Reaction to coffee?

[infomaniac]

I have just been out for coffee with friends and noticed that when I left the cafe I felt really weird, kind of disorientated at a bit drunk! I just started on 25mcg Levo last week so I'm wondering could coffee be the culprit? I have been fine up to now but am due to double my dose tomorrow (as per Dr Skinner's instructions) and am a bit worried. I noticed on Saturday when I had a glass of wine it went straight to my head - is that connected too? Thanks a lot

[Moggie]

A lot of people on here who are hypo say than can no longer hold there drink, they report either bad hangovers or they got drunk very quickly on little alcohol since being hypo. It seems to be not so much the levo but the illness itself.

Cant answer the coffee question though sorry.

Moggie x

[infomaniac in reply to Moggie]

I think it's definitely the medication in my case as only been on it 6 days and had no problem with coffee/alcohol before. I normally drink decaff so that's not a problem but I'm not giving up alcohol without a fight! x

[shaws Administrator in reply to infomaniac]

Coffee can have an affect on the uptake of levothyroxine.

thyroid.about.com/b/2011/03...

[infomaniac in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws. I read that but I take my Levo at night so it would have been about 12 hours later when I had the coffee. The other thing I don't quite get is that if it affects the uptake of Levo why don't I just feel normal like I did before I started taking it?

[Loobs39]

Not too sure about coffee as I only have 1 cup a day and notice no difference before/after hypo but alcohol - oh boy, don't get me started. One glass of wine and I feel light headed - any more and I am sloshed. I always assumed it was age/menopause but who knows, maybe it is being Hypo??

[helvella Administrator]

I am on 100mcg levothyroxine (less than full replacement). I can and do regularly drink double espressos (when opportunity presents itself). And I drink a fairly strong mug of coffee every morning. My feeling is that it does nothing bad to me at all.

But it would be very bad to suggest that what I do, and seem fine with, would be be fine for you. We are all different.

Coffee can be odd with some effects seeming to be from the caffeine but others occur even with decaff.

I do find that alcohol seems to affect me more quickly and, possibly, more obviously (to me) than it used to. But that does not mean that I don't still enjoy a bit of beer or wine.

Rod

[infomaniac in reply to helvella]

I normally drink decaff and am quite sensitive to Caffeine so I will steer away from full strength stuff I think-it wasn't a nice feeling! The wine thing seems to get a bit better when I eat something-does that make any sense? I have cut so much out of my diet I really don't want to give up my wine as well

[Jane104]

Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism; I'm sure the reason I can't tolerate alcohol is a metabolic issue - it doesn't go to my head, I just feel dreadful. I usually only drink decaf coffee too. Before I was diagnosed I used to say coffee didn't affect me at all and certainly didn't keep me awake at night. Now one cup makes me feel very wired.

[infomaniac]

Hi Janericat, I feel my reaction is completely down to the Levo. I am sensitive to caffeine-can't sleep if I even sniff any post lunchtime, but I've never had a reaction to it like I did yesterday. Also, alcohol-through years of practice I can tolerate it very well and have never felt so strange after just one glass as I did at the weekend. If it means I have to take it easy that's fine but I am not giving it up altogether!

[Jane104 in reply to infomaniac]

that's my point, it changes your metabolism.

[infomaniac]

I hope it changes mine for the better then...I don't think I had one before!!

[ebites]

(Little bit of background because I'm newly-diagnosed too, infomaniac: this is my first post on the website as I was only diagnosed hypo three months ago. I'm currently on 75mcg Levothyroxine.)

I have always been a tea and coffee fiend (around ten black teas a day, between one-four coffees as well) and I've never had trouble sleeping. (I've basically been hibernating for about a year, but I guess that's the hypothyroidism!) However, I've noticed in the last three weeks since I started taking 75mcg Levo that I'm a bit of an insomniac. I cut out caffeine after 4pm this week and have been sleeping more easily. It's anecdotal, but I think caffeine has more of an effect on me these days since my metabolism is more 'normal.' You might be experiencing the same thing?

I've also definitely noticed that my tolerance for alcohol is waaaaay down compared to how it used to be. I'm 27 but up until the last year or so I've had a very high tolerance and now just a couple of glasses of wine can really get to me - and the hangovers are terrible! That may just be because I'm not 21 any more, but since it's metabolism-related I don't see why the hypo wouldn't be another culprit.

[infomaniac in reply to ebites]

I almost always drink decaff but I'm not normally "wired" if I have caffeine so it's definitely something to do with the levo. As far as alcohol goes I have made it my quest to work through my problem! It seems that it's just the initial drink and if I have food I'm OK then after that I'm back to normal, which I'm very happy about! How are you finding Levo?

[ebites in reply to infomaniac]

Er, I mentioned in another thread that it has lit a rocket under my digestive system, to put it euphemistically. I'm not on the right dose yet as I'm still knackered and well outside normal blood ranges, but it definitely made me feel a lot better. Thought I was dying at one point!

[zeberdee2468]

I drink normal coffee all the time without any effects and have done for years but that's just me hope you get everything sorted out

[ebites]

We could all go on a cheap, speedy hypo pub crawl - three pubs and we're DONE!

[PinkNinja in reply to ebites]

Lol! A bit different from the ones I went on at university. Being in Manchester we didn't have to go far to get through a fair few pubs I'd probably have to stop after the first pub now though

[ebites in reply to PinkNinja]

Sigh, I suppose it's better for our health in general to drink less.

There'd have to be a special prize for anyone who can drink two pints without falling over! Which I would not win

[shaws Administrator]

Here is a link re 'Tips for Sleeping better'

articles.mercola.com/sites/...