severe panic attacks after quitting caffeine

Ok so, I started a coffee drinking habit for the first time last yr. But, every article I have read on anxiety says you are not supposed to be having caffeine ever. So I did quit about a month ago. I couldnt believe how bad the caffeine withdrawal was! I had panic attacks that would make me shake, and dry heave, a rapid heart beat and I had sharp muscle pain. Those symptoms were never part of my previous panic attacks. Now that lasted about 2 weeks and it was hell, but I am feeling better now. Caffeine withdrawal isnt pretty but this seemed extreme. Is this normal? The worst part is my sister was in town and I had promised to drive her around and do some fun things, I had to keep cancelling because I was so ill. I let her down and I still feel disappointed that I was unable to control my anxiety long enough to keep our plans for that day. Has anyone else experienced increased anxiety after quitting caffeine ?

Hello summerblueskies, welcome to Psych Central.

Your reaction to stopping caffeine seems a little extreme to me. I would be inclined to go and see your doctor about those symptoms.

I know i am myself probably addicted to coffee, i need at least 5 cups a day to function, as i also have sleep apnea too, which makes me very tired unless i have the coffee in my system. I have heard caffiene withdrawal is a hard thing to go through.

Me, too.

I drink two cups (6 oz) of coffee in the morning and one in the afternoon and if I quit suddenly, I start feeling extremely ill within 12 hours. Headache, body aches, chills, dry heaves, jangles inside, all over terrible feeling. It feels like I'm coming down with the flu. I can barely function and if I try to walk too far I'll feel faint. Extreme!

One cup of coffee immediately cures it. I've quit caffeine before for as long as six months and I practically felt like I lost my will to live. I felt completely blah. As soon as I started drinking coffee again, I felt much better.

This made no sense to me so I started researching the effects of caffeine. It turns out that caffeine improves the effectiveness of the medication I take daily. Some of the meds I take (they're the old-fashioned tried and true kind) used to be always prescribed with caffeine or amphetamine back in the good old days. That wisdom seems to have been lost with the advancement of new pharmaceuticals. I have no desire to take amphetamine, so I'm sticking with coffee.

If you're on medication, perhaps you're taking one or more that is potentiated and made more effective by the addition of caffeine.

If you're feeling okay now, it's probably a good idea to stay off caffeine.

I feel that I'm truly addicted and that if I miss it in the morning I know that I will feel terrible in the afternoon and if I go too long I will have to increase the dosage of my meds, which have some pretty terrible side effects, much worse than anything caffeine might do to me. Without caffeine, I have to take a 1/3 higher dose of meds. They're expensive and can cause all sorts of joyous things like bone marrow suppression, sun allergy, vertigo, irregular heartbeat, etc etc. I much rather take fewer meds and more caffeine.

My doctor was highly skeptical when I told him about this, but he whipped out his little electronic devise and started clicking away and finally said, "Hmmm, you're right." He told me to stick below five cups a day and not to drink any after 3 p.m.

So, now, finally, after a good many years, I consider caffeine to be a part of my daily medication regimen. Three cups a day is all I need.

Caffeine is a drug. It's not harmless. Pure caffeine powder can kill you. But in the grand scheme of things, three cups of coffee is probably way down on the very end of the list of drug dangers.

If you're on other medication, I suspect that your bad reaction to withdrawal was due to some kind of combined effect. If you're not on meds, maybe you're just a highly sensitive person and now you know.

Signed: Hooked

How much coffee where you drinking? Seems like kind of an extreme withdrawal, but I am willing to guess some people are more sensitive to that than others.

I have not really experienced more anxiety if I don't drink anything with caffeine...though when I am drinking coffee or other beverages with caffeine regularly I will sort of get a headache and maybe a bit irritable without it.

As for never having caffeine with anxiety, I find that a little bit extreme I have generalized anxiety disorder and PTSD and still like my coffee, tea and occasional energy drinks/mountain dew. I will avoid it if I am feeling particularly edgy, but there have also been days where I would have had a very hard time getting my day started without some caffeine since much of the time I don't get enough sleep.

Basically though caffeine is a stimulant so it can sometimes contribute to anxiety symptoms such as increased heart rate, anxiety and stimulants effect the body kind of similar so that is why caffeine can be bad for anxiety...but yes getting dependent and then going without it is possible to cause anxiety due to the withdrawal.

sometimes though it seems a lot of people forget/ or simply don't know caffeine in their coffee, soda or whatever is a rather addictive drug...then wonder why they get a headache if they forget their morning coffee.....speaking of which maybe I should have some iced tea or coffee or something.

I have anxiety and do drink caffeine. I can go a couple days, without. Started drinking it, after my second son,was born. The fatigue I experienced was unbelievable, never mind recovering from too much spinal injection for that delivery and my MS. Caffeine, a cup or two, helped.

Your reaction to coming off, does seem extreme. Some would say, a little, in moderation is appropriate.

Hope you get some medical answers.