Long term caffeine problems

[abitdead]

Hello,
I think have a bad relation with caffeine. I have used and abused it for most of my life (I think ca 20 years), I'm 35 now and suffer from depression and anxiety for many years now. Antidepressants don't help at all. I think I may react to caffeine differently than most people. Initially, when I started doing it, it gave me lots of focus, feeling of strength and confidence. It diminished over time and instead I got more and more anxious, my sleep became too short and I didn't feel refreshed. Later I've been feeling more and more zombie-like up to a point when my performance was very poor even on caffeine.
Now without it I feel weak, anxious, foggy and can only feel normal after a few days of abstinence, exercise and of course - caffeine.
My question - is it possible I am metabolizing the drug differently than most people? And what can I do to recover besides abstinence? Perhaps some meds from my psychiatrist could help? I think he doesn't really link my caffeine usage (about two cups a day last month, now 0) to depression I suffer, and to be honest - I'm also not sure what to think about all this. My symptoms also overlap with a thing called "adrenal fatigue" in it's severe form (I'm skinny, can't gain weight, have bad temperature regulation, I could faint when quickly changing position from lying to standing). My symptoms improved a bit since my latest abstaining attempt, but I still feel like I am a bit dead inside. Writing this post was a chore, and surely contains grammar errors
I will be grateful for any input, also from someone with past amphetamine or other stimulant chronic use.

Best regards and wishes for all members

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Hi ABD, Welcome to BL

I know Caffeine WD is def a thing but haven't had a whole lot of experience with it personally. From what I've seen a mild taper and things like chocolate high in theobromine for the rough spots seem to help.

While there isn't a whole lot in the way of past caffeine threads, here are a few to look over since replies are slow on this subject. Hope everything works out.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22928360

586087-Caffeine-Withdrawal

-Caffeine (good references)

-The-ugly-truth-behind-that-cup-of-coffee

Caffeine-Tolerance-(weird-choice-of-drug-I-know)

 

[MDPV_Psychosis]

I think you've got a few issues complicating things between the depression, caffeine addiction and adrenal fatigue.

It could be that one of these is the problem and the others are symptoms. Or it could be you have multiple issues to address.

I think it's a good idea to continue seeing your psychiatrist. Try your best to make the most of the sessions and don't be afraid to make 'leaps of faith' when you don't agree with him/her at first. In other words: try to keep an open mind. It's possible a lot of what you are dealing with is related to this depression - and if it is then maybe this psychiatrist (or the next one, or a therapist, etc) can help.

It's important to stop the caffeine for an extended period of time so that you, and your psychiatrist and your doctor, can rule out both the caffeiene use and withdrawal from this equation.

If you aren't already seeing a doctor for the 'adrenal fatique' then I suggest seeing one. It's possible your symptoms are just psychiatric related or due to your caffeiene use/quitting attempts, but in the event it's not then a doctor can hopefully help with some blood work.

Like I said earlier, I really think you and your doctors/psychiatrist will start to make better progress once you take the caffeiene out of the equation.


Edit:

Just wanted to add a few things. I have extensive experience with dealing with heavy stimulant use and then trying to get clean (many many times). It's not unusual to be dealing with extreme fatigue and depression.

I know I'm not really answering your questions when I say that you need to quit caffeiene for an extended period of time... But it's really the only solution if you intend to feel better and get to the bottom of this. I'm speaking for experience, I dealt with similar issues while trying to quit stimulants and in the end: only quitting for awhile allowed the dust to settle so that I could see clearly enough to improve my health.

Also, I don't think you metabolise caffeine differently. It's not unusual for someone's reaction to a drug to change after an extended period of time using.

 

[Lorne???]

You could need a mild rx stimulant

Yes, a persons reaction to drugs changes over time l, neuro adaprions and the like

A gradual taper, they have caffeine tablets


Tablets can help. Sorry brief postw

 

[Rafayte]

Most people when using and abusing of a stimulant during a long time end without the desired effect and suffer high side effects such as anxiety, nervousness and insomnia. I have used and abused of methylphenidate but now taking low doses only orally it works good. For adrenal fatigue the worthiest remedies are adaptogen plants like Korean ginseng, siberian ginseng, american ginseng, Rhodiola rosea or ashwagandha

 

[d1nach]

Have you ever tried exercising without caffeine so you can better pinpoint if it is the caffeine or exercise

 

[abitdead]

Thanks for input Jekyl Anhydride. Interesting pieces of information, however I believe it doesn't really address my issues. As MDPV_Psychosis noticed I am probably confusing different problems. Many, many thanks for your insightful post! My psychiatrist just seems to increase the dose of my meds (atypical antipsychotics) and I believe this is going nowhere. As for the doctor for adrenal fatigue - it may be hard to find one in my country (Poland; I will try, however if abstaining from caffeine won't help). And the science behind this is kind of unclear. @Lorne???, I'll try to avoid stimulants for a while. @Rafayte, I have tried ashwaganda, and it worked very good at the beginning of caffeine withdrawal (calmed me, allowed me to relax), but now it does nothing (but I don't feel stressed). I'll try using it again in different moments of a day. @d1nach, yes, the antidepressant effect is still after exercise alone, but I still feel weak and I don't really want to do anything (it's easier to start however). Caffeine feels like a hard drug for me after ca 2 weeks abstinence - or maybe it makes me feel like my old self again? Anyway the effect is really strong, so my reasoning is - if it makes me feel so good then it must be bad for me. I now feel like I don't need it anymore and it's a blessing after so many years. Hopefully this feeling will last. I should have also said I suffered from severe stress for too long in my life and never fully recovered. It's something about my nature of being unable to cope with life I suppose.. something my future therapist could try to address. Once again thanks to all of you for the insights. I already feel overwhelmed by the amount of answers PS. Im sorry, something got wrong with newlines.

 

[Mycophile]

I have problems similar to yours with coffee, though different in some ways because how many cups a day do your drink?

I drink like 6-8 1/2 and it's REALLY hard to quit and only when I have broken the dependence can I feel like my old self and have real energy, less anxiety and good sleep.

Is that the way it is for you?

All that ever helped was using Dexadrine to quit (odd to use a stronger stimulant to quit right?)

But it worked.

I thought I'd try again, got an Adderall script for WAY too much (20mgs), and have spent the last week freaking out every day having panic attacks before I realized how excessive a dose he'd given me.

Next time I'm trying for the lowest possible dose 10mg extended release Vyvanse or extended release Dex and see if I can use it to break my caffeine habit WITHOUT getting addicted to that either.

But I have to come back to this thread later to try to read your posts again because since you don't make any spaces between them they are nearly impossible to read.

Could you please edit them so they are spaced out and easier to read and write your future posts with spaces between the lines?

Maybe we could help eachother with this similar issue.

Take care.

 

[Rafayte]

Taking into account adaptogens are the ideal remedy for adrenal fatigue among them ashwagandha is the worst for this issue. I suggest you to use asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) but using a high quality product. The best ginseng is the korean ginseng root with six years of growth. Here in Spain there is a pharmaceutical product called Pharmaton Complex capsules which contains a lot of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients with the standardized and patented ginseng extract G115 which is the best ginseng product I have ever tried. Even better than a product I used which were caps with 500mg of 6 years growth korean ginseng root. Each cap of Pharmaton Complex contains 40mg of ginseng G115 and only one cap is enough for a entire day but I yesterday took one capsule in the morning and other in the launch. I think a high quality product of Panax ginseng is the better remedy you can use for adrenal fatigue. In the second place under Panax ginseng for adrenal fatigue is Panax quinquefolium known as american ginseng being in the third place Eleuterococus senticosus called siberian ginseng. There is a type of product that combines that three plants which is called Triple Ginseng. I suggest you this knowing is the best remedy for adrenal fatigue.