effects of caffeine

I had to get off the coff' recently, as it was contributing to bad guts all the time. Since I've otherwise restricted my diet (gluten, dairy), my guts feel better and I can occasionally have some caffeinated coffee -- but I don't want to get back in the habit, so mostly I drink decaf to give me a tasty, soothing drink had during a break at work.

Once I was used to relying on myself instead of a coffee to stay awake in the morning, I didn't mind it .. it took a couple of weeks, but no big deal.

Like anything, too much of a good thing can be bad. I had recently started drinking de-caf, after my morning cup of regular coffee. Mostly because I know the Rebif requires extra water intake and I wanted to minimize water depleting things from my diet. I noticed I did not have the super urgent need to go pee anymore, which was a bonus. So I guess you can find a balane that works for you. It can't be any harder on your body than the MS drug I'm on.