Bipolar or Too Much Caffeine?

Hi!
I've never been on the Bipolar board before, but I have been thinking about something for a long time.
I'm not sure how to put it. Thoughts too jumbled in my head. Grr.. I guess what I'll say is that I quite often drink 1-2 cups a day of coffee. that's about it. Soon later, my mind starts racing, I talk WAY too much (I talk to myself a lot too) I get foul mouthed (?), become shaky.. the list goes on. This happens roughly every day. My dad also says that I have a "three-month cycle" where I am happy for 3 months, then depressed for three months, I believe.

I have been officially diagnosed with depression (though after a cup of coffee sometimes I can get quite giggly!), and an Eating Disorder (ED-NOS at the moment... was Anorexia Nervosa).

So, I guess what I'm asking is, is this Bipolar Disorder, or is it just me having too much caffeine? What do you think?

Thank you in advance!
MrsLovett

You can try cutting out the caffeine and see what happens. But the only way to find out if you have Bipolar Disorder of any type is to go to a Pdoc or other person qualified to diagnose psych issues.

I wish I had printed out the article, but I read that Bipolar folks can be highly sensitive to caffeine. Guess that explains the euphoria I get after only a half cup of coffee. LOL

I know it! Some days all it takes is half a cup! I've known I'm sensitive to caffeine for a long time, but have never known why...

MrsLovett

I have also read that caffeine (and alcohol) can trigger mania or hypomania in someone who has the diagnosis of bipolar.

I think the "caffeine buzz" people talk about is real...it's a pretty strong stimulant. A certain amount of giddiness wouldn't surprise me. You may be more sensitive than some people, though.

The 3-month cycle sounds more like a possible bipolar indicator. I'm not a psychiatrist, but I think it's worth telling whoever treats your depression about what you've said here.

Caffeine does it to me too. I can get really out of hand if I have too much.

Oh, that's really interesting about bipolar and sensitivity to caffiene. I'm extremely sensitive to it myself. I only drink it when I'm depressed, otherwise I find myself becoming way too anxious/hyper while on it.

I'd try cutting out caffiene.

Interestingly enough, my response to coffee went WAY down after I got on bipolar meds (lithium, Lamictal, Abilify).

Now that I am on those meds, coffee makes me feel warm and a little "pumped up," but nowhere near the mood lift it used to provide. I finally quit it because it upset my stomach.

I still drink caffeine in diet soda. It does seem to give me some energy, but not like before.

[
QUOTE=Slothrop;1016960]Interestingly enough, my response to coffee went WAY down after
I still drink caffeine in diet soda. It does seem to give me some energy, but not like before.[/QUOTE]

The buzz goes really fast for me. Two hours tops. It is nothing like the hypomania I get fro
opioids, or the horrid hypomania from Zoloft. I think I am the only person who flushes Percoset down the toilet, because I hate how it makes me feel!

I have bipolar 1 disorder and cannot drink coffee or pop. It makes me feel initially hyper and I giggle too much (at everything) .... and then I become paranoid and anxious.

So I would recommend getting use to decaf coffee. At Starbucks order a Venti Cappi with 3 shots of decaf esperso (excuse my spelling).

Wow! I never linked coffee with my bipolar issues, but it all makes sense now! I guess that's why I always start my day with a cup!LOL!
I do think I will try giving it up and seeing what happens.

While I in no way discount the experience of those who have posted above, my experience is totally different. I am deeply and truly addicted to caffeine. I usually drink between 1 and 2 pots of coffee per day. If I go more than 24 hrs without caffeine I get a migraine headache. I literally can't function without some amount of caffeine.

The thing is, everyone's different. You may be unusually sensitive to caffeine without being bipolar; you may be bipolar and caffeine has nothing to do with it; either way, I agree the first step is to attempt to eliminate caffeine altogether first and see what happens. However, be aware that many other things besides coffee include caffeine. As applies to so much around here, only your doc can give you a really educated evaluation but if are able to cut out caffeine without ill affect it's certainly a good place to start.

Just out of my own sense of curiosity I'd like to know if you smoke since bipolar people are somewhere around 5 times more likely* to smoke than the general population.

No matter what happens, I wish you the best of luck.

*more or less; I forget the exact statistics