Anxiety when I drink coffee

[miss_mac666]

I have had anxiety for well over 10 years. I have been drinking coffee for just as long, but for the past couple weeks every time I even take a sip of coffee I immediately feel a panic attack coming on. It has never had this affect on me before. It is a total bummer to because it's how I start my day. Now every morning I have incredible anxiety and have attacks. I thought you could have just been one brand that was bothering me. I normally drink International Delight Iced coffee, for a few days I changed it up but it kept happening with any kind :( It's probably just in my head..

[sharacel91]

Maybe it's caffeine? I have to stay away from caffeine as it effects me.

[femalebauz]

No coffee for me either. It can increase anxiety. I don't drink alcohol. I have once again started watching what I eat. I do smoke but that helps with the anxiousness. I know all the dangers of smoking and I enjoy doing it.
Have u tried decaf? Or even half-caf

[attic]

Hi everyone. I have to stay away from coffee too. I have bipolar. And it triggers me. So all I drink is water now.

[MrsJ88]

I have had anxiety for well over 10 years. I have been drinking coffee for just as long, but for the past couple weeks every time I even take a sip of coffee I immediately feel a panic attack coming on. It has never had this affect on me before. It is a total bummer to because it's how I start my day. Now every morning I have incredible anxiety and have attacks. I thought you could have just been one brand that was bothering me. I normally drink International Delight Iced coffee, for a few days I changed it up but it kept happening with any kind :( It's probably just in my head..

I'd say it's the caffeine also

[alfred24]

It isn't a maybe. It Is caffeine

[raggamuffin]

It's a stimulant and might agitate you. But bear in mind coffee doesn't create anxiety or panic attaacks. As soon as you associate danger with a place or situation where you had a panic attack your fear and worry in your mind will do the rest. If you had an attack in a shoe shop you wouldn't say the shoe shop caused the panic attack. But you may well associate being in a shop with danger. Your mind will worry and fear it and you'll wind up avoiding shops, convincing yourself it'll cause an attack.

Whilst coffee might agree with people who are already on edge don't practice avoidance or safety behaviour to try and shelter yourself from anxiety. That simply empowers the anxiety. Whereby you should be taking control. The more you understand anxiety and remove the fear and worry the more you take back control and realize that anxiety doesn't have to control your life or what you do.

Ed

[attic]

Muffin love your post and yes you are right in some cases. But it's not coffee it's self but the caffeine in coffee. If you go to a therapist that's the first thing they ask you how much coffee and pop you drink. I have bipolar and if I have any caffeine I will go manic. So I can't and it has been Found that it does increase you heart beat. And that can throw you in a panic attack. I can be going through my day happy not even thinking about anything negative and get one out of the blue. When I drink anything with caffeine. But now that I don't drink anything with caffeine I don't get any but everyone is different :)

[MrsJ88]

Muffin love your post and yes you are right in some cases. But it's not coffee it's self but the caffeine in coffee. If you go to a therapist that's the first thing they ask you how much coffee and pop you drink. I have bipolar and if I have any caffeine I will go manic. So I can't and it has been Found that it does increase you heart beat. And that can throw you in a panic attack. I can be going through my day happy not even thinking about anything negative and get one out of the blue. When I drink anything with caffeine. But now that I don't drink anything with caffeine I don't get any but everyone is different :)

This might be my problem cause I am addicted to Coca~Cola

[attic]

This might be my problem cause I am addicted to Coca~Cola

Yes I loved coke but had to give it up. But you now what I feel so good now that I don't drink pop or coffee now. I even lost weight :)

[NixonRulz]

Its not the caffeine or the coffee if you have been drinking it for 10 years with anxiety

You had a panic attaock or an adreneline surge when you drank your coffee

Now you trained your oh so anxious mind that when it tastes coffee, run away like your fleeing the cops

Dont change for this stupid disorder. That what it wants.

Dont stop drinking coffee. Stop having panic attacks when you drink it.

Keep drinking Juan Valdez and your panic will stop when You decide that it is not the cause of your panic

Just think how much faster you clean the house when you are all jacked up on that 100% Columbian goodness

[MrsJ88]

Yes I loved coke but had to give it up. But you now what I feel so good now that I don't drink pop or coffee now. I even lost weight :)

I definitely can't afford to lose weight as I only weigh like 110 lol but I know I need to limit my caffeine if not completely get it out of my life! If not for anxiety definitely because caffeine and all the sugar in soda just isn't good for our bodies. My doctor has told me numerous times to quit caffeine, but its hard. I assume that one day I will finally say enough and actually stop! I can understand what Nixon is saying because I've drank coke since I was like 12 and I'm now 24 and just got this anxiety when I was 21, so if my anxiety was due to caffeine then I would have had anxiety well before 21 years of age. I think caffeine irritates my anxiety though.

[j2005]

I never had a problem with caffeine until I experienced anxiety. Now, it sets me off. Its a trigger. So, I have to limit my intake to very small quantities. But, I've learned to drink decaf and Sprite ;)

[femalebauz]

I drink water. And some tea. Every now and then sprite.

[attic]

I definitely can't afford to lose weight as I only weigh like 110 lol but I know I need to limit my caffeine if not completely get it out of my life! If not for anxiety definitely because caffeine and all the sugar in soda just isn't good for our bodies. My doctor has told me numerous times to quit caffeine, but its hard. I assume that one day I will finally say enough and actually stop! I can understand what Nixon is saying because I've drank coke since I was like 12 and I'm now 24 and just got this anxiety when I was 21, so if my anxiety was due to caffeine then I would have had anxiety well before 21 years of age. I think caffeine irritates my anxiety though..


Yes I understand what your saying about being young and not have anxiety. But just think you were young so you went outside and played you burned that caffeine off. And when you get older your body changes. And when you are younger you don't have a job, house , kids, wife in my case, you don't have the pressers that you don't have when your younger. And your brain changes when you get older too.

[MrsJ88]

.

Yes I understand what your saying about being young and not have anxiety. But just think you were young so you went outside and played you burned that caffeine off. And when you get older your body changes. And when you are younger you don't have a job, house , kids, wife in my case, you don't have the pressers that you don't have when your younger. And your brain changes when you get older too.

That's all very true. I'm not outside a lot which I want to change that. And I have a husband and a 5 month old now. Experiencing a lot of new things.

[nancyga2013]

I will drink coffee but if I have too much I will end up with horrible anxiety and it makes me nauseated sometimes. The other day I felt like I needed a pick me up so of course I drank some coffee everything seemed fine until I arrived at the mall and was getting my eyebrows done and I felt like I could not sit still and like I was gonna explode into a panic attack. I can drink soda all day long and not have these effects.

[Judie]

Bingo NixonRulz on the money again. It is the Panic Association not the Caffeine, at least for you after 10 years, for me I do have a Caffeine and Epinephrine sensitivity whether I am anxious or not ( that is my entire life ). Most with anxiety are sensitive to caffeine but remember that's in combination with the adrenaline being pumped out like a Volcanic eruption. NixonRulz is right don't alter your life but perhaps a cut back on caffeine just until you system settles down.

[enrapture]

My body is sensitive to caffeine since having panic / anxiety. I am fine having my coffee in the morning as long as it's not very strong like some cafes make it. If i have too much i become very anxious.
When i was in my early 20's i used to also have a couple of "energy" drinks at a time, and even alcoholic energy drinks. I'm now 30 and couldn't even drink half of one as i would turn into extreme panic a little while later.

[miss_mac666]

Its not the caffeine or the coffee if you have been drinking it for 10 years with anxiety

You had a panic attaock or an adreneline surge when you drank your coffee

Now you trained your oh so anxious mind that when it tastes coffee, run away like your fleeing the cops

Dont change for this stupid disorder. That what it wants.

Dont stop drinking coffee. Stop having panic attacks when you drink it.

Keep drinking Juan Valdez and your panic will stop when You decide that it is not the cause of your panic

Just think how much faster you clean the house when you are all jacked up on that 100% Columbian goodness

OK thank you everyone for the replies :)

I have come to the conclusion that it is yet again just in my head. Nixon you are definitely 100% on this. I have trained my brain to freak when I drink coffee and do other stuff that I get triggered from. It's not the coffee it's just my jerk of a brain. I know the actual cause of my freakout yesterday. Not a fun topic but I'm pretty sure I can continue on being a coffee addict. :) Again Thank you all for your replies.

Claire

[Lin]

It does sound like you have started to allow caffeine to trigger anxiety attacks.

However, it is still not good for you to have caffeine so I would start to wean yourself off caffeine just so that you are healthier. Lots of nice drinks around now with no caffeine in and once used to them you won't miss the caffeine.

[miss_mac666]

I'm drinking coffee now and no anxiety at all. Like I said in my post below I am now aware of what was bothering me for those few days. I have tried every decaf drink and I just can't do it. I get crippling headaches when I don't have caffeine. I have stopped drinking soda though, because I know that much caffeine can heighten anxiety, but my coffee is here to stay lol