Caffeine intolerance is different from an allergy and can cause discomfort such as headaches, upset stomach, tiredness, and anxiety. It occurs when the body lacks the enzyme to digest caffeine and can lead to addiction. People with caffeine intolerance should eliminate certain foods and drinks from their diet or consult a doctor.
Caffeine is a chemical that is often found in various beverages and medications. Some people consume caffeine with no visible problems, but others have a condition called caffeine intolerance. This is different from a caffeine allergy and is likely to cause discomfort rather than life-threatening reactions. However, physical and mental symptoms can persist in people with this condition. Examples may include upset stomach, headaches, unexplained tiredness, and anxiety.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical that, when isolated in pure form, becomes a white crystalline powder. It is considered a widely used psychostimulant around the world. It occurs naturally in some chocolates, teas, and coffees, and is also an add-on to many energy drinks and colas, as well as diet pills and some over-the-counter pain relievers.
Caffeine intolerance occurs in some individuals who consume the chemical in any amount. With this condition, the body often lacks the enzyme needed to digest caffeine. Those individuals then cannot handle the stimulation of the chemical. Rather than receiving the temporary energy boosts and increased alertness that caffeine provides for some people, caffeine intolerance can cause negative effects on a person’s body. These effects can take minutes or hours to manifest.
People with caffeine sensitivities may feel immediate fatigue after consuming the chemical, while others may experience stomach upset before fatigue ensues. This occurs when caffeine works through the body. Ringing in the ears can be another side effect of caffeine intolerance that stops after the body excretes the caffeine.
Additional symptoms of caffeine intolerance, including headaches, insomnia, mood swings and anxiety, can be a result of caffeine addiction. Caffeine is an addictive chemical because it works in the same ways as amphetamines, heroin and cocaine to stimulate the brain. The effects of caffeine are milder than those of illegal narcotics, but it manipulates the same channels in the brain. People with a caffeine intolerance, therefore, may also be addicted to the chemical if they continue to consume it.
Unlike a caffeine allergy, intolerance does not cause anaphylactic reactions such as hives, swelling or difficulty breathing. An allergy occurs when the body misidentifies caffeine and makes antibodies to attack it. The next time caffeine is consumed, histamines and other chemicals are released to fight it, also causing physical symptoms. This is different from intolerance, where caffeine is difficult to digest.
People who suspect they have a caffeine intolerance may want to start eliminating certain foods from their diet. You may need to eliminate chocolate milk, caffeinated soft drinks, coffee, energy drinks, and some pain relievers from your diet. A doctor may be able to advise approximately how much caffeine a person with a caffeine intolerance is allowed to freely consume. If caffeine needs to be removed completely from a person’s diet, there are many caffeine-free or reduced-caffeine drinks and medications available.
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