QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I was looking for interactions with Paxil and came across your Website. I read somewhere that people taking Paxil medication should not ingest caffeine or even green tea or other caffeinated tea because it interferes with Paxil’s effectiveness. Do you know if this is true?
Thanks for all your time and effort!!!!
ANSWER:
Many individuals with the generalized anxiety disorder have a tough time with Paxil. They also have a difficult time with other SSRI’s like Prozac and Zoloft, and with stimulants such as Ritalin and caffeine.
It’s more of an individual issue. Abruptly quitting coffee intake can cause headaches, fatigue, memory problems, and confusion. Many people comment – “I’m useless until I’ve had my first cup of coffee” – which I believe explains this concept well. I don’t recommend avoiding caffeine – but I’d be careful to avoid high doses. One to two cups of coffee per day are plenty. Green tea and soft drinks such as cola and “Mountain Dew” have lots of caffeine.