Caffeine

[[th...]]

Hi, all!

 

I know this is my second post within the past few weeks asking about caffeine, so I'm sorry to be obsessing.

 

But just curious: if you have a reaction to caffeine upon reintroducing it to your diet, what's the worst that can happen? Like are we talking a major setback or would it just be a minor reaction that passes in a few hours?

 

Thanks!

[Guest [Or...]]

Caffiene works in your favor. It downregulated glutamate and upregulates gaba. It wouldn't cause a major setback, may just make you feel jittery.

 

And the effects would only last as long as the caffiene does. No worries!

[[I ...]]

made me have heart palps .

[[...]]

I don't think caffeine sets me back.  But at the same time, only food I'm sensitive to is the caffeine.

It brings crazy itchiness and irrational extreme fear (this one is far out).  I guess based on your current sensitivity.  I do drink coke, more than one everyday without any problem.  But coffee or energy drink, I dare not.

[[ja...]]

just go slow and you will be fine. start with half a cup of coffee per day for a week and gradually increase. For me personally, it helped clear some of the "brain fog" and increased my concentration. too much can make you jittery and increase your anxiety though, so go slowly

 

[[be...]]

Hi, all!

 

I know this is my second post within the past few weeks asking about caffeine, so I'm sorry to be obsessing.

 

But just curious: if you have a reaction to caffeine upon reintroducing it to your diet, what's the worst that can happen? Like are we talking a major setback or would it just be a minor reaction that passes in a few hours?

 

The first time I introduced caffeine I ended up in the ER with all the symptoms of a caffeine overdose, and I all I had was one mountain dew. I arrived there by ambulance. My heart was racing and my body was soaked with sweat. The doctors did not believe that I only had one. They kept asking me how many did I really drink. The next day I felt better. I am now 100 percent healed and still can not drink caffeine but I am happy to say that I can once again drink monster energy drinks. Their active ingredient is not caffeine, but instead Taurine.

 

Thanks!

[[Te...]]

I have a real problem with caffeine. I've tried drinking it so many times during w/d, and each time I've had to keep trying the next month or quit altogether. I feel as if my body is more sensitive now than even a few months back. It seems that a lot of people on BB can drink it. But with me, I've noticed that as the day goes on after having only 1/4 cup of half decaf, half regular, the effect of the caffeine gets stronger. After a few days of this, I start getting angry for no reason at all. Lately I've had anxiety spikes and near panic attacks after drinking it. I couldn't handle that, and I haven't had any coffee since.

 

I feel as if I'm an extreme case on BB, and for you drinking some coffee each day may work out great. Have some for me if you do drink it, will you? I miss it very much.

[[Te...]]

There's caffeine, and then there's CAFFEINEmountain dew has more caffeine and sugar for that nitrous-in-the-carbureator-intake effect. A lot of decaf coffees aren't really that decaf. For awhile, coffee tasted terrible, so I switched to herbal teas, but I got over it...or desensitized...i can usually tell when I drink too much coffee, right after that last cup! 

[[be...]]

I have a real problem with caffeine. I've tried drinking it so many times during w/d, and each time I've had to keep trying the next month or quit altogether. I feel as if my body is more sensitive now than even a few months back. It seems that a lot of people on BB can drink it. But with me, I've noticed that as the day goes on after having only 1/4 cup of half decaf, half regular, the effect of the caffeine gets stronger. After a few days of this, I start getting angry for no reason at all. Lately I've had anxiety spikes and near panic attacks after drinking it. I couldn't handle that, and I haven't had any coffee since.

 

I feel as if I'm an extreme case on BB, and for you drinking some coffee each day may work out great. Have some for me if you do drink it, will you? I miss it very much.

 

I can't even drink a decaf cup at 7 am and will still be hot wired at 11 pm. I can't touch the stuff, not even Coke. I haven't had a cup now for more than 30 years. But I do really miss the taste.

[[th...]]

Thanks for the input, everyone!

 

Just to let everyone know and in case anyone reads this thread in the future and wants to know how caffeine turned out for me, it turned out fine.

 

I started with about 1/3 cup of Coke, and then 30 minutes thereafter about 1/4 bar (25g) of chocolate. Then when I didn't react to that I finished the 0.5 liter bottle of Coke and 100g chocolate bar and had no problem. That was about a week ago.

 

I've been testing the waters over the past week, and basically it seems I'm at the same point I was pre-benzo. I've been building up, and today I've had about 300 grams of chocolate and 3 oversized mugs (approximately 1.5-2 cups in volume per mug) of normally brewed green tea, and I feel fantastic. This is a total 180 from the last time I had 6 ounces of green tea approximately 2 years ago when I was in acute; then green tea revved me up like mad and it was actually really scary. But I guess this goes to show we do actually heal.

[[Te...]]

I'm glad that you seem to be handling it well. Some of us just aren't able to. 

[Guest [Or...]]

I'm about ready to pop a beta blocker and go balls to the wall on caffiene. Downregulate that glutamate. :@

[[Da...]]

Caffeine has been great for me, I kept drinking a cup or two coffees or black tea equivalents a day and it's always helped noticeably with headaches and cog fog. It even lowered my anxiety for a while when I was in a wave, which was weird, but liked it:)

[[sp...]]

Thomas,

That is a fast taper. How did it go? I was on K for a little over 7 months before it stopped working and I tried to taper myself. Now I am on V and pdoc wants me to go that fast, as you can see from my sig, it wasn't happening (not at least with kids and job). Did you take any other drugs to help you taper?

 

[Guest [ba...]]

I started with about 1/3 cup of Coke, and then 30 minutes thereafter about 1/4 bar (25g) of chocolate. Then when I didn't react to that I finished the 0.5 liter bottle of Coke and 100g chocolate bar and had no problem. That was about a week ago.

 

You did it right, Thomas!!  You eased into it, and now know that you can handle it.  Same thing goes for alcohol.  Gotta ease back into it slowly to see how your body copes. 

[[Si...]]

I've been drinking coffee, tea and caffeinated sodas since about 4 months off. It amped me up a little at first, but doesn’t phase me much now at about 7 months off. I still avoid drinking it after evening most of the time. I usually have a cup or two of coffee in the morning. Sometimes I have tea or soda with my lunch. I guess it really depends on where you are in w/d though. Like others have said, it you want to try it, take is slow until you know how you feel drinking it.

[[jo...]]

Did any of you have problems with insomnia during your taper or after you jumped? My insomnia is getting worse, only slept 1 hour last night. Currently down to K .0625 nightly. I miss coffee so much but with the insomnia I'm having I feel like I will never be able to enjoy the wonderful brown water again!

[Guest [ba...]]

Lots of insomnia for me joyfulgirl.  It's very normal to have some (and often lots of) insomnia.  Coffee in the morning didn't affect my ability to sleep, but coffee or diet cokes in the evening can keep me awake.

[[jo...]]

Lots of insomnia for me joyfulgirl.  It's very normal to have some (and often lots of) insomnia.  Coffee in the morning didn't affect my ability to sleep, but coffee or diet cokes in the evening can keep me awake.

 

badsocref,

This is my second w/d in 5 months and the last time I really didn't sleep but 1 or 2 hours and a lot of the time zero sleep and that's when I stopped drinking any caffeine. I restarted K after 2 solid months of severe insomnia. I was so hyped up I didn't need any caffeine! How bad was your insomnia? Did you continue to drink caffeinated drinks during your periods of insomnia?

[Guest [ba...]]

I continued to drink one cup of coffee (latte, actually) each morning when I first got to work.  Mornings were rough for me.  It took some time for me to be able to be functional.  The coffee helped me.

 

I know that hyped up feeling that you're talking about, and I sometimes felt that way.  I hate feeling like I'm on speed.  The coffee didn't make me feel that way - it was the withdrawal.  Coffee just tasted good in the morning.  It was a little bit of normalcy in a life that was anything but normal for several months.

 

I was prescribed klonopin (then Ativan) for insomnia.  I was unhappy sleeping 4-5 hours a night, and basically demanded that my sleep doc give me something to make me sleep longer.  He did.  Fast forward 7 years -> now 4-5 hours is just fine, but I had to learn that the hard way.

[[jo...]]

I continued to drink one cup of coffee (latte, actually) each morning when I first got to work.  Mornings were rough for me.  It took some time for me to be able to be functional.  The coffee helped me.

 

I know that hyped up feeling that you're talking about, and I sometimes felt that way.  I hate feeling like I'm on speed.  The coffee didn't make me feel that way - it was the withdrawal.  Coffee just tasted good in the morning.  It was a little bit of normalcy in a life that was anything but normal for several months.

 

I was prescribed klonopin (then Ativan) for insomnia.  I was unhappy sleeping 4-5 hours a night, and basically demanded that my sleep doc give me something to make me sleep longer.  He did.  Fast forward 7 years -> now 4-5 hours is just fine, but I had to learn that the hard way.

Doesn't sound like your insomnia was as bad as mine is. I would be thrilled to get 4 or 5 hours of sleep at night! I currently drink decaf, which is not the same as regular coffee but I"ll take what I can get! I still do enjoy chocolate, especially dark chocolate early in the day!

[Guest [ba...]]

Mmmmmm......  Chocolate!!!!

[[Te...]]

I've been working(hard) on this theory that LOTS of chocolate will give me a sugar rush that puts me to sleep...still researching, but someone has to do it Tonight is another peppermint bark trial

[[Be...]]

I've been working(hard) on this theory that LOTS of chocolate will give me a sugar rush that puts me to sleep...still researching, but someone has to do it Tonight is another peppermint bark trial

I'm so jealous!

[Guest [ba...]]

I've been working(hard) on this theory that LOTS of chocolate will give me a sugar rush that puts me to sleep...still researching, but someone has to do it Tonight is another peppermint bark trial

 

I tinkered with high carbs at night in hopes that the blood sugar crash following the rush would help me to sleep.  It helped - I definitely sleep better if I munch down a bunch of carbs (often Clif bars).  However, there was a down side for me -> weight gain.