Posted by Rick on November 29, 1999, at 15:19:45
In reply to Social Phobia: Caffeine and/or Sugar and/or BP, posted by Rick on November 29, 1999, at 15:17:33
Last sentence should have included BP, too. Uh oh, the patrons are getting rowdy...
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> As I mentioned in another post, I've been on vacation (no place exciting)about five days, and suddenly the daily 1.5 mg of Klonopin isn't doing the usual "wonders" for my Social Phobia. I seem to need more like the 2.0-3.0 I used to take before it became clear that the extra gram was hurting rather than helping.
>
> This doesn't make sense to me. I don't feel like I'm in an uncomfortable situation. Heck, giving a presentation to 100 people back home was a "snap" with less medication than this, but at the moment just a simple phone call to the hotel front desk can have my voice trembling, especially if someone else might be eavesdropping.
>
> The only real difference seems to be that, after relegating my bad eating habits to weekends-only about eight months ago, I'm really "pigging-out and caffeining-out" for a more extended period of time, plus staying up later and getting up later. And, while I have no general anxiety (indeed, I'm enjoying the "debauchery"(!)) it all seems to make me "edgier", and my blood pressure is up a bit.
>
> Do any other Social Phobics (or Panic sufferers, for that matter)find that increased caffeine and/or sugar worsen their condition or cause them to need extra medication to stay calm in the face of traditionally (and irrationally) "threatening" stimuli? Same questions for blood pressure. Indeed, there's a Medline abstract
> in which the authors found that subjects with higher blood pressure or heart rate showed poorer outcome from Social Phobia treatment.
>
> One other thought... I've started experimenting with BuSpar again, although by NOOOO means am I giving up my Klonopin (or Pindolol). I almost think BuSpar makes me jittery in normal doses. So I wonder if this is a counter-productive move? (I'm taking 30 mg now; when I used it before without problem, I was only taking 15. Some studies so BuSpar and Pindolol combined have a strong anti-depressant effect, but I'm not depressed).
>
> Sorry for the dis-organized rambler (I'm at a public library and patrons are waiting for this pc), but I'd appreciate any thoughts on possible effects of too much caffeine &/or sugar &/or BuSpar would be welcomed.
>
> Rick
poster:Rick
thread:15930
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991123/msgs/15931.html