How to treat caffeine-related anxiety

Brian Byrne, a tour manager in Los Angeles, was drinking a cold drink a few years ago when he started feeling mild. Soon, his symptoms worsened: shallow breathing, a feeling of emptiness in his chest, and a fast, pounding heartbeat. He went outside to get some air. “At that moment, I was having racing thoughts, feeling like I was having a heart attack,” he said.

This was not the first time Mr Byrne had experienced a caffeine-induced panic attack, but it was the most intense. “Drinking that coffee felt like I poured gasoline on a fire that was already burning,” he said. For the next year, he didn’t touch the stuff and didn’t have another serious episode.

Many people can relate to the anxiety of Mr. Byrne on caffeine. While researchers can’t definitively say that caffeine makes you anxious, it is linked to an increased risk of anxiety in people with and without psychiatric diagnoses.

Why caffeine can make you nervous

Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the sympathetic nervous system – the part of the body responsible for your fight response. When it’s activated, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure rises, your muscles tense up, and you may start to sweat.

But caffeine isn’t the only thing that wakes up the nervous system. Any adrenaline-pumping activity—like exercising or riding a roller coaster—can stimulate a response.

When you’re working or on a trip, those sensations are no surprise. But the inconsistency of sitting still at your desk while your heart is racing, as you might if you’ve just had a little caffeine, can cause some people to experience that arousal as anxiety, said Joseph Trunzo, an associate director of the School of Health. and Behavioral Sciences at Bryant University. Furthermore, if you unconsciously label these symptoms as anxiety, you can amplify the effect.

Other factors may also come into play. Caffeine works against the brain chemical adenosine, which slows the heart rate and promotes sleepiness and relaxation. “When we eat caffeine and it blocks those receptors, adenosine can’t do its job,” said Dr. Trunzo. Some scientists have speculated that blocking adenosine receptors may contribute to increased anxiety.

Caffeine can also disrupt sleep, especially deep sleep, which helps keep anxiety at bay, Dr. Sheenie Ambardar, a doctor specializing in adult psychiatry in Beverly Hills, California. it can make you toss and turn, reducing the time you spend in deep sleep. Even small disruptions in your sleep can increase anxiety levels the next day.

Caffeine affects everyone differently. If even a small amount of caffeine makes you jittery, you may have a certain genetic variant that affects how you metabolize caffeine, said Lina Begdache, a nutritionist and associate professor of health and wellness studies at Washington State University. New York in Binghamton. In this case, you will process the caffeine more slowly, so it stays in the system longer and accumulates, potentially causing a more pronounced effect.

Managing anxiety in the moment

There’s no way to quickly flush caffeine out of your system, but you can take steps to manage anxiety if it strikes. Exercise can help distract you and reduce short-term symptoms.

You can also take a less physical approach: Sit and accept the sensations, rather than trying to fight them, said Avigail Lev, a licensed clinical psychologist in San Francisco. She suggests asking yourself questions like: Where in my body do I feel this most intensely? Is there a size or color? When you realize that you can live with the feelings and are not in danger, they become much less debilitating.

Change your relationship with caffeine

If you think your morning latte is making your heart race and your palms sweat, there are ways to gauge your intake.

Keep a log.

“I always encourage my patients to collect data,” said Dr. Ambardar, who suggested writing down how much caffeine you drink and how you feel for a month. Note your sources of caffeine and how much they contain. The Food and Drug Administration has cited 400 milligrams a day — about four or five cups of coffee — as a safe amount for adults. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends limiting caffeine intake to 200 milligrams for pregnant women.

Consider tapering.

“The best way to find out what role the substance plays in your life is to stop using it and see what happens,” said Dr. Trunzo.

A few years ago, Dr. Ambardar had a patient who was dealing with severe anxiety. He had a high-pressure job and drank caffeine all the time. Over several weeks, he reduced his intake and felt much calmer. “He was really surprised and said, if he had known that was the cause, he would have cut it a lot sooner,” she recalls.

You also don’t need to go cold turkey. Instead, cut back slowly. If you drink four cups of coffee a day, “start very little, like three and a half cups of coffee, then half a cup of decaf,” said Dr. Ambardar. After two weeks, you can drop to three glasses and continue that pattern.

Make other lifestyle changes.

When you reduce your overall anxiety, you’ll be less susceptible to the effects of caffeine, said Dr. Begdache. During the year that Mr. Byrne, the tour manager, gave up coffee, started therapy and daily exercise. He has now added caffeine in moderation.

You can also take steps to improve your energy so you’re less dependent on caffeine, said Dr. Begdache. “It’s really a combination of factors that help you feel more energetic,” she explained. So prioritize sleep and exercise, staying hydrated and eating healthy. With these changes, you may find that your latte is a pleasant boost instead of a source of anxiety.