Caffeine And Schizophrenia

I quit caffeine. why? the antipsychotic schizophrenia medication I use haldol generic haloperidol blocks dopamine receptors and one of the key features of schizophrenia is increased dopamine so i stopped drinking caffeinated drinks like soda and coffee which increase dopamine production. i also know the medications slow down metabolism and make us gain weight and caffeine speeds up metabolism. caffeine also narrows blood vessels and decreases blood flow to the brain by 27%. it is painful to quit caffeine.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21420906/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19219847/

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/schiz.html

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I drink a great deal of caffeine. I get headaches if I go without it for a day. It is the only way I can find to function. It is lucky I don’t get as much sugar as I used to.

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the headaches can last a week.

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I’ve always consumed a lot of caffeine. I can take two 200 mg caffeine pills and go straight to sleep. I’m still dependent on caffeine to feel okay, though. It’s probably psychological. When I was on Haldol no amount of caffeine could make any difference to me. Caffeine was irrelevant to my life.

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i like haloperidol more since I’ve been on the fda recommended dose of 2.5 mg a day according to drugs dot com.

Didn’t know caffeine reduced blood flow to the brain by more than a quarter. Add to that how sitting reduces circulation by up to 80%, and it’s no wonder why office work can do a number on a person.

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Today is my last day for caffeine. I can tell the difference when I take my meds how caffeine effects

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Some of my migraine meds contain caffeine. I have also been using Monster energy drinks to keep me awake after I take my morning meds on days when I have to be up for things like appointments. It definitely makes my essential tremors worse, but I don’t know what else to do. It is the simplest solution in a lot of ways.

i take Ibuprofen for a headache.

I could never quit coffee :frowning:
I think I’m dependent on the caffeine.

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you now healthy
keep going on

I drink only one or two cups of coffee a day. When I was on 30mgs of haldol a day I drank 6 or more just to feel normal. Since just getting latuda, lithium, clonidine, amitriptyline, and cogentin I have lost weight and more active. I quit Ativan and haldol without tapering but with doctors permission

i quit caffeine 3 days ago… it has a negative impact on my health and mood.

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I’ve been on 40 mg Haldol daily. That was bad. Haldol is a drug I just don’t like. It totally kills my imagination. It totally kills my creativity. I was on the Haldol shot for several years, and they were the worst years of my life, even though at that time I was getting an average of just 3.0 mg a day. For me, Geodon has been a godsend. Geodon and Seroquel control my symptoms without totally dulling my brain.

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Migraine headaches are caused by dilation of the blood vessels in the brain. The vessels are not only dilated but they are in spasms. The caffeine in coffee constricts these dilated blood vessels in the brain and that eliminates the migraine headaches.

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Risperdal Consta shots totally kill my imagination and creativity. I want off of them. I’ve been on them for the past ten years.

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I drink one cup to keep me up all day. But I go to bed at 6pm weekdays.

I just quit caffeine. The fact that caffeine reduces blood flow to the brain by 25% is too much for me, I need all the blood flow I can get to heal my brain injury. Decaf’s fine, for the taste.

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this is my fifth day without caffeinated soda and coffee, the physical pain and headaches are gone completely. ibuprofen helped. looking forward to seeing what an alcohol buzz is like with increased bloodflow to the brain.

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Have you tried Geodon? That drug controls my symptoms and lets me write.