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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.
A few observations after reading some of the posts here (from someone who also has a caffeine intolerance, not an allergy)
I took me YEARS to figure out (maybe accept more accurate) that my anxiety and insomnia were made worse by caffeine….any caffeine. Because I had insomnia and slept worse, I had a greater need for caffeine in the morning - what a vicious cycle that I STILL fall into on occasion. The answer for me is to avoid any and all sources of caffeine and a big part of this is knowing all forms of caffeine (and other stimulants) - it is hidden in several ingredients in our food and beverages and folks should research this and know what to avoid.
Observing several other posts, I would encourage folks to think about why they need caffeine in the first place. Usually it is not sleeping well ironically due to caffeine consumption and intolerance. But….the morning sleepiness may be due to a sleeping disorder such as sleep apnea. For me, this seems to be the case. SLeep apnea leads to morning drowsiness, which leads to caffeine intake, which leads to insomnia, which combined with sleep apnea leads to even greater am sleepiness and need for continued stimulation through caffeine. What a vicious cycle! Also, sleep deprivation can lead secondarily to daytime anxiety and depression (heard these symptoms to some degree in the posts) and then those need to be treated. In addition for me, I have Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (similar to Restless Legs Syndrome) and caffeine and Aspartame (phenylalanine) make me legs go absolutly bonkers at night.
I'm not really sure where I going with all this but I guess the bottom line is to consider the NEED for caffeine as possibly a symptom of some other medical condition (like a sleep disorder). The best I can advise is that we are not going crazy, that we have REAL issues around caffeine, that some doctors are willing to work with us (try Nurse Practitioners), but that in the end, WE are responsible and have the only control over our own healthcare.
This is and has been a tough nut to crack and I wish everyone the best in their own journeys:)
p.s. I did find an article re: possible genetic relationship to caffeine intolerance - http://heartcurrents.com/coffee-risk-slow-metabolizer-fast-metabolizer/
I took me YEARS to figure out (maybe accept more accurate) that my anxiety and insomnia were made worse by caffeine….any caffeine. Because I had insomnia and slept worse, I had a greater need for caffeine in the morning - what a vicious cycle that I STILL fall into on occasion. The answer for me is to avoid any and all sources of caffeine and a big part of this is knowing all forms of caffeine (and other stimulants) - it is hidden in several ingredients in our food and beverages and folks should research this and know what to avoid.
Observing several other posts, I would encourage folks to think about why they need caffeine in the first place. Usually it is not sleeping well ironically due to caffeine consumption and intolerance. But….the morning sleepiness may be due to a sleeping disorder such as sleep apnea. For me, this seems to be the case. SLeep apnea leads to morning drowsiness, which leads to caffeine intake, which leads to insomnia, which combined with sleep apnea leads to even greater am sleepiness and need for continued stimulation through caffeine. What a vicious cycle! Also, sleep deprivation can lead secondarily to daytime anxiety and depression (heard these symptoms to some degree in the posts) and then those need to be treated. In addition for me, I have Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (similar to Restless Legs Syndrome) and caffeine and Aspartame (phenylalanine) make me legs go absolutly bonkers at night.
I'm not really sure where I going with all this but I guess the bottom line is to consider the NEED for caffeine as possibly a symptom of some other medical condition (like a sleep disorder). The best I can advise is that we are not going crazy, that we have REAL issues around caffeine, that some doctors are willing to work with us (try Nurse Practitioners), but that in the end, WE are responsible and have the only control over our own healthcare.
This is and has been a tough nut to crack and I wish everyone the best in their own journeys:)
p.s. I did find an article re: possible genetic relationship to caffeine intolerance - http://heartcurrents.com/coffee-risk-slow-metabolizer-fast-metabolizer/
I also have been searching for remidies to my conditions that doctors can't find or assume. i have read that it might not be the caffine itself but the pesticides that are being used over abundantly to produce more coffee and money. These affect more than the insects! Don't you just love the greed in humans for money?
I get similar weird sensations when I drink coffee. My heart starts racing my mind feels like it's going to explode I get jittery nauseous and just feel like im going to die over all! Went to starbucks todaly ordered a decaff coffee... about an hour later the feeling kicked in... and got worse and worse. Got home 4 hours later thought id lose my mind! It finally fades off slowly. Im guessing what I got was not decaff! I did use to have anxiety in the past but I never took any medication...
Caffeine causes me to go crazy.
I am 23 with a 15 month old child. I have never experienced this reaction to caffeine before this year! I have been drinking energy drinks for 4 years with no problem, and now for some reason there is a problem. When I drink any kind of caffeine it affects me for over 10 hours! Jittery, anxiety, fast heart rate, cant sleep, basically I feel like a crazy person!!
Anxiety runs in my family so maybe that is triggering it. I know I need to stop drinking caffeine but it has been so normal for me to drink it for 4 years... And now I can't??
I too am confused on what caused this to happen... Maybe it was from the change in my body from having a child? I don't take any medications but I have had those vaccines.
I am 23 with a 15 month old child. I have never experienced this reaction to caffeine before this year! I have been drinking energy drinks for 4 years with no problem, and now for some reason there is a problem. When I drink any kind of caffeine it affects me for over 10 hours! Jittery, anxiety, fast heart rate, cant sleep, basically I feel like a crazy person!!
Anxiety runs in my family so maybe that is triggering it. I know I need to stop drinking caffeine but it has been so normal for me to drink it for 4 years... And now I can't??
I too am confused on what caused this to happen... Maybe it was from the change in my body from having a child? I don't take any medications but I have had those vaccines.
I originally posted back in 2010. Well, after YEARS of being tested for EVERYTHING (gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, obgyn, urologist, neurologist, and psychiatrist -- usually 2 or 3 of each) it turned out that even though I was relatively thin I had (*have) severe sleep apnea. No snoring. Not fat.
Got a c-pap machine. Can't stand the stupid thing, so I have to take ambien to sleep with it on otherwise I rip it off in my sleep. But after 3 months of finally sleeping through the night with this thing on MY SYMPTOMS ARE GONE. I honestly thought I was dying.
Just for sh++s n giggles, get tested for sleep apnea!!! I cannot believe the answer was there the whole time, but none of 17 specialists figured it out. They all ALL said depression and anxiety. You know who finally suggested sleep apnea? My THIRD psychiatrist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate doctors. So quick to wave everything away. Except my new psychiatrist and pulmonologist -- they saved me.
Love to all........
Got a c-pap machine. Can't stand the stupid thing, so I have to take ambien to sleep with it on otherwise I rip it off in my sleep. But after 3 months of finally sleeping through the night with this thing on MY SYMPTOMS ARE GONE. I honestly thought I was dying.
Just for sh++s n giggles, get tested for sleep apnea!!! I cannot believe the answer was there the whole time, but none of 17 specialists figured it out. They all ALL said depression and anxiety. You know who finally suggested sleep apnea? My THIRD psychiatrist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate doctors. So quick to wave everything away. Except my new psychiatrist and pulmonologist -- they saved me.
Love to all........
hi killey , actually my problem it is not exactly the same as yours but i think the have something in common ,, i was an avid coffee drinker two years ago and like your situation suddenly i cant tolerate it any more , i actually told all persons i now my problem but know one could help me ,, in fact this problem made me lost my friends because of anger and depressions plus the panic attack i got ,, cuz after this sensitivity has evolved i became so strange with them and depressed all the times cuz iam addicted to it and at the same time cant tolerate it !!!
my syptoms were confusion ,, concentratin inability , not friendly and happy as before actually i got depressed more and became lonely ,,
i dont know should i cut it down or reduce the dosage or what !!?? and am happy that someone had a close problem
my syptoms were confusion ,, concentratin inability , not friendly and happy as before actually i got depressed more and became lonely ,,
i dont know should i cut it down or reduce the dosage or what !!?? and am happy that someone had a close problem
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