caffeine and anxiety

[DaVinci2]

I've seen people post about caffeine 'problems'. I just wondered, is this an issue with anxiety. I drink quite a bit of diet coke (3 liters a day sometimes) because it curbs my need for sweet food (Which I can't eat due to training and since living in Japan it has caused me to have skin rashes when too much sugar is in my body...don't know why). However, there are days I go without diet coke, and I drink water, milk or a sports drink with no caffeine in it...I don't THINK I feel any better or any worse. Since the summer here is hot, I drink more sports drink than diet coke. Just wondering if I should try to cut the diet coke out completely. I don't drink tea or coffee unless offered and I can't refuse (I don't like the taste)...any advice or opinions?

[Lilya]

Hi DaVinci,

I´m a Diet-Coke drinker myself and a major coffee-drinker. I drink most of my coffee in the morning, but Diet-Coke at night. I don´t eat anything with sugar, because it doesn´t agree with me.

I don´t think it is the caffeine itself. As I posted on Barto´s thread, coffee doesn´t make me anxious. If I´m anxious, the coffee makes me really sick.

There is no problem for me to fall asleep at night even if I drink a little Diet-Coke. One of my cousine is like that, so maybe this is genetic.

I would advice you to cut down on the Diet-coke though. I did that myself. My brother, who is a doctor, told me that we keep stimulating the pancreas with supplement sugar. (He drinks it himself and lot of it.)

Love and light,

[Barto]

It must genetic like Lilya says. I am pretty sure it makes me anxious, and if I am already anxious, it’ll make me spin.

Here is a link that you can read. It does talk about those that are sensitive to caffeine, so it doesn’t apply to everyone.

http://www.caffeinedependence.org/ca...ependence.html

[Lilya]

Thanks for the info, Barto.

I´ve been reading it on and off. It looks serious! John Hopkins is one of the best hospitals... so I take this really seriously.

More on this stuff later. I don´t want to give everything up though!

Love and light,

[rebecca1506]

i don't know if its genetic or not. coffee always made me feel sick but i could not get through the day with out it, i used to have my first cup at about 6 am when my sons woke me up and i'd drink upto about 7 or 8 cups a day and then i was drinking a can of pepsi or cola, then i learnt the effects that coffee has on you and i really cut down, but now i have replaced that with pepsi or cola, my husband refuses to buy 2 litre bottles because he knows i'd drink it all in 1 day, so he buys me 5 cans a week but when i've finished them i go and buy some more, my hubby has even said to me that i love pepsi more than i love him. i just can't live without 1, but today i d rank so much i got the shakes. it doesn't affect my ability to sleep, i still drop off really easily.can anyone help me

[sunkensky]

Originally Posted by Lilya

I don´t think it is the caffeine itself. As I posted on Barto´s thread, coffee doesn´t make me anxious. If I´m anxious, the coffee makes me really sick.

Ditto.

Maybe replace sick with "hyper aware of anxiety etc."

[Introvrtd1]

Kept wanting to doze off while sitting in my office earlier this morning.

Slept reasonably well last nite (its about time).

I dont do coffee but decided to drink a cup.

Picked me up for a couple of hours, gave me the jitters, nervous stomach,

now I feel like Im crashing.

I want to doze off again........

.........what a ride...........

Down, then up, then down again.......

[Lilya]

I still say it´s not the coffee, it´s the anxiety.

I have felt like an Indian guru these past days and I´m still feeling like that, although I had three large - like huge- coffee pots today!

But on the other hand, I´m used to it and it´s definately bad for you if you´re anxious. If you´re not used to it and anxious, stay away from it. Green tea can be great.

Love and light,

[Barto]

I just had four cups of coffee and I feel like I am going to have a panic attack. I am so anxious it is crazy. Ironically, I just read that quitting caffeine also causes anxiety temporarily. I guess that’s why they recommend tapering. Also, they say that it takes a good 30 days to feel 100%. I made it a few days. I feel like a drug addict that keeps coming back and raising his hand as a newcomer.

[Barto]

Some more interesting reading about anxiety and its causes.

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts....rder/75-1.html

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts....ty/1156-1.html

And here’s one on smoking (which blessedly, I don't have to do anymore).

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts....ving/62-1.html

[TONYTEXAS]

Havent had a real soda in a couple years because I know it will make my problems worse. There bad enough rather not. Its worth a try without it and see how it goes. Blessings

[Lilya]

I knew you wouldn´t like it, Barto.

But "every man for himself" when it comes to coffee in my books.

On the other hand, I agree about cigarettes. You win that arguement anytime.

I´m just having my night cup, wonderful French Toast with some Puerto Rican blend.

Delicious!

[Barto]

Originally Posted by Lilya

I knew you wouldn´t like it, Barto.

But "every man for himself" when it comes to coffee in my books.

On the other hand, I agree about cigarettes. You win that arguement anytime.

I´m just having my night cup, wonderful French Toast with some Puerto Rican blend.

Delicious!

Enjoy!

[Lilya]

Merci bien!

[scarlati]

Caffiene definitely sends my anxiety through the roof. If I'm having a good day and don't already feel anxious a small cup of coffee is OK for me, but if I'm feeling anxious to begin with caffiene sends me into panic.

[Lilya]

Scarlati, Barto and others,

As I´m still calm and having yet another night cup - this time Italian cappuccino with extra chocolate topping, I grow stronger in my attitude towards being a pro-coffeedrinker. In fact, it´s "take no prisoners" when it comes to this delikatessen. And no one can tell me otherwise.

Love and light,

[wandergrrl777]

I only read the first coupla' posts. Please check out more info on hypoglycemia/hypoglycemic diet. Also, take a look at the "symptoms" of hypoglycemia! I hope many of you take a look at these symptoms and try to make small dietary changes if you can. It can't hurt and if it helps, isn't it worth it?

ty-M

[bluenena]

I haven't had caffine in months but my anxiety is still really bad. I don't know if it makes a difference, I stay away from it anyway.

[Barto]

When Scientists want to cause panic attacks in lab rats, they know exactly what to do. They give them a hefty does of Italian cappuccino with extra chocolate topping – I mean caffeine, and wham!, instant panic attack.

[Lilya]

"Oh, I would I be thy rat"!

Paraphrasing Romeo and Juliet here.

Love and light,

[Afraid2Succeed]

hey sorry to be a wet blanket, but diet coke has a lot of harmful stuff in it.

1) they have linked diet coke to calcium loss (osteoporosis), esp for women.
2) the acid in the soda weakens the enamel of your teeth, not to mention stains.
3) aspartame is linked to cancer, and for many people it causes all types of side effects.
4) diet soda does have calories if drunk in mass quantities.
5) it can influence people to eat more. when the orosensory system is tricked by artificial sweetners, your body seeks out more calories to make up for the sweet sensation.

[Lilya]

Afraid,

Dietcoke is not my favorite drink of choice although I have a sip sometimes.

Can you tell me how aspartan is linked to cancer?

Love and light,

[Barto]

I’d rather chug coffee all day long than drink diet soda! Those artificial sweeteners and the brain cancer studies freak me out. And these soda companies keep coming up with new and improved fake sugar that no one knows the affects of until decades later. Very scary to me.

Lilya, have you tried Peet's? Not to be a dope pusher, but I think this stuff is as good as it gets.

[Afraid2Succeed]

Originally Posted by Lilya

Afraid,

Dietcoke is not my favorite drink of choice although I have a sip sometimes.

Can you tell me how aspartan is linked to cancer?

Love and light,

Hi Lilya,
I just researched the link, and a new study last year by the gov't found no link between aspartame and cancer when consuming 1-2 diet cokes (12 oz. each). However, in much higher doses rats were found to have increased rates of leukemia, brain cancer, and other related cancers.
Thus, I would be cautious about consuming a lot of diet soda. Rat physiology is quite similar to humans, so these risks 'could' be real.

[Lilya]

Thanks, Afraid and Barto.

I used to drink a lot of Diet-Coke, probably to make up for the alcohol, but I didn´t feel good drinking it and decided to have just a small glass from time to time.

There are doctors in my family and one of them consumes aspartame in small doses, for coffee mostly. He say´s it´s fine.

I got really scared when I watched a show on TV on mental diseases. Then you have one person who suffers from a certain disease and is monitored for 24 hours. Then you have two shrinks who talk about ways to get well.

In this particular show, a young girl suffered from compulsive addiction to Diet-Coke. She consumed huge bottles of it every day and night, slept only 4 hours to be able to drink it again. She set her clock by it. Then she spent her days watching depressive movies on TV and cry. It was frightening.

That made me want to stop drinking a lot of it!

About Peet´s, I don´t think I know it. Is it from Swiss? I know Starbucks - and I love it.

Love and light,