Caffeine and Levothyroxine bad reaction from 3 cups of coffee reaction occurred several hours later!

[Javalmama]

I normally have 2 cups of coffee in the morning. But the other day I had 3 cups of coffee. They were k cups of coffee. I drank the coffee between 10 am and 11 am. Later that night around 10 pm I had a bad reaction. I had a rapid heartbeat. I had insomnia and was up all night. It was terrible.

[Jodypody]

Hi there. I’m a coffee roaster so quite well read in this field. Was this a coffee shop kind of coffee or instant?

[Naomi8 in reply to Jodypody]

I would be interested to hear more on coffee & the thyroid from a coffee roaster!

[Jodypody in reply to Naomi8]

See my reply at the bottom

[Ruby1]

Sometimes coffee gives me an instant headache and can make my heart race. Usually I will drink weak decaf to play safe.

It doesn’t happen with all coffees but is always immediate and I’ve never associated it with my thyroid (I’m hypothyroid). It would be great to know more on this.

[Hypopotamus]

I'm much better when avoiding caffeine. I would say that f you want more than one cup at a time you are getting addicted to it.

[hjh88]

I used to be a pretty regular coffee drinker before I became hypothyroid. At points I would be drinking 3-4 cups a day. But when I became hypo I suddenly wasn’t able to tolerate it at all. Not even one cup! So I now stick to decaf.

I don’t know why that might be but wonder if it might have to do with the slowing of metabolism that comes about when hypo. Perhaps the body can’t process the caffeine quite so efficiently.

[overunbykids]

I used to be able to drink both coffee and cola.

Since becoming symptomatic and kater diagnosed with Hashimoto's, I can't go near anything containing caffeine. A single drink and my heart goes crazy for hours and I cannot sleep all night.

[julesblanchland in reply to overunbykids]

I've got Graves, and can't touch caffeine at all. Sends my body crazy, rapid heartbeat, headaches etc

[isolda_m]

Are you sure the coffee was responsible? With most people caffeine has a half life of 4-6 hours in the body. It's odd that those symptoms would start 11 hours later.

[HLAB35]

One tip is to take L-theanine if you have a coffee. It is what makes tea easier on the heart than coffee despite the caffeine. Taurine is used in a similar way in Red Bull. Personally, I only have one proper cup a week. I mostly drink green tea in the morning and anything de-caff after lunch. It is generally a bad idea to have tea or coffee near Levo or supplements as they reduce absorption, especially bad if you are anaemic.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to HLAB35]

Ah green tea! I normally drink either water or decaf tea and coffee. Anyway, I finally found a really nice mild, non bitter green tea.

I was taking a cup with breakfast, then a couple of top ups while I read my emails and daily papers. A cup mid morning, another at lunch etc throughout the day. I drink it really weak in that I used the same teabag all day - sounds weird but it was basically green tea flavoured water and it was so good for me - or so I thought but after a couple or so weeks I began to get palpitations all the time.

I did a bit of research and discovered I shouldn’t have been drinking it on an empty stomach and I was drinking far too much apparently it is traditionally drunk after a meal. So it was goodbye lovely green tea and my body is back to normal. Shame though because I had finally found a brand I enjoyed and started to enjoy it. I should have rememberedthe say8ng ‘moderation in all things’.

[HLAB35 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I always have it with some food, either just after breakfast, or with a mid morning snack. It seems to work ok that way and now I know why! I prefer the sort with lemon and like you I drink it very weak.

[HLAB35]

WRT your reaction - could be the diuretic effects of the coffee wiped out a lot of your Magnesium and other electrolytes. My Mum literally passed out by a busy road as a result of being on diuretics and she had low electrolytes... basically, be careful around anything that is very diuretic as you'll then have to take more supplements to compensate.

[Dad72]

I switch over to de-caff after 6pm with no ill effects but if I eat an apple after 6pm I’m up all night (just won’t let me sleep) go figure 😋

[HLAB35 in reply to Dad72]

I prefer stewed or baked old fashioned Bramleys to out-of-season uncooked apples at this time of year. Could be because, uncooked, they're tricky for me to digest... so definitely no good for my bedtime snack. Apparently cooking the apples does something really good for you as the fibre works as a prebiotic (like inulin fibre) to improve your gut. So, if you like apples, try stewing them instead with cinnamon and they'll make a nice digestible snack... not necessarily for bedtime but it may be worth a try.

clinicaleducation.org/resou...

[blondpalomino]

Hi, what time did you take the thyroxine?

Maybe there wasn't enough time between that and the coffee.

I normally have my thyroxine first thing, and one cup of coffee (strong!) about 11.30-12.00.which is normally o.k. and I find helps my headaches which I get frequently.If I have any more cups, I find it works the opposite way and makes headaches worse.If I have coffee too near the thyroxine, I find I am tired all day, like the thyroxine doesn't work.

[HLAB35 in reply to blondpalomino]

This does kind of make sense because caffeine can enhance painkillers 'the drug sort' (especially paracetemol) and possibly our own endorphines as well improving sporting performance. Also it apparently constricts the blood vessels that can cause vascular headaches... Excess, however, will cause dehydration which has the opposite effect.

[Naomi8 in reply to blondpalomino]

I only get headaches occasionally & usually have a cup of coffee with 1 paracetamol)half an adult dose)with caffeine.I don't find paracetamol without caffeine effective

[MiniMum97]

The caffeine should have been out if your system by then. I believe after 6 hours 50% is out of your system. If it was the caffeine I would have expected a more immediate reaction. Could it have been stress keeping you up? I also find being hypo or hyper affects my sleep and do have nights when I am awake until 4/5 in the morning 😢

[MiniMum97]

Also make sure you are leaving one hour between taking levo in the morning and drinking coffee as coffee affects absorption.

[Jodypody]

Ok so most high street coffee contains robusta beans which are half the price of arabica beans but double the caffeine. If I have even one mouthful of this coffee I’m in high alert , I get a headache and stomach pain and bloating. I favour good quality single origin arabica which I can have 4 large cups of and I’m completely fine

[Naomi8 in reply to Jodypody]

wow-Interesting.!I tend to avoid buying coffee out because it is such a rip-off & I am invariably disappointed(too much froth,not hot enough)I resent paying for froth.I only use 100% Arabica beans at home,in my cafetiere & never more than 1 a day.

[Jodypody in reply to Naomi8]

Maybe I’m impervious then. Good job really 😀☝️☕️