Coffee and Bipolar

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-14-2005
Coffee and Bipolar
5
Wed, 07-12-2006 - 3:05pm
Okay y'all, so here's the question. Does coffee with lots of sugar have a pretty big effect on us? Because I've been pretty depressed both mornings but then had an iced coffee with lunch and I always feel SO much better!! So what do you think? Is it just a coincedence?
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2006
Wed, 07-12-2006 - 3:33pm

I think it depends on who you ask personally. Caffeine affects everyone in different ways. I, for example, can drink a pot of coffee, a couple of sodas and not feel any different. I can drink this one "energy" drink called Vault which really gets my dd going but doesn't phase me in the least. In fact, I can usually lay down and take a nap afterwards.


However, not everyone is like me. Plus, I've learned that thanks to the lithium I was on, my thyroid is out of wack anyway so that could be a contributing cause.


Many doctors believe that caffeine has a huge effect on bipolars because of the meds involved and the general brain chemistry of the disorder. So, I suppose my bottom line answer would be to talk to your pdoc. It sounds like it could be having an effect, but you really should talk to your doc about it. I don't think anything serious could happen, but you want to get to and/or keep the stability going.


Hang in there and keep us posted:) Good luck.


Hugs,
Traci

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2002
Wed, 07-12-2006 - 3:40pm

I often feel better after coffee, too. I know, they tell bipolars to give up caffeine, but I'm not about to! I think it is a fairly harmless substance, and if it makes me feel better, why not.

Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"

Avatar for firstglimpse
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Wed, 07-12-2006 - 6:38pm

Heehee, we talked about this at my H's last pdoc appt. He said the concern is mostly with it disrupting sleep and food. If you keep your diet up & you're still able to sleep the correct amount of hrs then it doesn't much matter.

My H told him the same thing, it makes him feel better. The first the pdoc asked, how does that effect your sleep? H said it doesn't b/c of the Seroquel. His next question was if it happened to be a good lift if he hadn't eaten in a few hours - yip, sounds like that was it.

So try eating a little food when coffee seems to be pulling you out of a depression. It's probably the caffiene plus in your coffe the sugar fixing the sugar low from lack of food.

Bonnie




"Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick."

~ Lao-Tzu, from The Tao Te Cheng
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-23-2004
Thu, 07-13-2006 - 6:45pm

I *love* my morning latte (with lots of sugar). That being said, I do much better when I abstain from caffeine (and sugar for that matter). Someone else said its a problem when it disturbs your sleep and I think that's the case for me. I'm very sensitive to any type of sleep disruption and it happens even with a little caffeine in the morning.

Morgaine

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-30-2004
Fri, 07-14-2006 - 1:14am

Traci wrote "I, for example, can drink a pot of coffee, a couple of sodas and not feel any different. I can drink this one "energy" drink called Vault which really gets my dd going but doesn't phase me in the least. In fact, I can usually lay down and take a nap afterwards. "

I am the same way.