Serious(ly Stupid) Question

[bjorn_skurj]

Well, you know those silly kids and their meth.

[hollow]

Well, you know those silly kids and their meth.

Maybe they should just switch to coffee

[ikol]

Just curious, those of you who started drinking coffee at an insanely young age - how tall are you? People always say that coffee will stunt a kid's growth, so... did it?

 

I started drinking coffee when I was about 5, and I'm 5'9 (and a half!).

[austrya]

My 9 year old drinks coffee.

 

Jason had a problem with the tachardia thing and went to the doctor for it. The doctor said to cut back on caffiene and when he did, that helped.

[Edie]

I think I am most surprised how many of you started drinking coffee so young. I didn't drink it until I was 20.

 

Now, I did have black tea when I was 4 -- very weak -- and drank it occasionally through high school. The panic disorder stuff didn't hit until my late 20s, but it wasn't until later that it got paralyzing and I gave up everything. I was then diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse since it felt to me that my heart was beating so fast and seemingly irregularly, but like Bjorn I wore a heart monitor when it seemed really bad to me.... and it was normal. That REALLY freaked me out, but at least I knew I wasn't dying.

 

So SpeedRacer, like lystratajen said, go see your doctor and rule out the bad stuff, then figure out your (changing) relationship with caffeine.

[Guest Speed Racer]

A doctor's visit is definitely my first priority for after the holidays. With college, and living in three states in four years, I had been reluctant to start seeing a physician I wouldn't see again. The heart thing has been a constant for a little too long to ignore anymore, but I'm still getting out of the habit of ignoring warning signs in my body.

 

No, caffeine and I definitely need to start seeing other people. I'm still curious if others experience increased sensitivity in the winter months, though.

[quarter23cd]

I experienced the same thing. If I'm having an anxiety/panic flare-up, caffeine's effects are definitely intensified. When all's well in my life, I drink crazy amounts of coffee and tea, and maybe the occasional Coke. But as soon as I start getting stressed, I cut back.

Yup. I gave up pretty much all caffeine for a few years as I was working through some anxiety/panic issues--it definitely seemed as if I had become hypersensitive to the caffeine and it would just send me over the edge. Over time, I gradually introduced regular coffee back into my routine and it has gotten to the point, unfortunately, where I'm back to drinking way more than I probably should be. (no doubt a direct result of having an infant at home)

 

I go through highs and lows--there are times the caffeine doesn't seem to adversely affect me, but when my body is run down in any way I still get the anxiety flare-ups if I drink too much. (just had that happen this morning, actually)

[Mr. Kinsley]

Yup. I gave up pretty much all caffeine for a few years...

 

Which makes your holiday avatar somewhat ironic.

[Guest Jules]

Speed Racer: if you're having an irregular heartbeat, you should really see your doctor. Really soon, ok?!

What she said.

I was then diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse since it felt to me that my heart was beating so fast and seemingly irregularly, but like Bjorn I wore a heart monitor when it seemed really bad to me.... and it was normal. That REALLY freaked me out, but at least I knew I wasn't dying.

Edie, I just went through this same thing this summer. Years of the anxiety/panic thing with and without medication -> heart palpitations/racing->heart monitor & misc testing -> mitral valve prolapse diagnosis. I have read some articles regarding a possible link between mitral valve prolapse and anxiety/panic disoders. It's kind of a "which came first" thing. Do you know anything about this?

 

Sorry if I am hijacking.

[jenbobblehead]

i also have MVP and have been told the same thing. I come from a family of valve prolapses and anxiety disorder.

[Guest Speed Racer]

What she said.

 

Edie, I just went through this same thing this summer. Years of the anxiety/panic thing with and without medication -> heart palpitations/racing->heart monitor & misc testing -> mitral valve prolapse diagnosis. I have read some articles regarding a possible link between mitral valve prolapse and anxiety/panic disoders. It's kind of a "which came first" thing. Do you know anything about this?

 

Sorry if I am hijacking.

 

Not hijacking at all. I'm interested in the 'which came first' dilemma myself, particularly regarding my relationship with anxiety and caffeine myself.

 

Yesterday I was able to hold off on caffeine but for a half cup of coffee (because a donut without coffee is just sin, and so is refusing a donut when someone offers), and a Diet Dr. Pepper because, well, I wanted one.

[jenbobblehead]

Not hijacking at all. I'm interested in the 'which came first' dilemma myself, particularly regarding my relationship with anxiety and caffeine myself.

 

Yesterday I was able to hold off on caffeine but for a half cup of coffee (because a donut without coffee is just sin, and so is refusing a donut when someone offers), and a Diet Dr. Pepper because, well, I wanted one.

And how did you feel? Btw, i think i drank your allotted amount. I had four cups of tea (one in the afternoon) and two cokes and i was jittery and a little anxious feeling all night long.

[Guest Speed Racer]

And how did you feel? Btw, i think i drank your allotted amount. I had four cups of tea (one in the afternoon) and two cokes and i was jittery and a little anxious feeling all night long.

 

I felt great. I think Sunday/quitting coffee at 11am for the day allowed me to get more of it out of my system so that Monday wasn't such a shock. I was a bit lethargic, but that's more than likely because I did exactly 5 minutes of work yesterday - by availability of work to do, not by election

 

I'm still wondering how my caffeine intake escalated the way it did. At school, no one ever saw me without my travel mug, and it was never empty...I don't remember when that started, though...

[Edie]

What she said.

 

Edie, I just went through this same thing this summer. Years of the anxiety/panic thing with and without medication -> heart palpitations/racing->heart monitor & misc testing -> mitral valve prolapse diagnosis. I have read some articles regarding a possible link between mitral valve prolapse and anxiety/panic disoders. It's kind of a "which came first" thing. Do you know anything about this?

 

I haven't -- my MVP symptoms have lessened considerably over the last few years. I think my last full-on panic attack was when I was pregnant nearly 10 years ago now. What I saw initially was the following, all about the same time

 

minimum caffeine intake

much less alcohol -- I went from 2-3 drinks a night to 2-3 drinks a month almost overnight, and didn't drink at all for more than a year when pregnant and just after

giant increase in panic attacks/depression

worsening of MVP symptoms

 

So I definitely felt the same correlation, but interestingly it felt more tied to the alcohol decrease. My shrink who was also a pharmacologist, was very interested in that. Anyway, during that whole bad time of 2-3 years I drank no caffeine at all.

[Guest Jules]

I haven't -- my MVP symptoms have lessened considerably over the last few years. I think my last full-on panic attack was when I was pregnant nearly 10 years ago now. What I saw initially was the following, all about the same time

 

minimum caffeine intake

much less alcohol -- I went from 2-3 drinks a night to 2-3 drinks a month almost overnight, and didn't drink at all for more than a year when pregnant and just after

giant increase in panic attacks/depression

worsening of MVP symptoms

 

So I definitely felt the same correlation, but interestingly it felt more tied to the alcohol decrease. My shrink who was also a pharmacologist, was very interested in that. Anyway, during that whole bad time of 2-3 years I drank no caffeine at all.

 

Thanks for the reply Edie. I have also cut back on the caffeine (I do half decalf, half regular in the same pot) as well as the alcohol and it has helped. Of course, good old exercise has probably helped the most.

[Edie]

No problem.

 

Interestingly, I have no issue with discussing all this on a message board, whereas someone would need to stick needles in my eyes before I would 'fess up to my boss or any of my co-workers that I suffer(ed) from these things.

[bjorn_skurj]

Magic words for today's world: "I have a disability, and I am requesting an accommodation."

[Guest Jules]

Interestingly, I have no issue with discussing all this on a message board, whereas someone would need to stick needles in my eyes before I would 'fess up to my boss or any of my co-workers that I suffer(ed) from these things.

I am the same way. I haven't even shared these things with most of my family.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Today I ended up having about 4 cups of coffee, and was jumping out of my skin by 4pm. I know I get more agitated in the winter (kind of the opposite of seasonal affective disorder, I guess - I get super revved/can't concentrate/jump a mile when the phone rings), and so I think that my first winter 'clean' of everything else means that since nothing else is adding to/countering the caffeine, I get it in its full, adverse glory.

 

So, chamomile it is!