Caffeine as a pain trigger

Morning,

I was just wondering if anyone else finds caffeine flares up their endo pain?

I've been on holiday recently and did really well pain wise while I was away. I've been thinking of anything I did differently and aside from being stress free (!) the only other thing was much reduced daily caffeine.

I suppose the way to tell would be to reduce it now I'm home and see if that helps. Xxx

[Amnc]

Hi,

It is interesting that you mention this as I went back to work on Wednesday and my endo belly came back with a vengeance. Food wise, the only difference is increased caffeine consumption and more widely, as you say, increased stress.

Yesterday I experimented with having no caffeine and it did not make a jot of difference. I am not sure if that is a long enough trial though. I may try again next week. Let me know how you get on! Xx

[Keke123]

I totally feel this is a thing for me!

I try and limit myself but I work nights sometimes so sadly coffee is something I have to rely on. I thing there are a lot of things that flare it up and stress is a mega factor. Also the quality of sleep for me too! Silly things you don't even think about

[LindaML]

Hi,

I have stopped drinking coffee in the past week after a recommendation to switch to white tea - it is the least caffeinated hot beverage - I am sleeping better, less stressful and pain seems to be a lot more manageable during the day. Definetly going to try stay away from coffee as much as possible.

[RLJarman]

I don't drink coffee anymore and I love coffee! Such a shame. I drink green tea with Manuka honey (got used to it) and peppermint tea is helpful to sooth.

[Ardenrose in reply to RLJarman]

Just to let you know, unless it says decaf on the box green tea does naturally contain caffeine. I didn't know this for a long time and wondered why I was getting upset stomachs. Once I switched to decaf green tea (I buy the Tettley's one) my symptoms improved greatly.

[Jen90k]

I got advised to cut alcohol and caffeine out of my diet as I drink a lot of fizzy pop with high amounts of caffeine. I rarely drink alcohol anyway so that wasn't an issue. I only tend to suffer with endo pain around the time of my period and after cutting caffeine out completely for 6 weeks I had my worst pain experience so ended up drinking pop again. Everyone is different though and suffers differently if you feel some relief from reducing caffeine then give it a go it's one of the first things they advise you to cut of of diet as it causes inflammation. I do however feel stress and anxiety is the major cause of my symptoms flaring up when least expected. Xx

[stacerssss]

I thought caffeine was a trigger for me so wen to decaf tea, then as it didn't change I cut out all tea and fizzy drinks altogether and it hasn't made a difference for me xx

[Hidden]

I think I'll try to reduce caffeine to see if it makes any difference to my pain levels. It's probably a good thing to try to do generally Maybe being so relaxed on holiday and resting made the difference xxx

[Memw]

I'm with you!! I very rarely have coffee now, only when my tummy feels 110% ok and I'm super tired. Switched to decaffinated tea too!

[Ali1989]

Yes! Caffeine flares mine up something awful and dare I say since I've been off the fizzy and caffeinated stuff I rarely get a flare up, if I'm out for a meal or socialising then I'll have a cheeky beverage but the odd one doesn't cause much pain just a slight twinge now and then

[MarciaR]

Hi, I have been making an effort to cut done on caffeine and I feel it has been working for me. Before endo was even suggested as a thing for me I had to cut out coffee because it made me feel worse. It seems to be a very personal process of elimination. Go for it and experiment at home, it could make a significant difference x

[Ardenrose]

Yes, caffeine is a common trigger. I gave it up 2 years ago and it has made a world of difference for me. I have less migraines and less IBS symptoms. I've also seen a big difference in my general health since I cut refined sugar from my diet. I'm not 100% pain free but I'm so but better than I was.

I would say trial it for a bit and see how you feel. There's lots of lovely flavoured herbal teas you can try as substitutes which don't contain caffeine. Xxx

[HMPD]

Hey!

Coffee is a big no no for me now. I cut it out a few months ago and have noticed a massive difference. I used to get endo belly after having a cup of coffee too.

Since cutting caffeine out alongside alcohol, I've also noticed a massive reduction in my anxiety, so I'm killing two birds with one stone. Cut down slowly if it's a big part of your life xx