# Caffeine and Anxiety



## Dexter (Feb 11, 2006)

Everyone knows caffeine is not good for anxiety. What i want to know is how long the effects of drinking caffeine last. I go through good and bad stages with anxiety. When im going through a bad period i can't drink caffeine as it will effect me that day. When im good i can drink it with no problems. 

What i want to know specifically is if i drink caffeine whilst going through a good period for a week, can it effect how i feel the next week? Or is it a day by day situation ?


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## matthew (Feb 8, 2006)

I don't have any scientific evidence to back it up, but my experience is that it has always seemed like caffeine caused short term problems. Day by day, or even hour by hour.


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## matthew (Feb 8, 2006)

From http://science.howstuffworks.com/question531.htm



> The most important long-term problem is the effect that caffeine has on sleep. Adenosine reception is important to sleep, and especially to deep sleep. The half-life of caffeine in your body is about six hours. That means that if you consume a big cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine in it at 3 p.m., then by 9 p.m. about 100 mg of that caffeine is still in your system. You may be able to fall asleep, but your body probably will miss out on the benefits of deep sleep. That deficit adds up fast. The next day you feel worse, so you need caffeine as soon as you get out of bed. The cycle continues day after day.
> 
> This is why 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine every day. Once you get in the cycle, you have to keep taking the drug. Even worse, if you try to stop taking caffeine, you get very tired and depressed and you get a terrible, splitting headache as blood vessels in the brain dilate. These negative effects force you to run back to caffeine even if you want to stop.


I don't know if it answers your question or not but there is a lot of neat information their and at http://home.howstuffworks.com/caffeine.htm.


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## On the way (Feb 9, 2006)

matthew said:


> From http://science.howstuffworks.com/question531.htm
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for posting that. Interesting. I thought I'd heard that all the caffeine was out of your system in 6 hrs., but if 6 hrs is only the half-life, I'm going to have to watch my caffeine intake more carefully. I often have a coffee at 3pm and/or a soda around 6pm, and I do have periodic trouble falling asleep.


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## On the way (Feb 9, 2006)

Fwiw, I found out that caffeine's half-life is 3.5 hrs. for smokers. In a pregnant woman, it's 18-20 hrs. In women taking the pill, it's up to 13 hrs. For most adults, though, it averages 5 to 6 hrs.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/gmis9826.htm


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

For whatever reason, with my current medication cocktail, caffeine makes me feel fantastic. I love the stuff. It makes me feel energized, sociable, happy, not anxious at all. I feel more in control and so on. It's weird. I still try to limit my intake on weekends.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2006)

I gave it up a year ago and there's no way in hell i wanna go back, no more jitters. I find all the boast of energy I need from chugging 20 fluid ounces of water in the morning. The body needs a gallon of water a day and most of us live our lives in a state of partial dehydration. Caffine only makes it worse. Drink more water, feel more energy


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## Mystic Pencil (Mar 6, 2006)

*hugs Dexter and Everyone*
I totally agree with Caedmon...If drank in good portions...coffee does help SA. I've felt confident enough to actually talk to people. But I did abuse it though. :blush

I tried to actually quit coffee and got into a severe depression. So that's out of the question now. But I've watered down my coffee quite a bit, because I made it really strong and sweet. And lessened the sugar intake because I'd like it extremely sweet. So my nerves are better now on good days. 
I haven't been drinking coffee or soda at night because I'd wind up with the shakes in the morning. I quit soda actually I drink only natural juices and water besides coffee.
Also I cut my coffee intake from 6-10 cups to 1-4.
I'd say that's something. 

Luv N Hugs
Mystic
:banana
Oh and I'm so proud of everyone else that was able to quit it completely...WOW=) *drops jaw*


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## alternativesong (Apr 5, 2006)

I LOVE COFFEE! lol that being said, caffeine doesn't affect me the way it does other people, my parents are the same way. I can drink a cup and go right to sleep. I don't get jittery, in fact coffee calms me down and more often than not puts me in a better mood. That's why I don't read the articles and stuff on it, it's all well and good but a cup or two a day for me does the trick  Other than that, besides on special occasions I don't drink pop and when I have diet I try to limit it to caffeine free. Why? Actually it's more so because I think the can is fancy looking... Anywho...


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## joeshmoe (Aug 25, 2005)

Wikipedia has some good info on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Caffeine has many benefits(and it affects everyone differently), but like everything else, moderation is key.

ps i love coffee :cup=)


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## persistent1 (Dec 18, 2004)

Caedmon said:


> For whatever reason, with my current medication cocktail, caffeine makes me feel fantastic. I love the stuff. It makes me feel energized, sociable, happy, not anxious at all. I feel more in control and so on. It's weird. I still try to limit my intake on weekends.


Coffee seems to be having the same effect on me since I began taking Lexapro! It doesnt make me jittery at all. It seems to give me a mood lift. I read somewhere that Coffee causes our brains to produce more dopamine similiar to what Cocaine does. I guess the seretonin from the Lexapro and the small amount of dopamine from the coffee compliment each other nicely. I would think this might be similiar to combining Lexapro with Wellbutrin which I have noticed a lot of doctors seem to be doing for other reasons. What drugs are you taking again Caedmon?


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

As of right now I am on Parnate 20mg, Topamax 100mg, and Valium 10mg. I still like caffeine.


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## skigirl81 (Nov 12, 2004)

Caffeine makes me in a better mood. I drink way too much of it.. sometimes I feel like I'm taking speed or something..

I agree with it being a confidence booster... sad but true


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## John_K (Aug 21, 2004)

in the mornings i've switched from coffee to green tea and i think it works a lot better. it's got enough caffeine to keep me awake but not as much as coffee so i don't have to use the bathroom every hour. starbucks has a green tea called 'zen' that has some mint to hide the grassy taste, and it tastes fine without sweeteners. not much more expensive than coffee either.


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## Hopeless05 (Jan 3, 2006)

I personally don't feel like caffeine has a noticeable affect on my SA. I feel like it does what its intended to do - give me a boost, or 'wake me up' a little bit, but I don't notice that it intensifies my anxiety at all


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## pixiedust (Aug 11, 2005)

I've found that since I gave up caffiene I'm a lot less angry but also have a lot less energy.


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## ColdFury (Nov 6, 2003)

Caffeine has no effect on my anxiety either way.


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## On the way (Feb 9, 2006)

Edward Bourne, the guy who wrote the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook and some other good stuff, recommends that anyone with an anxiety disorder not drink more than 50 mg. of caffeine a day, which is about a small cup of coffee or a Diet Coke. I'm trying to cut down to that level but having a hard time getting below about 2 cups of coffee in the a.m. and a Diet Coke around noon. At least I've cut out the caffeine at 5 pm, which I think contributed to my difficulty falling asleep. I try not to drink caffeine after 2 pm now.


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## perfectlycalm (Nov 15, 2005)

Here's how caffeine effects me, the first glass of tea helps me feel more relaxed, in the daytime more than that makes my anxiety worse. But drinking it before sleeping helps me sleep, as odd as that sounds.

I really think that the sugar is what makes me feel more relaxed in the first drink of caffeine in the day, along with feeling sharper helps. But everyday is different, so I really have to go by how I am in the moment.


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## shoe (Dec 14, 2005)

you know whats scary, some people have allergies to caffeine and get misdiagnosed with mental disorders cuz of it.

Theres a couple of books on it.. here's one that gets good ratings:

Welcome to the Dance: Caffeine Allergy - A Masked Cerebral Allergy and Progressive Toxic Dementia by Ruth Whalen (Amazon.com link)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/14...ef=sr_1_32/102-4664397-0134525?_encoding=UTF8

Anyway, didn't want to freak anyone out, just thought this was really interesting.


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## emily77 (May 4, 2006)

I cannot drink the stuff at all. period. If I have even a little bit of caffeine, I am in an instant panic attack, and the effects usually last for a day or so.

I cant even drink decaf, as there is still enough in there to throw me off. I used to be able to drink it whenever I wanted, no effect. I used to boast in high school, and soon after, when i became a coffee addict, and yet felt nothing from the caffeine. 

I pretty much only drink water and herbal teas. Sometimes milk. I love milk. LOTS and lots of water.


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## anonymousnewbie (Nov 21, 2005)

Don't like coffee. Makes me nervous and paranoid as hell.


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## vincentgallo4president (May 13, 2006)

I drink about 2 20oz Diet Cokes a day, I love it. I find I can't drink the regular cokes anymore as they are too sweet.

I'm trying to quit though.


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## weatherman (Apr 19, 2006)

I used to drink way too much Pepsi everyday. I went cold turkey a while back. Doesn't seem to have helped my anxiety at all but physically I feel much better.


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