Aa
Caffeine Allergy/Intolerance
I have had a serious problem with caffeine ever since I got the Gardasil vaccine. Whether or not the two are related, I have no clue, but I was an avid coffee drinker, soda drinker, what have you, before I got this vaccine. About two days after I received the vaccine I started to suffer something I cannot even accurately describe--my hands would tingle, I would feel like I was dying, I felt like I had the flu and I had a horrible fever. Beside the fact that I was having a bad reaction to the vaccine, I didn't realize that at the same time I was having a bad reaction to caffeine. All of the sudden, any time I had any coffee, soda or anything, I had a horrible panic attack and felt like, for lack of better words, like I was going crazy. I have suffered this since February of 2007. Just today I had HALF of a diet coke, no kidding, HALF, and the entire day couldn't even exist in my own skin. It is as if my body cannot metabolize it properly and it honestly makes my blood pressure go sky high---i'm talking like 150s or so without me even being anxious. What do I do??? What caused this?? Does anyone else have a similar experience??
From someone who is completely lost and feeling like they have no answers, there has to be someone else who has experienced what I have. And if not, then maybe I have no hope of anyone helping me explain what happened....I went to the dr. who administered the vaccine, who wouldn't help me, and countless others who dismissed my problems. But this is a last ditch effort to find someone else who either shares this problem or who can help me out.
Thanks.
From someone who is completely lost and feeling like they have no answers, there has to be someone else who has experienced what I have. And if not, then maybe I have no hope of anyone helping me explain what happened....I went to the dr. who administered the vaccine, who wouldn't help me, and countless others who dismissed my problems. But this is a last ditch effort to find someone else who either shares this problem or who can help me out.
Thanks.
JJen,
Do you sleep well? Many have said sleep disorders are what made them tired all the time, but ALSO consider HYPOthyroidism. Bro is majorly, and this is why he had hair loss, exhaustion, inability to keep himself warm and something else...can't remember...Doh!
Do you sleep well? Many have said sleep disorders are what made them tired all the time, but ALSO consider HYPOthyroidism. Bro is majorly, and this is why he had hair loss, exhaustion, inability to keep himself warm and something else...can't remember...Doh!
I tried black tea instead of green for a morning start...worse than coffee, I agree!!
Kelly,
My brother was diagnosed as caffeine intolerant by the National Institute of Health, and they made him a testing subject. They have been observing these people and the ways they respond to other drugs with similar effects on those who are sensitive to caffeine. They gave him a suspect erectile dysfunction drug, and that was the worst panic attack he'd ever had in his life, he so wanted to act out in an irrational rage. Thank good he was in an MRI under a doc's supervision and not some workplace. They didn't let him leave until he felt more stable. Men are more likely to have this intolerance, but as a woman, I can say don't underestimate its potential to ruin your life.
Folks in pharmacology understand this issue. It is a marker for folks likely to have unlikely reactions. Caffeine was the drug that tipped them off to this differing sensitivity among similar patients which plays out across all similar drugs.
And now I just developed this same mind racing agitated paranoid hostile cycle over the past month, though now I look back it was creeping up on me...I have plenty to be glum about if I don't work on it, but am typically able to trudge along like a good soldier. But I simply fell to pieces with paranoid, circular thoughts that my husband wanted to quit me and his sister encouraged it. Not so, but what does a panic stricken anxiety ridden fool think when they are losing it? I walked my feet to blisters trying to expend the explosive anger.
Then I realized I am likely suffering as my brother does. It's nice to know I can do something about it. Sure, it's a drag to have to give up caffeine, but I gave up tobacco, I can do it.
I read at another site where folks are coming to grips with caffeine anxiety that to go cold turkey can also antagonize the anxiety reaction for weeks if not make it worse, like giving up nicotine, so a withdrawl over time might be smarter, like one cup of green tea in the morning? I never want to feel so outside myself again...My poor family!!
About your HVP vaccine, having had cervical cancer, you are better off with this vaccine, but continue to have paps, sometimes the vaccine doesn't take. I've not heard about this reaction to the vaccine and have been very observant since my mother died of cervical cancer at 40. But I am post menopausal and this caffeine thing came out of the clear blue sky and rained all over my parade. I don't think it's the shot, but who knows?
Thanks for being so brave as to start this discussion off...You saved my marriage, I hope.
My brother was diagnosed as caffeine intolerant by the National Institute of Health, and they made him a testing subject. They have been observing these people and the ways they respond to other drugs with similar effects on those who are sensitive to caffeine. They gave him a suspect erectile dysfunction drug, and that was the worst panic attack he'd ever had in his life, he so wanted to act out in an irrational rage. Thank good he was in an MRI under a doc's supervision and not some workplace. They didn't let him leave until he felt more stable. Men are more likely to have this intolerance, but as a woman, I can say don't underestimate its potential to ruin your life.
Folks in pharmacology understand this issue. It is a marker for folks likely to have unlikely reactions. Caffeine was the drug that tipped them off to this differing sensitivity among similar patients which plays out across all similar drugs.
And now I just developed this same mind racing agitated paranoid hostile cycle over the past month, though now I look back it was creeping up on me...I have plenty to be glum about if I don't work on it, but am typically able to trudge along like a good soldier. But I simply fell to pieces with paranoid, circular thoughts that my husband wanted to quit me and his sister encouraged it. Not so, but what does a panic stricken anxiety ridden fool think when they are losing it? I walked my feet to blisters trying to expend the explosive anger.
Then I realized I am likely suffering as my brother does. It's nice to know I can do something about it. Sure, it's a drag to have to give up caffeine, but I gave up tobacco, I can do it.
I read at another site where folks are coming to grips with caffeine anxiety that to go cold turkey can also antagonize the anxiety reaction for weeks if not make it worse, like giving up nicotine, so a withdrawl over time might be smarter, like one cup of green tea in the morning? I never want to feel so outside myself again...My poor family!!
About your HVP vaccine, having had cervical cancer, you are better off with this vaccine, but continue to have paps, sometimes the vaccine doesn't take. I've not heard about this reaction to the vaccine and have been very observant since my mother died of cervical cancer at 40. But I am post menopausal and this caffeine thing came out of the clear blue sky and rained all over my parade. I don't think it's the shot, but who knows?
Thanks for being so brave as to start this discussion off...You saved my marriage, I hope.
I have been dealing with the same issue for awhile now. I'm sure very sure when it started as I've never been a huge coffee drinker. I didn't even start drinking it occasionally until I was in my mid-20's and had 2 kids. I already had dealt with post-partum anxiety issues, so that was there before the coffee - however I was an avid diet coke drinker, going back and forth from caffeine free to full caffeine, so maybe that played a part. I was on anti-depressants for years, then came off them and had massive panic attacks and just figured it was my system adjusting from the years of anti-depressants (turns out I wasn't depressed, just married to a bleep-hole).
After my divorce, as a single parent of 4 kids, I went back to school full time and, obviously, figured I needed some coffee to make it through a day of studies (I was 34 at the time). I would have panic attacks all day, often right in class. I never connected the 2 until my mom started having the same issues. I totally cut out caffeine for several years, and things were fine. I could have coffee occasionally, but I would sometimes react, not severely though. Then once I got my degree, I went to work full time which was more stressful than school as the hours were really long and I had to get up really early (night owl here). That and co-worker pressure caused me to start drinking coffee again. My workplace has 5 coffee shops in a minute's walk and it's just a given that we all go out for a coffee twice a day. I noticed I was starting to feel dizzy, not sleeping well, having heart palpitations (I've had an EEG and it was normal, so no issues there) so I cut out the coffee and started drinking green tea. It seemed okay but I noticed the other day I had black tea and OMG it was WORSE than the coffee, by FAR. The coffee gives me a headache and heart palpitations, but the tea makes me want to crawl out of my skin. Is there a major difference between the types of caffeine in those 2 things? I've tried it several times and it's definitely the black tea that is causing issues. Also, I seem to be okay with alcohol. If I'm having a tea episode at home, I'll have a glass of wine and it'll go away instantly. So I feel like while I'm glad to have found I'm not the only one so sensitive to caffeine, I feel like I have such a different reaction to coffee vs tea and I haven't seen anyone with that same issue so I do feel like a freak or that I'm imagining things. And, again, alcohol doesn't bother me in the least (although I must state that I come from a long line of heavy drinkers that all lived into their 90's or even over 100, so maybe that's genetic).
Anyway, just thought I'd make a post to commiserate with everyone. I spent quite some time reading the whole thread and it was very interesting.
After my divorce, as a single parent of 4 kids, I went back to school full time and, obviously, figured I needed some coffee to make it through a day of studies (I was 34 at the time). I would have panic attacks all day, often right in class. I never connected the 2 until my mom started having the same issues. I totally cut out caffeine for several years, and things were fine. I could have coffee occasionally, but I would sometimes react, not severely though. Then once I got my degree, I went to work full time which was more stressful than school as the hours were really long and I had to get up really early (night owl here). That and co-worker pressure caused me to start drinking coffee again. My workplace has 5 coffee shops in a minute's walk and it's just a given that we all go out for a coffee twice a day. I noticed I was starting to feel dizzy, not sleeping well, having heart palpitations (I've had an EEG and it was normal, so no issues there) so I cut out the coffee and started drinking green tea. It seemed okay but I noticed the other day I had black tea and OMG it was WORSE than the coffee, by FAR. The coffee gives me a headache and heart palpitations, but the tea makes me want to crawl out of my skin. Is there a major difference between the types of caffeine in those 2 things? I've tried it several times and it's definitely the black tea that is causing issues. Also, I seem to be okay with alcohol. If I'm having a tea episode at home, I'll have a glass of wine and it'll go away instantly. So I feel like while I'm glad to have found I'm not the only one so sensitive to caffeine, I feel like I have such a different reaction to coffee vs tea and I haven't seen anyone with that same issue so I do feel like a freak or that I'm imagining things. And, again, alcohol doesn't bother me in the least (although I must state that I come from a long line of heavy drinkers that all lived into their 90's or even over 100, so maybe that's genetic).
Anyway, just thought I'd make a post to commiserate with everyone. I spent quite some time reading the whole thread and it was very interesting.
Hi Kelly,
Had been reading about caffeine intolerance and came across this page. I have had this problem my whole life and now in my 40's. Sinus medicine as well does the same thing. You might want to get a hair analysis done...you may have low functioning adrenal glands. I found this out about myself a few years ago which will also cause you to have panic attacks. Coffee, stress, alcohol, sugar ...etc. any stimulants wreaks havoc on adrenal glands.
Sandy
Had been reading about caffeine intolerance and came across this page. I have had this problem my whole life and now in my 40's. Sinus medicine as well does the same thing. You might want to get a hair analysis done...you may have low functioning adrenal glands. I found this out about myself a few years ago which will also cause you to have panic attacks. Coffee, stress, alcohol, sugar ...etc. any stimulants wreaks havoc on adrenal glands.
Sandy
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Allergy Community
Find out what causes asthma, and how to take control of your symptoms.
Find out if your city is a top "allergy capital."
Find out which foods you should watch out for.
If you’re one of the 35 million Americans who suffer from hay fever, read on for what plants are to blame, where to find them and how to get relief.
Allergist Dr. Lily Pien answers Medhelp users' most pressing allergy-related questions
When you start sniffling and sneezing, you know spring has sprung. Check out these four natural remedies to nix spring allergies.
