How Many of You Drink Coffee?

[seeljanerun]

Hey all,

I was curious to know how many of you drink coffee, in what amount, and how often you drink it.

One of the most basic things a gastroenterologist will tell you if you are having stomach upset is to limit caffeine, artificial sweeteners, alcohol etc.

I have gone off of Coffee for months at a time, to no effect on my bowels, but to much effect on my mood. I become very low energy, and depressed, and just generally don't like how I feel with out it.

My coffee-drinking habits range from a cup in the morning, to 2-3 cups in the morning and then one in the afternoon.

For those of you who have obtained remission, does coffee seem to effect your bowels negatively?

Also, I tried to include a poll with this post - I'm new to this community so I'm not sure if I did it right!

[JFR]

I drink 2 cups of coffee every morning. It has no ill effect on me. Occasionally I'll have a cup later in the day but not very often.

Jean

[JLH]

I have never liked coffee flavor!

[tex]

Jane,

Based on our accumulated experiences here on the board, I can tell you that the guys in the white coats are wrong in most cases when they advise anyone who has MC to avoid coffee/caffeine. Basically, coffee prompts a bowel movement (BM) for some people in the general population, and for others it does not. If you are one of those people who was affected before your MC symptoms developed, then you will continue to be affected that way.

If coffee/caffeine was not a problem before MC, then it is not likely to be a problem after MC. However, anything added to that coffee (especially dairy-based products, including Coffee-Mate) typically causes problems. For example, despite being advertised as an alternative to dairy, Coffee-Mate contains enough casein to cause anyone who is sensitive to dairy to react. Plus it contains soy and carrageenan.

Your poll options didn't offer a selection that fits my situation (a better choice of words for situations such as mine, would have been "most days", rather than "every day"), but I selected the "one every day" option, since it seemed to be the closest, considering the constraints that the word "every" imposes. In cool/cold weather I drink one or more cups of coffee virtually every day (though not every day), but during the summer, I often substitute iced black tea, instead.

Tex

[seeljanerun]

Thanks for the input! That's reassuring - I am certainly a coffee addict, even more so than a cake addict!, so it's nice to hear that it likely can stay in my diet.

I'm sorry I wasn't more diverse in my poll options!

and yes, I avoid most standard coffee additions. Lately I have been having grass-fed butter and coconut oil in my coffee, or home-made almond milk. Once I start the elimination diet next week, I will switch to black.

[ldubois7]

I stopped drinking coffee after I was diagnosed with LC (as per the advise of the dr.). After much reading on this board, I decided to try it again. I drink a cup after lunch with coconut milk, and it is a special treat I look forward to daily....with no problems!

[seeljanerun]

Linda,

Hooray!! Fabulous news =) Do you use canned coconut milk or the kind that is designed for cereal, etc.?

Jane

[ldubois7]

Jane,

I make my own coconut milk. It is cheaper and there are no 'gums' in it....just coconut and water.

Here is the recipe. You may want to strain it with cheese cloth, but I don't mind the pulp.

http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget ... -improved/

:)

[seeljanerun]

Linda,

That recipe looks so easy and good! I will definitely have to try it soon =) Thanks for sharing

[HappyBird]

Until just a few days ago when I started my elimination diet I mostly only drank coffee. I have started having tea and just one coffee per day. I am a migraine sufferer so need the caffeine from coffee.

I have seen an improvement in D since cutting back.

[Hazelbird]

This is interesting! I am a new LCer and assumed the common advice for NO CAFFEINE was written in stone!

I have always had just one cup of organic, fair trade, 1/2 caffeine/1/2 decaf a day as well as green tea. I gave up both and have just been drinking mint tea and now decaf green tea.

I do miss it plus the social aspect of it. I must admit that I'm sleeping better without it though.

[Erica P-G]

I drink one cup in the morning and I add to it a healthy squirt of Nesquik liquid chocolate syrup (which I understand may not be tolerated by too many with LC but it hasn't bothered me so far) and I use Cashew Milk by So Delicious without Gums in it

I also have a treat of 6 ounces of Mtn Dew in the afternoon...caffeine in all of it...that little bit doesn't seem to affect me in a bad way, just enough to keep my mind fluid persay.... I have been doing this since the inception of my new diagnosis of LC 20 months ago so what works for some may not work for others.

[grhandlan@comcast.net]

Since my MC diagnosis about 11 months ago, I have been grain free, legume free, processed food free, and dairy free. I stopped coffee because it was a bean. I love coffee. I have tried to reintroduce it several times, and each time after about 5-7 days my joints start to hurt! I stop the coffee and it goes away. The past month I have been drinking black tea. No joint pain, tea seems OK as long as it is only 2 cups. I feel so much better with a little caffeine on board. It helps with the fatigue. I am truly grateful for this group!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! YOU SAVED MY SANITY AND LIFE!!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS

[Kdias]

I love coffee and have always been a big coffee drinker. However, it was one of the things I tried eliminating when I was trying to figure out what was going on. I immediately noticed that I did not hurt all over nearly as bad. I occasionally drink a cup and have the pain to show for it, but it doesn't seem to have any other effects. I have replaced it with hot black tea, which is not as satisfying but still good. Maybe it isn't the caffeine as much as the uric acid???? I really don't know, but whatever it is it makes a difference in the pain.

[skp]

I have no problem with coffee and drink 2 cups each morning, sometimes iced coffee in the afternoon. I add a coffee creamer, coconut milk or almond milk, found in the coffee creamer section of the grocery store. My sweetener is liquid stevia. Starbucks and most other coffee shops now offer coconut milk or almond milk. They still make for a good latte.

Susan