# Cut the Caffeine??



## jagmusic (Oct 18, 2010)

Does anyone have any experience that cutting caffeine from your diet helps reduce anxiety?? I love my coffee (strong as hell), and don't really want to give it up, but the above result (if real) would have me consider it.


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

It helped me, but I don't think that necessarily means that it will work for everyone - everyone's body chemistry is different. However, I think it's certainly worth a try. Cutting out caffeine isn't a "cure", but it helped in that I was able to cope with things better generally, because I was not on edge all the time. I was more relaxed.


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## Miami (Jul 21, 2009)

I cut out caffeine.
I was drinking about 5 cuban coffees a day and I noticed that my anxiety was reduced when I stopped.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Caffeine can be bad - just watch how much you drink during the day and see what happens if you cut down.

I know when I go from a higher to a lower dose of Paxil, it is completely noticeable about how much less caffeine it would take to keep me awake.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Helped me loads. Unfortunately, I'm back on it because I don't sleep enough at night, which makes me sleep even _less_ at night. I'm trying to decrease my intake, though.


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## allie j (Nov 11, 2010)

I take caffeine pills constantly. I should probably stop, doctors always tell me anxiety + caffeine = bad. But honestly I feel like they improve my mood. =/


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It's a stimulant, that's for sure.


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## MrShyAndTimid (Jun 28, 2010)

I decided to cut out caffeine (10+ cups a day) back in September. After reading articles about caffeine and it's effects... I gave it a shot, because I was having panic/sweat attacks when going out (waiting in line, going to lunch or dinner with people).

I've quit caffeine/coffee before and the first 3 days are the hardest. I kicked the habit, but I miss the coffee taste. I do drink decaff on occasions and I drink Green Tea to get my slow and steady caffeine boost.

What have I noticed? I stopped experiencing the panic feeling I would get, however the sweating is still there. However, I'm less conscious about sweating now.

I wasn't able to do the gradual way of quitting (limiting the cups per day to eventually zero). I did it cold turkey.


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## au Lait (Sep 8, 2010)

I learned in my last group therapy session that 4 cups of coffee are equivalent to 1 hit of speed.

NGL that blew my mind a little.


I don't really drink caffeine that much. The last time I had a cup of coffee, I started feeling really panicky afterwards. It didn't really dawn on me until later in the day that the coffee was what did it. idk if it was just because my body wasn't used to it or what.. That's never really happened to me before.


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## wxolue (Nov 26, 2008)

Caffeine occasionally spikes my anxiety. I can feel it when it does. Most of the time it doesn't do anything. Probably least often it does what it's supposed to do - give me energy. I like the taste of red bull so I have a couple a week (too expensive to do it daily). During the weekdays ill have 2-3 cups of coffee and a can of soda a day.


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## jagmusic (Oct 18, 2010)

I cut back quite a bit too, and as you all suggested, it did have some noticeable affects. Although recently I have been back in the habit. Seems like in small doses I can handle it without noticing any negative affects, but at the higher doses I was taking, it would start to affect things in a negative way. Also, like Allie, it does improve m mood in the mornings too, but I wonder if that is just a sign of a dependence on it. Anyways, thanks for all the good insight, helped alot.


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## Giraffe (Sep 7, 2010)

Caffeine can really make me a nervous wreck if I'm not careful. I noticed a big drop in my anxiety once I cut out daily coffee and turned it into a once-a-week-or-less treat.


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## LALoner (Dec 3, 2008)

au Lait said:


> I learned in my last group therapy session that 4 cups of coffee are equivalent to 1 hit of speed.


I have a feeling that the blood-brain barrier kinda screws up that theory.

The main affect of caffeine is to cause your body to release adrenaline and that prolly won't help anxiety. Thats sort of what speed does but I think it's crossing the blood-brain barrier in way that caffeine and the adrenaline it releases doesn't.

I stopped drinking coffee two weeks ago, if that works any magic I will report that to the group.

edit: sorry, didn't realize this was an ancient thread.


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## Fantas Eyes (Mar 23, 2011)

I cut caffeine back when I was 16 and I think it got worse. Though I was still in high school.


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## NMM (Mar 10, 2011)

I've been slowly cutting back on my daily cups of coffee in the morning. It took a while. I started by first using half scoops of caffinated/decaf coffee. Then finally switching to tea (which i think has less caffeine) for about a 3 months now. I'd say it has helped to reduce my anxiety, but not a complete cure.


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## polardude18 (Oct 13, 2009)

Everyone is different and handles caffeine differently. Although from my experiences my anxiety level goes down when I do not have any regular caffeine, if I drink coffee it just makes me anxious. You should try giving up coffee for a few days and see how it impacts your anxiety.


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## rezdog (Oct 13, 2009)

As much as I love coffee. My physical anxiety goes through the roof and I can't keep my hands still for sh*t. Now all I pretty much drink is bottled water :roll. Milk and juices on occasions. No soda or coffee anymore.


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## FireSoks (Sep 19, 2010)

Has definitely helped me. I'll occasionally drink a cup or two when I have to in order to function at work or school, but I think my body is really sensitive to caffeine. Sends me climbing up the walls hyper while at the same time I'm anxious as hell. Tea is alot better. :b


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## noyadefleur (Oct 26, 2010)

I've only had coffee on a couple occasions, because I'm not a huge fan of it, but it makes me incredibly jittery, and I find more anxious. So I could see why cutting it out may help, or cutting back at least.

Tea is definitely better! I find it has the opposite effect, calms me down a lot.


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## writingupastorm (Feb 24, 2011)

Just remember if you use a lot of caffeine and cut back or quit you will probably experience fatigue, depression, and headaches. Knowing where that stuff came from and that it will go away soon is helpful to me. Cutting back gradually is also helpful in reducing the side effects.


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## AndyLT (Oct 8, 2007)

Quitting caffeine helped me.


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## sleepytime (Feb 18, 2011)

I drink a lot of green tea, mostly because of it's health benefits as it's a very powerful antioxidant. It does contain about 25mg of caffeine per cup, compared to 145mg per cup of coffee, but it also contains L-Theanine which is meant to be good for stress and anxiety.


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## power2theweak (Jan 2, 2009)

jagmusic said:


> Does anyone have any experience that cutting caffeine from your diet helps reduce anxiety?? I love my coffee (strong as hell), and don't really want to give it up, but the above result (if real) would have me consider it.


Yes, it has helped some.


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## purplefruit (Jan 11, 2011)

i do drink coffee, but rarely. maybe 1-3 a week. when i first started drinking it a couple years ago, it definitely made me more anxious (as well as jittery, increased heart rate, etc). i was really sensitive to the caffeine. at this point it doesn`t affect me for better or worse.


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## fantazi13 (Mar 26, 2011)

i have become a creature of habit. Every morning i drink an energy drink. Same on the way home from work. I am worried that if i stop it will effect something in my day....i am tired as it is. So im stickin to the energy drinks for now. Anyone have an issue with drinking to feel comfortable in social situations? any help you can give me that isnt obvious....like "be comfortable with who you are, no one is perfect" send me a email im looking for advice!


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