MikeM

I just responded on another thread on the subject of coffee. My recovering brain can't handle it. But in a really, really bad way. So I decided to make a new thread about it, pasting my post and question here:

How bad does your anxiety from coffee get? Because I get anxious after the second cup. The first one actually relaxes me. But last time, when I had 10, maybe more, I could not call it anxiety anymore. It was pure, intense fear. Incredible fear. I felt like I would die any moment. I couldn't stand up or walk straight. Dizziness. Hyperventilation. Nausea. Vasovagal syncope starting until I stopped it before I passed out (learned that from the doctor, I did see a doctor about this).

Anyone, do you recognize this? Actually, I'll make another thread about it.

spadge

Lol I replied to your other thread! Try decaf - that's wht my doc recommended. I love my coffee tho and still have at least 10 cups a day!!!

ScottFromWI

Yes, my body is much more sensitive to caffiene now. I drink decaf or half-caff only, and only a couple of cups at the most.

spadge

That's what I was told - only two cups! Im like are you kidding me!!! xx

thomas11

Curiuos to know why you would test the waters by going from none to 10 cups in a day? Either way, glad you learned from it. I drink a large cup in the morning and that's it for the day. I also think this energy drink phenomena is borderline dangerous. All my younger guys drank the stuff like water, it can't be good for you.

gettingsmarter

Before I quit drinking I would wake up and slam a large energy drink then get to the office and drink cup after cup of coffee all day and be "fine".

Now if I have 1 sip too much (2 cups is about the top end)it turns into major anxiety land, everything starts to get irritating and I can't think. I love coffee but man I tend to over do things.

MikeM

It was just one of those situation where there was a lot of coffee and I kept refilling. Normally I wouldn't drink that much. This was an exception.

But I'm good with water and a couple of green tea now, fortunately.

SobrieTee

In very early sobriety I couldn't drink coffee at all. Now I stick to 2 cups of half caf per day, max. If I accidentally get too much caffeine (sometimes at work people mix up the decaf and the regular) I get shaky, dizzy, panicky, racing heart, etc.

On a semi side note, caffeine is a stimulant and too much of it is not good for anyone, let alone recovering alcoholics. I never really understood why AA meetings are always full of people drinking coffee...

loulou1981

I drink a max of 3 hot drinks a day so that's either tea or coffee with the odd hot chocolate. It's just not good for u to have too much & the stimulant factor could get messy if u let it

D122y

10 months clean. No booze. No meds. Just regular life. Similar to my 12 year old. Except I eat a bit healthier.

I totally get freaked out from coffee. I drink it on special occasions. Whatever i decide is special. But, since I am an addictive type. I embrace the freak.

I get wired from too much sugar now too. Like at a buffet where there are about 20 different deserts. I usually sample at least half. Talk about wired after that.

I don't drink coffee or eat sweets very often, but when I do, they are my new addiction.

I get wired for an hour off sweets. Coffee.... was up till past midnight last sat. Drank 2 big cups around 7 pm.

So there we are....sweets and caffeine do not seem as addictive as booze for sure...so we got that going for us...

soberclover

I l.o.v.e c.of.f.e.e

SweatyHands

Sometimes coffee messes me up, but as long as I am mindful of the rate of my intake and don't drink it on an empty stomach, I'm fine. I usually have two cups in the morning, and one or two more mid-afternoon. I will often only have my two cups in the morning, just because I get involved in something in the afternoon and don't take my coffee break. Last October when I was on a two week meditation retreat, I had a day when I drank about 20 cups throughout the day and I thought I was going to have a serious meltdown. Fortunately, I was meditating in three hour blocks, and the pre-dinner sit calmed me down enough that I made it to dinner without freaking out. Lesson learned.

Soberpotamus

Over time, my coffee consumption adjusted itself to 2-3 cups per day of strong French press coffee with a splash of half & half. At first though, in early sobriety, I tried drinking more. My body had become so used to the numbing effects of consuming substances in such large quantities, and for effect, that I had a hard time even feeling the effects of a large amount of coffee. But then suddenly... wham!! It hit me hard. I had to reel in the coffee consumption. The anxiety and tension caused major irritability. It didn't take me long to figure out that I could indeed drink a cup or two and get the benefits, and be satisfied with that. I didn't need to saturate myself with caffeine like I'd been doing with the wine. For a binge drinker, that was a pretty cool revelation.