To caffeine or Not to Caffeine

[[se...]]

Ok, here is another post about caffeine. Like most issues, I look for replies regarding caffeine use to match my new theory of the day for benzo withdrawal. I suppose that I am looking for concrete answers that probably don't exist and for justification for my current course of action.

 

After tapering caffeine for a week, I was caffeine-free for 7 days. I quit caffeine because a month after I jumped I began experiencing excruciating anxiety, chest tightness, restless legs, and maddening jolts whenever I would start to fall asleep. After 7 days off of caffeine, little had changed except that I had no energy and my depression worsened. The first month off of benzos was so much better than the last few weeks, and I consumed about 300 mgs/day of caffeine during that month. I was very positive and energetic.

 

Today I had some coffee, but I am so apprehensive about it. I guess I just want some confirmation that it is ok. I am so desperate for some relief from the mental agony. I have been exercising almost every day for the last two weeks, but that has has provided only limited, temporary relief. Does anyone think that caffeine is safe if combined with daily exercise? (Please someone say yes!) 

[[Bu...]]

I have a lot of your symptoms, particularly jolts. Awful. I quit tea because I found my tremors getting worse. Didn't affect anything else.

 

Love Buddy

[[Pe...]]

Hello.

 

My experience (50 months!) of benzo

withdrawal & many hours of reading BB

posts shows no support for drinking coffee.

 

Quite the opposite!

 

Anytime I am tempted back by the coffee

Gods I pay the price with overwhelming

symptoms. Mostly depersonalisation, anxiety

sleep difficulties, violent dreams and a

general unease. This can be unrelenting &

last for days. Interestingly, the day in which

I have a coffee I feel remarkable, almost

dreamlike, as if I have no withdrawal problems.

 

Seems almost paradoxical.

 

I suppose the old adage..'if it seems to be too

good to be true then it probably is'..rings true

here for me.

 

Disappointingly for me, it has taken away

one of my favourite rituals; that being

drinking a morning coffee at local cafe,

reading the newspaper, doing some writing,

maybe ordering breakfast & gently watching

the world pass on by. Many times I have tried

to return & every time same result.

 

Boo for benzo withdrawal..

 

Pete

 

 

[[pi...]]

I quit caffeine after my jump off because it revved up my symptoms, particularly the burning and muscle issues.

 

At around 4 months off I started drinking decaf with no problems.  While on a trip at 7 months off I accidentally drank full caf coffee and did OK. After that I switched to the caffeinated coffees.  I'm not a huge coffee drinker and I don't drink sodas or colas at all.  I have one good cup of coffee in the morning and occasionally when it's cold, another in the afternoon. 

 

I didn't have any ill effects from it.

 

pianogirl

[Guest [ba...]]

I stopped drinking coffee for a day or three (soon after jumping) hoping that my sleep would improve.  It didn't.  So I went back to drinking coffee (usually just one cup in the morning).  I enjoy it, and one cup doesn't seem to adversely affect me. 

 

Withdrawal sucks enough without putting yourself through unnecessary restrictions.  If you see that caffeine is definitely bothering you, then stop using it.  If not, ...

[[me...]]

I drank coffee all through withdrawal in moderate amounts.  It really helped my morning cog fog, and it also helped my depression.  Also, coffee, like tea has many health benefits, some of which are quite amazing....

 

[[Ju...]]

I stopped drinking coffee during my taper but post taper, I started back with no ill effects.  I drank occasional caffeinated beverages, (mostly iced tea and occasionally a cola), during my taper with no ill effects and still drink them on occasion.

 

Unlike PeterO, I've seen many folks here who can tolerate caffeine in moderate amounts.  Of course there are those who do not tolerate caffeine here too.  But I personally have no problem.

[[se...]]

I wanted to personally thank each of you who kindly responded to my post. Pete, I will save you for last.

 

Buddy, I hope your (and my my) jolts go away really soon. They are so awful, they make me want to cry (actually they do make me cry). I hope I was right in remembering that they were not much worse with caffeine, though since I used the phrase "not much worse," I'm afraid I am experiencing selective memory. Then again, I am afraid of just about everything right now. Think I might start a blog about that.

 

Pianogirl, Megan, and Juliea, I always appreciate the very thoughtful and wise responses from the administrators/moderators, especially when you all share your personal experiences.

 

Pete, I appreciate your honesty. While I have been fishing for reinforcement of what I want to believe today, I am scared to death that my going back to caffeine will backfire and destroy me (maybe that's a bit dramatic, but that is how strong my CONSTANT anxiety has been). I have come to strongly believe in the addage you shared, as I now realize that it applies to both my dependency and my recovery. I am trying to moderate my expectations regarding caffeine, but I kinda think it might be a little magic. When I was at the grocery store earlier, after I drank some coffee, someone told me that I was pretty. That never happened when I was off caffeine! 

 

Thank you all so much, and I welcome more comments if they are out there

 

 

[[se...]]

Badsocref, I am so sorry I forgot you. I am dumber than a bag full of hair right now!

 

You told me exactly what I wanted to hear! I have felt so awful since giving up caffeine that it seems to be counterproductive to my recovery. I, however, can only hope (with all of what remains of my being) that my constitution agrees. I am one big raw nerve right now and just about everything I do feels so wrong.

 

I am grateful that you took the time to write a post to me. 

[[Te...]]

You're less than two months off the benzo, so you're still going through some big adjustments still. Maybe you can handle coffee with no problems since your symptoms seem to be there whether or not you drink coffee. And as you said, you feel much better on it. We're all so different. Each month I test coffee a little more. I've been making so many adjustments with it, hoping that I can return to it on a more regular basis once again. Now I'm working on having a tiny bit on Wednesdays and Sundays. I was a long-time coffee drinker before w/d, and I live in a city where it seems as if there's a coffee place on every block. It's hard to stay away!

[[ca...]]

Ohhh I was going to bring up this topic so thanks for starting it.  My alternative doc told me to start with a teaspoon of coffee to help with the depression and cog fog and to work my way up and see if I feel symptoms.  I have started eating dark chocolate and it seems to be helping some.

[[se...]]

Terry and Castillo, so sorry that I haven't thanked you yet for your responses. It seems like I am on a terrible roller coaster. I had a good day yesterday, but today is awful. I honestly cannot determine if I am harming my recovery by drinking caffeine. Some nights I sleep 6 1/2 hours (yay! --but not all at once  ) and nightlife last, I sleep only about 3 1/2 (very broken). When I tapered off caffeine a few weeks ago and was totally caffeine-free for 7 days, my sleep pattern did not change.

 

Also, caffeine isn't bringing the relief it did when I first jumped. What the neck is up with that?

[[Te...]]

seekingpeace, I was just thinking about coffee this morning. Since w/d my body doesn't respond to caffeine the way it used to. Before w/d I would feel energetic and overall had a good feeling about it. Since w/d I've had some really odd patterns. Sometimes I do fine with a small bit of coffee, but other times a sedative effect seems to be mixing in with the coffee and makes me feel really weird. Yesterday and the day before I drank about 1/4 cup of coffee because I want to get back to some type of normal routine. I seemed to be okay on Saturday, but yesterday I became angry and short about everything. That feeling has still lingered till today. I've also been dizzy, but I don't know if that has anything to do with the coffee drinking or if it's just another round of symptoms.

 

I don't know what to tell you about your own experiences with coffee. It's difficult to know how much of an impact coffee has on our lives during w/d. I think coffee does make my nerve pain worse, but I don't know how much worse.

 

Good luck to you! Since you're almost two months out from the benzo, it sounds as if you're still in acute. Some people can handle coffee pretty well during w/d, but I'm not one of them. However, maybe you are someone who can handle it, especially if it doesn't affect your sleep. But you'll have to keep experimenting with it to see how you feel, maybe keep a journal of it to track it. It's very individual for everyone.   

[[ja...]]

Never stopped the coffee: is a little pleasure antidepressant 

 

Clear that we are not all alike: if it bothers you not to take it ... obvious ... it is not essential to the human body 

[[se...]]

Thank you, Terry and Jabba. My biggest problem with caffeine is that I really don't know how it affects me. As I mentioned in my previous post, during the first month of wd, it really seemed to help. It brought me momentary relief. But now I don't really get that. I have maddening insomnia on and off caffeine. I seem to have worse depression off caffeine and more anxiety on it.

 

Maybe I need to be more moderate? When can I stop learning all of these darn life lessons?

[Guest [ba...]]

This may sound naive or stupid, but how about half a cup of coffee?  Or a cup of half decaf, half regular coffee (that's what I drink these days).  Half the caffeine, but maybe enough to lessen the depression without making you anxious.

[[se...]]

That doesn't sound stupid at all, Badsocref. I'm the stupid one who is consuming 2-3 cups a day. Moderation has never been my thing. Neither has patience. Now I don't have any other options  :'(

 

I don't know how to handle not having options.

[Guest [ba...]]

I do a 50/50 regular/decaf coffee (latté, actually) in the morning.  I drink herbal teas after that (2-3 cups).  I like pouring something into my mouth, and since I don't want that much caffeine in me, I now do herb teas.

[[ph...]]

Caffeine makes me extremely nervous and jittery so I would say no.

[[Si...]]

I quit all caffeine for about 2-½ months. Then moved to decaf green tea. After that I went full on Italian dark roast, 1 cup a day. Now I do one or two a day. Occasionally sweet tea for lunch. Cut most sodas out though. Maybe only one or two a week at most. I'm mostly ok with alcohol. MSG totally fries me though. I can tell very shortly after eating anything that has it. I guess it depends on the person on how these stimulants effect us. 

[[Wo...]]

I quit coffee a few months ago and it made no difference. Yesterday an attractive female I surf with asked me to go for a coffee. Without thinking I said yes! Funny how that happens. Long story short, I drank two small cups with no problems. I'm seriously considering reinstating coffee...and women. 

[[ja...]]

I'm seriously considering reinstating coffee...and women.

 

Women ... 

[[ma...]]

No problems with me, in fact it really helps when I'm experiencing depression, it gives me motivation to do something like go to the gym, ring a friend, do some chores etc. rather than lying in my bed in self loathing.

[[Wh...]]

I gave caffeine up because like most of us, I had read that it could contribute to a worsening of symptoms. Then one day, I thought to myself, "I am not going to let this stupid withdrawal control me!" I like my coffee drinks so I went back to drinking them! And that was that! It doesn't affect me when I drink them at all. That in itself was one point for me, none for withdrawal! (Because when I am feeling brave, I refuse to let this get the better of me! Check back with me on that comment when I am in a wave! LOL ) But for now... Starbucks it is!

[[se...]]

I really appreciate everyone's comments. I think my body is telling me to quit caffeine. My chest gets so tight when I have caffeine, and it stays that way for several hours. My anxiety is already through the roof, I have to do something. I just hope that I don't get too depressed.