[taybaby]

I've noticed when I'm "up" that drinking coffee literally makes me feel like I've done several lines of cocaine before having an intense crash.

However, when I'm down it doesn't seem to really affect me.

I swore off caffeine for a long time when I was unstable, I think I went about 6 months without it. But my current job requires my constant attention. I try to drink green tea but I'm just so tired all the time from my medications that it doesn't seem to help.

My question is are you able to drink coffee regularly without it affecting your mood?

[Stellata]

I don't have BP, but I can't tolerate caffeine at all any time. It makes my anxiety and insomnia way more intolerable.

I don't drink it often (when I drink hot drinks, which is rarely anyway), I go for tea

but it's always been fine for me

[BatsBelfry]

My wife and I were just discussing if the amount of coffee I drink in the morning (Trenda size from Starbucks) has an effect on me. I can say that the drive in to work with it is a good time of day for me. It may effect my anxiety more though. I just can't see myself stopping drinking coffee. Maybe I will have to take a serious look at that.

If I'm very energized, I also steer clear of caffeine, but under all other circumstances I enjoy it. I drink about two coffee drinks per day (one regular in the morning, one espresso at night). Occasionally I drink a Coke Zero or Diet Coke, and occasionally a third daily coffee drink.

I remember during my first hospitalization I was told to stop drinking alcohol completely. I had issues with it. I was also put on Lithium and the psychiatrist said to stop caffeine. I was like " What the heck am I allowed now?" He then said I could have one coffee per day. I tried to stick to that, but when off Lithium I doubled it.

I have bp1 with anxiety and depression. I have to be careful of my input. Some days I have 2 others I have 7 lol
Usually when I have excess I'm fixing to be manic.

[Faltering]

I drink iced coffee daily and I tolerate it well. I do tolerate it somewhat less on Adderall though. Too many stimulants at once I think.

I hate the bitter flavor. I've added tons of cream and sugar to it in the past, on 3 separate occasions, and still didn't like it. Then I tried a coffee-milkshake combo and I hated that too. I also don't like tea.

I guess it's good for me?

Speaking of stimulants tho... While I was on a non-effective AP (Abilify), I took Adderall XR and became manic. I made some long thread on this forum a while back about how I was convinced that someone on this forum was out to murder me. Then I was getting suicidal voices. But I went to work anyway because I figured that "being at work meant I was safer than at home where people could easily find me." I knew that the voices were messing with me and trying to encourage me to do something I didn't want to do, even though I still believed they were real.

[Wild Coyote]

I drink decaffeinated coffee. If I take in caffeine, I have more sleep problems.
I do not take in any caffeine if I can help it.


WC

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I've been caffeine free (except for chocolate) for 11 years now. I was using it to trigger hypomania and decided that it was best for me to just not have any. I don't regret it except that I really miss the occasional cherry Coke.

[venusss]

Yeah. I drink it with loooots of milk and no sugar. Like half coffee, half milk.


Sometimes if i want to treat myself I add dulce de leche (though it does not really disolve, so i just scoop it with spoon while drinking the coffee). Or eggnog at the weekends. very rarely.

[Christopher1990]

I can't wake up without it. There was one time when I couldn't tolerate it but it doesn't have much of an effect on me currently. I do enjoy the taste and usually drink it black.

I avoid caffeine when I'm manic or mixed, but I sometimes drink coffee when stable or depressed.

[Guiness187055]

I drink a ton of coffee almost a pot a day.

[SorryShaped]

I love caffeine but shouldn't use it, though I do. It exaggerates my moods and gives me less control but it feels so good

[TheSeaCat]

I have got such a caffeine problem, I love sweet tea and Mountain Dew, my fdoc tells me drinking caffeine just hurts my anxiety but it’s like an addiction. My only saving grace is the closest Starbucks is about an hour away. I do notice that it hurts my anxiety more than anything.

I looooove coffee. But no, I shouldn’t (and usually don’t) drink it. I cut my anxiety by about half just by avoiding my morning cup or two.

[BipolaRNurse]

I drink at least one 12 oz. cup of Italian roast, black coffee a day and don't think it affects me at all. OTOH, I have been known to increase my caffeine consumption dramatically when I'm manic, so who knows?

[~Christina]

I can drink it by the pot full and it has no effect on me.

[Nola0250]

When I’m up (mixed) coffee makes me very anxious and I can’t tolerate it. Otherwise one cup a day i can tolerate. More than that and I can’t sleep at night.

[pirilin]

By the truckload.
There are studies that indicate that Cuban have a much lower incidence(sp) of sui than Anglos, due to the constant drinking of Cuban coffee.

[Pookyl]

I leeerrve anything with caffeine in it.
My pdoc would like me to cut it out. However I’ve told her that I can’t have as much Seroquel (that I need to take) without a fair whack of caffeine.

[Blue_Bird]

Sometimes a couple cups revs me up, in a good way. But sometimes I can drink 7 or 8 cups consecutively and fall asleep half an hour later. I love it either way

[ObiRonKenobi]

I drink it a bit religiously. I have found it is helpful for concentration (probably not too dissimilar from other stimulants).