Yes, You Can Be Allergic To caffeine.
Some people have asked if people can be allergic to caffeine. I’m no doctor, but yes. Yes, you can be allergic to caffeine. And it’s not something a lot of doctors have known to look for. The effects of caffeine allergy look like some more severe mental disorders.
When you’re suffering from an allergic reaction to caffeine, one or more of the following things can happen: “loss of focus, intellectual deterioration, delusions, loss of judgement, and other symptoms of poisoning.” Because many people don’t properly recognize the caffeine allergy, they continue to ingest it (and why wouldn’t they?), and that can damage the brain and make things worse.
With symptoms like loss of focus and delusions and symptoms of poisoning, it’s no wonder the reaction often goes improperly diagnosed. What is diagnosed? “ADHD, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, OCD, TMJD, PMS, and other conditions.” There are many treatment facilities available such as bipolar treatment centers for addressing specific issues, but get a second opinion to make sure you have received the correct diagnosis.
If your doctor diagnoses you with any of the above, and you ingest a lot of caffeine, make sure he rules that out as a cause before putting you on a lot of drugs.
Source (Note that this is PRWeb, so it’s not a real news story. It’s just a press release from a company trying to sell books).
Update: We’ve taken a look at 192 comments below and published a Top 20 Caffeine Allergy Symptoms article.
236 Comments
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I have suffered anxiety since I was 14 so this year makes it 10 years. I constantly live in fight or flight mode and fear loud noises like trains or trucks driving past the house. I decided to detox and took caffeine out of my diet. I noticed a remarkable difference in my anxiety and finally was at peace. That was until I started taking metabolism booster tablets to loose weight. Although they were “caffiene free” many of the ingredients are caffiene equivilent and sent my anxiety through the roof. I didn’t sleep all night and had the worst panic attacks Ive had in years. Copy cat ingredients which mimmick caffiene are just as bad and have the same effect, so be careful!
I overdosed on caffeine a few months back- took four blackjack energy pills, can of soda, and a frappe- which added up to about 1100 mg of caffeine. I wasn’t smart enough to think it through, and overdosing was my fault. After a while I started getting dizzy, couldn’t focus, a serious pain in my stomach, and could hardly walk. I was shaking constantly where any more could’ve seemed like a seizure. At the hospital I had to wait a few hours -throwing up a lot- while all they gave me were four potassium pills. Since then I became lactose intollerant -I was before but it was hardly noticable- and get sick easily and shake a lot, especially when drinking caffeine. I love coffee and soda, but after reading the information of this site I’m wondering if I’m only damaging my body more. Could overdosing on caffeine cause my body to be more sensitive to other things, even that I’m not aware about yet?
I never had a prob with hives… but this past 2 weeks I have been drinking like 4 cups of coffee or caffeine a day and now i get hives EVERYTIME! I hope it’s not forever! I love coffee! Even though it’s bad for my type O blood … Guess i better follow the book! WAH! Coffee coffee coffee coffee
I believe I might be allergic to caffeine. Everytime I drink significant amounts of it, I feel like I’m about to faint, feels like sudden drop in blood preassure, confusion, sharp abdominal pain, jitter in arms and legs, nausea, etc.
@Victor– That sounds more like caffeine overdose symptoms.
Today I had a Venti Java Chip Frappaccino from Starbucks and I never have starbucks(this was only my 2nd time) and I was laughing hysterically at nothing, and I ended up petting someone’s head I didn’t know. It felt like my head weighed 1000 pounds and it kept falling over. I could barely walk and I had a hallucination that my sister’s boyfriends was in a desert and we were inside a hospital waiting room waiting on my nephew’s surgery to be done. Is it possible that I am allergic to caffeine or am I just really sensitive.
I work as a truck driver. I developed a rash
in my butt crack and thought it due to sweat and
the long hours on the road. The rash would wince
and tiny amounts of blood would also pass through
the skin. My GP just said I should treat it as
eczema and said use HC45, which worked. I was
surprised that he did not consider anything in my
diet when I described the problem. However after
a year of this and it took that long to focus on it,
I realised that coffee was at the core of the problem.
This was difficult for me since I sepnt a long time on
the road and caffeine fights tiredness and boredom
when you need 2020 vision at all times. When I
discovered that the reaction was for coffee I reduced
my intake and tried to drink decaf tea. I’m wondering
now if my sensitivity is just caffeine, since alcohol
and foods with high saturated fats cause the same
problems but not to the extent of coffee.
Symptoms can be very harsh, i would usually get a headache from having a little bit of coffee, or feel a nervous kind of feeling in my stomach when i had a V. But just two days ago i took Panadol EXTRA for the first time this week, not realizing that it had 65mg per tablet ( i took 2 equivalent to 4 cups of coffee ). For a few nights I became very worried, i couldn’t sleep my feet kept twitching uncontrollably, i kept shivering as if it were cold, pins and needles, just plain horrible! I had many panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and it wasn’t until just last night that i realized that every time i took these tablets i was having these reactions. So moral of the story ready every packet!!!!
I never used to have problems with coffee, but nowadays, even if I have a sip, I go mad! Today I had a small cup of espresso and now I can’t think straight. I’m super energized, shaking all over and have lost focus. The sad part is if I drink even a tiny amount of coffee in the early morning, I end up staying up all night. Knowing this, I should stay away from coffee, but sometimes I can’t help myself.
I have always had trouble with negative thoughts and behaviors but never thought that caffeine would be a factor. As I get older I have noticed more scensativity especially after having something with caffeine in it so I googled the info and was amazed at what I found. Now I know to stay away from it.
I can’t say that I’ve had a rash per say but I have noticed small red dots on my arms and legs, not in clusters and they don’t itch they’re just visable. I do get distracted easily and cry a lot without cause. Hopefully with this new info. I’ll be feeling better soon.
Severe Buttocks rash, Groin rash, scaly sore ears, and other minor long term symptoms that I am starting to attribute to a possible reaction to coffee.
I drank 4 to 5 cups of coffee a day for 35+ years. 2 years ago I developed a rash around the buttocks and it would migrate around my groin. I treated it with over the counter lotions to no avail. I finally went to the doctor, thinking it was some kind of fungal rash. He gave me a prescription for a steroid lotion. It helped until the lotion was all. My inner ears started to get itchy and scaly, sore. The doctor tested for wheat allergy, which got me to experimenting with deleting certain foods one at a time. I stopped drinking coffee and immediately all symptoms disappeared within 2 days. I can’t believe the discomfort for 2 years was caused by coffee. Thank-You Lord.
I know I’m a little late adding to this discussion, but hopefully I’m not the only one still reaping the benefits of discovering this forum! I’m a 22 year old college student and coffee has been a staple in my life since I started high school… around that same time I started to struggle with anxiety, constant “foggy” feeling, and difficulty breathing (always feel like I can never get a deep enough breath without focusing very hard on it – almost like my throat has been reduced to the width of a straw). I went to the doctor several times and they told me I didn’t have asthma and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. I was later diagnosed with ADD and began taking adderall (for a very brief time) since it had the same effects on me except significantly intensified. I also used to work the night shift at a bakery on my campus and would drink a 5 hour energy before my shift and half way through, every time, would find myself dizzy, nauseated, and on the verge of passing out. I have had similar reactions to other energy drinks as well. I can’t believe I never thought to consider that caffeine was causing the problem. I have cut caffeine completely out of my diet for the past week and feel like a NEW PERSON. I would have given anything to feel normal again and am so happy to have found this thread. Hopefully this helps someone else out there too!
I drank a little coffee for many years. I would get a headache if I missed drinking it every day. Then all of a sudden, I started getting headaches whenever I did drink it. Now I’m super sensitive to caffeine. I get very strong 3 day headaches whenever I ingest any caffeine. This includes green tea, Mountain Dew, guarana, decaf coffee, and coffee icecream. The latest was a bad headache after I went to my hairdresser. I called him to try to figure out why and found out he sometimes mixes coffee into my hair coloring!
Four days ago I broke out in hives. Went to the doctor, they didn’t have a clue why. It happened again yesterday and and today. I had a cup of coffee this morning and immediately after I got hives. I have been restless the past 3 days. I can’t stop moving or walking around. I have had a nervous feeling for the past week, but I figured it was due to having all my exams the following week. Is it possible that I could be allergic to caffeine this randomly and this sudden? I’m only 14. I have always had panic attacks and for the past 3 months have been hearing my name being called with no one around. I get massive heat flashes and sweat like never before. I was diagnosed with eczema about 18 months ago. I also have had major mood swings and randomly wanting to die for the past year. Is this was has been wrong with me?
I love coffee so much…feels like a big bear hug everytime I have a cup. But lately, each time I drink some, the glands under my chin and on the back of my neck swell up and get a little sore. I know it is the coffee and it makes me so sad to give it up. I just got a Keurig and all kinds of new coffee for Christmas.
@Madison D
Please seek medical attention immediately whether you are still feeling these symptoms or not and tell the Doctor what you said here. Especially that you felt like committing suicide. You may be under anxiety state.
Coffee can actually kill. Just look at the symptoms mentioned on this website. Please ask any body you know who is taking caffeine to lower the intake or stop immediately. I had a small vanilla latte today from Starbucks and after 13minutes I had a panic attack. I forgot my doctor told me to stay away from caffeine products and alcoholic beverages. For the past 6 months I have not taken any caffeine but did try today.
Alcohol is also a depressant. Please stay away from coffee.