[RamblinClementine]

I have GAD but also have an addiction to coffee!

I gave it up for a month or so but then my band went on tour, I was sleep-deprived, and bada-boom I started drinking it a LOT.

It makes my body tense but also I feel SO HIGH when I drink enough of it, and I like that feeling.

Last time I quit I had to sleep 10 hrs in the middle of the day. These days I'm super busy and can't afford that much time.

Any suggestions? I want to get off the horse. I know coffee isn't like the biggest drug but I'm pretty sure my GAD symptoms become off the hook, particularly my tummy symptoms.

I don't have any suggestions and I sympathize with you. I just wish that coffee would have some effect on me

[Vossie42]

Yeah, coffee's hard to give up physically and psychologically. I love coffee, but I don't like the crashes afterward. If I drink a lot of coffee for long enough, I don't get the coffee high anymore and just end up exhausted all the time. So, I try not to drink more than a few cups a day. In your case, can you cut back little by little until you're at a level where your coffee consumption doesn't jack up your GAD and tummy troubles? And I mean, cut back slowly - say, 1 less cup a day for a week, then 2 less cups a day for a week, etc. That way your body can adjust and maybe you won't have to sleep for ten hours in the middle of the day.

[tealBumblebee]

I've noticed that, for me at least, different coffee types can cause different reactions.

For instance, Burger King coffee makes me nervous; i'm jittery, I literally tremble and I feel highly anxious.

Starbucks doubleshot energy make me hot (temporarily), but gets me through a 12 hour work shift without crashing and thus is my drink of choice. While Starbucks Frappucino (in the bottle) feels "less caffeinated" to me but sometimes can make me feel restless.

I can use up to 1 1/2 scoops of my Foldgers home coffee but 2 scoops will jack me up and make me feel like I need to check in to someones hospital.

I say all this to say, perhaps you can do a bit of testing & adjusting to see what effects you but not to the extent that it harms you.

[Marla500]

I agree with the other posters. cutting back slowly and being aware of how different coffees affect you helps alot. the older I get the more careful I have to be about how much caffeine I have and it's easy to get in the habit of drinking it all day. as far as the heartburn goes, I find that in my case even though coffee affects it, it is really more affected by certain foods like bell pepper or red meat. not necessarily things you would immediately expect. tomato is more obvious and also does not help.

[FlowerChild48]

Thankfully I do not drink that much, maybe 2 cups a day. Tried decaf a couple of years ago when I found out I had high blood pressure, but switched back.
Absolutely can not drink Cuban coffee, makes me shake. My stomach is not bothered by drinking this small amount of coffee. Can't drink it past noon though, no sleeping then.
I think Tealbumblebee's advice is good. Going to try to use less coffee when I perk a pot.

[RamblinClementine]

Thank you I will try to cut down slowly! But not till I have a day off! In case I need to nap

[June55]

Drinking water. It helps. And hot water is warm like coffee.

[winterglen]

I'm in the same situation. I crash if I don't get my daily caffeine fix.

I like tealBumblebee's suggestion. Maybe you could try switching to a different kind of coffee or tea.

It would be a good idea to decrease the amount of caffeine gradually instead of quitting cold turkey.

[RamblinClementine]

Had less today. But a lot of candy! But I'm still awake right now, which is good. Sometimes when I'm at work I like to have coffee because it makes me so zippy and time seems to go faster that way. So that's my real fear, I will drink it out of boredom!

[catsandcoffee]

I relate completely! (You may be able to tell by my username, aha.)
What I would suggest is getting caffeine-free coffee. It is typically the caffeine in the coffee that give people the jitters.
Best of luck! xx

[Sabrina]

Like somebody else said, drink lots and lots of water. This will really help to keep your body cleansed and might help those tummy troubles.

[crazycat000]

I have a similar problem. I have really bad stomach problems because of my GAD but I also have chronic headaches and fatigue because of my GAD too. So I have to drink coffee to help the headaches and fatigue, but it hurts my stomach so much. I think I am going to start looking in to. I am trying to figure out what to do too. For the stomach problems, I am taking Prilosec and just making sure i take antacids before I drink coffee. Also make sure that you don't get hungry, because that can make your stomach problems worse, so try to eat small frequent meals and don't drink coffee on an empty stomach. I dont know what your stomach problems are, but mine are gastritis and acid reflux caused by my anxiety and this is what my doctor is telling me to do. I would suggest cutting down on coffee, not completely out, but slowly cutting it down. HOPE THIS HELPS!