Effects of caffeine on anxiety

[*Fallen Angel*]

Does anyone find coffee/tea makes their anxiety worse. I have generalised and health anxiety but also suffer from low iron. I take so many different prescibed pills I often wonder if they have an effect but then I have days when I feel ok. Anyway this past week or so I've noticed I have started feeling shaky again. At first I thought it was because my iron was getting low again (struggle to take iron pills due to gastic probs and no gall bladder).

Thinking about it, I seem to suffer this shakiness after coffee. I've got it now and not long had a coffee. Plus I have a tassimo and the coffee is quite strong. Tea doesn't seem to effect me and I drink decaf at work as it's all we have.

It's hard to separate the cause of all these symptoms!

[nomorepanic]

This is an active post as well:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=143822

I gave it up many many years ago!

[jayjoe18]

I don't drink coffee but I know it definitely doesn't help with anxiety at all! If you can I would ditch it and start drinking tea, or maybe try decaf?

ETA: if you like tea you could try herbal ones, chamomile tea is best for anxiety I hear. One person I know said they felt like they had a few glasses of wine it made her feel that chilled out! I keep meaning to try it!

[Col]

Hi exactly same low iron and a coffee lover???? I find if I don't have a coffee at least one I can't function , actually one or two a day calm me down. But other than one or two - avoid excess consumption it lowers iron absorption & I found this to be very true. Decaf and as suggested above. One thing I will say regarding your iron tablet intolerance try - boots or amazon Spatone. It is expensive but much kinder on the system. I tried it durring this pregancy and tolerated it fine. If u need iron - worth a try.

[Meewah]

I think caffeine effects everyone differenltly . I drink decaf tea some days and 4-5 cups of coffee other days. I have not really noticed any difference. Then another day I bought some codiene pain relief with paracetamol and caffeine and it made me feel really odd.

I think the advice is give it a try you may feel better.

Mee

[Daisy Sue]

I think some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others.. I'm now on decaf coffee, and tea, and coke... the coke was the last thing I changed, and stopping drinking the normal diet coke has made a massive difference to me.

[*Fallen Angel*]

Thanks all. I'm feeling it again now and not had coffee today so I think it's my anxiety in general (I'm worrying about this storm tonight :( ) I saw my GP on Friday for an unrelated issue and he's taken me off the iron and put me back on omeprazole. I've got to have my iron levels checked again next week but I know it will still be low as I've not been taking it for long enough.

I've tried spatone and ferroglobin liquid but my stomach can't even tolerate those as the moment.

[Rennie1989]

I can't function in the morning without a cup of coffee but I moderate my caffeine intake depending on my level of anxiety. If I'm not anxious then I can drink more tea and coffee, if I'm particularly anxious then I'll put a cap on it. I used to be very sensitive to caffeine and only drank decaf tea, but I'm nowhere as sensitive as I used to be.

[braindead]

COFFEE i have a big mug at breakfast and it spikes me , but i cannot live without the 1 giant mug