Caffeine during depression

I'm wondering if anyone ever uses caffeine supplements to help get through the sluggishness that comes with depression? Do you have any experience with it and has it helped? I would assume if you took it all the time you'd get used to it and it wouldn't be effective.

Usually a cup of coffee doesn't even touch my exhaustion when I'm feeling exhausted, but yesterday I had a headache and took a headache pill containing caffeine. I was feeling unusually energetic last night and didn't even realize until this morning that I think the caffeine may have contributed.

My former self would have been horrified at this thought, but right now I am trying to do whatever I can to take care of my kids and power through when I feel tired, even if "powering through" for me is just getting through a semi-productive day…

I have coffee for breakfast almost every morning. It helps get through the initial 30-60 minutes of yawning, stretching and shuffling around. I go through my morning routine while waiting for it to kick in.

I used to take them when I was in high school and dealing with PTSD depression. It was the only way I could make it to class some days. The only thing to watch for is that they seem to be more addictive than coffee. After I got used to them I would crash hard if I didn't take them one day. You might be able to prevent this by doing something like 2 days on, 1 day off so your body doesn't become dependent on them.

If I am non manic, I drink coffee every day. I limit the amount.

I limit my caffeine intake to half-caf coffee or espresso in the morning, sometimes a cup or glass in the afternoon, and it does have a slight anti-depressant effect. Any other caffeine causes me to feel extremely anxious.

Just drinking too much coffee seems to start feeling of mania so I end up taking Ativan to counter it. I assume caffeine tablets would be even worse for me and the Ativan would not stop a manic attack.

When I'm depressed, caffeine from coffee has no effect on me at all. But if I'm hypomanic or manic it makes me bouncing off the walls with energy, sometimes irritability and anxiety. I have a tendency to abuse coffee to get a manic high...which always leads to misery, eventually. I've never noticed caffeinated headache pills such as Excedrin Migraine causing me to feel more energetic...but then again, I only ever take them when I have a migraine which isn't very often. Personally, I think caffeine is fine in small doses unless you're manic...and bonus that it makes you feel less depressed.

I have to admit that I have used large amounts of caffeine in the past to 'encourage' a budding hypomania. It doesn't do a thing for me when I'm depressed or stable, though...just helps me wake up in the morning. I love my coffee!

I do the exact same thing and same thing applies to me. Caffeine only makes me manic if I'm already hypomanic.

I drink a strong cup of coffee every morning to reduce the sluggishness/disorientation that comes with my mood stabilizers. This works pretty well -- strong is the key. However, I limit my caffeine intake because otherwise I get anxious, jittery, etc.

For very bad mornings, my pdoc allows me to take 10mg of ritalin on a PRN basis. I try to avoid it because I don't like the headaches I get when it wears off.

Coffee does bring brief reprieve from a depressive slump but at the sane time spikes my anxiety. So I'm careful how much of the stuff I consume.

It's funny because when I am depressed, it's almost like a winter.
I want to feel like I'm in my bed all day long even though I have to get out and go to school and work.
I wear big fuzzy sweaters and I use light body wash and conditioners like L'Occitane's Shea products and I even bought a fragrance to smell Like I'm still rolling around in my bed.
I usually will drink hot Skinny Vanilla Lattes all day and the have espresso so that definitely helps me keep going.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk