Posted by Ilene on February 27, 2004, at 11:06:22
In reply to BP IIs or Is - does going off caffeine help?, posted by sjb on February 25, 2004, at 11:56:42
> Has anyone tried going off caffeine to help manage BP?
>
> PS - I scoffed at BPII diagnosis for a long time, thought it was over-prescribed, but latest PDoc got me thinking I do indeed have some mood disorder. Just started Lamictal again (tried it for 2 weeks a couple of years ago, didn't like it - headachey and lethargic). She really wants me to stick with it for at least 6 weeks until we get up to 150mg. I'm kinda scared, I don't have the most patience in the world.I don't have a formal BP diagnosis--I look like a unipolar depressive but there are hints in my personal and family history of a bipolar spectrum disorder. I also have GAD and have poorly understood (but mild) autonomic problems. My pdoc said to me just today that she was going to start treating me as if I have BP because ADs are just not cutting it.
It's certainly not going to hurt if you stop drinking coffee. You can run the experiment on yourself. I just think caffeine's gotten a bad rap.
I drank coffee for decades until about a year ago, when I was unusually stressed and anxious. Then it started making me jittery and dysphoric. However, when it doesn't do that it makes me feel better. I've been gradually tapering up my caffeine intake. I think it helps. Since I take Klonopin fairly regularly I can counteract the jitters.
Lamictal didn't do anything for me, but it's actually a fairly safe drug. The Rash is *rare*, and apparently shows up gradually.
I.
poster:Ilene
thread:317527
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040223/msgs/318218.html