Caffeine and anxiety.

[suffolkrelic]

Hi, I drink two cups of tea a day (sometimes 3) and have done for many years. My sister who also suffers anxiety tells me that the caffeine in my tea is helping making me feel anxious and recommended non-caffeine tea. Is this true and do you think it'll help??

[Bramwell]

Yes I reckon so.

I don't drink tea or coffee but do have the odd tin of Coke and if I haven't eaten lately when drinking the Coke go all shaky and anxious due to the caffeine.

The last time I drunk a cup of coffee (some years ago now), I can only describe myself as going 'potty'. Shaking, trembling, needing to pee every few minutes, extremely anxious, feeling like running up and down, and generally feeling very strange.

Luckily I don't like the taste of tea or coffee so it doesn't bother me not ever drinking it, but based on the last reaction, no doubt due to my body not being used to any caffeine at all, I won't touch coffee or tea now even if I do offend the person offering it to me.

[formidible]

Avoiding Caffeine is helpful if you have anxiety or depression but the amount you are taking is quite low. Coffee contains more Caffeine than tea. You could try decaffeinated tea - you'll be surprised how nice it tastes.

[Hidden]

Yes, but come off them slowly or you may get headaches, maybe drop one per week or 4 days.

I still drink caffinated tea maybe 3 cups a day, but not after 7pm at night.

B

xxx

[Cookster99]

Hi,

I am conducting an experiment on this very topic as we speak, let me enlighten you lol x

Sunday = 2 x coffee = headache

Monday = 1 x coffee = even worse headache

Today = 6 x coffee so far and no headache

Ergo I think coming off caffeine cold turkey makes your head hurt.

I hope this helps xxxx

[Hidden]

This is interesting as both me and my friend(both suffer anxiety) had this conversation and we both feel better when we drink coffee. We have 3 cups a day. I only drank water for months when I was really ill and not sure if its coincidence but felt better when I started drinking coffee again...? I will be interested to read what others think x

[russ5]

I've always been affected to a great extent by caffeine, I never even drunk a cup of tea after 2pm!!! Since I've been feeling anxious I've stopped even the tea drinking and I think It's helping, along with other stuff but It's never made me feel good, only on edge if I have a coffee. I definitely couldn't drink a redbull or something like that I had some really bad experiences of it whilst drinking at Uni.

[sessykel]

I haven't even noticed this but hey ho I will give anything a try operation tea cut down starts tomorrow

[suffolkrelic]

Just an update, it's around the 5th day I've been on decaff, got a big headache which has lasted 4 days, and it seems to be present again today