# Why caffeine needs to be avoided completely



## DavidPT40 (Jun 11, 2006)

I just read a very interesting and scientific article on what caffeine does. In regards to anxiety, caffeine actively inhibits GABA. Caffeine can even counter the effects of benzodiapenes.

I'm giving up the stuff completely.


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## matthew (Feb 8, 2006)

Could you say where you found the article?
Or post a link if it is online.


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## Tigerlily (Dec 8, 2006)

I was reading something a while ago (sorry no link) about how caffeine can affect people with depression and make their anti-depressants less effective. Although we do need to take everything with a grain of salt.


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## AdamCanada (Dec 6, 2003)

i used to drink 3-4 coffees a day from tims, them quit all of the sudden, there has been no difference. ive been done drinking them for a month or 2 now.


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## BeNice (Jan 2, 2004)

Yeah, coffee is pretty bad. The whole heart palpatation thing just isn't for me. Also, hot beverages tend to make me poo about 10 minutes after drinking one, so the less the better. I like chai a lot, but they may have more caffeine? I don't feel a caffeine buzz when drinking it. I'll have a cappucino or latte sometimes, too. For some reason I can't bring myself to drink coffee anymore.


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## purpleviolet (Mar 20, 2005)

BeNice said:


> hot beverages tend to make me poo about 10 minutes after drinking one


 :lol thats the only reason i cant quit coffee for even one day.

coffee is the only thing which can cure my constipation problem, even meds cant help me on that.

coffee makes me shaking and nervous and all, but coffee also makes me feel better about my digest function.

ahrrrrrrrrr

wish i could find sth else to replace coffee which wont make me nervous and heart pounding. but seems like after so many years trying, nothing works except coffee.

:stu


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## Razorblade Kiss (Oct 29, 2006)

This stuff works like a charm for me.

http://www.5hourenergy.com/


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## DavidPT40 (Jun 11, 2006)

This isnt the original site I found, but it says something similar.



> Without GABA, nerve cells fire too often and too easily. Anxiety disorders such as panic attacks, seizure disorders, and numerous other conditions including addiction, headaches, Parkinson's syndrome, and cognitive impairment are all related to low GABA activity. GABA hinders the transmission of nerve impulses from one neuron to another. It has a calming or quieting influence. A good example to help understand this effect is caffeine. Caffeine inhibits GABA release. The less GABA, the more nerve transmissions occur. Think what too much coffee feels like: that is the sensation of glutamate without enough GABA.
> 
> The reason caffeine does this is that other molecules can bind to the neuron near the GABA binding site and influence GABA's effect. This is how tranquilizing drugs such as Benzodiazepines and barbiturates work. They increase or imitate GABA's effect, inhibiting nerve transmission.


http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/GABA.html

I've tried going without caffeine and coffee, and I find I function much better in anxiety provoking situations. However, I'm still having a very hard time giving up coffee.


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## Bon (Dec 24, 2005)

Yes, my drug supplier (shrink) told me there's actually a diagnosis that goes with this.

I'm suppose to avoid caffeine, it's just not going to happen, I quit smoking, quit drinking, I'm cutting way back on sugar, but give up caffeine, no.......Cutting back, is a pot of coffee a day, and one soda.


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## mayblue (Oct 1, 2005)

I've quit caffeine before for about a year. I didn't feel any better, and I was just very sluggish and lazy in the morning. I didn't feel fully awake until after lunch. I need my cup of tea.


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## Panic Prone (Mar 5, 2006)

It makes sense. Caffeine always leave me with anxiety. To me the feeling of alcohol withdrawl is similar to caffeine. They both leave you with low gaba except alcohol is far more intense. I'm epileptic and have never had a siezure from too much caffeine but have alcohol.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

Caffeine is a powerful stimulant, which if too much is consumed, can be the kiss of death for anxiety. HOWEVER, in moderation, (1-2 cups of coffee a day -- I have a cappuccino in the morning and a shot of espresso in the afternoon), coffee can have anti-depressant effects as it can be a catalyst for energy. 

I disagree that caffeine needs to be avoided completely, because when taken with Benzos...it gets rid of any lethargy or potential groggyness which my klonopin always seems to induce in the morning. 

So i pop my 1mg of K and drink a cappuccino and i'm good to go because the two opposing drugs (caffeine = stimulant, clonazepam = "sedative") almost cause a counter-balance in the side effects of each drug, which result in a balanced state -- anxiety free and energized.


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## llee (Jan 16, 2007)

.


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

As a foolish grad student who pops caffeine pills like tic-tacs, I firmly disagree! I love my caffeine! :hyper It is not usually anxiogenic even when I take about 5 a day.


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## daygo (Nov 2, 2006)

"I like chai a lot, but they may have more caffeine?"

I heard a cup of tea has about half the caffeine of a cup of coffee.


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## G-man (Jan 31, 2007)

Had to quit drinking coffee myself about 2 months ago. Ever since I started having bad anxiety and panic attacks I can't really deal with it anymore and I used to drink it like it was going out of style.


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## kev (Jan 28, 2005)

*Re: re: Why caffeine needs to be avoided completely*



Strange Religion said:


> This stuff works like a charm for me.
> 
> http://www.5hourenergy.com/


I tried that stuff about a week ago. It was nothing special for me, but then again, I have a high tolerance to caffeine, and I already take lots of vitamins.

Even with my high tolerance, if I drink too much, I get chest pain, short breath, etc. These energy drinks they put on the market are not something to take lightly. Don't just assume since they sell it to the general public, it is safe. Some of these drinks have a ridiculous amont of caffeine, even I'll admit.

I'm highly dependent on caffeine. I recognize it's not the greatest thing in the world but I guess quitting isn't my top priority as of now.


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## pikindaguy (Nov 21, 2004)

It's all about moderation. When I'm working 10-13 hours a day and get really tired and start to nod off, caffeine will provide me with a boost. When you're on the verge of passing out on the job anxiety is probably the lesser of your worries.


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## SAgirl (Nov 15, 2003)

Caffiene makes my anxiety really bad. I don't drink pop. I have never drank coffee. I used to drink tea, but since having anxiety I gave it up. It took my anxiety over the edge. I only drink water and juice sometimes.


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## bent (Aug 4, 2005)

I haven't found coffee to have much of an effect on my anxiety. In fact, sometimes it even helps to feel relaxed because I feel more focused and alert and therefor more in control. But I wouldn't drink too much in one day...why risk it. I generally only drink black tea in the morning unless I am up earlier than normal and/or have something important to go to where I need to be very alert. When I was a student and when I was working fulltime I drank a lot of coffee but now that I am doing very little with myself I only drink tea.


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## tiberius (Feb 9, 2007)

Now here's something that the research tells us:
_"Caffeine can cause anxiety symptoms in normal individuals, especially in vulnerable patients, like those with *pre-existing anxiety disorders*. Caffeine use is also associated with symptoms of *depression* due to either a self-medication theory, or a theory that caffeine itself causes changes in mood."_
Broderick, P. and Benjamin, A.B. 2004. _Caffeine and psychiatric symptoms: a review._ 
The Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, 97 (12), pp.538-42.

_"The moderate and high consumer groups combined reported significantly *higher trait anxiety and depression* scores when compared with abstainers. The high consumer group also reported significantly higher levels of symptoms of caffeinism, higher frequency of *psychophysiological disorders*, and *lower academic performance*."_
Gilliland, K and Andress, D. 1981. _Ad lib caffeine consumption, symptoms of caffeinism, and academic performance._
The American journal of psychiatry, 138 (4), pp.512-4.

I found also a third interestingly titled study, but there was no abstract of it available online: 
Veleber, D.M. and Templer, D.I. 1984. _Effects of caffeine on anxiety and depression._
Journal of abnormal psychology, 93 (1), pp.120-2.


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## SilentProphet (Jun 1, 2007)

Guess i should quit my 5 cup a day habit. It goes so well with a cigarette tho, i really should quit that also too


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## Prodigal Son (Dec 11, 2005)

I'm addicted to the stuff, it feels good when I drink it. I love diet soda, drink it in high doses. I know it's not good for me, yet I don't see myself stopping the mass consumption.


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## SilentProphet (Jun 1, 2007)

Yea, i really don't want to give it up. Maybe cut back a few cups. I get a headache tho if i don't have any a whole day.


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## bright572 (Jan 22, 2006)

Thanks for the info.


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## SilentProphet (Jun 1, 2007)

Oh well guys coffee is ready. We tried! Keep the dream alive tho! :banana


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

I can only drink coffee if it's mixed with disturbingly large amounts of ice cream, sugar, cream, and/or chocolate (or if the coffee is baked into something), so I obviously don't drink coffee all that often. Tea, on the other hand, is an almost daily beverage for me. I love the stuff. I like green tea too, though. I grew up with a diabetic grandmother, so she made her tea completely sugarless, and I actually developed a taste for it, so ice-cold sugarless tea is something I actually enjoy when I have the chance :b.

Caffeine (as in medication preparations for tension headaches) usually _gives_ me a headache rather than relieves one, so I stick with regular aspirin.


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## Nutnutnut (Jun 2, 2007)

I stopped cafeine because it increases urination = ew + dehydration.


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## Molbrew (Oct 28, 2004)

I'm sick of caffeine. It doesn't matter when I drink it during the day it always disrupts my sleep. And the next day I feel weak and tired unless I drink more. I gave up caffeine on june 8th and I plan on staying off it. My mind always feels like its racing when I'm on it and I feel really jumpy and it increases my anxiety. But part of it I like because while it does these bad things, it seems to also put me in a pleasant mood for a while. But I think the bad outweighs the good at least for me. I also hate peeing a lot while I'm drinking it. It also seems to affect how well my skin looks, but i believe that has more to do with the disrupted sleep. I've noticed I can sleep less time and feel more refreshed when I'm off caffeine too. I've been pretty fed up lately with how I never have any energy because I'm never getting quality sleep. But I actually try and counteract that with caffeine which just disrupts my next nights sleep and makes things worse and worse. Really caffeine isn't giving us energy its just pumping us with adrenaline and blocking adenosine which is like a tranquilizer to calm us down. I'm gonna see how my mood has changed after I've been off the stuff for two months. I think I might also give up alcohol, but it might be hard to resist drinking next saturday because I'm going to a party.


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## SilentProphet (Jun 1, 2007)

I'll quit soda instead. haven't had a can in like 5 days now


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## Qolselanu (Feb 15, 2006)

Well I rarely drink soda anyway. I tried Sugarless Red Bull which is very nice. (Heh, it gave me the energy to mini-golf at one of the recent SAS gatherings. I was too nervous to eat for energy. :/ )


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