Caffeine Allergy Facts

Caffeine Allergy Information

Caffeine Allergy Information in Answers

Caffeine allergy? Is there a way to diagnose an allergy to caffeine? Everything that I have found on the internet says that caffeine masks its own allergic reaction because of all of the different chemical properties it has-i.e. it causes the release of adrenaline, one of its byproducts prevents the swelling and closing of the throat. I have been to several doctors to try to figure out what is going on with me but they are stumped. I've ingested huge amounts of caffeine on a daily basis for about 4 years and have been having health problems for about the last 2 and they have drastically worsened over the last 2 months. My doctor thought that it was a sugar intolerance and sent me to an endocrinologist who seems to think that I am crazy and that I have no blood sugar problem. The main source of my sugar was soda and now I have switched to diet soda with no change in what is going on. I came across a website talking about caffeine allergy last night. I'm wondering if this may be the problem. I think I'm going to try a challenge test but I am very, very addicted to caffeine so I don't know how the withdrawal symptoms will affect what happens.

helena d replied: "The best suggestion is to stop the caffeine..... Ask your doctor to give you a pre ion for Prednisone. This drug will help with the with drawl symptoms from the caffeine. (Be careful of your carbs though, you can gain ALOT of weight while on this drug 10 pounds!!) Then, don't go back to the caffeine. It isn't good for you, and your having problems from it. See what happens after a month. Then try a cup of Joe, and see the effects...Good luck"

noname replied: "Doctors don't know everything. A caffeine allergy sounds a bit unlikely. Sometimes tests come up negative but there is a problem anyway. You can cut back on the caffeine, but, you see, caffeine can cause you problems if you have a sugar intolerance. Here's how you can tell if it is caffeine or a carbohydrate intolerance/insulin overreaction--other things will cause the same reactions such as foods containing a lot of carbohydrates or sugars. Or even things you can't explain. It is very hard to prove even on a glucose tolerance test, so don't put too much weight on the doctor's dimissal of the sugar problem. Most doctors don't know much about the condition, if indeed you have it. And here's a tip--I was a caffeine addict also, but I managed to still have my caffeine by switching to sugar-free latte. Moreover, at times, I make my own drip coffee with low-carb milk and at the strength that I can tolerate. Look at these websites to see if they sound like you: Good luck; it's not an easy thing to deal with, whatever it turns out to be. My only other advice would be to pray. Helps more than you know!"

marina3029 replied: "I know a child who has an allergic reaction to caffeine. Her heart races to the point of needing to be hospitalized. Near heart attack situation. While the docs might not think you have a caffeine allergy, are you getting any answers? Self-diagnosis is always a risky thing - what you need are answers."

What are the symptoms of caffeine allergy? Is it possible that you can get red eyes, dark circles under your eyes, constant ear popping and pain in the back of your head by drinking too much coffee and soda? I drink 2 medium lattes and 2 sodas a day usually.

B-mo replied: "I am not sure that you will find a clear answer to this question, but I used to drink a lot of coffee and soda (diet) and I had similarly symptoms, I also felt really crappy overall. Now I drink 1 cup of coffee/day and that is it. There is also a slight possibility that you are reacting to the milk or soy in your lattes. My sister gets ear infections if she consumes a lot of milk products, my brother gets them if he consumes soy! Yikes! Anyway, try cutting down and switching things out and see what happens!"

huggz replied: "The only way to know for sure it to cut out the caffeine for at least a week and see how the symptoms respond. Go for decaff coffee and caffeine free soda. Caffeine is a neurotoxin (damages the nerves in large doses) so the pain in the head is a definite possibility for allergy to caffeine."

Did I suddenly develop an allergy to caffeine? Last school year I drank about 2 cups of coffee every morning and it got to the point where I couldn't function without it. I gave it up this summer, and now that school has started again I have a cup here or there, but not too often. When I do, I've found I get really dizzy and feel sick to my stomach. Today I had a diet pepsi and felt the same way. I can drink green tea with no problem. Did an allergy to caffeine develop or is this just a series of randomly related events?

annziemarie replied: "I don't think it's an allergy, but probably a reaction to the caffeine since you're not used to it anymore."

Alucarda replied: "It might be a series of randomly related events, but in no case allergy. More like intolerance. The difference between the two is that you can still consume caffeine-containing products in small amounts if you have an intolerance to it, and it wont make you have the symptoms you mentioned, however, with allergies, even a very little amount causes symptoms and can be possibly dangerous (or even lethal, depending on what allergic reactions you get). So I say you might have gotten an intolerance, but check with your doctor just to make sure."

*Sunhoney* replied: "i get exactly the same thing (I'm sensitive to too many foods). its because it's very acidic and your stomach has developed a sensitivity to it. i used to be able to have coffee too, but after a while even a small glass would make me queasy/headachey/faint, etc. i guess you just have to avoid it as much as possible or have it on rare occasions when you don't have to do anything important (so you can just lie down if it gets bad) - that's what i do"

Is a caffeine or chocolate/almond allergy possible? I ate some dark chocolate covered almonds, and about 10 minutes later started feeling dizzy, light, nauseous, strange, and just wasn't feeling well. This was about an hour ago and I still kind of feel out of it. Can someone have an allergy to caffeine or chocolate or even almonds? I had them all b efore and only sometimes developed a reaction, not always, so it's weird. What can this be from?

Amy replied: "Yes you can. Chocolate has peanuts/traces of peanuts in it. Peanut allergeries are completly real. There was a boy who I went to school with who was allergic to mangos. You can be allergic to anything. Ask your doctor."

wedgeredleader replied: "maybe your a dog because dogs are allergic to chocolate."

Ecstasy and Caffeine allergy? First off, if you have developed an allergy to caffeine, what can you do to ease the craziness you feel during an attack, will it ever go away? is there any medication one can take to help it. Secondly, if developing an allergy to caffeine will taking E kill you? Or possibly the pills that use caffeine?

DrRob replied: "Rather than asking questions on here, you could just avoid taking both and save yourself the effort of finding ways to circumvent your allergy."

Kat replied: "Ecstasy can kill you, without any help from caffeine. As to caffeine, try not drinking or eating anything with it. Those symptoms would go away quickly."

Connor M replied: "if you feel craziness during an attack im going to guess that youre just very sensitive to it. it doesnt mean its an allergy, although it could be because 1/3 of cigarette smokers are actually allergic to smoke, so it can be hard to tell sometimes. if youve developed an allergy to caffeine the only solution (yes the ONLY solution...pills will not stop an allergy, just prevent its symptoms for the time being) is to avoid caffeine for as long as humanly possible. the more you avoid it, the more antibodies (the things that your body makes in defense of the caffeine that causes the allergy) will die off. but once you take it again there is a good chance you will start to become allergic again, unless you get yourself a nice and strong immune system. to ease craziness...try to drink a lot of water to dilute the caffeine...hot decaf tea would also be good. as far as E is concerned...combining stimulants is just asking for trouble. you might not die, you might not come close, but theres still a very good chance of you having one of the worst jaw-aches in the history of mankind, as well as that little chance that you might start shaking like crazy, foaming at the mouth, and dying from cardiac arrest. which is no fun. just keep your E and your caffeine separated. also, some E pills actually have caffeine in them to boost profit for the sellers. careful."

Any way to fight an allergy to caffeine? I doubt any doctors are on here, but I really hate being allergic to caffeine and wanted to know if theres anything I can try to get my body used to it, so I can actually have it. Thanks, hopefully someone has an idea

Yahoo Sucks! replied: "No . . ."

cavorim replied: "No and why would you want to bother."

marsha replied: "Switch to caffeine free products ."

Jac-x replied: "Sleep whenever you feel tired. Work your life around this. And drink water. Lots of it."

jnsutton87 replied: "I don't want to burst your bubble, but depending on the severity of the allergic reaction, continually exposing your body to the allergen could possibly worsen its' severity. Compare the situation to scratching a scab. You scratch at a scab too long, it will eventually become a permanent scar. Why don't you try ginseng, and other herbs in place of caffeinated beverages."

pennypincher replied: "I have a problem with caffeine also. I cannot even have one cup of regular tea or it will make my heart act up. I don't know of any way to overcome it. Be very cautious with asthma medicine too; theophylline is closely related to caffeine. Some pain pills, like Excedrin, also contain caffeine."

replied: "I've had a problem with caffeine for years. I can't even drink normal tea now - I have to take decaff tea. There is nothing that can be done - just switch to decaff types - they taste okay."

Can a caffeine allergy make you have so much stress, you experience a mental breakdown? cortisol levels go up stress increases flight or fight syndrome can't sleep at night euphoric behavior

charlie baltimore replied: "Holy crap! Can it? I never heard that before, but I know that if you have anxiety it worsens the symptoms. Hmm..."

mysihba replied: "My guess is it's not an allergy. What you describe is that flight or fight syndrome ruinng on high. Not clear if all that happens only after you have caffeine? If your system is already very stressed, dangerously stressed one cup of coffee is too much. Coming from my perspective, having PTSD, adrenal fatigue etc....from non stop high stress for too long"

CC Curious replied: "I don't think it's usually an allergy, but a typical reaction, especially if you do a lot. If you don't do a lot, and have this, your body seems more sensitive to its effects, so it could be the rare or uncommon chance of caffeine allergy. Ever hear of people who cant eat chocolate or have chocolate allergies? Maybe look this up as to why. I took caffeine pills, drank soda, and had chocolates in college. I got to the point where I felt I had to take allergy pills or alcohol to go to sleep at night and start the caffeine rush in the mornings. I did this very often and kept having to increase the amount of caffeine because of lack of sleep and needing to stay awake and be alert to get my studies done because I overdid my course load. I've had it where I had so much that I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I lay down and my heart was pounding. It felt like I was going to die. I also remember when I went to class, ran out of there, because of the nervous breakdown feeling, and I felt really funny, and I went to my counselor's office. I had to be escorted to the nurse's desk, I was so messed up by the time I got to the counselor's office. They checked me out, told me my heart rate was up, and not to take as much caffeine. I did eventually wear myself down and also had a lot of physical pain and sickness probably from the bodily exhaustion, and wound up in the mental hospital with depression. The body can only take so much. A couple years later, when I took a certain caffeine pill, I had diarrhea, incresed heart rate, and feeling really sick in my stomach. These days, I can drink and eat foods and beverages with caffeine, even take a B.C. powder, but maybe that is why I felt funny last night and this morning. P.S. The physical pain I went through and still go through, I relate to pain from my car accidents. Degenerative discs, possible scar tissue, muscle and nerve tissue trauma, especially from the discs rubbing or pinching on me."

Caffeine/Coffee Allergy? I've had puffy eyes for about 2 months now. I saw my PCP when I first noticed the symptoms - he said it was from seasonal allergies, gave me some Optivar drops and they did nothing. I went to my optometrist, who also said it was from allergies - he tried me on different steroid drops and Pataday allergy drops, all with only minor relief. So, I then went to an ophthalmologist, who again said it was from allergies. Finally, I went to an allergist. He told me it wasn't from seasonal allergies!?!?! What the...? So, I've been struggling for the past couple of weeks trying to figure out on my own what it is from as I seriously cannot live like this much longer. I have very puffy eyelids, top and bottom, to the point where I have extra skin folds...not cute! My eyes also burn at times. It's driving me crazy! I thought maybe it was a wheat allergy, so I recently cut out all wheat in my diet. But now I'm thinking it could be a caffeine allergy as I consume a large cup of strong coffee every morning. I also have popping in my left ear and I noticed after I drank my regular cup of coffee this morning that I started feeling very fatigue and achy. Anyone else ever experience puffy eyes from a caffeine/coffee allergy?

Sexyyy_Banana replied: "It could be that, you'll have to explore and figure it out by changing little aspects of your lifestyle. But go back to the Doctor if you like and ask to be swabbed and get some blood tests."

pennypincher replied: "If you go to an allergist and have testing, they can figure it out. I am allergic to coffee, but it gives me diarrhea."

Caffeine allergy or Borderline personality disorder? Well I am very worried about this topic because I know that I must have a caffeine sensitivity as it impairs my speech and tongue movement and drinking cola does it too. Now I have found a web page about people with caffeine allergies being misdiagnosed as having mental health conditions instead. I always have decaf coffee now and I have not felt awful for 3 months now. If I can get a blood test and prove this is it worth telling my Psychiatrist? I have never agreed with this diagnosis of BPD and many other psychiatrists have questioned it too. I am very serious about this as a topic. Is it a myth that caffeine allergies are misdiagnosed as mental health conditions? Please answer this question if you know the bloody answer and don't send more queries about it to me! Get reading online if you can't believe this.

Ryan replied: "I don't see how caffeine allergies can be misdiagnosed as BPD?"

LateRain replied: "I would guess that you would not have been given a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder without some clear symptoms seen by your psychiatrist. I am someone who is also hyper-sensitive to caffeine, but I also have problems with depression and anxiety. I think that caffeine exacerbates my symptoms, but it would be completely false for me to say that if I just stopped using caffeine, all of my emotional issues would be gone. BPD is said to be akin to having no emotional "skin"* . . . what is called "over-sensitivity" to emotional upsets. It is quite often related to trauma. In the past, it was seen as a rather condemning diagnosis, as most practitioners disliked working with these patients. This may have to do with the reasons why some psychiatrists are reluctant to connect you to this diagnosis. I guess my main question would be--do you have any relational and/or mood problems even without caffeine? Did you seek psychiatric help only *after* you started drinking caffeine? My guess is that you probably have some sort of emotional issue (as do many of us!) but that caffeine makes it worse. The label isn't what's important--taking care of yourself and learning coping skills is what matters. just my two (or 87) cents, Rain"

majnun99 replied: "I never heard of a caffeine allergy being misdiagnosed as a mental illness. What do you mean you "have not felt awful?" That could mean you didn't have headaches or nausea. Why couldn't somebody have both caffeine allergy and mental illness? There isn't any rule that says you can't have both."

O replied: "If people understood what a pharse and dumping ground for everything BPD is, they woulld see psychiatry way differently... so YES I believe you, and yes you could be right on.... I think the only way you can prove this to yourself is to have your food and drink sensativities tested... and i am not sure a regular allergist can do this.... if you find one, have them document the heck out of it, because once the others label you... it carries over the rest of your life.... something i think needs changing.... for everyone... it is unfair and prejudicial....to say the least.... If you cant find a reg doc to do this, find a naturopathic doc to do it and the same documenting advice... People dont understand that most if not all mental health issues are often food/drink/ hormonal problems at the core and can be fixed... the psychiatric community have gone off into a different direction, and the money making medss....... So , yes.... and take care... good for you for seeing this... I cant tell you how many people with autoimmune disease like thyroid are missdiagnosed and miss treated for years and years... and never helped or healed..... A free site below for healing, pass it forward, please I think someone has to be older before the myth of medical help is revealed and people start thinking for themselves....."

splash replied: "Allergy or not ,i have bpd and depression and im trying to tye the two together,people with bpd dont generally have impaired speech or tongue movement probs? What about the other caterogies-YOU NEED TO FUFILL to be diagnosed im a little confused? its great the decaf makes you feel better"