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Caffeine
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
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Foxnhound8
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:34 am
Caffeine
How do most of you handle caffeine? Should my morning coffee be one of the first things to get out of my diet?
Hi Foxhound and 
I seem to be able to tolerate caffeine without problem, but we are all different, of course. One of our members who just had MRT food testing found that caffeine was one of her no-no items. If you think it is a problem, you might eliminate it for a while and then add it back in to see what happens. But, be sure to taper off - it is notorious for causing withdrawal symptoms. Good luck!
Hugs,
Polly
I seem to be able to tolerate caffeine without problem, but we are all different, of course. One of our members who just had MRT food testing found that caffeine was one of her no-no items. If you think it is a problem, you might eliminate it for a while and then add it back in to see what happens. But, be sure to taper off - it is notorious for causing withdrawal symptoms. Good luck!
Hugs,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
It was recommended by my GI that I take caffenine out of my diet when I was diagnosed over 5 years ago. My DH has alway drank decaffenated stuff so I slowly incorporated decaf coffee into my life. I can't really tell you if I saw any improvement. I do know that if I drink caffenated stuff now I get really shakey. If you do decide to do this, go slowly. I started with 25% decaf and 75% caf for about a week then 50/50, etc.
Good luck in finding what works for you. This is truly a learning experience.
Jan
Good luck in finding what works for you. This is truly a learning experience.
Jan
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. - Saint Francis of Assisi
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MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
I use an energy drink with caffeine from guarana beans. It seems to be a milder form of caffeine, and I tolerate it well. I never liked coffee, and I no longer drink tea or sodas because the caffeine in them really knocks me for a loop, but they don't bother my gut.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Hi Fox,
Removal of caffeine from the diet is often recommended for UC and Chrohns. No idea if it works for that. With MC, we find that removing caffeine rarely has an impact on D. If you were Ok with coffee before, you will still be OK with, if you weren't really good with it before, then it will continue to be an issue.
I gave it up many years ago as just one cup keeps me hyper for waaay too long. Even too much chocolate can be enough caffeine to interfere with my sleep.
It is now amusing to watch these people who are chemically addicted to the stuff and must have their regular fix. I occassionally stir people at work when they need to go and 'feed their legal addiction'. They don't like it when I sympathise with them for what a hard life they must have with it ruled by an addiction. Sometimes after I do that to them a few times they will one day ask what I am drinking, and actually try something new.
Lyn
Removal of caffeine from the diet is often recommended for UC and Chrohns. No idea if it works for that. With MC, we find that removing caffeine rarely has an impact on D. If you were Ok with coffee before, you will still be OK with, if you weren't really good with it before, then it will continue to be an issue.
I gave it up many years ago as just one cup keeps me hyper for waaay too long. Even too much chocolate can be enough caffeine to interfere with my sleep.
It is now amusing to watch these people who are chemically addicted to the stuff and must have their regular fix. I occassionally stir people at work when they need to go and 'feed their legal addiction'. They don't like it when I sympathise with them for what a hard life they must have with it ruled by an addiction. Sometimes after I do that to them a few times they will one day ask what I am drinking, and actually try something new.
Lyn
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MBombardier
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 10:44 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Kudos, Lyn! 
The Pacific Northwest is sort of the coffee capital of the US, and there is a saying here that even the homeless have their favorite coffee drink. There are four different coffee shops within half a mile of my house, and that doesn't count the little stands in the parking lots. When my son went to college in Florida, it was real culture shock to be told that the nearest Starbucks was a couple of hours away in Orlando. It's sort of a fashion here, to be always carrying around a coffee cup, and when I flew home from Dallas a couple of weeks ago, I could have recognized the Portland airport by the smell...coffee.
Okay, yes, I am ranting.
But it's hard to watch my husband sit on the couch trying to wake up, and to hear him talk about how tired he is when I know that if he drank less coffee he would not be so tired. 
And to have my son visit and be a bear because of his headache until he goes to the coffee shop and gets his morning fix.
The Pacific Northwest is sort of the coffee capital of the US, and there is a saying here that even the homeless have their favorite coffee drink. There are four different coffee shops within half a mile of my house, and that doesn't count the little stands in the parking lots. When my son went to college in Florida, it was real culture shock to be told that the nearest Starbucks was a couple of hours away in Orlando. It's sort of a fashion here, to be always carrying around a coffee cup, and when I flew home from Dallas a couple of weeks ago, I could have recognized the Portland airport by the smell...coffee. Okay, yes, I am ranting.
But it's hard to watch my husband sit on the couch trying to wake up, and to hear him talk about how tired he is when I know that if he drank less coffee he would not be so tired. And to have my son visit and be a bear because of his headache until he goes to the coffee shop and gets his morning fix.Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
I have the following problem with coffee ( and alcohol): while I have no intollerance symptoms of any sort, I get intestinal pain, because coffee ( and alcohol) is an irritant to the gut. Since my LC has not been typical - i.e. no persistent D, but abdominal pain as main symptom, I start thinking, that the inflammation of the colon in my case must have been particularly strong ( I rationalize, that an explosive D shortens greatly the time of exposure of the colon to offending foods, and therefore avoids extreme levels of inflammation). So an hour or so after drinking an espresso, I get some burning type of intestinal pain, which lasts a few hours.
I believe you're correct - the purpose of diarrhea is to purge the system, and get the problem out of there, ASAP.Marek wrote:I rationalize, that an explosive D shortens greatly the time of exposure of the colon to offending foods
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.