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Caffeine and Mood Instability

Messerve

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Hello!

I've realized in the past year that I think I am intolerant of caffeine. I take a vitamin energy drink in the morning to get me going for work and it's useful because it has a ton of good things in it. However, it also has a lot of caffeine. In the past I noticed I'd get a headache after drinking a soda like Dr. Pepper or Barq's Root Beer and just be in a general bad mood. I didn't know the vitamin drink had caffeine in it for awhile.

It's hard to describe how caffeine seems to affect me, but I would just say it puts me in a very negative mood all day and I started acting different than I normally would. More confrontational, angry or despairing, unable to handle the normal stresses of the world and sometimes with a dull headache.

One day I ran away from work because I just couldn't handle my co-workers any longer. Today was similar, but instead I got angry at my boss over a mistake I'd made and told him he was giving me too much to do and I could barely catch up. Which was all true, but I'm not usually so confrontational or angry like that...

Other days I just feel like I'm suffocating under oppressive American culture as a Christian and I feel like there's no hope.

Overall, I just kind of fear for my sanity after I've had caffeine. I'm just not myself at all. It's a little scary how it has that affect on me. When I don't have caffeine, I'm very happy most of the time.

Does anyone experience something similar?
 

Messerve

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That's interesting. I drink black coffee. I feel great when I'm alert. But I believe in drinking it in moderation.
I feel great to be alert and have energy, but as the day progresses it basically becomes a negative energy not a positive kind.
 
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Deborah D

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Hello!

I've realized in the past year that I think I am intolerant of caffeine. I take a vitamin energy drink in the morning to get me going for work and it's useful because it has a ton of good things in it. However, it also has a lot of caffeine. In the past I noticed I'd get a headache after drinking a soda like Dr. Pepper or Barq's Root Beer and just be in a general bad mood. I didn't know the vitamin drink had caffeine in it for awhile.

It's hard to describe how caffeine seems to affect me, but I would just say it puts me in a very negative mood all day and I started acting different than I normally would. More confrontational, angry or despairing, unable to handle the normal stresses of the world and sometimes with a dull headache.

One day I ran away from work because I just couldn't handle my co-workers any longer. Today was similar, but instead I got angry at my boss over a mistake I'd made and told him he was giving me too much to do and I could barely catch up. Which was all true, but I'm not usually so confrontational or angry like that...

Other days I just feel like I'm suffocating under oppressive American culture as a Christian and I feel like there's no hope.

Overall, I just kind of fear for my sanity after I've had caffeine. I'm just not myself at all. It's a little scary how it has that affect on me. When I don't have caffeine, I'm very happy most of the time.

Does anyone experience something similar?

I have some caffeine every day, but it doesn't affect like it does you. If it did affect me adversely, I would get off it and stay off.

You said that drinking root beer affected you this way? Root beer doesn't have caffeine in it. Perhaps it was the sugar in it or something else.
 
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Messerve

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I have some caffeine every day, but it doesn't affect like it does you. If it did affect me adversely, I would get off it and stay off.

You said that drinking root beer affected you this way? Root beer doesn't have caffeine in it. Perhaps it was the sugar in it or something else.
Ah, how many times will I have to correct people... ^_^ Barq's Root Beer does have caffeine, which I discovered after getting a headache once.
 
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Deborah D

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Ah, how many times will I have to correct people... ^_^ Barq's Root Beer does have caffeine, which I discovered after getting a headache once.
Well, you never have corrected me about this. :) I will look into it.

Edit: From the Barq's website:

Caffeine Content: 22mg/12 fl oz

INGREDIENTS
  1. CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CARAMEL COLOR, SODIUM BENZOATE (TO PROTECT TASTE), CITRIC ACID, CAFFEINE, ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, ACACIA.
It appears that it doesn't contain a lot of caffeine, but it has some. I read that Diet Barq's doesn't have caffeine.
 
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Rescued One

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Ah, how many times will I have to correct people... ^_^ Barq's Root Beer does have caffeine, which I discovered after getting a headache once.

Yep. I didn't know that.

"Barqs Root Beer is distributed by the Coca-Cola Company and is one of the few caffeinated root beers sold. Barq's Root Beer was invented by Edward C. Barq in 1898. The sugar-free version of Barqs Root Beer is caffeine free."
 
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Messerve

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These seems to describe it pretty accurately.

From medicaldaily.com

Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system, an important part of which is the brain. Coffee, or any other caffeinated beverage, works by tricking the brain into releasing dopamine, serotonin. In addition, hormones including adrenaline and norepinephrine are released. It is these hormones that are involved in the body’s “fight or flight” response — useful if you’re in an emergency situation, but not so much if you’re just sitting in the office.


This response is what can cause coffee drinkers to experience irritability, agitation, and anxiety. The burst of alertness you feel after drinking a cup of coffee is followed by these negative mood fluctuations in some people, and the more coffee you drink, the worse they get. One study even found that people drinking an excess of 1,000 milligrams of caffeine a day show nervous symptoms almost “indistinguishable” from anxiety disorder.
 
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paul1149

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I take a vitamin energy drink in the morning
Which one is it? Maybe we can find a substitute. There are a lot of herbs that function in different ways to help your metabolic health.

I suspect that the effect caffeine has is impacted by what else is with it. For instance, I can drink a ton of black tea with little to no caffeine effects, but coffee really nails me after one mug. (I usually use decaf for that reason.) Remember, caffeine is essentially one of the plant domain's natural bug repellents. Too much is not good.
 
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Silverback

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Hello!

I've realized in the past year that I think I am intolerant of caffeine. I take a vitamin energy drink in the morning to get me going for work and it's useful because it has a ton of good things in it. However, it also has a lot of caffeine. In the past I noticed I'd get a headache after drinking a soda like Dr. Pepper or Barq's Root Beer and just be in a general bad mood. I didn't know the vitamin drink had caffeine in it for awhile.

It's hard to describe how caffeine seems to affect me, but I would just say it puts me in a very negative mood all day and I started acting different than I normally would. More confrontational, angry or despairing, unable to handle the normal stresses of the world and sometimes with a dull headache.

One day I ran away from work because I just couldn't handle my co-workers any longer. Today was similar, but instead I got angry at my boss over a mistake I'd made and told him he was giving me too much to do and I could barely catch up. Which was all true, but I'm not usually so confrontational or angry like that...

Other days I just feel like I'm suffocating under oppressive American culture as a Christian and I feel like there's no hope.

Overall, I just kind of fear for my sanity after I've had caffeine. I'm just not myself at all. It's a little scary how it has that affect on me. When I don't have caffeine, I'm very happy most of the time.

Does anyone experience something similar?

Usually, those things are caused by lack of caffeine. However, perhaps it affects you differently. I would say talk with your doctor, he may have some insight. Ask him about tapering slowly off caffeine, I did it, but relapsed I guess, I drink only one cup in the morning to keep from having a headache. At one time I was prescribed a benzodiazepine for anxiety, hated being on it, so I talked to my Doctor, and tapered off in right months. I'm not saying caffeine tapering would be that difficult though.

Talk with your Doctor, and get off it, that would be my advice.
 
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Messerve

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Here is what's in it. It's kind of a small photo...

I have started only taking half a serving to see if it would help, but I feel about the same.

iu
 
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SkyWriting

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Hello!

I've realized in the past year that I think I am intolerant of caffeine. I take a vitamin energy drink in the morning to get me going for work and it's useful because it has a ton of good things in it. However, it also has a lot of caffeine. In the past I noticed I'd get a headache after drinking a soda like Dr. Pepper or Barq's Root Beer and just be in a general bad mood. I didn't know the vitamin drink had caffeine in it for awhile.

It's hard to describe how caffeine seems to affect me, but I would just say it puts me in a very negative mood all day and I started acting different than I normally would. More confrontational, angry or despairing, unable to handle the normal stresses of the world and sometimes with a dull headache.

One day I ran away from work because I just couldn't handle my co-workers any longer. Today was similar, but instead I got angry at my boss over a mistake I'd made and told him he was giving me too much to do and I could barely catch up. Which was all true, but I'm not usually so confrontational or angry like that...

Other days I just feel like I'm suffocating under oppressive American culture as a Christian and I feel like there's no hope.

Overall, I just kind of fear for my sanity after I've had caffeine. I'm just not myself at all. It's a little scary how it has that affect on me. When I don't have caffeine, I'm very happy most of the time.

Does anyone experience something similar?

It has more than caffeine in it that will explode your heart.
Make your own healthy morning smoothies.
Nutrients in the correct original food work much better than extracts and pills.
 
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Messerve

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Usually, those things are caused by lack of caffeine. However, perhaps it affects you differently. I would say talk with your doctor, he may have some insight. Ask him about tapering slowly off caffeine, I did it, but relapsed I guess, I drink only one cup in the morning to keep from having a headache. At one time I was prescribed a benzodiazepine for anxiety, hated being on it, so I talked to my Doctor, and tapered off in right months. I'm not saying caffeine tapering would be that difficult though.

Talk with your Doctor, and get off it, that would be my advice.
Oh, I'm not addicted to caffeine at all, actually. When the mix I use runs out sometimes I don't even get more for over a month. And I drink zero coffee and avoid all sodas. I barely have any chocolate or even tea.

The main reason I use it is for the other beneficial ingredients, like a substitute for a vitamin. I guess because it's specifically designed to give you more energy they decided to stick caffeine into the mix.
 
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Messerve

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It has more than caffeine in it that will explode your heart.
Make your own healthy morning smoothies.
What do you mean by exploding my heart exactly? Does anyone drink straight caffeine? I would hope there'd be a little more to it! ^_^

Smoothies are great, but all that produce does get expensive eventually. Especially in the winter.
 
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SkyWriting

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What do you mean by exploding my heart exactly? Does anyone drink straight caffeine? I would hope there'd be a little more to it! ^_^

Smoothies are great, but all that produce does get expensive eventually. Especially in the winter.

Very expensive after you loose your job due to bad attitude and poor nutrition.

Study Finds No Benefit for Dietary Supplements – NIH Director's Blog

  1. 1 medium banana (fresh or frozen)
  2. ½ cup sliced strawberries, blueberries, or chopped mangos.
  3. ¼ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt.
  4. 1 tablespoon almond butter.
  5. ½ cup baby spinach.
  6. ½ cup unsweetened almond milk.
  7. Optional: 1-2 basil leaves, 2-3 mint leaves, ½ teaspoon peeled, chopped ginger.
 
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These seems to describe it pretty accurately.

From medicaldaily.com

Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system, an important part of which is the brain. Coffee, or any other caffeinated beverage, works by tricking the brain into releasing dopamine, serotonin. In addition, hormones including adrenaline and norepinephrine are released. It is these hormones that are involved in the body’s “fight or flight” response — useful if you’re in an emergency situation, but not so much if you’re just sitting in the office.


This response is what can cause coffee drinkers to experience irritability, agitation, and anxiety. The burst of alertness you feel after drinking a cup of coffee is followed by these negative mood fluctuations in some people, and the more coffee you drink, the worse they get. One study even found that people drinking an excess of 1,000 milligrams of caffeine a day show nervous symptoms almost “indistinguishable” from anxiety disorder.

It is weird how one thing effects one but not another. i'm mentally ill and love my coffee. Doctors reckon it was contributing to my symptoms so i refrained for a whole year. It was a bad year symptom wise and i still couldn't sleep nor kick my brains into gear with a cuppa coffee in the morning. i hated it. i ended up in hospital any way.

So i drink my coffee again. Especially in the morning i love my cuppa to kick my brains into gear a bit. The down waking up is much worse than the down that comes when the caffeine wears of i reckon. However too much coffee (more than 5-6 mugs a day,) makes me feel psyched up when depressed and is not helpful but that is the only time i drink less coffee but i still drink coffee when depressed because it helps me to feel a little better.

There are plenty of positives drinking coffee
20+ Good Health Reasons To Drink Coffee
 
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bèlla

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I don’t drink soda. Its full of refined sugars that aren’t helpful and distort the palate. If you enjoy them Italian sodas are best. Monin makes an organic syrup that’s nice if you don’t want to make your own.

I was told several years ago (by the Holy Spirit) to reduce my caffeine intake if I desired children again. I have roughly six ounces per day. I no longer drink hot coffee. I make cold brew instead.

I don’t have the reactions you describe but my consumption is small. And I’ve never had energy drinks at all.
 
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mama2one

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I drink decaf coffee and decaf green tea

not too long ago heard on news that one should wait at least an hour before drinking coffee

believe they said one's cortisol is naturally up first thing in the morn so wait an hour at least to drink any caffeinated coffee

fyi- see from above that the root beer has high fructose corn syrup which is an ingredient we avoid; heard a Dr on tv once equate that to poison
 
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paul1149

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If you don't normally have caffeine, you may still be very sensitive toward it when you do have it.

Other than that, Vitamin A in large doses can make one on edge or aggressive. That drink provides 100% Vit. A, which is fine, but if you are getting a lot more somewhere else it could be adding up.
But more likely it's the caffeine.

Basically the drink is a vitamin capsule. It has a nice profile of vitamins. Though they are the basic chemicals, not organically-bound, methylated or liposome, they are still good. Then it has what looks like a nice selection of metabolic support, including some amino acids. The problem seems to lie in the energy component it uses, which is primarily caffeine.

You could try a "green" drink instead. They don't seem to break down their analyses into chemical components, but a good one will do everything you current one does metabolically, but without the caffeine. It might not have an energy kick, but that's easy to get with the right food.
 
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DaisyDay

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Does anyone experience something similar?
Yes, but not with caffeine. When I used to go to the gym with my husband, he would come out all happy and relaxed from the exercise, but I noticed that I felt really, really angry walking home - like nobody better mess with me.

I think that feeling all hot and hyper is the same physical feeling as anger, so that would trigger the emotional response in me. That's the best theory I could come up with.

It's possible that since caffeine is known to raise the blood pressure and make the heart beat faster, that it could stimulate anger in you by mimicking the physical effects.

Energy drinks are crap, though - caffeinated sugar water. Mmmmm....caffeinated sugar water - now I want some.
 
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