Caffeine intolerance after going vegan

[theveggiemonster]

Hi there!

Just wondered if anyone else has noticed a heightened sensitivity to caffeine after going vegan. I've been vegan for about a month now and I just cannot tolerate coffee (I get anxious, upset stomach, etc.) and now I can't even drink a mug of tea (I thought tea had a lot less caf. than coffee).

Let me know if you've experienced the same thing! This is something I definitely wasn't expecting...

Amy

[twinkle]

How unusual! I've never heard of that before. No problems with caffeine myself.

Are you having it with soya milk? If so, might your problem be with soya rather than caffeine? or if not, I wonder if the milk was providing some kind of barrier... maybe you could try it with a different milk like rice or almond, see if that helps?

[theveggiemonster]

I drink soya plain and with cereal and haven't had any problems. And I'm American so I don't take milk in my tea.

It's the weirdest thing! I used to like to have green tea since it's super healthy but now I just can't stand it!

[DiaShel]

I've been caffeine intolerant for something like 15 years and get a very bad reaction to it. I can't think of why going vegan would have anything to do with it. It could get be a coincidence that it happened at that time.

[missbettie]

I have issues with caffeine when I don't eat enough. Maybe you're not eating enough?

[diy-girlie]

I have issues with caffeine when I don't eat enough. Maybe you're not eating enough?

Yeah coffee always makes me feel sick when I've not eaten much and also when I'm nervous.

[Risker]

Had problems with it long before I was vegan. I stopped drinking tea for ages which was the only caffeinated drink I had and lost tolerance to it. Very, very much doubt it's related to going vegan.

Don't fall in to the trap of jumping to veganism as the cause of medical issues, chances are it's not.

[Barry]

Caffeine started having a pretty serious effect on me about 6-7 years ago. I used to drink loads of it but now I probably have 1-2 cups a week tops, sometimes I go months without it. While my intolerance to it did start after I turned vegan, I'm fairly sure the two aren't linked, I have non-vegan friends who started having the same problem as they got a little older.

[theveggiemonster]

Don't fall in to the trap of jumping to veganism as the cause of medical issues, chances are it's not.

When something happens the day after you radically change your diet I think it's perfectly justified to wonder if the two are connected.

Thanks for all the input everyone I guess I am now caffeine intolerant. How great!

[VeganAthlete]

I'm sorry to hear that veggiemonster. If you were hooked on coffee or caffeine in general, you might experience "withdrawal" symptoms, but they will pass. If your coffee or brewed tea is too strong you might experience problems. I drink way too much caffeine either in coffee, green or black tea, but I do put a tsp of Silk soy milk to ease it a bit. I also brew my caffeine drinks with more water and less substance. I love the taste, not so much the jittery effect. I am a pretty avid coffee drinker (as some of you may know) so I've never experienced this, but you can either cut back or eliminate it.

[Crusty Rat]

I've noticed the same symptoms but have no idea when it started. Although I do seem to be more in tune with my body nowadays - when something's upsetting me mentally or physically it's easier to pinpoint what it is. I couldn't say whether it's down to veganism though, I used to have many unhealthy vices...

[Risker]

When something happens the day after you radically change your diet I think it's perfectly justified to wonder if the two are connected.

The affects of dietary change don't work like that unless it's an allergy or something. It takes a while for any real changes to have an effect.

[AzureAngel]

Hi monster, listen I would not say you have an intolerance that is going to last just yet. The first three months after going Vegan is when your body goes through a sort of detox and you will notice somethings will just set you off and make you feel bad and most of the time even anxious. I would try coffee again after this time and see how it goes. That is only if you need it.

[Risker]

The first three months after going Vegan is when your body goes through a sort of detox and you will notice somethings will just set you off and make you feel bad and most of the time even anxious.

That may have been your experience but I don't agree that is the case in general.

[AzureAngel]

I only mention it because it is a possibility. Maybe if I added a "may go through" it would have been better. Most Vegans I have talked to speak of some experience at the start where they were uncomfortable for up to 3 months.

[erezzo]

It might have to do with a B12 deficiency, so watch out! Before I got diagnosed with Celiac, I was severely B12 deficient for a while (with all the fun that entails), and part of what happened to me was that I had zero tolerance to caffeine. It would make me feel very sick, give me extra palpitations, etc. So you might be dealing with a similar but milder situation here yourself. My issues resolved when I went gluten free and started taking 5000mcg sublingual B12 weekly.