To The Edge of Too Much Caffeine?

About the Edge of Excessive Caffeine?

My inspiration for scripting this article is in response to the various incidents inside my clinical practice treating people with anxiety disorders and under-diagnosed caffeine intoxication. Every time a new client reports high anxiety it tends to go much the same way: The customer enters session complaining of anxiety and panic symptoms with plenty reports of anxiety attacks and follow-up visits together with the psychiatrist, pleading for anti-anxiolytic medications. Many individuals havenrrrt heard of the physiological consequences of consuming a lot of caffeine, and exactly how they’re commonly confused with panic symptoms. Restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, muscle twitching, rambling flow of speech, increased heartrate and psychomotor agitation among others. They’re just like panic-like symptoms (Association, 2013).

Caffeine helps you awaken since it stimulates various parts of one’s body. When consumed, zinc heightens the neurotransmitters norepinephrine in the brain, causing increased levels making it be alert and awake. Caffeine produces the same physiological response that you were stressed. This brings about increased numbers of activity inside the sympathetic neurological system and releases adrenaline. The identical response you can find on the stressful commute to be effective, or going to a snake slither through the path on the hiking trip. Caffeine consumption also minimizes the quantity of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) within the body. Thiamine is a known anti-stress vitamin (Bourne, 2000).

While offering this article one morning I observed the fishing line inside my local coffeehouse. The long line wrapped throughout the store jammed with individuals trying to wake up, in need of their daily caffeine fix. Many ordered large-sized coffee cups, a few of which included caffeine turbo shots to help them survive their mornings. Now how can we know when we’ve had an excessive amount of caffeine? Most assume their daily caffeine intake has little if nothing to employ their daily emotional health.

Let’s talk about the number of milligrams come in a regular average sized 8 oz cup of joe:

Instant coffee = 66 mg
Percolated coffee = 110 mg
Coffee, drip = 146 mg
Decaffeinated coffee = about 4 mg

Caffeine are located in many different sources besides coffee. The normal cup of joe with respect to the color and the length of time steeped contains roughly under 40 mg of caffeine per serving (Bourne, 2000).

Many popular soda drinks also contain caffeine:

Cola = 65 mg
Dr. Pepper = 61 mg
Mountain Dew = 55 mg
Diet Dr. Pepper = 54 mg
Diet Cola = 49 mg
Pepsi-Cola = 43 mg

Even cocoa has about 13 mg of caffeine per serving (Bourne, 2000). Energy drinks have high caffeine levels and will be monitored as well. To find out your total level of caffeine multiple the number of consumed caffeinated beverages by the indicated average caffeine levels as listed above. Understand that one cup equals 8 oz. Even though you’re consuming one large cup doesn’t mean it simply counts as you serving!

According the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) Caffeine Intoxication is often a diagnosable mental health condition. Many of the clients I treat for various anxiety-related disorders concurrently fall under the caffeine intoxication category. They eagerly seek psychiatric medication to lessen anxiety symptoms without first being assessed for lifestyle and daily stimulant consumption. The DSM-V’s criteria for caffeine intoxication is described as anybody that consumes over 250 mg of caffeine every day (compare your average caffeine level to 250 mg to gauge the volume of caffeine you consume daily) (Association, 2013). After just two glasses of drip coffee you already met the criteria for caffeine intoxication! It’s recommended that people without anxiety problems consume lower than 100 mg of caffeine each day. For people with anxiety troubles you need to have 0 mg of caffeine per day so your anxiety arousal system isn’t triggered by anxiety-induced substances.

Almost all of the clients who report being affected by panic attacks recall marriage ceremony that they had panic or anxiety attack which they usually consumed an additional caffeinated beverage, in comparison to the days without panic and anxiety attacks. Once a client is assessed for caffeine intoxication one of the primary steps I take is to produce a behavioral plan to assist the client reduce their daily caffeine. Virtually all my clients tell me that whenever having cut down on their caffeine they almost immediately feel good and less anxious. Once the client is as a result of 0 mg happens when I can finally ascertain whether or not the anxiety symptoms are linked to anxiety, caffeine intoxication, or both.

Should you met the criteria for caffeine intoxication there are numerous ways you can decrease your caffeine levels. High doses (particularly those inside the caffeine intoxication zone over 250 mg) are greatly prone to caffeine withdrawal symptoms including headache, fatigue, depressed or irritable mood, difficulty concentrating and muscle stiffness (Association, 2013). It’s recommended to slowly eliminate your caffeine intake to reduce withdrawal symptoms. For best results try reducing by one caffeinated beverage monthly (Bourne, 2000). For instance should you consume five glasses of coffee a day try lowering to four cups every day for a month, then as a result of three cups every day for one more month and continue before you are in least under 100 mg or even 0 mg.

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