Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bissie66 on February 15, 2001, at 10:46:31
Has anyone cut down on caffeine and felt better on their meds? I have a problem with anxiety and my med combination helps (Celexa and Neurontin) but just this morning I was noticing that I was quite jumpy and rather anxious and I was thinking maybe I need to tweak my med dosage again. But then I realized at 11:30AM I'd already had 6 cups of coffee. This is not unusual for me; I'm quite a coffee addict and drink 8-10 cups a day. I'm wondering if i cut back if my anxiety would improve much. It's such a habit for me that I honestly don't know how I would feel without all the caffeine in my system.
Has anyone quit or cut down with good results?
Posted by danf on February 15, 2001, at 11:37:27
In reply to Caffeine and meds, posted by bissie66 on February 15, 2001, at 10:46:31
Or was it jitters ?
If you got anxiety sometimes it is easy to confuse the 2... caffeine can cause jitters & simulate the physical symptoms of anxiety.
It is pretty easy to check on this, just cut back on some of the caffeine & see how you feel.
I drink a couple or 3-4-5 cups a day & in general don't have much effect... but some days I do get jittery... but also don't really get anious as it is only the physical part & no mental part.
Posted by Noa on February 15, 2001, at 18:26:45
In reply to Caffeine and meds, posted by bissie66 on February 15, 2001, at 10:46:31
> Has anyone cut down on caffeine and felt better on their meds?
YES!!! I miss coffee and the feeling of the caffeine buzz, but I feel so much better without it. My sleep is better, I don't have quite as much jitteriness or restlessness, etc. It wasn't easy quitting, but it was worth it.
Posted by JohnX on February 17, 2001, at 14:51:38
In reply to Caffeine and meds, posted by bissie66 on February 15, 2001, at 10:46:31
> Has anyone cut down on caffeine and felt better on their meds? I have a problem with anxiety and my med combination helps (Celexa and Neurontin) but just this morning I was noticing that I was quite jumpy and rather anxious and I was thinking maybe I need to tweak my med dosage again. But then I realized at 11:30AM I'd already had 6 cups of coffee. This is not unusual for me; I'm quite a coffee addict and drink 8-10 cups a day. I'm wondering if i cut back if my anxiety would improve much. It's such a habit for me that I honestly don't know how I would feel without all the caffeine in my system.
>
> Has anyone quit or cut down with good results?
I wasn't on a med but at one point in time I
used to drink > 12 diet cokes a day. I tried
quiting cold turkey...bad idea. Later I tapered
it off slowly over a 2 week period with very
few problems. Improved my sleep alot.Caffeine is a drug. From what I
found out consuming more than 200 mg a day will
affect your health. A soda is 50 mg. Cup of coffee
is 100 mg. Ergo 2 cups of coffee or 4 sodas is ok.
Consuming over 600 mg is very bad.Here is how caffeine screws you up:
Cliff Clavin here ..
Caffeine blocks a receptor called "adenosine".
Normally the adenosine receptor dampens neuronal
transmission. When the receptor is blocked, your
body will transmit more noradrenaline and
adrenaline. Both these chemicals keep you alert,
etc. Noradrenaline is a chemical that a lot of
psych medicines work on, so obviously caffeine
can interfere somehow. Adrenaline causes your
body to release a lot of stress hormones like
cortisol. It really does a job on your adrenal
glands. The adenosine receptor is important in
the regulation of sleep. Caffeine will down
regulate the receptor, so when it
is not in your body and you are trying to sleep
the adenosine that binds to the adenosine
receptor is less effective. When you try to
cut caffeine out of your body, your noradrenaline
and adrenaline transmission will be dampened.
These chemicals cause vascular constriction. So
thats why you can get rebound headaches if you
taper to fast. Its also why caffeine is included
in some headache medicines.
So yes, as everyone has pointed out giving up
caffeine will improve sleep. It will also relieve
muscle tension.Another factoid: smoking induces an enzyme that
causes caffeine to be cleared out of the body
quicker. So smokers need to drink more caffeine
to get the same "buz".-John
Posted by Neal on February 19, 2001, at 3:12:40
In reply to Caffeine and meds, posted by bissie66 on February 15, 2001, at 10:46:31
Caffeine messes up my sleep, otherwise I would drink it. Anyone with real anxiety problems should consider quitting.
Posted by Cece on February 19, 2001, at 20:31:03
In reply to Re: Caffeine and meds, posted by JohnX on February 17, 2001, at 14:51:38
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day, and have problems both with anxiety (and jitters sometimes), so this sounds like good advice to try giving it up even though I drink a relatively small amount.
But I'm wondering about people's experiences with black tea. I have been told (but don't recall the source) that the caffeine in tea is not the same as in coffee and doesn't produce exactly the same effects. I don't think that it riles me up the same way as coffee does, but am not sure.
Any feedback?
Posted by bissie66 on February 20, 2001, at 10:30:07
In reply to Caffeine and meds, posted by bissie66 on February 15, 2001, at 10:46:31
> Has anyone cut down on caffeine and felt better on their meds? I have a problem with anxiety and my med combination helps (Celexa and Neurontin) but just this morning I was noticing that I was quite jumpy and rather anxious and I was thinking maybe I need to tweak my med dosage again. But then I realized at 11:30AM I'd already had 6 cups of coffee. This is not unusual for me; I'm quite a coffee addict and drink 8-10 cups a day. I'm wondering if i cut back if my anxiety would improve much. It's such a habit for me that I honestly don't know how I would feel without all the caffeine in my system.
>
> Has anyone quit or cut down with good results?
Posted by Noa on February 20, 2001, at 11:28:30
In reply to Re: How about black tea?, posted by Cece on February 19, 2001, at 20:31:03
I think tea has less caffeine than coffee.
Personally, it doesn't seem to affect me the same way as coffee does. I think even colas, which have much less caffiene than tea, affect me more than tea does. Of course, if I drink a lot of really strong tea, that is another story.
Posted by Neal on February 21, 2001, at 3:54:06
In reply to Re: How about black tea?, posted by Noa on February 20, 2001, at 11:28:30
Tea has about half the caffeine as coffee, that is the difference. Caffeine is caffeine, no matter what the source.
This is the end of the thread.
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