Eliminating Caffeine

[AmyLee]

I've been reading about how you should eliminate caffeine to help with depression. Has anyone had success with this? I probably have one diet soda a day and maybe a cup of tea, so I'm not excessive with my intake anyway, but was wondering if it'd help.

[shy1]

I gave up all caffiene when I was doing the master cleanse this past summer and didn't pick it up again until late summer. I have read the same thing and my naturopathic doctor insists that all caffiene is bad for you, but I can't say that I noticed any difference in depression either way, neither better nor worse.

[bdougher]

Interesting that you say this because I just quit drinking caffeine for that reason. I was having horrible mood swings, and I finally linked it to the caffeine. When I crash, I crash hard. And I only drink a small cup of coffee in the morning and usually tea in the afternoon. I get so depressed when I crash, sometimes mildly suicidal. I've been off caffeine for a week and the headaches are still there- how long does it take to feel better?

[AmyLee]

The book I was reading said you should wean yourself off the caffeine so you don't get headaches. HTH.

[maudlin]

If you want to read more about the horrible effects of caffeine, read the Cortisol Connection.

I stopped drinking coffee completely after my breakdown earlier this year. I felt like I was poisoning my body. Caffeine in general is leading to adrenal fatigue, which is one possible cause for depression. Now, since I feel better, I drink maybe one cup per week, just because I like the taste and more so the smell. But I will never go back to what I did before that (drink coffee, not eat, not sleep).

I never drink soda or anything sweet or with sweetener. Just try to google [phenylalanine formaldehyde], these two words without the [ ], and I am sure you will stop drinking that stuff too.

Regarding the headaches, one of the effects of coffee is to widen the arteries. When you stop, your body is going into withdrawal, arteries narrow. It depends on how heavy a coffee drinker you were, but it should go away after a couple of weeks.

[maudlin]

And I forgot to say that b'friend stopped drinking coffee as well, although for other reasons. He was a quite moody fellow and never wanted to admit it. But this helped so much that he noticed that he is much calmer and less impatient.

My recommendation: no coffee, no soda, no black tea, no Red Bull, no alcohol, no artificial sweetener, no wheat (yes, does not do me well either), no MSG.

I can make a positive list as well, but this would be long and include tons of veggies and fish and gazillions of supplements. But if anybody is interested, I'd be happy to share.

[Slate]

When I was younger caffiene didn't affect me at all. But I didn't have depression or anxiety problems. Now if I take caffiene it has a very bad effect on me. I used to love drinking tea and coffee when it was around, now I stay away from it almost completely. The only cafiene I drink is a cola during a meal maybe 1-3 times a week when I feel like it and I dont feel anything from it. I would recomend cutting it, also junk food like doritos and the such, they drain your energy. Try to eat at least 1 piece of fruit a day. Try eating nothing but fruit for breakfast one day, you feel great.

[VariableImage]

Caffeine? Hmmm....this has been a tough one for me. Earlier in life I'd drink 2 12 cup pots a day, and just breeze through life. Later, I found that caffeine was somehow debilitating me.....body chemistry I suppose. Most of my earlier years of Paxil I had no probs with any amount of caffeine. It seemed to counter-balance the dulling effects of the Paxil. And, in all honesty, in the later years of taking Paxil, I didn't even think anything.....AT ALL was abnormal.....no matter what I introduced into the equation.....be it alcohol, benzos, sleep meds, etc. I have...in the past year or 2....found that CAFFEIENE does not mix with many, many things. I became a zombie! However, I WILL NOT do without my coffee in the mornings. I now only allow myself 1 cup per day, and only in the morning. I do one large cup that is 1/2-1/2 regular and decaff. I have found that this is just the right "dose" to get my day going, and not totally debilitate me for the rest of the day. I figure I'm getting about 200mg of caffeine, and the rest is history. As you may have read in my previous posts, I have eliminated SJW and have gone totally to RR, which seemingly, for the time being, is working for me. For ANY serious caffeine addicts out there(as I was), I encourage you to read this assessment...

ehttp://www.garynull.com/documents/CaffeineEffects.htmncourage

This is not very "timely" a study, but I can't believe that since we have been consuming caffeine in massive doses for many centuries this isn't valid. It addresses caffeine addiction, caffeine's link to depression, sleep disorders, psychologic ramifications, as well as the physiologic aspects. It is a fairly indepth, and sometimes "technical" viewpoint, but it deserves your attention. I only kwow that it emphasizes my already in place assumptions of caffeine as a "DRUG". This has not only helped me to modify my "habits", but it has helped me to understand the complex issues of caffeine in the diet, and it's possible effects on the herbs we take, and how "externals" can seriously impact our efforts in recovery!:read: