Caffeine Intolerance: Understanding the Causes, Symptoms, and Management

crazy by Editorial Staff | Updated on April 26th, 2023

Deciding if you should join millions of people worldwide who depend on coffee? Everyone is drinking it, so why don’t you? The regular dosage of caffeine allows them to concentrate, keep conscious, and do more tasks. But what occurs as harmful side effects tend to creep up? What if you are intolerant?


The reality is that caffeine is a medication, and it has many possibly harmful side effects, like any other medicine, that may come with its advantages.

caffeine

What Is caffeine intolerance?

Caffeine intolerance usually applies to every case where untoward side effects are reported after ingesting any product with a detectable quantity of caffeine. Anybody can encounter a caffeine allergy, and it can arise unexpectedly in multiple areas of your life, often without notice. And if this sensitivity has several possible sources, it typically comes from biology.

How does caffeine work?

That being said, some drugs may also be activated, especially those that in some significant way influence brain chemistry. It is absorbed in your intestine as caffeine after ingestion and moves to your bloodstream immediately.

From here, it moves from the heart to your head, liver, and circulatory system, and various body functions may be influenced. Intolerance to caffeine is widely defined as what happens when this process creates unexpected effects on the body’s system.

Reasons why you are caffeine intolerant

According to Everyday Health, there are 6 possible reasons why you are intolerant:

  • As a man: Women digest caffeine quicker than men, and since it takes longer to digest caffeine, it might produce symptoms longer than women.
  • As a woman: Caffeine fights with enzymes in your liver that also produces estrogen. So if you take birth control pills, caffeine would take 1/3 to process, thus producing symptoms.
  • The medications you take: According to the Mayo Clinic, medicines and supplements like Theo-24 (theophylline), which is used to treat respiratory disorders, and echinacea, a herbal supplement, can also increase caffeine impact.
  • Your Genes: The study, with 120,000 participants, published in PLoS One’s July 2014 edition, reported six genes that may influence how people metabolize and hook on caffeine.
  • You haven’t consumed enough: That is correct; according to Mayo Clinic, not consuming caffeine regularly can lead to higher sensitivity.
  • You have anxiety: Caffeine will exacerbate your symptoms if you already have anxiety or high-stress levels. According to America’s Anxiety and Depression Association, caffeine can promote panic attacks, lack of sleep, and increased anxiety symptoms in those with anxiety disorders.

Can you become coffee intolerant?

Coffee intolerance isn’t unusual and can manifest differently in each person. Coffee allergy is less common but not unheard of. Reactions, whether allergic or intolerant, may come from coffee compounds or caffeine itself.

Why am I suddenly sensitive to caffeine?

Various factors cause caffeine sensitivity, such as genetics and the capacity of your liver to metabolize caffeine. Caffeine allergy happens when the immune system mistakes caffeine as a toxic invader and tries to combat it with antibodies.

Multiple studies showed that doses of up to 400mg could be consumed regularly without significant complications for the typical human being in good health. For those keeping notes, this equates to around four cups of daily coffee.

Interestingly, about 10% of the population is identified as hypersensitive to caffeine, which indicates that later in the day, they can take in much larger levels of caffeine and yet do not have unwanted side effects, such as insomnia.

Remember that this is very uncommon, but you might be included in this subset of people if you notice that you never appear to have as many significant results (even good ones) as others do.

Caffeine tolerance vs. caffeine allergies

Contrary to common opinion, intolerance or reaction to caffeine does not always indicate that you are sensitive to the substance. It is much more severe than mere intolerance to be genuinely allergic to coffee, bringing with it the possibility of far more harmful symptoms.

What are the symptoms of caffeine intolerance? Typical signs of intolerance include the following:

  • restlessness
  • anxiety
  • dizziness
  • upset stomach
  • irritability
  • insomnia
  • fast heartbeat
  • tremors

How do you know if you are sensitive/allergic to coffee? The Medical News Today states that the effects of caffeine allergy, on the other side, include the following:

  • skin rashes, such as hives or blotches of red skin
  • nausea and vomiting
  • trouble swallowing
  • shortness of breath or difficulty catching a breath
  • a wheezing cough
  • stomach or abdominal cramps
  • diarrhea
  • reduced color in the skin
  • weak pulse or a sudden drop in blood pressure
  • dizziness or loss of consciousness

Furthermore, caffeine reactions are the same as every other allergic reaction; the body handles the drug like an invader. It induces an uptick in inflammation, which is primarily responsible for all of the symptoms mentioned above in the body. With this allergy, you might be born, or it may grow later in life.

Multiple antihistamines can be used with the medication and may also minimize the duration of some rashes or hives; however, eventually, for allergies, the best cure is to avoid drinking caffeine.

How do you treat caffeine intolerance?

Your doctor may suggest taking an over-the-counter antihistamine to alleviate symptoms, including itchiness, swelling, and hives. But the only way to prevent caffeine allergy is to avoid caffeinated foods and beverages. Reading food-and-drink labels is critical.

How do you flush caffeine out of your system?

Here are a few tips you can do to feel better:

  1. Stop drinking caffeine.
  2. Drink plenty of water. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning you need to drink extra water to make up for what you’re peeing out.
  3. Replace electrolytes.
  4. Take a walk.
  5. Practice deep breathing.

Why should you reset your caffeine tolerance?

In this section, we’ll look at why it’s so important to reset your caffeine tolerance. Here are some of the most important reasons.

  • You must reset your caffeine tolerance if your coffee isn’t as strong as it used.
  • If you require caffeine to feel “normal” and start or finish your day If you drink an abnormally large amount of coffee every day.
  • If you are anxious, agitated, or suffer from adrenal exhaustion,
  • If you don’t get enough sleep,
  • If your doctor suggests it, go ahead and do it.

How long does it take to reset a caffeine intolerance?

The easiest approach to combat caffeine allergy, in general, is to take the drug entirely out of your diet like you would if you were allergic.

Of course, this is better said than achieved for millions of people all around the globe. If you contribute to caffeine’s continuing beneficial effects, it is advised that you reduce the dosage before the symptoms are gone or at least manageable.

There is no structured, agreed solution to how long the symptoms may take to go away. They are transient for others, typically only remaining for a few weeks or months, although caffeine intolerance may grow and settle in to continue for some.

To make it more difficult, restricting or reducing caffeine consumption after extended amounts of intense ingestion will result in withdrawal symptoms due to the strong addictive capacity of the product.

Symptoms such as headaches, irritability, shakiness, and exhaustion have all been observed, but thankfully, after a week of becoming caffeine-free, most of these tend to disappear. This method is somewhat mild in contrast to other compounds.

How to reset your caffeine tolerance

Caffeine tolerance can be reset in a variety of ways. Some of these methods are mild yet time-consuming, while others are quick but difficult.

Reduce the amount of coffee you consume each day.

You can utilize this strategy if you notice that you rely substantially on coffee to maintain a “normal” energy level.

If you drink six cups of coffee daily, for example, you can gradually reduce your consumption from six to four cups. It is suggested that you cut your consumption in half every few days. So, for those who drink six cups of coffee daily, you can reduce it to three cups for two or three days.

You can reduce your intake to two cups on consecutive days. If you cut back on your intake for more than a week, you’ll quickly get rid of your addiction.

If you think that’s too extreme, you can replace the number of cups you consume with tea. For example, instead of six cups of coffee, you may have three cups of coffee and three cups of tea. Repeat this process until you can remove it.

Why is it beneficial to progressively reduce caffeine consumption?

There are certain advantages to gradually reducing your caffeine consumption. These are some examples:

  • You will experience only a little if any, caffeine headaches.
  • Your body will be subjected to less stress.
  • You will only suffer slight withdrawal symptoms.

You should increase the daily water to help you with this stage. Drink up to half your body weight in ounces every day. Keep a water bottle available and sip it throughout the day rather than drinking it all at once.

Your body will swiftly flush out the caffeine from your system if you drink enough of water during this time.

Cut it out completely if you want to go all out.

If you thought the first step was difficult, this one might be even more difficult. In this strategy, you will go cold turkey and not drink a drop of coffee or caffeine until your energy levels have returned to normal.

This “washout period” is extremely beneficial if you are the impatient sort that wants to get all of the coffee out as soon as possible. It will take you around a week to complete this successfully.

It will undoubtedly be one of the most difficult weeks of your life, but it will be worthwhile in the end. You use one week without coffee and the following week to allow your body to readjust itself.

Headaches are one of the side effects of resetting your coffee tolerance. Caffeine constriction of blood vessels occurs when you drink coffee. As a result, if you don’t take medication, these constricted blood arteries relax and cause a lot of pressure in the brain. This pressure is what causes headaches.

What you might encounter during this time

Going cold turkey all at once can result in various withdrawal symptoms. Although it is quick, the short-term effects might be unpleasant. Some of the withdrawal symptoms that people have reported include:

  • Headaches
  • Productivity decline
  • Irritability
  • Lethargy
  • Muscle stiffness and discomfort

If you made it through that step, it’s time to go on to the next.

Tips to make it easier to reset your coffee tolerance

Because this procedure can be traumatic, you will require all the assistance you can obtain. Here are some pointers to help you through this stage.

  • Make sure you have a substitute on hand before going cold turkey. That way, when you crave coffee (and you will! ), the cravings will be alleviated by substituting the alternative.
  • Begin the reset on the weekend so you have time to unwind without negatively impacting your production levels.
  • If your withdrawal symptoms are severe and you want to quit, you can utilize CBD oil, Epsom salt baths, or other natural methods to alleviate the symptoms.
  • During this time, you should eat well. Consume extremely nutritious foods that will provide you with energy for an extended amount of time. You should also exercise because it might increase your energy and productivity.

How to reintroduce coffee back into your life

Congratulations if you employed one of the strategies and came away uninjured. You can now move on to the next stage. This stage may appear simple, yet it is delicate and critical.

To avoid re-establishing a coffee tolerance, you must avoid all the mistakes you made the first time. How? By taking the following actions.

First and foremost, you must begin by drinking small amounts of coffee daily. You should choose your daily limit. This restriction relates to the amount of coffee you will consume before reaching your limit.

Once you’ve determined what level this is, gradually make your way up to the summit. If you took the first step toward recovery, you would discover that even modest dosages of alcohol strike you harder than ever before.

Conclusion

It will be up to you at the end of the day to assess what can be done if you start having signs of intolerance to caffeine. You may opt to completely disregard them if they are small or decrease the consumption by a certain marginal number.

If they tend to get more serious, though, you will need to cut the drug out of your life, even if it involves seeking other ways to remain busy during the day, such as taking regular breaks, heading outside for a stroll, and consuming lots of water.

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Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.

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Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.