Connection between caffeine/anxiety?

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Gidzmo
Gidzmo Posts: 904 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Someone told me such a link existed. Any studies?

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  • tuiccim
    tuiccim Posts: 689 Member
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    There have been numerous studies. The National Institute of Mental Health recommends that people who suffer from various anxiety disorders avoid caffeine. It can worsen depression and cause panic attacks.

    http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/11/6/432.full
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    If you find you need to restrict or avoid caffeine for any reason as above I'd suggest talking to your Dr. or researching how. It can have withdrawals and I found slow weaning from it to be helpful avoiding headaches.
  • chele402
    chele402 Posts: 128 Member
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    Yup. I have to watch my caffeine intake. I usually stop after 3 p.m. too. But I need coffee in the morning to function.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    Gidzmo wrote: »
    Someone told me such a link existed. Any studies?

    None for me. Then again, I don't think I get anxious? Unless people are watching me.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited November 2014
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    People with anxiety issues should restrict caffeine. The easiest way to get off of it is to taper it down - fewer headaches. :)

    If you have an anxiety issue, whoever diagnosed it should've talked to you about ways to help yourself, like limiting caffeine. They usually have handouts for this. Give them a call if you didn't get any info.
  • DaniiMarie13
    DaniiMarie13 Posts: 19 Member
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    I suffer with anxiety and panic attacks, caffeine can cause them or make them much worse for me. I tend to even avoid having my usual morning coffee if I know I will be doing something that day that is new or makes me more anxious than my usual routine, just to avoid having a full blown panic attack.
  • Gidzmo
    Gidzmo Posts: 904 Member
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    I've been dealing on and off with anxiety. I've tried going off caffiene--but it works for a limited time.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I'm pretty sure all stimulants can be linked to anxiety.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    ahamm002 wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure all stimulants can be linked to anxiety.
    This is likely true. I have anxiety attacks, and I can handle most soda, but coffee and I don't agree (but I also have issues with decaf coffee, so my reaction is likely not the caffeine since I can have soda with caffeine in it). But, I have problems getting local anesthesia at the dentist because it has epinephrine in it to reduce bleeding. I react really badly to the epinephrine even though it's a low dose.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    ahamm002 wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure all stimulants can be linked to anxiety.

    I have to agree with this. My son has anxiety at 9 years old. He's also been on stimulants since the age of 6.
    We had a trial recently where he came off his medication for a week to see if the medication was causing the anxiety. It wasn't.
    He said to me, mid-week "mom, I don't think the medicine is causing my nerve problem. It's not going away!" ...

    Now we are seeing what we can do to control the anxiety, without medication.

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