Coffee
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Re: Coffee
Caffeine is one of the very few dietary ingredients, if any, that major medical sites mention in connection with MC. Avoiding caffeine, lactose and fiber were the only dietary cautions that my GI doctor gave to me. We don't know if you react to caffeine, and maybe you aren't sure either. However, if caffeine does cause or aggravate your condition, or if you think it might, you should probably eliminate it entirely. Therefore, coffee that is half regular and half decaf would be a no-no.MamaBeabs wrote: What I don't know is can coffee be half decaf have caffeinated?
I gave up caffeine about eight months before I developed MC, mainly because I thought it was contributing to skipped heartbeats and resulting anxiety, and don't miss it. I even stopped drinking decaf after a while, and now don't miss the whole morning ritual of tea at all. (Never a coffee drinker. Horrid, bitter, oily, vile liquid. Ugh!!!)
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
I am fine with coffee, I drink it black.
My experience and observations is that like many things in MC world, cheaply highly processed food and drink items are high risk for issues.
Pure good quality food and drink items are mostly ok.
Like all things, check ingredients!! I buy organic beans that are fresh roasted so no risk of contaminates, mold, or other possible MC irritants.
A lot of commercial decaf coffees, the decaf process uses chemicals.
My experience and observations is that like many things in MC world, cheaply highly processed food and drink items are high risk for issues.
Pure good quality food and drink items are mostly ok.
Like all things, check ingredients!! I buy organic beans that are fresh roasted so no risk of contaminates, mold, or other possible MC irritants.
A lot of commercial decaf coffees, the decaf process uses chemicals.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
-
tommyboywalker
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:49 pm
When I first contracted MC, I drank a small amount of black decaf coffee every morning; had to have my coffee fix even as tough as I felt!
As I started to feel better, I went to a half caffeine coffee (yes, they are commercially available or you can simply mix your own).
After I was in clinical remission for a month, I went back to drinking regular black coffee. High quality organic only though for me though; well worth the extra coin IMHO.
I am not sensitive to caffeine so I can get away with it. And I don't drink a lot. I make 20 ounces every morning but usually drink only about 2/3 of that through the morning.
But as the old saying goes....."your results may vary". Everybody has different sensitivities and reactions to food and drink.
Best of luck to you!
As I started to feel better, I went to a half caffeine coffee (yes, they are commercially available or you can simply mix your own).
After I was in clinical remission for a month, I went back to drinking regular black coffee. High quality organic only though for me though; well worth the extra coin IMHO.
I am not sensitive to caffeine so I can get away with it. And I don't drink a lot. I make 20 ounces every morning but usually drink only about 2/3 of that through the morning.
But as the old saying goes....."your results may vary". Everybody has different sensitivities and reactions to food and drink.
Best of luck to you!
Kilt,
In line with what the other members have posted, experience shows that most of us can tolerate coffee/caffeine quite well, despite the medical establishment's claims to the contrary. You may find this interesting. For at least the first 6 decades of my life, I never drank coffee. I got my caffeine boosts from drinking cokes. I kept Coca Cola in business by drinking at least a 6 pack every day for decades. When my MC developed and I realized (by keeping and analyzing a food diary) that I needed to avoid many foods (including corn), I stopped drinking cokes (because of the hfcs). For at least 5 or 6 years, I did without caffeine. In the meantime, I had discovered that I could tolerate corn again, so I tried a few cokes, discovered that they were way too sweet after avoiding sugar for years, so I drank Dr. Pepper for a while until I decided that soft drinks in general are rather unhealthy. So I did without caffeine again for a while and then 5 or 6 years ago I started drinking coffee.
When a magnesium deficiency became acute and began to cause hyperthyroid symptoms, my doctor naturally missed the magnesium deficiency and cut my hypothyroid treatment (60 mg of Armour) in half. About a year later, my heart started skipping beats, and less than a month later I had a stroke. I asked my doctor if I should stop drinking coffee. Interestingly, he said "No, because of the arrythmias, it's almost mandatory."
As I recovered, I still had occasional arrythmias for about a year and a half. Then I noticed that every time I had an arrythmia, my kidney function was way down. Research showed a clear association between arrythmias and reduced kidney function. Since untreated or undertreated hypothyroidism often leads to compromised kidney function, I deduced that my arrythmias might be associated with undertreated hyperthyroidism. I showed my doctor my reasoning, he agreed, and he restored my original hypothyroid treatment. That was in July. I may have an arrythmia tomorrow, but so far, about three months later, my heart function, BP, kidney function, and all other lab markers have been exemplary.
Note that I do not take Armour because of a high TSH. I've taken it since 2009 because of low Free T4, low body temp, and other clinical markers of hypothyroidism. My doctor back then was an "old country doctor", so he agreed to let me try a hypothyroid treatment. IOW the original prescription was at my request, not because of a doctor's suggestion. Synthroid seemed to do no good, so I've been on Armour ever since.
Tex
In line with what the other members have posted, experience shows that most of us can tolerate coffee/caffeine quite well, despite the medical establishment's claims to the contrary. You may find this interesting. For at least the first 6 decades of my life, I never drank coffee. I got my caffeine boosts from drinking cokes. I kept Coca Cola in business by drinking at least a 6 pack every day for decades. When my MC developed and I realized (by keeping and analyzing a food diary) that I needed to avoid many foods (including corn), I stopped drinking cokes (because of the hfcs). For at least 5 or 6 years, I did without caffeine. In the meantime, I had discovered that I could tolerate corn again, so I tried a few cokes, discovered that they were way too sweet after avoiding sugar for years, so I drank Dr. Pepper for a while until I decided that soft drinks in general are rather unhealthy. So I did without caffeine again for a while and then 5 or 6 years ago I started drinking coffee.
When a magnesium deficiency became acute and began to cause hyperthyroid symptoms, my doctor naturally missed the magnesium deficiency and cut my hypothyroid treatment (60 mg of Armour) in half. About a year later, my heart started skipping beats, and less than a month later I had a stroke. I asked my doctor if I should stop drinking coffee. Interestingly, he said "No, because of the arrythmias, it's almost mandatory."
As I recovered, I still had occasional arrythmias for about a year and a half. Then I noticed that every time I had an arrythmia, my kidney function was way down. Research showed a clear association between arrythmias and reduced kidney function. Since untreated or undertreated hypothyroidism often leads to compromised kidney function, I deduced that my arrythmias might be associated with undertreated hyperthyroidism. I showed my doctor my reasoning, he agreed, and he restored my original hypothyroid treatment. That was in July. I may have an arrythmia tomorrow, but so far, about three months later, my heart function, BP, kidney function, and all other lab markers have been exemplary.
Note that I do not take Armour because of a high TSH. I've taken it since 2009 because of low Free T4, low body temp, and other clinical markers of hypothyroidism. My doctor back then was an "old country doctor", so he agreed to let me try a hypothyroid treatment. IOW the original prescription was at my request, not because of a doctor's suggestion. Synthroid seemed to do no good, so I've been on Armour ever since.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Wholly apart from microscopic colititis, caffeine has long been identified in multiple publications and tests as a secretegogue that can cause diarrhea. Not in everyone, of course, and not all the time. However, if we are fighting a disease in which the primary symptom is unrelenting watery diarrhea, microscopic colitis, I think it's conservatively wise to cut out caffeine until it can be safely reintroduced during remission.
Here's a recent technical publication reviewing the state of LC and CC as of 2017:
Microscopic Colitis: A Review of Collagenous and Lymphocytic Colitis, which states:
Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management of Chronic Watery Diarrhea, which states:
Here's a review of diarrhea updated last month from the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, written for a lay audience:
Common Causes of Chronic Diarrhea, which says re both caffeinated and decaffeinated drinks:
That diagnosis of hypothyroidism was surely incorrect, as I've never again tested positive for any thyroid condition over the ensuing 50 years. However, I continued to have occasional PVC's and anxiety attacks, which significantly diminished when I gave up my alcohol habit 30 years ago. Now an old man with high systolic blood pressure, I gave up caffeine about eight months ago and my few remaining PVC's have stopped almost completely.
In retrospect, I now see no virtue whatsoever in any highly addictive substance, including caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and carbohydrates.
Here's a recent technical publication reviewing the state of LC and CC as of 2017:
Microscopic Colitis: A Review of Collagenous and Lymphocytic Colitis, which states:
Here's a 2016 technical publication analyzing chronic watery diarrhea from all causes and diseases:Symptomatic improvement may also be provided by the elimination of dietary secretagogues such as caffeine, lactose, and fats.
Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management of Chronic Watery Diarrhea, which states:
It is also important to carefully quantify the amount of caffeine consumed in coffee and energy drinks, since caffeine may induce diarrhea via effects on motility and cAMP-induced secretion.
Here's a review of diarrhea updated last month from the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, written for a lay audience:
Common Causes of Chronic Diarrhea, which says re both caffeinated and decaffeinated drinks:
Skipped heart beats (PVC's) and arrythmias are off topic in this thread, but since I'm guilty and was followed by Tex in the context of his hypothyroidism, I'll mention that I was "diagnosed" with hypothyroidism almost 50 years ago, before TSH tests, and was prescribed thyroxin or whatever the medication du jour was at that time. The first day I took the med, I felt skipping beats in my chest and became terrified, as I was a strong young man with no medical problems. That began a lifetime of anxiety attacks.Very frequently, the diarrhea is due to something in the diet that is taken in excess. Usually this is an excess of a sugar or chemical substance. Common examples are alcohol and caffeine. . . .
Caffeine-containing drinks have a laxative potential. More than two or three cups of coffee or tea daily can often cause diarrhea. Withdraw gradually over the course of a few days to avoid headache and try going without for awhile. Decaffeinated drinks may still contain chemicals that can loosen the stools.
That diagnosis of hypothyroidism was surely incorrect, as I've never again tested positive for any thyroid condition over the ensuing 50 years. However, I continued to have occasional PVC's and anxiety attacks, which significantly diminished when I gave up my alcohol habit 30 years ago. Now an old man with high systolic blood pressure, I gave up caffeine about eight months ago and my few remaining PVC's have stopped almost completely.
In retrospect, I now see no virtue whatsoever in any highly addictive substance, including caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and carbohydrates.
If I were in a similar situation (with hypertension), I'd probably avoid caffeine also. But I don't have that issue. When I checked my BP this morning, it was 102/62. I had a hypertension problem several years ago that mystified my doctors (systolic pressures in the 160–180 range). I finally traced it to a magnesium deficiency (the serum magnesium tests that doctors almost always use are mostly unhelpful). Note that I was taking a magnesium supplement at the time, but it was the wrong kind so I wasn't absorbing enough magnesium. Correcting the magnesium deficiency resolved the hypertension problem and as I continued to take magnesium, my BP continued to decline.
But if you choose to increase your magnesium supplementation, I'm sure you're well aware that magnesium not only treats hypertension and arrythmias, but too much magnesium (especially if you have compromised kidney function) can cause arrythmias. Finding the correct dose of magnesium is tricky, but well worth it in terms of long-term health (unless you prefer to take drugs instead). Hey, I'm gettin' up in the old codger category too — I'm 77, FWIW. I can remember when that was considered to be old.
Tex
But if you choose to increase your magnesium supplementation, I'm sure you're well aware that magnesium not only treats hypertension and arrythmias, but too much magnesium (especially if you have compromised kidney function) can cause arrythmias. Finding the correct dose of magnesium is tricky, but well worth it in terms of long-term health (unless you prefer to take drugs instead). Hey, I'm gettin' up in the old codger category too — I'm 77, FWIW. I can remember when that was considered to be old.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.