Insight: Caffeine is a pro-psychotic!

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Hey guys,

It’s my first post and I would like to share insight’s I have noticed and read. Basically it is that caffeine is a pro-psychotic! It worsens sz symptoms especially when taken in high doses.

I noticed this myself when drinking coffee and suddenly having something like a mind fog and when I drank coffee in even higher doses (really to give me energy) I noticed I felt sort of like inner paralysis. All this being the exact opposite of what I would hope a cup of coffee would do for me.

This is just something I think coffee drinkers should test and see if they notice anything.

There are numerous papers cited but in particular (Lucas et al., 1990) “Effects of the acute administration of caffeine in patients with schizophrenia”.

http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/0006-3223(90)90429-6/fulltext

Abstract: Caffeine, 10 mg/kg, was administered to 13 schizophrenic patients in a double-blind placebo-controlled study of its behavioral effects. Some measures of psychopathology were significantly increased: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) total, BPRS subscales thought disorder, unusual thought content, and euphiria-activation, and several individual BPRS items. Nurses’ Bunney-Hamberg ratings of psychosis and mania, comparing the day before with the day after pharmacological challenge, increased significantly. Compared to placebo, caffeine also produced significant increases of diastolic blood pressure and cortisol. Thus, these findings indicate that caffeine increases arousal and has a psychotogenic effect when administered to schizophrenic patients. The possible roles of various neurotransmitters is discussed with special emphasis on caffeine’s actions on dopaminergic and adenosinergic systems.

And (Broderick & Benjamin, 2004) “Caffeine and psychiatric symptoms: a review”

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/15732884

Abstract: Caffeine is a widely used psychoactive substance that has the potential to contribute to many psychiatric symptoms. This review article aims to address the specific research studies and case reports that relate caffeine to psychiatric symptoms. Caffeine can cause anxiety symptoms in normal individuals, especially in vulnerable patients, like those with pre-existing anxiety disorders. Caffeine use is also associated with symptoms of depression due to either a self-medication theory, or a theory that caffeine itself causes changes in mood. Psychosis can be induced in normal individuals ingesting caffeine at toxic doses, and psychotic symptoms can also be worsened in schizophrenic patients using caffeine. Sleep and symptoms of ADHD may be altered by caffeine as well. Prevention of caffeine-induced psychiatric symptoms is possible by recognizing, educating, and treating patients using a tapering approach.

This goes for all adeneosine blockers (the mechanism that is pro-psychotic) including caffeine such as cocoa and tea in large enough amounts.

-evian

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I consistently consume more than 1 g of caffeine a day via soda, coffee, and energy drinks. I can attest to this that it makes my symptoms worse. I’m my own worst enemy.

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Caffeine raises dopamine levels. If taken in moderate amounts it can help with focus. High amounts will definitely increase chances of psychosis

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I love coffee.

15151515

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I once drank a 20 ounce Mountain Dew energy soda to see if the voices would sound like chipmunks. They didn’t but the psychosis was worse and I didn’t sleep for a while. I was in my 20’s when I did a lot of stupid things. I also would jump down a flight of stairs to the concrete below which was fine at the time but when I later developed arthritis and other problems in my feet and ankles I realized how stupid that was. Most people are not the most brilliant at that age and I wasn’t an exception.

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that would explain all the positives from my last episode. I was throwing back a pot or two of coffee a day

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Thank you for posting this. I have noticed these effects, which is who I limit myself to one caffeinated beverage per day.

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Well it is a stimulant so it would be activating.

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I know it’s been a while but thanks for the feedback guys. I’ll continue searching into other suspicious reactions such as to heavy sugar drinks such as soda.

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Yea I can’t drink coffee it makes it hard for me

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Drs allow me a choice of a small coffe black tea or reg mug of green. Guess it’s called that little thing anxiety😜

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Just another good reason why I drink 100% decaffeinated coffee.

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Oh, good thing I bought decaf tea. I’ve been meaning to try to quit caffeine again, and this just gave me a reason to quit the quad shot lattes and copious amounts of soda.

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This is interesting because during my 1st psychotic episode, I was drinking strong black coffee with chocolate syrup (dark) from a french press, every day, while smoking weed, also every day. And I thought I had my stress under control, but after awhile of drinking coffee, I started to get paranoid when I smoked weed. It wasn’t that bad, but the one day I decided to not have any coffee was when it was the worst and when it caused my worst episode ever, complete with blacking out, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, mania, and elevated sex drive. I mean the trailer for the remake of The Evil Dead was turning me on.

But yeah I have not had caffeine in a long time.

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Everything in moderation :slight_smile:

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I’ve been a heavy coffee drinker since I was a kid… Time to try and quit I think.

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Actually has caffeine in it…trickery behind labels

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It’s reduced caffeine if I am correct?

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I quit coffee about 2 weeks ago as I was starting to get anxious in the evening time.

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I really need my coffee and nicotine otherwise I become depressed