Caffiene and Antipsychotics

So I randomly google stuff when I am bored, and get myself into worrying modes. I have done that again.

I wanted to see if caffeine had any affect on my meds (Risperdal and Prozac). Not much came back with Prozac, but with the Risperal mixed messages came back. Some things said caffeine was fine to consume (in drinks, food, etc) while on the med, others said caffeine decreased the effects of the med.

On the pharacuetical med's site it says not to put liquid risperdal into cola or tea, but it says nothing about the pill form (which is what I take).

I have been having increased "voices" and paranoia lately. I am home all day on Winter Vacation (I work at a middle school), so I am drinking more sodas than usual and am wondering if it is the caffeine in the soda making my risperidone less active and thus triggering psychosis?

Does anyone know if caffeine has any affects on antipsychotics?

I tried asking this on health tap, but the doctors there focused on the sugar in soda instead of the caffeine and said that sugar should be avoided because of the weight gain possibility. I wanted to know about the caffeine, so I am trying here instead.

As you can see in my signature, I've been on quite a few antipsychotics, and I'm someone who consumes about 4 cans of soda and about 2 redbulls every day on average.
The hyperactivity that caffeine causes in the brain is known to exacerbate symptoms of psychosis, but it would be near impossible to ingest enough caffeine to actually disable the effects of an heavy atypical antipsychotic like risperidone.

Summary: Caffeine is counter-producive, but doesn't make a huge difference in dampening the effects of an antipsychotic.

I usually consume about 4-5 sodas a day when I am working, but with being home 24/7 now I am consuming about 7-8 a day, so it is almost double. So, I was just curious if the increase could cause an increase in psychotic symptoms. But, I guess maybe not now. Maybe it's time to increase the risperidone again (it's been 8 or 9 months since last time we had to increase it). Oh well, guess I'll just have to wait until the 9th and see what pdoc thinks.

Risperidone is a heavy atypical antipsychotic? I always thought it was a milder antipsychotic, that's what the first pdoc I had said when he put me on it (then again maybe he just said that so I'd agree to take it). Interesting. Oh well even if it is "heavy", it works most of the time, so I'm not going to ask to come off it or anything.

I see taking any AP as a heavy duty med but that doesn't change the fact that I need to take it. It is what it is.

That is a lot of pop! No offense! But it's making my bladder hurt just to think about it! I would clarify to my drs exactly how much soda you're talking about. I didn't think anybody drank that much. Again no offense.

I have to agree-that is an awful lot of pop! I don't know if it would interact with the meds or not, but it can really have serious effects on you. It made me more depressed, more psychotic, and I flew into rages a lot--it was worse with diet sodas. I have also done some serious damage to my bones.

I asked about if this (7-8) was too much, after people here were suggesting it was, on Health Tap and what can happen if it is. The dr. that responded said it was a bit excessive and that it can cause increased heart rate and anxiety and that I should try to cut back. But I only drink that much when I am home 24/7 and have nothing to do but sit on the computer and watch TV. Or is my usual 4-5 too much too?

I can't answer, just reading 4-5 makes me want to wee!

Well, that's still quite a bit. I used to drink a lot of sodas myself, and it ended up affecting pretty badly--I quit and I am still having physical consequences from it. That's why I make such a big deal out of it now. But it took me a long time to be able to quit.

I think I am more "hooked" on the sugar than the caffeine. Because when I am craving soda sometimes I will drink root beer or lemon-lime (both caffeine free) and still satisfy my craving. But the caffeine probably isn't the best for me either.

Maybe I should switch to Kool-Aid. :P

Sugar in excess can do bad thinks to your brain too. Read on mood foods.

how about a real lemonade (from lemons.... still sugary, but no chemistry... isn't coolaid basically colored sugar? Or fruit "freshes" (mixed fruit with water).

Interesting about sugar affecting the brain too. I am going to have so many "odd" questions at my next appointment with pdoc, I'm not sure how he will react.

Fruit freshes sound interesting. Or maybe I should just try juice (naturally sweet).

All the sugar in addition to the problems APs can cause with weight gain and blood sugar issues really is a bad combination. It is a bit of a recipe to set yourself up for weight gain and type 2 diabetes over time. Perhaps you need to consider getting off the caffination and sugar for your long-term health.

and with sodas, its not just the caffeine and/or sugar--even diet sodas are pretty bad; and drinking soda in excess can lead to--or a least contribute to--osteoporosis, as it did in my case. (plus, all the psychotic episodes i had from the aspartame)

What in soda causes osteoporosis? I definitely don't want that, I like my bones strong.

I don't drink soda so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's phosphorous. Too much makes bones porous.

I went and googled it a while ago and that does look like what the problem is.

I did good today (only on can 5 and it is 9pm, usually on on can 6 or 7 by now).

Well, I did an experiment today. I went and bought some sparkling water and I think I can use it as a replacement to soda. I haven't had a soda all day and don't feel any withdrawl affects.

Sparlking water is sweet (with fake sugar, which probably isn't the greatest either) like soda. It's fizzy like soda. And it has more flavor than regular water. I think it is cheaper than soda too, though more expensive than regular water.

I think this may work. I'll try it for a few days and see how it goes. I am on break right now, so if I start to get withdrawl effects it's not like I'll be having to cope with them at work.

Squirrel, on an unrelated issue - I see you are in Central FL. Do you like it there? My housemate wants to move to the Tampa area in a few years and he asked if I wanted to go with him but I'm not sure, especially with hurricanes and all. And I wonder how the mental health services are in FL as opposed to where I'm at in NJ. What has been your experience if you don't mind me asking?

I like Florida, been here my entire life. Tampa is on the other side of Florida as me (it's on the West coast, I am on the East coast). So I'd imagine things may be a little different there.

Mental health in Florida is give or take depending where you and if you have insurance or not. I have experience where I am now and the Orlando area (I lived there for a year as a teacher). I found the care to be about the same in both places, but they are only an hour apart, so that can be expected.

I don't know if the Tampa area does or not (I would assume they do), but anywhere I have lived in Florida (near NASA as a kid, near Daytona during college, Orlandoish, and now just south of NASA) has had local mental health hospitals where people can get help/talk to someone for free and get help they need whether they have insurance or not. If you don't have insurance where I am now, the local hospital will help find you resources to help pay for treatment. Where I am now, the hosital has several facilities spread throughout the county where you can just go and seek counseling. Tampa may have something like this as well, I don't know for sure though.

I have insurance through work, so I use it to pay for my mental health services (pdoc, T, meds). I have never been hospitalized as an adult for my mental health, so I can't say how that is in Florida today. When I was in high school I was Baker Acted into the Children's Crisis Unit of the local metal health hospital and was able to get the help I needed.

Anything else you want to know?

Have you ever had to evacuate because of hurricanes? For some reason the thought of going through a hurricane really stresses me out and yet we've had two up here in the last two years. I don't know, for some reason I view FL hurricanes as worse.

During college they would evacuate the dorms for liability reasons, but I would just go home (even closer to the coast). The longest we were ever without power was a week and that was only when 2 hurricanes hit back to back.

I had friends in college who were from up north who after they experienced a hurricane said it was no scarier than a bad snow storm.