Coffee and panic attacks

[BKenneth]

So I have noticed that I am able to consume a single cup of coffee per day without any issues, however, if I go over that amount, my anxiety goes through the roof. I feel anxious and start getting jittery and panic attacks begin. I have been working on my breathing and not trying to consume coffee but I love it so much.....

Just a snippet of my day to day.

Bryce

 

[Concernedgal]

HI Bryce.
Coffee as you know is a stimulant and some coffee pack alot of caffeine. If I dare drink and energy shot ...I am panic stricken. So I get it.

 

[BKenneth]

Yeah, I cannot drink energy drinks and I'm okay with that. I just love coffee so much.

 

[Concernedgal]

I love iced tea just as much. It's a southerners right of passage . Lol.

 

[janemariesayed]

I drink two cups in the morning and don't notice if it makes my anxieties worse or not. If caffeine has a negative effect then try to drink caffeine-free coffee. There are loads out there and they still do have a small amount of caffeine. Green tea also has a lot of caffeine and even chocolate has caffeine too! So if you really love coffee, like I do, get some, what they call, 'no caffeine' and you'll know that it will be better for you as well as only having a tiny amount of caffeine in.

 

[BKenneth]

I also love iced tea, however, I get kidney stones from tea I am working on lessening the amount of coffee to one cup just to avoid the effect of the stimulant. I have not tried decaf coffee yet but perhaps I should do that. Thanks!

 

[Concernedgal]

Oh dear...don't cut down so much at once! Trust me...I kicked caffeine 1 time at the advice of my doctor and it nearly killed me. I got terrible headache, nausea, vomiting. . I was literally withdrawing. The moment I drank some tea . . My headache started to get better and the next day. . My symptoms were completely gone. Caffeine is a drug and you will withdraw. I can guarantee that. I'm not saying don't kick it...what I am saying though is to do it very slowly. Of 1 cup a day doesn't bother you. ..then go for it. But, don't over do it with caffeine either. I was hospitalized for a dangerous heart arrhythmia because of a caffeine overdose. Yikes. That was scary.

 

[janemariesayed]

I also love iced tea, however, I get kidney stones from tea I am working on lessening the amount of coffee to one cup just to avoid the effect of the stimulant. I have not tried decaf coffee yet but perhaps I should do that. Thanks!

Actually yeah! @Concernedgal is right. You will get withdrawal symptoms if you give it up all at once. Of course, you can still enjoy a cup of decaf coffee but cut down slowly. If you have 10 cups a day, for example, cut it down by 1 cup a day. Perhaps replacing it with a herbal tea or decaf drink instead.

 

[Concernedgal]

Thanks jane! It's funny how a thing like caffeine can have such a big impact on a persons life. My doctor doesn't like it....but, I told him that it's not gonna happen. ..I will probably never give up sweet tea. But, sometimes I ask myself.. is it the caffeine. ..or the sugar? Kinda makes you think huh?

 

[Peacelily]

Caffeine can really stress out the body's adrenal gland and as a result make you in a constant state of "fight or flight." Basically, every time you go beyond your caffeine threshold, you activate the hormone Cortisol and put a lot of stress on your body's adrenal system.

I tried to drink caffeine and had an anxiety attack that lasted about 5 hours; that's the amount of time it took for the caffeine to pass through my system and for my Cortisol level to return back to normal. During that five hours I couldn't stop sweating, shaking, and feeling a lot of anxiety. Never again! Decaf coffee for me!

Yes, caffeine is good for you if you take it in small amounts. But, if you know you can't tolerate it, then why drink it?

 

[janemariesayed]

Thanks jane! It's funny how a thing like caffeine can have such a big impact on a persons life. My doctor doesn't like it....but, I told him that it's not gonna happen. ..I will probably never give up sweet tea. But, sometimes I ask myself.. is it the caffeine. ..or the sugar? Kinda makes you think huh?

If it is the sugar you can also cut that down as it isn't any good for you either. Try the artificial sweeteners or natural sugars. I know they taste different but you will get used to the taste.