Caffeine

[Hivenburs]

Does caffeine stimulate the mind, triggering anxiety in people like us? Or is it the racing heart etc caused by caffeine that may cause the mental anxiety?..

[KeeKee]

I think it depends on how sensitive you are to caffeine. I gave up caffeine last Summer (still had the odd Diet Coke etc) and it didn't have any impact on my anxiety whatsoever, so I reintroduced it last Winter. However I'm the kind of person who could have a cup of coffee at 10pm and it wouldn't disturb my sleep at all. I don't think my body is very sensitive to it.

[Magic]

I have ditched caffeine free tea and coffee just to see if I will be more energetic.!!!

[ohwell123]

I think if you want it to cause anxiety it will does that make sense, I abstained from alcohol for ages and as I was about to have my first beer "a weak one at that 3%" I went into a right tizwaz couldn't keep my foot still or anything how ridiculous lol...youd have thought id bombed a load of amphetamine and to top it off id only just took a swig so it wouldn't have even entered my system

I drink 3 litres of diet pepsi a day and it doesn't affect my anxiety one bit I love it

[LittleMissAlone]

I'm noticing that any caffeine will affect me negatively especially on an empty stomach. My morning cup of tea taken with breakfast is normally fine though. This morning I drank the tea about 15 mins before eating breakfast and the anxiety returned. I've no pressure on at all today to speak of, I can only assume it's the caffeine. Since being ill I've cut down to 2 cups a day from 3 but now am thinking the second will have to go if I'm going to live a normal life. I'm on a low dose of Mirtazapine.

I've tried to defer the second cup occasionally but then I really miss it! There's something so comforting about pouring into a teapot and having a perfect cup, and I feel better for having it in my system. Comforting is good, surely?

I bought decaf a while ago. Tastes horrid by comparison (more palatable when taken black) and I even felt jittery on that too! That's how sensitive I seem to be on it.

[HalfJack]

I'm very sensitive to caffeine physically, like it gives me palpitations but it doesn't make my anxiety worse at all. I know people who have anxiety who still enjoy it. Especially those who don't drink alcohol or smoke, coffee seems to be the go to replacement haha.

It can have effects you don't notice, but so can a lot of things.
As far as I'm aware Caffeine in the evening can mess with your sleep, I think it's like alcohol in that it isn't so much that it stops you sleeping it's that it can limit the quality of the sleep you get. But that's just if you drink it after dinner I think.

I have to drink decaf, some of them aren't nice but some of them actually taste really good, if you do switch you might have to hunt round for one you like. I'm pretty happy on it :)

[LittleMissAlone]

That's helpful Jack. I don't smoke or drink alcohol and I'm having to ditch rubbishy foods also, like crisps and sweet stuff, which I love.

I'm in denial about tea though, it's my drug of choice! I was chatting to a friend about it and she says she can drink up to 8 cups and still sleep!

I'll do what you suggest about testing out different decafs.

I've been ill with anxiety for so long now but am gaining back confidence. I've got to modify my intake in general if I'm to beat it completely.

Thanks for your response.

---------- Post added at 07:15 ---------- Previous post was at 07:10 ----------

Just had a quick look at your blog. You're right, it's simplistic nonsense this thing about negative thoughts. If you're plagued by panic, or in a rut, you can have the most positive thoughts in the world and still be struck by it. You can be completely at ease in a situation, no threats, no danger (except embarrassment?) and still every fibre is telling you, "I must get out now".

[ohwell123]

guys I think this is a lot to do with your thought pattern and an already sensitive stressed mind theres so little caffeine in what you are on about it really wouldn't do anything

I had a can of alcohol free beer the other night and got very anxious lol over what its just fizzy hop water

its a bit like saying I had a can of bass shandy and ended up on crimewatch

[LittleMissAlone]

Yes, our brains are wired to be ultra sensitive, you're right, but I did read something this morning that said the effects of caffeine can be stronger when on Mirtazapine, so that ties in with my experience. Also anxiety is always best avoided if possible. Mad isn't it, we're on about a cup of tea here!

I think I'll drink the two cups a day but make sure on a full stomach, that seems to absorb the caffeine I think.

Go easy on that alcohol free beer, you!

[ohwell123]

littlemissalone its crazy isnt it how our minds are against us , I read something years ago something like a bloke had a brain anuresym and he had been having pain in his left hand before usually a totally irellevant symptom so stupid

anyway fast forward 4 years my hand was aching the other day and my mind instantly and I mean instantly lol bought up what id read all those years ago making me think I was about to suffer the same fate lol

but here I am still

[LittleMissAlone]

Funnily enough I manage quite well on the health anxiety front. I can imagine it being very scary though if a headache makes you think it's a brain tumour.

Yes, our brains are against us. But last year I worked really hard at a tough job and had to leave because I couldn't handle it. My boss was really quite nasty to me because I had to let her down. I'm not on a contract. Anyway I've since found out she had to go on the sick (paid) from Christmas, off for months. I don't know the details, just what I've picked up on social media, but I know she had a spell in hospital and nearly died, by all accounts by working too hard. The moral is, by ignoring our symptoms we put ourselves potentially in more jeopardy. I've been ill, I've not been in hospital!

In all there's a happy medium.